The Circus Has Come To Town

Costly outfield miscue showcases Yankees’ weak outfield




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
July 20, 2004

What in the world is going on with the Yankees’ outfield? Tonight in the sixth inning of the game between the Bombers and the Devil Rays I witnessed something right out of the Keystone Kops. With the game tied at five and two runners on base Devil Rays’ pinch-hitter Robert Fick sent Tanyon Sturtze’s offering into left-centerfield. The hit, later described by Fick as a “routine fly ball,” fell behind both Yankees’ leftfielder Hideki Matsui and centerfielder Kenny Lofton. Both apparently thought the other was going to catch the ball.

The fly ball hit by Fick was generously scored as a double by the hometown scorekeeper. What else could he do? The ball most certainly should have been caught, but who do you give an error to? The play earned Fick a hit and two RBI as both Matsui and Lofton played a classic example of, “I’ve got it. You take it.”

After the game Matsui said, “I heard Kenny. That's why I stopped. At first I didn't hear him, but toward the end I heard him. ... Those plays just happen sometimes.” Manager Joe Torre, ever the diplomat, was not happy. “I know it was loud out there, but you still need to get the job done.'' Lofton, who also went 0-4 for the game, was lifted in the eighth inning for Ruben Sierra. Sierra got the Yankees close with a 2-run home run to make the score 8-7. The Devil Rays added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame to make the final score 9-7.

The Yankees’ outfield has to be a great concern for Torre and his staff. It is obvious that perennial centerfielder Bernie Williams can’t patrol his area as in years past. Balls that Bernie could once glide to or overtake now become hits, often going for extra bases. Even Gary Sheffield has been prone to dropping or misplaying balls. Additionally, both Lofton and Matsui have had their share of problems this year. Dropped fly balls, grounders through the wickets, getting late jumps on balls and misreading the ball off the bat have dogged the Yankees’ outfield from time to time all season long.

Although not counted as errors in the box score mistakes in the outfield have helped bloat the pitching staff’s ERA to 4.45, which is 17th among the 30 major league teams and 5th among AL teams. This is not to say the Yankees’ pitching staff has been sterling, because it hasn’t. But, plays, like the one I saw tonight drive up ERA’s and manager’s blood pressures. If you were watching the YES network tonight and saw Torre’s reaction to Matsui’s and Lofton’s lack of communication you would know Joe was ready to chew the head off of nails.

Neither the Yankees nor their fans are used to this. They and we expect a totally professional team to take the field. The play we saw tonight isn’t in the Yankees’ playbook. It might have been in the 1962 New York Mets playbook, but not the Yankees’. We’re used to seeing Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Dave Winfield, Paul O’Neill and a younger Bernie Williams. If I were Joe Torre I’d hit fly balls and grounders to these guys until their tongues were hanging on the ground. Maybe then they’d get an idea of how to play the outfield.

PLAY BALL!



© 2004 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

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