YANKEE NOTES
ANAHEIM — Ice strapped to a pitchers’ shoulder elicits little reaction in a major league clubhouse. However, when baseball’s best closer limps through the room with a jumbo-size heat pack strapped to his right leg, the antenna goes up quickly.
“It started to bother me in spring training when I ran but it’s nothing to worry about,” Mariano Rivera said prior to the Angels’ 12-6 pounding of the Yanks last night. “There is nothing wrong with me. I am available to pitch.”
Rivera, who saved the first two victories of the young season and has converted 24 straight saves, said the heat was nothing more than a precaution.
“I am just preparing myself to play,” said Rivera, who pointed to the back of his knee when asked where the twinge was. “I felt it a little bit, so I did this.”
Joe Torre didn’t seem overly concerned.
“I saw that on his leg and I asked him what was wrong and he said, ‘Nothing,'” Torre said.
Ed Yarnall’s first positive step of the spring included a dugout visit from George Steinbrenner yesterday in Tampa.
Pitching in an intrasquad extended spring training game, Yarnall listened to the Boss’ pep talk.
“Mr. Steinbrenner wanted to let me know they still have confidence in me and haven’t given up on me,” said Yarnall, who failed miserably to be the Yankees’ No. 5 starter in spring training when he gave up 25 runs in 91/3 innings. “That is good to hear from him.”
Yarnall gave up two runs, five hits and didn’t issue a walk.
Yarnall is slated to pitch for Columbus (Triple-A) against Charlotte on April 15.
Add another chapter to Bernie Williams’ reputation for being different.
Since Williams is bothered by sore right arm, Torre has been using Williams as the DH, a role Williams openly admits he isn’t wild about. Since he doesn’t have much DH experience, Williams has been tinkering with ways to kill the time between at-bats that he wouldn’t normally have if he were in center field.
Tuesday night, the Yankees formed a search party to find Williams in the fourth inning.
“We had to go look for him,” Torre said. “[Paul] O’Neill was hitting and [Williams] was in the batting cage and had lost track of the hitters. He got up there late on deck.”
Williams, who stroked a double to left after rushing back to the field, smiled when asked about forgetting where he was hitting.
“I am in the cage taking some hacks and all of a sudden I am up there,” said Williams, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a game-winning homer.
Williams played catch yesterday for the third straight day and is expected to return to center field tomorrow night when the Yankees open a three-game series in Seattle.