YANKEE NOTES
Off day? Not for Alex Rodriguez.
With his batting average at .172 after eight games and last night’s Devil Rays-Yankees game rained out, A-Rod spent most of yesterday in the batting cage and weight room, and topped it off with a 35-minute video session from a tape of hits made by the Rangers last year, when he was the AL MVP.
“I like watching good swings,” A-Rod said. “It’s positive reinforcement seeing good swings and good results. It’s good for visualization to see good swings. I like to watch five to 10 minutes of film a day for visualization and take it to the field.”
Having produced five hits in 29 at-bats, one homer and three RBIs, Rodriguez doesn’t believe he is hopelessly lost in a hitter’s funk.
“I am feeling more comfortable each day,” he said. “I am happy with the last two at-bats Sunday [fly to left and double to left].”
Rodriguez spent part of Monday’s off day filming the David Letterman Show, and had the tough role of following Billy Crystal.
“He is funny and I am so unfunny,” Rodriguez said.
Joe Torre knew what A-Rod was up against.
“I had to bat behind Hank Aaron for eight years,” Torre said. [A-Rod] seemed a little nervous.”
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Providing today’s game against the Devil Rays isn’t washed out, the Yankees will pitch Javier Vazquez, Mike Mussina, Jose Contreras and Kevin Brown in Boston. Mussina and Contreras were switched in order to keep Mussina away from six days’ rest since he won his 200th game Sunday.
Yankees will stay with Brown (2-0, 1.29 ERA), last night’s scheduled starter, today, but the Devil Rays are going with lefty Mark Hendrickson (0-0, 3.68) instead of righty Paul Abbott, who was slated to start yesterday.
Brown is making his first stab at his 200th victory.
Prior to the Devil Rays’ switching to Hendrickson, Torre believed left-handed hitting outfielder Bubba Crosby would start in center. But Torre is likely to play Bernie Williams there and DH switch-hitting Ruben Sierra. Torre didn’t expect Kenny Lofton’s bothersome right quad problem to allow him to play today.
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No date has been set to reschedule last night’s rainout.
