Outfielder joins Yankees, expecting a smooth transition
By Peter Zellen / Special to MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Bobby Abreu came to the Yankees knowing there were a number of preconceived notions floating around regarding New York's new right fielder.

There were questions about Abreu's work ethic while he was in Philadelphia; that he didn't seem to be giving his all on the field.

Some people wondered aloud whether Abreu's personality would mesh with New York City and its unforgiving fans.

Still others took issue with some faulty perception that Abreu can't hit in the clutch and had lost his power stroke.

But all those concerns seemed to roll off Abreu's back as he was introduced to a room full of clicking cameras and questions from about 50 members of the media before Tuesday's game against Toronto.

"It was a lot of tough times the last couple of days with all the talk of trades, finally it went through. Now, I can pretty much get back to normal," Abreu said. "I guess a lot of people don't see me more often on the field, they don't really realize the way I played the game. Now they're going to see how I play the game."

Abreu doesn't know how the talk of him not being a hard worker came about and added that such talk never bothered him.

Abreu also doesn't see any problems getting used to New York. He has an apartment in Manhattan and often spends Christmas in the city. While he hasn't been around the Big Apple during the season -- other than when the Phillies played the Mets the last eight-plus seasons -- Abreu has gotten a taste of what's expected of him.

And, because the Yankees' lineup is stacked with All-Stars, Abreu knows the attention won't just be on him. Hitting fifth, Abreu offers great protection for the likes of Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez, while providing an on-base percentage sure to increase RBI opportunities for Jorge Posada and the bottom third of the order.

He did just that on Tuesday against the Blue Jays in his debut at Yankee Stadium. In the fourth inning, Abreu worked a walk after checking his swing on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

"Bobby, he really pours on the pressure by taking a great [at-bat] right there," said Giambi. "He's going to be big in our lineup, because he can do those little things that maybe don't look like big things on the scorecard but they end up being big situations that help the ball club out."

Abreu's free pass loaded the bases, and one out later Abreu scored on Bernie Williams' bases-clearing double.

"It was pretty good [to be in the middle of the rally]," Abreu said. "It's my first game over here, and we get the win. We're going to continue to win."

"I heard some things about Yankee fans and their support for the players. If you play hard and show them how you play the game and you love it, they support you more," Abreu noted before the game. "I just feel here that I'm going to be fitting into the lineup, into the team, just trying to contribute to win some games. I don't think I'm expected to be 'The Guy' who is going to carry the team; everyone has to contribute to win the game. There's no pressure for no one because they can all help [the team] to win.

"I heard a lot of good things about New York, so I believe it's going to be pretty much the same way [it was in Philadelphia]."

Abreu comes to the Yankees hitting .277 with 91 walks and a .427 on-base percentage, yet most people are focusing on his eight home runs, a low total for a player who smacked 30 homers two years ago and at least 20 in each of the last seven seasons.

That started speculation that Abreu, 32, has lost considerable bat speed, something Abreu quickly denied.

"I've been hitting the ball good, but for some reason I haven't elevated the ball, so I'm getting ground balls," Abreu said. "I'm not just trying to hit home runs. I'm just going to keep working, and I think the homers will start to come."

As for his clutch hitting, Abreu comes in with a .321 career average with men in scoring position and a .333 mark with the bases loaded.

With left fielder Hideki Matsui and center fielder Johnny Damon already under contract, the addition of Abreu, who will receive $15 million next season, means the Yankees have $41 million committed to their outfield next year.

That -- along with Giambi playing as the designated hitter -- might all but preclude the Yankees from picking up Gary Sheffield's $13-million option next year.

With Sheffield shooting for a September return from surgery to repair his left wrist, things could get awkward now that his position is being filled by Abreu. Yet the newest Yankee doesn't have a problem with that either and believes the situation will sort itself out.

"For right now, he's just hurt. I guess when he gets back, we are not the ones who are going to make the decision," Abreu said. "I think we will just concentrate on trying to just help the team win, that's pretty much my [feeling]."

In fact, Abreu got a hug from Sheffield when they first met.

"I wanted him to feel welcomed," said Sheffield of the icebreaker.

Just about the only thing Abreu worried about was getting his old uniform number back. After wearing No. 53 for the Phillies, Abreu arrived seeing third base coach Larry Bowa (his former manager in Philadelphia) wearing that number.

The two came to an arrangement; one Abreu laughed over but didn't want to give details about.

"It was long conversation but ..." said Abreu, proudly sporting a pinstriped jersey with 53 on the back.

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Gary Sheffield embraced Bobby Abreu's arrival with the New York Yankees, saying he would shift to first base if needed.

"I gave him a hug. I wanted him to feel welcome," Sheffield said Tuesday after Abreu reported to the Yankees, who acquired him in a trade with Philadelphia two days earlier.

Abreu played right field and batted fifth in a 5-1 victory over Toronto, going 0-for-3 and drawing a nine-pitch walk in the fourth inning that set up Bernie Williams' tiebreaking, three-run double.

Sheffield, recovering from left wrist surgery in June, hopes to return in September. Left fielder Hideki Matsui, who broke his left wrist in May, also hopes to return next month, and the Yankees could have four outfielders for three spots.

Manager Joe Torre revealed that he and hitting coach Don Mattingly -- a former All-Star first baseman -- have discussed for several months the possibility of shifting Sheffield from right field to first base. Torre said he would have broached the subject with Sheffield in June if he hadn't gone on the disabled list.

"I talked to Sheff Sunday, before he left, and just told him that there's no guarantee that this makes him odd man out just because we got a right fielder," Torre said. "We may just have to find some other thing to do. I didn't specifically say first base the other day, but we did today. He, Donnie and myself talked today. He's already working drills with Donnie."

Torre said Sheffield told him he had already ordered a first baseman's mitt.

"I think he can play that as a regular," Torre said. "I'd be very surprised if he wouldn't be able to handle the defensive part of that game. He's quick. His hands are good."

Sheffield has played the outfield, shortstop and third base in 18-plus major-league seasons. If he shifted to first base, Jason Giambi would see even more time at designated hitter.

"Who is playing first base for us?" Sheffield said playfully. "If he can do it, I can do it."

Abreu, who is 32, is signed for next year at $15 million, and the Yankees hold a $13 million option on the 37-year-old Sheffield, who at times has expressed dissatisfaction with his contract.

Sheffield was jovial when he spoke in the clubhouse and seemed to take delight that reporters appeared to be trying to find out if the trade upset him.

"It's funny how people could think for you and tell you what you're going to do," he said. "You all think you all know what I'm going to do, and you all don't. Nobody knows. That's the mystique of me."

Sheffield admitted he thrives on having something to motivate himself.

"At this point in my career, I need something," he said. "Everybody always [said] I wouldn't hit home runs when I came to Yankee Stadium, and I just kept that in the back of my mind, that I'm going to prove everybody wrong. And I did that. Whatever the next task is, I'll prove it again. That's what I thrive on.

"Trust me, I'll be laughing at the end. Watch me," he said.

New York's acquisitions of Abreu and Craig Wilson just before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline are likely to cut the playing time of Bernie Williams, Andy Phillips and Bubba Crosby. Torre said Wilson will start Wednesday.

Since hitting a record 41 homers in the Home Run Derby before the 2005 All-Star Game, Abreu has just 14 homers in the regular season -- and none in 132 at-bats since June 13 entering Tuesday.

"I've been hitting the ball very hard but for some reason I haven't elevated the ball," he said. "It's all line drives and groundballs."

He also addressed what he said were "all the rumors that talk about that I didn't hustle."

"They don't really realize the way that I play the game. Now, here, I think everyone is going to see the real thing, how I just play the game," he said. "You guys are going to decide whether it's true or not."

Abreu took No. 53 from third-base coach Larry Bowa, his former manager in Philadelphia. Abreu wouldn't say what he gave Bowa, who shifted to No. 50.

Lidle backs off criticism, but Rhodes keeps firing
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Cory Lidle backed off his critical comments that some of his former Philadelphia Phillies teammates did not expect to win, saying Tuesday that incessant trade talk sapped the team of enthusiasm.

Cory Lidle
Starting Pitcher
New York Yankees

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
GM W L BB K ERA
21 8 7 39 98 4.74

Phillies reliever Arthur Rhodes did not back off his assessment of Lidle, acquired by the Yankees on Sunday, as a player who did not work at his craft and could be found in the clubhouse surfing the Internet or eating ice cream during games.

In talking about his stint with Philadelphia, Lidle said Monday that "on the days I'm pitching, it's almost a coin flip as to know if the guys behind me are going to be there to play 100 percent." He noted he was joining a Yankees team that expects to win all the time.

"That's why I'm most excited about it," Lidle said. "Sometimes I felt I got caught up kind of going into the clubhouse nonchalantly sometimes, because all of the other guys in the clubhouse didn't go there with one goal in mind."

Rhodes responded by calling Lidle, who crossed the picket line during the 1994-95 strike, a "scab," and a player who spent too much time flying his airplane and gambling.

Lidle, 8-7 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts with the Phillies, said Tuesday that "what I meant and I think what I said was a little bit different."

"What I meant was over the last couple weeks, when the trade rumors started, we had about 10 to 13 guys that possibly thought they could have been traded. And on any given day, it just seemed like the focus wasn't always on baseball."

Lidle also said he felt he had a good relationship with his ex-teammates.

"I made a lot of good friends in Philadelphia and the last thing that I would want to do is dog anyone in that clubhouse," he said. "If I made it sound like that, it was a mistake."

Rhodes was unimpressed, and chided Lidle again for criticizing the Phillies.

"He backtracked a lot of stuff," Rhodes said. "He's with the Yankees, you know he's going to have to backtrack."

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel didn't seem overly bothered by the flap, saying it was a predictable occurrence for an underachieving team. The Phillies were 49-55 entering a three-game series in St. Louis on Tuesday night.

"I think sometimes when you're losing a lot of frustration comes out," Manuel said. "Also a lot of finger-pointing or name-dropping."

Still, he took the criticism personally.

"I took it as a shot like we weren't playing hard," Manuel said. "If you watch us, we make mistakes, but we run balls out, we hustle, we do things the right way. We just haven't really been executing right."

Manuel said he's a stickler for players being on the bench when the game starts, although after the first pitch he admitted there was less control.

"During the game sometimes I don't have time to run around and go find my players, but at the same time you're supposed to be on the bench when the game's going on," Manuel said. "I've always addressed those problems, not only with Cory but with anybody else that would do that."

Manuel would not say he was glad Lidle was gone, and would not judge his effort.

"All the years I've been in baseball, there's always somebody on your team that you would question how much he wants to win, but you never can prove it," Manuel said. "I had no problem with Cory at all.

"Matter of fact, if he goes over there and pitches good and helps them, I would pull for him."

Rhodes said he hasn't spoken to Lidle since he confronted the pitcher for being on the Internet during a game in New York in May.

"I told him you've got to be out there for the first pitch and he got mad at me," Rhodes said. "That meant he didn't want to win, he didn't want to go out there and root the team on."

Rhodes also said he's not alone in being critical of Lidle for crossing the picket line in 1995. He said closer Tom Gordon and catcher Mike Lieberthal and "some of the other guys on the team" remained offended.

"It still hurts my feelings," Rhodes said. "Once you cross the picket line, you cross the line, and everybody knows it."

Lidle said Tuesday that he wasn't hurt by being called a scab, but he had thought he and Rhodes had a good relationship. Lidle said they played golf and cards together.

"I didn't expect Arthur, of all people, to say anything," Lidle said. "Me and Arthur got along great over there.

"For that to come out was kind of surprising."

Lidle said different players have different ways of preparing. He said he spends more time in the video room.

"I may not be in the weight room as much as some guys, but I get my work done," he said.

Wilson in a better place; will likely play mostly against left-handed pitchers

NEW YORK -- Even before seeing the Yankee Stadium field for the first time in his career, Craig Wilson knew he was in a better place.

On Monday, Wilson came from the Pirates, who sit in last place in the National League Central at 40-67, to the Yankees, who at 62-41 are in a virtual tie with the Red Sox in the American League East.

"It's kind of like going from the worst team to one of the best," Wilson said. "Five-and-a-half years in Pittsburgh, most of the time, from the All-Star break we were either in last place or second to last place. It's exciting to actually play games in the second half that are meaningful to play beyond the season."

Wilson wasn't in Tuesday's lineup with Toronto's A.J. Burnett on the hill, but he will start on Wednesday against lefty Ted Lilly. Hitting left-handers is a major reason why the Yankees acquired Wilson. He's hitting .307 against left-handers this season and has a .302 average against them in his career. Wilson is batting .267 with 13 homers and 41 RBIs overall this season.

"I wouldn't say I feel more comfortable, it's just somehow the numbers are better against left-handers," Wilson said. "I don't know how to explain it. It just seems like I've hit them a lot better than right-handers."

Andy Phillips, who was getting much of the time at first base, is hitting .186 against lefties this season. He also has been slumping of late. After leading the Yankees with a .333 June batting average, he hit .161 in July.

While neither were in Tuesday's lineup, for now it looks like Wilson will get the nod at first with a lefty on the mound, and possibly for more than that. Manager Joe Torre said he didn't know much about Wilson's fielding capabilities and said he wants to get a look before making any more permanent plans.

"My view on this is the same it was the first day I left Spring Training," Phillips said. "I want to contribute any way that I can and any way they ask me to. That doesn't change whether I'm playing every day or not."

Wilson can also play right field and will also serves as the Yankees' third catcher.

"Pretty much, I'll do anything they want me to do," Wilson said.

Back to back-up: The Yankees have been a different team during the past few months, with Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui out. There were new faces with lower salaries and their own scrappiness.

With the acquisition of Bobby Abreu, Cory Lidle and Wilson, that Yankee team will be a thing of the past.

T.J. Beam and Aaron Guiel were sent back to Triple-A Columbus. Sidney Ponson was moved to the bullpen for long relief. Bubba Crosby and Bernie Williams, who have seen more playing time this season, will go back to their usual roles as reserves.

"Right now, when you've been looking to do something, [the role players] have been in the lineup," Torre said. "It's going to help when you get in those close games late in the game and you pinch-run for those guys and not weakening yourself a great deal when you put them in."

Torre said he's proud of the fact that, even with the injuries, tare in the thick of the playoff race. But he added that it would have been a "disservice to everybody connected with this club, including the fans, if you don't [improve the club]."

Williams said he's fine with trades and his now lessened role since that is what he expected this season.

Ponson asked his agent to tell the Yankees that he wanted to stay on with the Yankees no matter what his role would be. He wanted to be a part of the playoff run, something he didn't really experience during eight years in Baltimore.

"It's not disappointing at all," Ponson said. "When they traded for Cory, I knew I was going to be in the bullpen or they were going to release me. I'm just happy to be a part of the Yankees."

Robinson Cano has run the bases. Now, he'll play in his first game. Cano is scheduled to be the designated hitter on Thursday for Class A Tampa. Torre and general manager Brian Cashman don't expect him to return until the Yankees face the White Sox, beginning Aug. 8, at the earliest.

Octavio Dotel threw one rehab inning on Tuesday in the Gulf Coast League, throwing 10 pitches with two strikeouts while hitting 94 mph on his fastball. He's not throwing any sliders because, as Cashman said, the Yankees want this to be his last rehab stint.