ARLINGTON – As Al Leiter cooled down from a running program in the blistering Texas heat yesterday afternoon, he did so with a cell phone stuck in his ear.
While Leiter walked in the Ameriquest Field outfield the cell phone never left his hand as congratulations poured in after he beat the Red Sox, 5-3, Sunday night in Fenway Park in his first start for the Yankees.
So, who called?
“The mayor (Bloomberg), he was nice,” Leiter said. “(John) Franco and (Tom) Glavine.
“My machine overloaded, it couldn’t handle all the calls.”
Leiter was still bathing in the warm feeling he provided the Yankees, who took three of four from their blood rivals and capped it off with Leiter’s gem.
He held the Red Sox to one run, three hits and a season-high eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
It was a far cry from Thursday, when the 39-year-old former Mets star was designated for assignment by the Marlins.
“I was numb and embarrassed that I failed down there,” said Leiter, who was 3-7 for the Marlins, who signed him to an $8 million contract in the off-season.
“(Owner) Jeff Loria had confidence in me and I failed him.”
Leiter will get a chance to prove Sunday night wasn’t a fluke, the product of adrenaline coursing through his veins making up for items that may have been missing.
“Physically, I feel the same but there are intangibles a player can’t describe,” Leiter explained.
“There is the inner rage, the inner anger and acute confidence. I feel pretty good about what I did.”
Now, the trick is to do it again.
“I hope I do as well as I did (Sunday night) in Anaheim,” said Leiter, who could give the Yankees a big lift if he can return to the pitcher he was with the Mets for seven seasons.