“They have decisions to make and they shouldn’t make those decisions on me not being able to play. They have decisions with other guys.”DARRYL STRAWBERRY TAMPA – Darryl Strawberry understands and appreciates Joe Torre making sure everything is in order before the Yankees begin counting on him to drive balls over walls and complete one of the most compelling New York sports stories ever.
Yet, while Torre admitted yesterday there is a chance Strawberry won’t be with the World Champions when they open the season, Strawberry warned about making plans that don’t include him.
“I think it’s going to be a slow process,” Torre said of Strawberry, who is coming back from colon cancer while trying to strengthen a left knee that weakened as he recovered from two surgeries. “It would not surprise me at all that by the time we are ready to leave here, he wouldn’t be. I could be wrong. If he needs a week or whatever it is, that’s the most important thing, to make sure he gets ready.
“I told him that I don’t want him to feel that halfway through this thing that he needs to put it into over-drive.”
Strawberry, 37 next month, has participated in every drill during the first two days of camp, has delivered his trademarkmonster batting practice homers and looks in great physical shape except for the knee which he says still needs work to be fully ready.
Following Torre’s chat, Strawberry admitted there was a chance he wouldn’t be ready to play when the exhibition season starts next Thursday. However, he cautioned the people tinkering with the roster that he could be ready to help on April 5 when the Yankees open in Oakland.
“I have been down this road before,” Strawberry told The Post. “They have decisions to make and they shouldn’t make those decisions on me not being able to play. They have decisions with other guys.”
That was far from a threat but the message is clear: Strawberry expects his body to respond to the latest challenge. After all he has been through – drugs, booze and chemotherapy – he should have a good handle on it.
“I know my body,” Strawberry said.
Ideally, Torre wants Strawberry to reach a point where the knee allows him to play left field, a position he started 15 games last year when he clubbed 24 homers and drove in 57 runs in only 295 at-bats.
More realistic is hoping Strawberry can play left field if needed and serve as the left-handed DH if the switch-hitting Chili Davis struggles from the left side. And, of course, there is always pinch-hitting duties. Left field becomes more of a reach for Strawberry since Torre has Chad Curtis, Ricky Ledee and Shane Spencer to play there.
While Strawberry is open to whatever Torre ultimately decides, he wants no part of staying behind in extended spring training while he finishes chemotherapy treatments. He undergoes a treatment this afternoon and they are slated to be completed at the end of April.
“No, no, I am not thinking that way, that’s not my thought process, to stay down here until May,” Strawberry said. “My thought process is to get healthy in the next two to three weeks. I want to be completely healthy and do all the things I wanted to do. I know my body well. The chemo is the chemo, that’s something I am used to now. That’s just one day. It might have some affects of playing on that one day I am taking it. We will see how things work out. If they work out, fine. If they don’t, fine.”
Being flat on his back cost Strawberry time to work on his knee that was operated on in 1997 and at times appeared to be bothering him a year ago. Torre said yesterday he noticed Strawberry walking with a slight limp. Still, Strawberry believes it’s just a matter of time.
“It’s not a major concern, I know what I have to do, it’s a two-week period from where I started and where I am headed. The best way to take care of it is to go as slow as possible.”