YANKEE NOTES
TAMPA – Although he’s in line to be the Yankees’ DH, Nick Johnson made quite an impression yesterday with his glove while playing left field in a game for the first time.
Stationed in the outfield, the first baseman slid toward the left field stands to make a catch in fair territory to rob Ron Coomer of a hit in the first inning of an intra-squad game.
The Yankees aren’t necessarily seeing if Johnson can turn into a big league outfielder. What they are doing is seeing if he can give them more options.
“[The ball] will find you,” Johnson said of being asked to make a tough play in the first inning.
Asked what impressed him more, the grab or a line-drive single to right, Johnson said, “The catch; I can hit.”
“We are not looking for him to be anything more than an option,” Joe Torre said. “If you are looking to play somebody against a right-hander and maybe you want to overload against a right-handed pitcher, you put him out there.”
Torre used Johnson’s catch to tease Lee Mazzilli, who has been working with Johnson on the basics of outfield play.
“He seems to be doing well,” Torre said. “I never saw Maz make a sliding catch.”
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Dwight Gooden huddled with his lawyer yesterday. There is a chance Gooden will avoid a court hearing involving his DUI charge and that the legal situation will be settled by Friday. Gooden, a special advisor, has been out of camp since last Wednesday. He was arrested for DUI a week ago tonight.
“Nothing yet,” George Steinbrenner said when asked if there was anything new with Gooden.
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Spring training instructor Don Mattingly visited Legends Field to receive treatment on a slipped disc in his back. Joe Torre wants Mattingly around even if he can’t help out on the field.
“He is not moving good but he is moving better,” Torre said of Mattingly, who was hospitalized last week. “I told him that we need him here for more than what he can do on the field. He really gives you something to think about as a player, talking about hitting and talking about situations. . . . When he went into the hospital, he felt like he wasn’t helping anybody because he wasn’t carrying the load that he was here for. We certainly made it clear quickly that as long as he can talk, he can help us.”
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Goose Gossage’s team defeated Ron Guidry’s, 4-3, yesterday in a seven-inning intra-squad game. Derek Jeter had two hits for Guidry’s club, who also had Bernie Williams, Rondell White, Robin Ventura, Jorge Posada and Alfonso Soriano.
Drew Henson had an RBI triple for the winners.
Another intra-squad game is set for today and the exhibition season opener is Thursday in Sarasota.