YANKEE NOTES
Roger Clemens’ chance at winning 20 games and becoming the first pitcher to cop 20 of his first 21 decisions wasn’t the only thing lost to a drenching rain last night at Yankee Stadium.
When the Red Sox-Yankees game was called off at 8:50 last night, George Steinbrenner was out $1.5 million since a crowd of more than 50,000 was expected.
“We never expected to lose the game to weather,” said GM Brian Cashman, who walked the soaked outfield twice with Joe Torre and crew chief Mike Reilly before the game was called off. “But it was clear. The first time we walked it was unbearable. The only option was to use the Water Hog to see if it would work and it didn’t do much.”
Clemens will go tonight against the White Sox. Beyond that, Torre hadn’t made up his mind as to what his rotation will look like. Clemens’ attempt at the record books loses something since it won’t come against the Red Sox.
“It would have been great theatre,” Torre said. “But not in a sloppy game, that wouldn’t have been nice, either. It as set up nicely for him, as high as he has been and as hot as we have been.”
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Considering he is understandably concerned about his hospitalized son and the Yankees having an insurmountable lead in the AL East, it makes some sense for Jorge Posada to drop his appeal of a six-game suspension so it’s not hanging over his head during the final week of the season or drags into next year.
However, Posada isn’t planning on that course of action.
“Everything has to be right, I don’t think it was fair,” Posada said of Frank Robinson’s six-game benching and $3,5000 fine for bumping and spraying umpire Andy Fletcher with saliva a week ago yesterday in Toronto. “It’s easier when I am home because I can go to the hospital, come to the field and go back to the hospital. The appeal and suspension isn’t important to me.”
Yesterday Posada’s agent called MLB to see when a hearing could be scheduled and was told Thursday. However, with Jorge IV hospitalized at least until Saturday due to a post-surgery infection that required additional surgery this past Wednesday, Louis Espinel informed MLB that Posada wouldn’t be available. And with Posada going to St. Petersburg with the Yankees Thursday night, and out of town until Sept. 24, a hearing date could be difficult to come up with.