KANSAS CITY – Ground balls off Bob Diddier’s bat in the middle of the afternoon with Kauffman Stadium seats devoid of human flesh are one thing. Hard smashes in the fifth inning of a close big league game are a different deal entirely.
However, after going through a full workout yesterday that included hitting against Ramiro Mendoza, fielding ground balls and throwing lasers to first base, Chuck Knoblauch believes he will be ready to test his cranky right elbow in a game as soon as tomorrow night.
“It went good, the throwing went real good,” said Knoblauch, who displayed better footwork and a consistent release point throwing not only to first base, but to second, too. “I hit off Dozer (Mendoza) and that was the hardest pitcher I faced in months. I told Joe (Torre), it’s just a matter of a few more days. Maybe (tomorrow night).”
Torre will see how Knoblauch’s elbow feels today and if Knoblauch says it passed yesterday’s test, Torre is likely to start him at second base for the first time since July 24 when Knoblauch came out of a game in Baltimore after feeling something wrong while making a double play pivot throw.
“Knoblauch looked fine hitting, taking ground balls and throwing,” Torre said. “I think a couple more days of that and we can throw him out there, play a game and see what happens, as long as he is comfortable.”
After multiple X-rays, MRIs, CAT-scans, nerve tests and a cortisone shot, Knoblauch has begrudgingly accepted that his elbow is going to ache to some degree until he can completely rest it.
“It’s not going to feel good the rest of the year,” Knoblauch said.
However, that’s not from a lack of effort. Regardless of what George Steinbrenner may believe.
“I certainly did everything in Tampa to get back here,” said Knoblauch, who in addition to working his elbow into shape checked out video of his days with the Twins and compared them to film of his Tampa workouts.
“I looked at them side by side and saw some things mechanically that were different,” said Knoblauch, who credited Mick Kelleher, the Yankees’ roving defense coordinator, and Rob Thompson, the director of player development, for their assistance in the rehab process, as well as helping him get his throwing mechanics straight. “It was back to basics, but sometimes you have to do that.”
You get the feeling listening to Torre that he won’t consider his lineup whole until he can write Knoblauch’s name in the No. 1 slot in front of Derek Jeter.
“I would still have Jeter hitting second and Knoblauch leading off,” Torre said. “I would feel a lot better if I had that. Maybe we will.”
Torre’s team hasn’t plunged without Knoblauch atop the lineup. In the 39 games somebody else hit first since Knoblauch suffered his elbow injury, the Yankees were 23-16 going into last night’s action. The night Knoblauch was injured the Yankees held a one-game lead over the Red Sox. When play started last night the bulge was at six.
Knoblauch’s leadoff replacements – Jeter, Jose Vizcaino and Luis Polonia – had a combined .336 (47-for-140) average. Jeter, who was in the leadoff spot last night when the Yankees opened a four-game series against the pesky Royals, was 29-for-75 (.387) in 19 games batting first. Polonia was 12-for-38 (.316) in 10 games and Vizcaino was 6-for-27 (.222) in six games.
“Hopefully, it will be back to business,” Knoblauch said. “I felt it a little bit when I extended [the elbow] and when I followed through, but today was good. It’s going to be there. I have to go with it and keep it loose the best I can. Hopefully, it will go away.”
While his throwing is the No. 1 concern, there is the matter of his hitting since he hasn’t faced a major league hurler since Aug. 2 when he went 1-for-2 against the Royals as a DH.
“Hitting will be timing, a matter of playing and sucking up some at-bats,” said Knoblauch, who is batting .291.
With a six-game lead, the Yankees have a little room to experiment with Knoblauch, to see if his elbow will allow him to be part of their post-season roster. However, this isn’t 1998 when the Yankees used September to fine tune the October show. Knoblauch must prove to Torre he is healthy and can contribute.
That opportunity may come as soon as tomorrow.