FLAHERTY TO UMPIRES: IGNORE TANTRUMS

WHEN JOHNSON PITCHES

NEW YORK •

John Flaherty had the same conversation with the home plate umpire Larry Vanover on Wednesday night that he has with every umpire who is behind him when he catches Randy Johnson. It is Flaherty’s protection against the possibility of a temper tantrum.

After Johnson’s scoreless first inning, Flaherty tossed the ball back to the mound, then sidled up to Vanover. Flaherty reminded Vanover that Johnson was extremely emotional and might bark about pitches that he thinks are strikes. Ignore Johnson’s histrionics, Flaherty casually told Vanover.

“I tell them if I don’t say anything, then I didn’t think that they were strikes, either,’’ Flaherty said.

Flaherty’s revelation about his pre-game routine was especially notable Wednesday night because Johnson was starting for the first time since being ejected for arguing last Friday against Toronto. In that game, Flaherty offered his usual spiel to the umpire Fieldin Culbreth, but his words did not help save Johnson from becoming an ornery spectator by the second inning.

The Yankees barely needed to save Johnson on Wednesday night as he maintained his composure and stifled the Baltimore Orioles in a 2- 1 victory at Yankee Stadium. Other than mimicking Miguel Tejada’s check swing to try to convince the first-base umpire Randy Marsh that he had swung, Johnson was as reserved as a mannequin in eight sturdy innings. Mariano Rivera handled a tense ninth.

The win moved the Yankees past the Boston Red Sox, who lost 7-4 to Tampa Bay, into first place in the American League East Division. The Yankees played Baltimore again last night while Boston was on its first off day in more than a month.

The New York Times