ANAHEIM – The sign on the door leading out of the Yankees’ clubhouse late Tuesday night read: “Early Hitting. 2 p.m.”
Considering the Yankees had just been blanked, 1-0, by the Angels, held to three meaningless singles in 11 innings, the afternoon batting practice was a splendid idea. Especially when you figure that the Yankees had scored two runs in the previous 26 frames.
However, nowhere was a sign offering a time and place for baserunning tips. Judging how the Yankees ran the bases Tuesday night, some remedial work definitely was needed.
Of course the ice-cold Yankees bats required more work. But so, too, did those who reached base. Gary Sheffield and Kenny Lofton committed colossal mistakes on the bases, and the Yankees were hurt by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt’s blown call in the ninth when he ruled Jorge Posada out trying to score from second on Bernie Williams’ single to right with two outs.
Leading off the fourth inning, Sheffield hit a ground ball to Chone Figgins at third; Sheffield didn’t run hard. Figgins’ throw pulled first baseman Casey Kotchman off the bag and Sheffield was safe. With the count 2-2 on Posada, Sheffield said he saw the “Go” sign from third-base coach Luis Sojo and figured it was 3-2. So when Sheffield was three-quarters to second and saw Posada take a ball, he slowed up and was an easy out because the count was now full.
“I thought it was 3-2 and saw the sign, that’s when I ran,” said Sheffield, who went 0-for-4 and injured his left ribs making a catch in the sixth inning.
Sheffield’s mistake was costly because Aaron Sele walked Posada and Hideki Matsui after the out at second, but it wasn’t as bad as Lofton’s baserunning blunder in the eighth. Lofton, who singled in the first and third, drew a leadoff walk in the eighth. With Lofton on the run, frigid Derek Jeter dropped down a sacrifice bunt. That put Lofton in scoring position with Alex Rodriguez at the plate against Frankie Rodriguez. But A-Rod never got the chance to put the Yankees ahead because Lofton foolishly was caught trying to steal third.
“I was being aggressive, they may have thrown the ball away,” was Lofton’s explanation.
Joe Torre spoke with Lofton after the bonehead play and reminded him that he has to be 100 percent sure he can take the bag in a spot like that. F-Rod fanned A-Rod, and Vladimir Guerrero’s one-hop strike to the plate from right was good enough to fool Wendelstedt an inning later.
“I thought I was in there,” said Posada, who touched the back side of the plate before Jose Molina tagged him. “He gave me a lot of the plate and I thought the tag came late. I am not the fastest guy but I got a good jump.”
Torre said he thought about running for Posada then deleted the idea.
“That’s a tough call,” Torre said. “Especially for a catcher. Especially for a guy batting fifth.”
The inability to hit or run the bases wasted a stellar outing by Javier Vazquez, who pitched seven shutout innings and allowed five hits.
“That’s tough; he pitched his [butt] off,” Posada said of Vazquez, who rebounded from a shaky outing last week against the Angels at Yankee Stadium.
Finally, in the 11th, Adam Riggs’ bases-loaded fly over Sheffield’s head in right off Paul Quantrill ended the game and left the Yankees preparing for early BP.
Way off pace
Heading into last night’s game with the Angels, Derek Jeter was batting .190 (31-for-163).
With 124 games remaining, Jeter should get approximately 500 at-bats the rest of the season.
Here’s a look at what Jeter would have to do the rest of the way to reach certain batting averages:
To bat He’d have to hit
.291 (career low) .324 (162-for-500)
.300 .336 (168-for-500)
.317 (career average) .358 (179-for-500)
.324 (last season) .368 (184-for-500)
.349 (career high) .400 (200-for-500)
.400 .468 (234-for-500)
At his current pace, Jeter will finish with 132 hits in 695 at-bats.
His average in eight full seasons is 192 hits in 603 at-bats.
Jeter has averaged 116 runs per each full season, scoring at least 104 every year but last.
He is on pace to score 55 runs.
