With David Wells back in New York to face the Mets tonight at Shea – and having been both claimed by the Yankees off waivers a few weeks ago and rumored to be a pinstriped possibility for next season – Boomer was doing what he does best: serving as the center of attention.
But even though Wells refused to talk at all – about his Padres, his future or another stint with the Bombers – both Boomer’s teammates and his agent told The Post they thought Wells was likely to pitch again next season with San Diego and nobody else.
“I don’t think so,” Gregg Clifton said when asked about Boomer Part III in The Bronx. “He’s from San Diego, the people have treated him well, he’s having fun. And he has a good rapport with manager Bruce Bochy and the pitching coach [Darren Balsley]. And he’s enjoying the team, having a good time with the club.”
Wells had a good time in The Bronx, but wore out his welcome with an autobiography that asserted he’d pitched drunk, and with questionable conditioning that forced him out of last year’s World Series Game 5 after just one inning.
Wells signed with his hometown club, but after they put him on waivers recently, the Bombers claimed him – although they said it was just to block the arch-rival Red Sox or any other AL contender. The Padres reportedly asked for Jon Lieber in return, and the Yanks refused.
In some ways, Wells would’ve been a logical fit. He clearly still has it – he’s 7-7 with a 3.63 ERA, and all four of Trevor Hoffman’s blown saves have come at Wells’ expense. And the Yanks are likely to go into October without a lefty starter. But Wells’ relationship with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre is said to be so-so at best, and Stottlemyre has Joe Torre’s ear.
Clifton has said that the 41-year-old Wells wants to pitch again next year, but it seems the Padres’ surprising success – they came into last night just 2 ½ games out in the wild-card race – has convinced him that Thomas Wolfe was wrong. Not only can he go home, he can stay and turn home into a winning place to be.
“I honestly think if he wants to play another year, I think we’re his top choice,” said Brian Lawrence, tomorrow’s starter and Wells’ next-door neighbor in the clubhouse. “He’s at home, he likes it, and I’d be surprised if he ended up playing anywhere else.”