YANKEE NOTES
TAMPA – George Steinbrenner was antsy before the Yankees blew a two-run lead in the ninth to the Reds yesterday at Legends Field. However, the third straight exhibition defeat didn’t put The Boss in a sour mood since he signed autographs for almost an hour after the game in front of is suite.
Waiting for an elevator before the game, a Yankee fan said to The Boss, “It’s a great day for a game.”
To which Steinbrenner responded, “Maybe we will win one for a change.”
Clearly, The Boss wasn’t happy with the Yankees’ 0-2-1 start to the exhibition season that swelled to 0-3-1 when shoddy fielding led to a three-run Reds ninth and sabotaged Tom Gordon’s second spring outing.
Steinbrenner spent the early part of yesterday’s loss sitting outside of his suite with club president Randy Levine.
“We were sloppy in the ninth inning,” Torre said of an error by third baseman Felix Escalona and a passed ball by catcher Joe Depastino. “You get Gordon on the mound, you want to win. I am not concerned to the point where I think it will affect us as far as pressure and stuff like that. But you certainly want to win a ballgame like we were in a position to do today.”
Gordon, who gave up two hits and three runs (two earned), ignored the numbers.
“I felt good about everything,” Gordon said. “As far as the feel and what I wanted to throw, I felt I had good stuff.”
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The hard-to-please Kevin Brown was satisfied with his first spring outing yesterday even if the numbers weren’t sparkling. That’s because his soon-to-be 40-year-old body felt good. “You have to take it step by step. What I went through last year, I didn’t want to push it,” said Brown, who gave up a run, four hits, two walks and fanned four in three innings. Of Brown’s 53 pitches, 32 were strikes.
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Mike Stanton and Mariano Rivera are slated to pitch for the first time this spring today against the Indians at Legends Field. Stanton has been held out due to biceps tendonitis and Rivera has been worked in slow since he didn’t throw during the winter which he usually does.
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A day after colliding with an overly exuberant Dmitri Young, John Flaherty felt fine. He hadn’t seen a replay of Young trying to bowl him over at home plate Saturday in Lakeland.
“I knew he came in high, but I also had the ball up by my chest, so that’s what he was going for, I’m sure,” Flaherty said.
