from the New York Daily News

Thursday, August 20, 1998

By PETER BOTTE Daily News Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS

Joe Torre has taken thousands of flights in a baseball career spanning four decades, but he rated this one as "probably in the Top 10" in the close call department.

The Yanks, who earlier this season almost flipped over a guard rail in a bus en route to San Diego from Tijuana, endured another travel-related close encounter upon touching down here early yesterday morning.

When the Yanks' charter flight from Kansas City arrived in Minneapolis, the landing was anything but smooth. The plane came down on one set of wheels, bounced back into the air and gave everyone aboard a bigger scare than anything the Yanks have encountered in the American League this season.

"I couldn't believe the one wing didn't hit the runway the way we were wobbling," one passenger said. "A lot of guys were pretty scared."

Players and coaches at least were able to laugh about it yesterday, mocking John Sterling's signature home run call - and altering it to "The Yankees crash! The-e-e-e-e-e-e Yankees crash!

"That would've been a heck of a way for the Red Sox to catch up," one Yankee said.

"Man, I thought that was it," Derek Jeter said.

"I wasn't sure if we were sideways or what - I was waiting for Leslie Neilsen to walk in," Torre joked about the star of the old "Airplane" movies. "It just seemed like we were coming in too fast. That's probably as bad a landing as I've been involved in."

Torre, however, wouldn't rate the near-mishap the worst flight he has ever endured. He said the flight from Cleveland to New York following last season's All-Star Game was more rocky. His fears were compounded by the fact that his wife and infant daughter were aboard, as well as Paul O'Neill and his family.

"The only ones that enjoyed it were O'Neill's kids, who thought it was like Six Flags," Torre said.

Then there was the time last summer that the Yanks flew to Miami and the plane was jolted by lightning. "That was the one I thought was over," Torre said.

Flashes
Hideki Irabu said his bruised left instep felt "much better" and will attempt to throw Friday in Texas. Torre said Irabu could be ready by his next turn Tuesday or Wednesday. . . . Despite minor injuries to Irabu and Ramiro Mendoza (mild shoulder tendinitis) necessitating Mike Buddie starting tonight, Yanks did not make a roster move to add another reliever. Mendoza is also slated to resume throwing Friday. . . . Hard-throwing RHP Ryan Bradley, the Yanks' second No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft, was moved up to Triple-A Columbus last week. Insiders believe the 22-year-old Bradley could be called up when rosters expand Sept. 1.