AL Beat - Dubiosity Aside, Piniella Enthused to Manage Yanks

[bernieh]

[i:a2aa71d75a]by Peter Gammons
photo: Jeff Carlick
originally printed: The Sporting News, February 17, 1986[/i:a2aa71d75a]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/lou_piniella_150x234.jpg" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> BOSTON—George Steinbrenner is handing out spring training invitations to pitchers as if he's having a six-week open house in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The New York Yankees have 16 pitchers with major league experience, meaning come April a half-dozen more radio-TV voices could join the seven ex-players already in the broadcast booth. Ten pitchers are 30 or older and three have won at least 200 games.

But scrape away all the dubious moves - like signing struggling reliever Al Holland to a free-agent contract and inviting 42-year-old Tommy John to camp - and it's not hard to understand why Lou Piniella looks forward with enthusiasm to his reign in the unstable position of Yankee manager.

"We've got a good ball club, a very good ball club," Piniella said matter-of-factly. "I realize that our pitching is a little bit of a question, but I believe it will be all right.

"Holland will get a chance to make our staff. But he's not going to replace Dave Righetti as the closer." And Bob Shirley has been invaluable as a lefthanded swing man.

But given one of the strongest - if not the strongest - bullpens in the league with Righetti and Brian Fisher at the end and Shirley and Neil Allen as set-up men, Piniella's work rebuilding the starting staff may not be as difficult as it seems, no matter what the age. Ron Guidry is still a No. 1 starter. And a healthy Britt Burns should be extremely effective in Yankee Stadium.

"I talked with Carlton Fisk at length about Burns," said Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, "and he feels that the way he pitches (fly balls to center field are a specialty), the stadium will be perfect for him."

Piniella considers Joe Niekro to be someone who will devour innings and keep him in games. "Phil (Niekro) still won 16 games, we've got three or four kids (Bob Tewksbury, Doug Drabek, Brad Arnsberg, et al) who could be ready and Ed Whitson can have a better year," said Piniella. In fact, Piniella flew to Columbus recently to talk to Whitson, who demanded a trade and is uneasy about the return of boxing partner Billy Martin to the Yankee broadcast booth.

"It's true that a lot of times it takes a player a year to get used to playing with the Yankees," said Piniella. "He knows the league better now, he knows what to expect. Now he just needs to relax and be himself, because he's a good pitcher."

Can Piniella relax?

"Sure, it's important to get off to a good start," he said. "But all I'm thinking about is that we have a history of not getting off to good starts, and it's cost us. That's all. I've told George what to expect. I'm not a gunslinger. I'm myself. Maybe I'll have a problem because I tend to be too honest sometimes, but I can't change. So I'm not worrying about things. I'm anxious to get started."

[rcf23]

Too bad Brit Burns never pitched an inning for the Yanks. And Brian Fisher was awful in 86. The pitching gets no extra help with the dreadful Bobby Meacham at short. Makes you really appreciate our SS now.

[jimbo7777777]

I remember Meacham fondly. His '87 season was useful to my draft league champs at the time, but he never could turn the corner as a SS. I didn't understand why - he certainly had the physical tools.

No doubt the '86 Yanks could use some righty relief help - but then, so could a lot of teams in the AL!