Replacement in right-field is quite content to fit in and keep his mouth closed
BY JIM BAUMBACH jim.baumbach@newsday.com February 24, 2007
TAMPA, Fla. - When Gary Sheffield said of Bobby Abreu this past offseason, "He ain't me," he wasn't kidding. These rightfielders couldn't be more different.
Take, for example, their contractual situations.
Abreu is entering spring training the same way Sheffield did last year: with one year left on his contract plus a team option. But Abreu is going about business far differently from his predecessor.
While Sheffield - who wound up being traded to the Tigers this offseason - bickered all through camp about the status of his $13-million 2007 option, Abreu all but shrugged when asked about the $16-million option the Yankees hold for 2008. "I don't think too much about that," Abreu said.
This is how Abreu operates. He's soft-spoken and stays under the radar, exactly the opposite of how Sheffield carries himself. Aside from an occasional laugh with teammates, Abreu barely shows emotion.
Even after Sheffield's "He ain't me" quote was recited to Abreu on Friday, the rightfielder barely raised his eyebrows. "I don't really pay attention to that stuff," he said. "I just focus on me and my game. I don't worry about what other people say."
That attitude has helped Abreu succeed in an environment in which so many others have failed. When the Yankees acquired him from the Phillies just before the trade deadline last July, he said he told himself, "I'm not going to let the pressure get into my mind."
In Philadelphia, the pressure to carry the Phillies weighed on Abreu, and he was not suited for that role. "He felt that if he didn't get the hits, he was letting the team down," said Yankees third-base coach Larry Bowa, who had managed Abreu with the Phillies.
With the Yankees, Abreu became just another big bat in a lineup filled with All-Star-caliber hitters. The Yankees stressed to him that he should play his own game. He's a patient hitter, and the Yankees told him to take as many pitches as he wanted and not to worry about hitting home runs.
"They always made a big deal about home runs in Philly, but if he hits 15 or 20 here, that's fine," Bowa said. " ... Here, I think people really told him to go out and enjoy yourself, relax, and if you don't do it, we have some other people who can."
Abreu credits that for his strong second half last year; after hitting .277 in 339 at-bats with a .427 on-base percentage for the Phillies, he hit .330 in 209 at-bats with a .419 OBP in pinstripes.
"If you fail, you have guys behind you like A-Rod, Giambi, Matsui," he said. "They can take care of the job when you fail. So you're not afraid to fail because of that protection. It's different."
Bowa also has been impressed with the way Abreu has voluntarily worked with Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera. With that in mind, the Yankees put 18-year-old outfield prospect Jose Tabata's locker next to Abreu's. Both are from Venezuela.
Abreu said he would like to have the same impact on Tabata that infielder Ricky Gutierrez had on Abreu in Astros camp a decade ago. "He told me how to work, what to expect of yourself, how to get yourself better," Abreu said. "Work ethic, basically."
Notes & quotes: Joe Torre met with Cabrera on Friday to discuss the expectations for him this season. "We still want his mentality to be that of a regular player, and not as just a backup," Torre said. The Yankees told Cabrera they intend to find him regular time at all three outfield spots ... The Yankees ran a pop-up and fly ball drill to work on players calling off teammates, but troubles with the gun that shoots the balls resulted in knucklers flying through the air. The Yankees missed the first six balls. "The combination of not finding it right away and the high sky with no clouds up there, I think we lost them early and then it just got ugly," Torre said. "We will do that again." ... Randy Baker, recently promoted to vice president of security, ordered an older couple to leave the first three rows during the workout. They turned out to be Brian Cashman's parents.
