tadpole256

NY POST-
May 6, 2005 -- ST. PETERSBURG — For a man who admits to hating meetings, Joe Torre is getting used to them. However after his latest get-together produced last night's stinker, don't expect another one soon.

Prior to a 6-2, hard-to-look-at loss to the Devil Rays, Torre gathered his slumping club for the third time in the young season. Counting a players-only meeting chaired by Derek Jeter, that's four meetings inside of five weeks.

While Torre wouldn't comment on whether he was the only speaker, he said the tone of his message wasn't escorted by anger at the underachieving 11-18 Yankees.

"Be ready to win games and the only way to do that is ignore yesterday," Torre said about the meeting. "We constantly get reminded by questions, and getting it turned around isn't an easy thing to do."

Torre has also noticed his players are wound too tight and letting the tension get to them.

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According to Kevin Brown, all he needed Tuesday night was two extra infielders and everything would have been fine.

Speaking for the first time about giving up eight runs and 13 hits in an 11-4 loss to the Devil Rays, Brown said he was a victim of the rules that say a team can only have nine players on the field at one time.

"A couple of balls hit to somebody and the game is a completely different game," said Brown, who is 0-4 with an 8.25 ERA. "That's the way the game is."

Like every pitcher, Brown is victimized by grounders that get through the infield. But that doesn't explain why he has given up 41 hits in 24 innings. He is slated to start Sunday against the A's. Since Brown's 40-year-old body is never perfect, he was asked how he felt physically.

"As fine as I can expect," was his reply.

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Jason Giambi still wasn't right yesterday afternoon after getting hit in the head Wednesday night.

"I am still a little dizzy and I have a bad headache," the slumping DH said. "I still feel it."

Giambi was hit in the shoulder by a Trever Miller pitch and had the ball glance off his helmet by the right eye. A CT scan didn't reveal any damage.

"I don't remember much," said Giambi, who walked off the field. "I got hit and my ears were ringing. My helmet wasn't on and then I didn't know where first base was."