YANKEE NOTES
In the days before Johnny Damon was signed, the Yankees preached how comfortable they would be with Bubba Crosby as their starting center fielder. Last night, Crosby indeed was the starter between Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui. So what if it took 19 games for Crosby to get his initial start of the season?
Since Crosby had appeared in 11 games and only had six plate appearances, he was expected to be fighting rust as well as Devil Ray hurler Seth McClung last night.
Crosby had a bunt single, drew a walk, had a sacrifice bunt, made a baserunning mistake and turned in two sterling defensive plays.
While Crosby admitted there is no substitute for game experience, he does have a plan to try and stay somewhat sharp: he wears out an $80,000 pitching machine called, “Pro Batter Sports.”
“It does a good job of simulating your timing,” Crosby said of the machine that has a picture of a pitcher and a hole where the ball comes from. It can be adjusted for speed, breaking pitches, if the pitcher is in the stretch or windup and righty or lefty. “It’s the best thing to do but that doesn’t come close to a game.”
Crosby was the last Yankee regular to start a game and did so last night because Joe Torre used the DH spot to give Damon a half-day off.
“It was done more so to get Johnny out of the outfield,” Torre said of inserting Crosby in center and batting him ninth. “And Bernie [Williams] is a good guy to have sitting there in case you want do something.”
Torre used Williams as a pinch-hitter for Crosby in the 10th and Williams fanned.
Williams, who hasn’t started the past three games, is expected to start tonight, Torre said. He wasn’t sure at what position, however.
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Robinson Cano extended his hitting streak to 13 with a fourth-inning single. He went 2-for-4.
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Alex Rodriguez received his 2005 AL MVP Award during an on-field ceremony last night.
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Aaron Small is slated to start for Columbus (Triple-A) tonight, and if there are no problems with his hamstring he will join the team in time for Monday’s game in Boston.
Lefty reliever Matt Smith is likely to be sent to Columbus to make room for Small.
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Carl Pavano is slated for another structured batting practice session tomorrow in Tampa.
RHP Shawn Chacon (2-1, 5.59 ERA) draws LHP Mark Hendrickson (1-0, 0.00) tonight.