Bucky Dent doesn’t know what the Yankees are going to do about filling Lee Mazzilli’s third base coaching job, but the former Bombers hero and manager would love to be considered.
“I haven’t heard a thing,” Dent told The Post yesterday. “I haven’t heard from anybody in Tampa since the end of the [Columbus] season.”
Dent, 51, is a favorite of George Steinbrenner’s. The Boss gave Dent a two-year deal to manage Columbus (Triple-A) last year and hinted that Dent could be in the mix to replace Joe Torre, who is in the final year of a three-year deal. Dent has one more season remaining on his deal.
Dent, whose 1978 playoff homer helped the Yankees beat the Red Sox and etched the shortstop into Yankees lore, worked for Torre as third base coach in St. Louis from 1991 to 1994, when Torre fired him.
“I have no problem with Joe,” Dent said. “I would love to work with him again.”
Dent, who is in the New York area today for a previously arranged commitment, is one of several names being mentioned to replace Mazzilli, who was hired Friday by the Orioles as their manager.
Earlier in the week, Torre shifted Mazzilli from the first base coaching box to third base when Willie Randolph was promoted from third base to the bench job vacated by Don Zimmer.
Rob Thomson, a VP in the Tampa operations, also is a possibility to replace Mazzilli. Thomson, who had third base coaching experience at Columbus, ran Torre’s spring training camps for several years, and Torre likes his organizational skills and talent evaluation.
Jerry Narron, a former Yankees catcher who was Grady Little’s bench coach in Boston this year, is one possibility, as is former Yankees catcher Joe Girardi, but he has no experience.
Torre expects pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre to make a decision by Friday on whether he is retiring or returning. If Stottlemyre doesn’t return, Neil Allen is the leading candidate to take over for Stottlemyre, whose decision may help free agent Andy Pettitte decide if he wants to re-sign with the Yankees.
* Kazuo Matsui doesn’t know if he wants to leave Japan to play in the major leagues.
“It will take some time to make a decision,” said the stud shortstop, who was scouted by Yankees scout John Cox at the Asian Championships this week in Japan. “I have been under a lot of pressure lately, especially since the games were tough. Right now I can’t think about anything.”
Matsui, who isn’t related to Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, batted .305 with 33 homers and 84 RBIs for the Seibu Lions of the Pacific League this year. The Yankees like him, but not as a shortstop, where they have Derek Jeter.
Matsui could fit into their plans if they move Alfonso Soriano to the outfield.
The Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters are interested in the 28-year-old Matsui.