Moving Bernie Williams out of center field is a popular topic among Yankee fans and picked up steam in Game 1 when Williams didn’t cut off Torii Hunter’s single that turned into a triple and gave the Twins a 3-0 lead.
But Joe Torre isn’t going to suddenly switch Williams with left fielder Hideki Matsui in October. The criticism is sure to diminish after the Yankees won Game 2, 4-1, last night to even their playoff series with the Twins at 1-1.
“If he has had a shortcoming this year it’s recovering from knee [surgery] as far as quickness and strength wise,” Torre said. “But to me, does that mean you should move him to left field? I don’t think in this ballpark I want to do that. Left field is a pretty tough outfield to play, especially if you are trying it in October because of the sun and the corner down there and the whole thing.”
Yet, Torre didn’t dismiss experimenting with Williams in left field next spring.
“Let’s see who is here next year and see what the options are,” Torre said. “Doing something like that is more so a project than a reaction.”
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Derek Jeter had ice on his left shoulder after the game last night. He collided with Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz in the seventh inning when LaTroy Hawkins overthrew first base on Jeter’s ground ball back to the pitcher.
“It’s a little sore, but it’s nothing,” said Jeter, who missed the first six weeks of the season with a discolated shoulder.
On Wednesday Jeter said that his shoulder may need off-season surgery.
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The general thinking was that Torre would keep Jason Giambi’s balky left knee off the Metrodome turf and keep him in the DH spot he was in for the first two games. However, Torre is toying with playing Giambi at first base tomorrow.
“Maybe, because on turf range doesn’t mean a whole lot,” said Torre, who hasn’t started Giambi at first since Sept. 23.
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Yankees have hired former Twins outfielder and Morristown (N.J.) High star Rick Sofield to be their minor league field coordinator. Sofield, who managed this past summer at Colorado Springs (Triple-A), played for the Twins from 1979-81.
“He has a lot of energy and we need that,” VP Gordon Blakeley said of Sofield, who has worked in the Dodgers and Expos organizations. “He is a former big-league player and we need to have that, too.”
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If Torre had a player he thought could help his bench more than Erick Almonte, that player would have been on the ALDS roster and Jeff Weaver would have been out.
However, after knowing what happened to the Red Sox in Game 1 of their ALDS against the A’s Wednesday night when starter Derek Lowe was needed to pitch the final two innings of a 12-inning loss, Torre was happy to have 11 chuckers even if the struggling Weaver was his last arm.
“When you get a game like they had you try to win it and you can’t concern yourself with the next day,” Torre said. “[Jeff] Weaver gives us a safety net so you don’t have to run through your bullpen.”
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STUD & DUD
Stud: Andy Pettitte – Solid start
Dud: LaTroy Hawkins – Threw it away