Even though the Yankees have a new pitching coach, their old one will still be joining them for spring training later this month.
Mel Stottlemyre, who retired following the end of last season because he was tired of the second-guessing coming out of Tampa, will be coming to Yankee spring training in a celebrity coaching capacity, The Post has learned.
Stottlemyre, who was replaced by new pitching coach Ron Guidry, will work with the pitchers for all of spring training.
“It seems like a natural fit,” GM Brian Cashman said yesterday. “Gator’s in his first year. Mel has a chance to be a lending hand and he has experience with our people. It’s a natural, automatic fit, and he is interested in keeping the relationship going. The Boss was all for it. Mel is all for it. I think it’s a good idea. He’s one of the best pitching coaches of all time. Now he’s retired, but he still can help us.”
Having a celebrity coach is pretty routine for the Yankees. Guidry himself has done it before, and other examples over the years have been Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Graig Nettles and Mickey Rivers.
Asked whether Nettles or Goose Gossage will be celebrity coaches again, Cashman said, “We haven’t got that yet.”
Stottlemyre was the Yankee pitching coach for 10 years, beginning in 1996 and overseeing a staff that won four World Series. The 64-year-old Stottlemyre also spent his entire 11-year playing career with the Yanks.
Stottlemyre will be a familiar coaching face for the Yankees, who have several new people on Joe Torre’s staff this year. In addition to Guidry, Lee Mazzilli is the new bench coach (replacing Joe Girardi), Tony Pena is the new first base coach (replacing Roy White) and Larry Bowa is the new third base coach (replacing Luis Sojo).
Yankee pitchers and catchers report to Tampa on Feb. 15.