Chuck Knoblauch will not be the only new item in left field at Yankee Stadium this season.
As a result of a settlement with a group representing the disabled, the Yankees have created 84 wheelchair spaces beyond the left-field wall. So that those in the spaces can see, the wall is now half padding and the half Plexiglas for about 125 feet.
Thus, one of the largest, toughest left-field areas in the majors just became more so for Knoblauch, who will now have to cope with strange bounces off the glass and the corners between the glass and padding. Knoblauch pointed out that there is now a lip between the padding and Plexiglas “that you can jump up on and probably some home runs are going to be taken away. I don’t know if by me.”
Knoblauch actually pantomimed doing just that yesterday toward the end of his first practice session in his new home, left field. Despite frosty, dank conditions, Knoblauch spent about a half-hour in left getting acquainted with the nuances of the surroundings. Wearing a gray Yankee sweatshirt, Knoblauch listened as coaches Lee Mazzilli and Don Zimmer tutored him on issues about positioning and how to pursue balls that carom out of the left-field corner.
Zimmer then hit a bunch of balls so that Knoblauch could get a feel for the ricochets and a sense of where to position himself. While Knoblauch was going through the drills, Joe Torre and GM Brian Cashman walked to left field to examine the wall.
“I have a room with a view,” Knoblauch joked about the Plexiglas.
Toward the end of his workout, Knoblauch was joined in taking fly balls by new Yankee Michael Coleman, who very well may be used as a late-game defensive replacement until Knoblauch grows more comfortable with being an outfielder.
“Let’s not make a big deal out of it, to take fly balls,” Knoblauch said with some edge when reporters asked him about this tutorial. “It’s a work in progress. It’s not like I’m the first guy ever to change positions. So that needs to be let go.”
Regardless of his plea, Knoblauch’s switch is going to be dissected because of how high-profile his throwing problems at second were that necessitated this move. For now, Mazzilli is trying to squelch the pressure of the switch. He says Knoblauch has been a willing, attentive and – so far – successful student.
Early in this process, Mazzilli is just trying to give Knoblauch a few pointers, such as conceding that the ball down the line is a double and to pursue the ball to prevent a triple or to prevent a runner from first from scoring.
“I am most concerned with the comfort factor,” Mazzilli said. “And I am seeing comfort.”