Notes: Farnsworth growing on fans
NEW YORK -- There were lots of boos for Gary Sheffield on Saturday afternoon, and then a chorus of cheers for Kyle Farnsworth. The power-on-power showdown in the seventh inning resulted in a swinging strikeout, and all of the sudden, the 54,802 in attendance for the Yankees' 5-2 win over the Tigers ushered the formerly out-of-favor Farnsworth back to the dugout with all the glitz and glamour of a hometown hero.
The crowd rose to its feet when Farnsworth got two strikes on Sheffield, and then exploded into an ovation when home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg shot his hand up for the out. At that point, Farnsworth walked as casually as ever off the mound, past the first-base line and into a group of pinstriped teammates waiting to give him high-fives.
"That's one thing about these fans," manager Joe Torre said. "They're going to let you know they appreciate you, just like they're going to let you know that they think you can do a better job."
Since the right-hander surrendered a run to the Royals on Aug. 4, Farnsworth has thrown four scoreless innings, while walking just one and striking out four. Over that stretch, his ERA has dropped from 4.87 to 4.47.
Farnsworth has been working on his mechanics with pitching coach Ron Guidry since the All-Star break. Of late, Torre said, Farnsworth has shown a smooth motion off the rubber, leading to better location with his fastball and, even more importantly for the right-hander, his slider.
"It definitely feels like [the ball is] coming out [of my hand] a lot easier," Farnsworth said. "I think that's just being nice and, mechanics-wise, just keeping it quiet and not trying to explode and jump out too fast."
As Torre noted on Saturday, pitchers can't settle into a role that disregards the practical need of getting into games on a regular basis to stay sharp. The skipper said he learned that lesson earlier this season, when Mariano Rivera struggled in save situations because he didn't have opportunities to pitch in those spots frequently. Too many days separated his outings, and as a result, Rivera's ERA skyrocketed to 10.57 by the end of April.
Farnsworth has been through stretches this season in which he hasn't pitched for five consecutive days. He doesn't suggest, however, that regular trips to the mound have keyed his recent success. Instead, he attributes the strong innings to a change in attitude on the mound.
"I'm not fighting myself," Farnsworth said. "I'm just pitching, and whatever happens, happens."
Jeter rests: Derek Jeter, who got the day off on Sunday, resorted, as he often does, to joking with Torre after he found out his name wasn't on the lineup card.
"He always has his tongue in cheek," Torre said of the captain. "He says, 'I guess I've been benched,' and then he walks out of my office -- that type of thing."
Torre noted that, more often than not, it's too easy to put Jeter and his other stars into the lineup every day without a second thought, but given the wear and tear of a 162-game season -- not to mention the fact that the Yankees now have a deeper bench than they did on Opening Day -- the skipper is looking to give his prominent players a day or two off when he can.
"The season catches up with a lot of guys," Torre said. "We ignore both [Jeter] and Alex [Rodriguez] all the time, because we're so used to writing their names in the lineup -- and Robby Cano, too. ... We're just trying to be vigilant there, just try to take care of people before they have a problem."
Torre closes in on Stengel: With 1,148 wins in his managerial career with the Yankees, Torre needs just one more victory to tie Casey Stengel for second place in franchise history, an accomplishment he never would have imagined achieving as a youngster.
"Casey is who I grew up with," Torre said. "When [the Yankees] started that five World Series in a row, I was like 5 years old, and even though I wasn't a Yankees fan at the time, you certainly couldn't help but notice how dominant the Yankees were. Then I got to know Casey personally when he was managing the Mets. He was a colorful character."
With Saturday's victory over the Tigers, Torre recorded the 2,141st win in his career, passing Walter Alston for sole possession of eighth place on baseball's all-time list. That, coupled with his pending tie with Stengel, makes Torre a proud, yet humbled man.
"The number of games I've won is impressive, but the numbers that I've been lucky enough to win as a Yankee means a great deal to me when you start realizing the names you're connected with," Torre said.
Getting to know Joba: Five baseballs sit in Joba Chamberlain's locker, all of them in a perfect horizontal row on the top shelf. One was used in a Florida State League game, another in an Eastern League game, another in the Futures Game, and still another at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
And, of course, the last ball in the row of five is the game ball from his first Major League game against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
"They're just a little reminder of what it takes to get here," Chamberlain said. "[They remind me] of the hard work it took and to not ever stop working hard."
Now that the hard work has been accomplished -- for a cup of coffee, at least, if not much, much more -- Chamberlain is willing to reveal other secrets than the significance of those five balls.
While it may not be top-secret information, Chamberlain was excited to talk about his favorite foods and desserts. Steak tops the list of his main-course favorites, while ice cream and brownies is his choice of dessert.
Coming up: Phil Hughes (2-1, 4.44 ERA) and the Yankees will hit the road to take on Dustin Moseley (4-2, 4.84) and the Angels on Monday for the first game of a three-game series at Angel Stadium. First pitch is slated for 10:05 p.m. ET.
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