YANKEE NOTES
There was good news for Paul O’Neill yesterday – he could stand on his toes.
The Yankee right fielder, who has missed the last eight games with a stress fracture of his fourth left metatarsal in his foot, took a protective boot off Sunday and began hitting in the cage Monday.
O’Neill figures he needs about a week to get his swing honed, so he may be back in action by the end of the weekend. But truthfully, he doesn’t know.
“I can do a lot of stuff I couldn’t do before,” O’Neill said. “I’ve been riding the bike, working out.
“I don’t care what you do in drills. Until you get out there in a game, it doesn’t matter.”
This injury, which O’Neill suffered Sept. 7 versus Boston, kept him in New York and he hadn’t been with the team for a week.
“I don’t think I’ve ever missed a road trip before, so it’s been strange,” said O’Neill.
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Expect a muted celebration when the Yankees clinch their fourth straight AL East title. Reliever Mike Stanton, the team’s player rep, said champagne showers and ostentatious cigars are definitely out.
Manager Joe Torre indicated that the team will recognize its accomplishment in a subdued way.
“When we win or [the Red Sox] lose, everybody will have a bottle of champagne and we’ll pour it somewhere and toast the [Trade Center] victims and the rescue workers and what we’ve done,” Torre said.