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Tuesday, February 27, 2001

El Sid, the sequel

Fernandez throws
batting practice and has an
impressive outing

---

Associated Press

Hawaii's Sid Fernandez sailed through his first batting practice session for the New York Yankees yesterday. The left-hander, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 1997, was invited to camp last Tuesday after a bullpen session.

"Sid did a nice job," Torre said. "His curveball was impressive."

Fernandez will likely throw BP again tomorrow, and could make his first game appearance soon after that.

"I'm happy to get it behind me," said Fernandez, after his 10-minute session. "The first couple pitches were kind of awkward, but after a while I just settled in and it was fine."

Fernandez, the former Kaiser High pitcher who went on to win the World Series with the New York Mets in 1986, is trying to earn a spot on the Yankees' opening day roster.

"Basically, I feel like a ballplayer again," Fernandez said. "Just being around the guys, coming to spring training and sweating. Getting all the kinks out. It sounds crazy, but you miss it."

Associated Press
Hawaii's Sid Fernandez, left, is making a comeback in the
New York Yankees' organization. He was greeted by Yankees'
pitching general manager Brian Cashman, right, last week,
and he pitched batting practice yesterday.

The 38-year-old Fernandez last pitched for Houston in 1997, appearing in one game before retiring. What was thought to be elbow pain, Fernandez said, turned out to be caused by a nerve in his neck.

Fernandez's comeback bid went into overdrive last Tuesday. Just an hour after a bullpen audition, the Yankees gave him an invite to spring training.

"It will be very exciting when I get in a game," Fernandez said. "Some of the stuff feels the same, some of the stuff feels odd the first couple days. Now it's like you're in a routine again and it's like you never left it."

Should he make the team, Fernandez would make $500,000 with the possibility of an additional $150,000 in performance bonuses. Over 15 seasons with five different teams, the former Mets starter is 114-96 with 3.36 ERA.

"Sid has gotten a little better each time out," Yankees' pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. "Hopefully in the immediate future (we can) get him in a game."

Fernandez's role remains undetermined. He is considered a potential candidate for the open fifth starter spot, or a bullpen spot. Starting the season at Triple-A Columbus is also a possibility.

"Does he have enough to be a fifth starter? My thoughts are open," Stottlemyre said.

Big Hurt returns to White Sox:

Frank Thomas returned to the Chicago White Sox spring training camp today after missing six workouts because he was unhappy with his contract and $9.9 million annual salary.

As music blared in the White Sox clubhouse, Thomas pulled on his familiar No. 35 and then checked the daily practice schedule before the team began workouts.

Today was the mandatory date for players to report under the collective bargaining agreement. If he hadn't shown up, the White Sox could have disciplined him.

Yesterday, Thomas met with team owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

"I don't know who initiated the meeting, but it's always good to see if someone has a disagreement they are able to sit down and discuss it," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said yesterday.

Thomas appeared at camp for the first time since last Wednesday, when he took a physical and then left before a team meeting.

Salary gripes confuse McGwire:

Frank Thomas seems to have done the impossible. He's united baseball players and owners -- against him.

Mark McGwire is incredulous that players making $9 million or $10 million a season are grumbling they're underpaid.

"Nobody puts a gun to your head to sign a long-term deal," the St. Louis Cardinals star told ESPN.

"If you sign it, play it out. It's that simple," McGwire said, referring to complaints by Thomas and Gary Sheffield, who want multimillion extensions. "If you have three, four years left on your contract, there's no complaining. I think it's ridiculous to sign an eight-to-10 year contract. Why would you want to lock yourself into one team for so long?"

Umps have new strike zone:

In recent years, umpires called strikes from the knees to the waist.

Now, they're being instructed to follow the rule book, which says a strike is any pitch over the plate from the top of the knees to the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of uniform pants.