VENTURA TAILOR-MADE FOR PINSTRIPES

Wednesday, March 12, 2003

BY DAN GRAZIANO Star-Ledger Staff

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- He is a 35-year-old third baseman who hit .247 and made more errors last year than anyone in the American League at his position. Sure, his power numbers were good, but only eight of his 27 home runs and 31 of his 93 RBI came after the All-Star break. So why, one might ask, were the Yankees in such a hurry to sign Robin Ventura for 2003?

Well, they really liked having him around.

"Payroll was an issue, and with Robin at this stage of his career and wanting to be in New York, it all lined up," GM Brian Cashman said. "We were thrilled he said yes, because he's an important player for us on the field, but he's also one of the best people you can have in your clubhouse." Cashman didn't realize how important Ventura would be off the field when he acquired him from the Mets in a trade for David Justice after the 2001 season. He'd heard Ventura was a good clubhouse guy, sure. But getting to see it up-close throughout the 2002 season really brought it home -- for Cashman and for Ventura's teammates. "He's just a good person," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "He's fun, and he's a funny person, but the best way to explain Robin is he's just mellow." Mellow is a good word. Somnambulant might be an even better one. Ventura glides into the clubhouse, oozing California cool. He slumps in a chair at his locker and practically yawns his way through conversations with teammates. One of his frequent responses to questions is a shrug.

But Ventura is also one of the most alert and intelligent players on the Yankees. He's a smart player and a smart hitter, and he's a wise veteran on a team that covets veteran wisdom. "He plays the game right, and he gets a lot of respect," first baseman Jason Giambi said. "He grew up with the older players, but he can still relate to the young players. Just a great guy to have around." For the first half of last year, Ventura was a great guy to have in the lineup. At the All-Star break, he had 19 home runs and 62 RBI, among the league leaders in both categories.

After the break, it was a different story, as Ventura slumped the same way he had the previous two years with the Mets. His eye-popping error total of 23 might have been another strike against him in a thin free-agent market for third basemen last year, but there were the Yankees, waiting with a one-year, $5 million contract that Ventura (who made $8.25 million in 2002) was happy to take. "With (top prospect) Drew Henson coming, I was looking for a one-year situation," Cashman said. "We were thankful he took the home-field discount. He made a lifestyle choice."

But the fact that he's a Connecticut property owner wasn't the only reason Ventura was happy to take a 40 percent pay cut to return to the Yankees. He likes the situation he's in. He likes the fact that he won't have to play every game, that Todd Zeile, his close friend and former Mets teammate, is here to spell him at third and keep Ventura fresh for the second half. He likes that he'll hit seventh or eighth in the lineup, without the pressure of being the cleanup hitter. "When I was young and with the White Sox, I expected to play pretty much every game," Ventura said. "Now, you look at it and you don't mind taking a day off every now and then."

He's also in a situation where his veteran presence can be appreciated by fellow veterans, as opposed to being required by eager rookies. "The team I was on in '98 was a young team, a lot different from this team," Ventura said. "The guys were more interested in different things there, asking lots of questions about how to play the game. Here, I can just be my boring self, because you don't have to take on a mentoring-type thing.

Instead, Ventura leads in other ways, like telling a joke to crack up the infielders as they stand on the mound and wait for a reliever to come into a tight game. "He's always got a comment," Giambi said. "He's probably one of the best one-liners in the game. And it goes on all the time." Pressed for an example, Giambi couldn't come up with one. "He's one of those guys that's just funny in the moment," Giambi said. "Just has that dry wit, where you just have to be there and hear it." In other words, he's just a good guy to have around. That's why the Yankees were so happy to bring him back.