Yanks focus on tending farm

TAMPA — While baseball players as famous as Derek Jeter and as anonymous as low-level farmhands hustle through drills at the Yankees’ minor-league complex here in preparation for spring training, construction workers are doing their jobs, too.

The Yanks are upgrading the facility, adding a building that will house meeting rooms and a cafeteria for players, as well as refurbishing the four diamonds. Building a dormitory for prospects is being discussed, too.

“These fields have been here since Johnny Bench was an 18-year-old,” said Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president of baseball operations, referring to when the Reds owned the complex years ago.

It’s all part of the work being done on the Yanks’ oft-criticized farm system. Down the hall from Newman’s office sits a “PhD in advanced math and statistics,” says Newman, a statistical analyst devoted to the player development department. The Yankees have added other staff and scouts.

They will have a second team in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League for the second straight year. Having more players might enhance the chances of more prospects emerging. Will it all show up on the field soon? That, of course, is unknowable now. But, Newman says, “We’ve got some bright dudes here. (The system) is going to go back up, odds are.”

But, he also admits: “It’s hardly a predictable world.”

Last year, the minor-league system was panned because there were few high-level replacements ready when the Yankees were decimated by injuries. There was speculation that Newman, who is in his 26th season, and amateur scouting director Damon Oppenheimer would be fired. Both kept their jobs.

Some Yankee prospects, such as Tyler Austin, played through injuries and their numbers suffered. Others, like Manny Banuelos, missed the entire season. Others did not produce as hoped.

Of the criticism, Newman says, “It’s part of the deal.” Is the player development department under more pressure now than in years past? “No,” Newman says. “I worked for George Steinbrenner.”

Two of their top prospects, Austin and fellow outfielder Mason Williams, both said they have not dwelled on criticism the system has faced.

“I don’t think paying attention to that stuff is going to make me a better ballplayer, so I stay away from it,” Austin said. “We know we can play. If we couldn’t, we wouldn’t be here.”

“(The system) is going to go back

up, odds are.”

Mark Newman, VP of baseball operations

Newman knows the bigleague injuries brought a focus onto the minorleague side, but s ay s , “At t he same time, we recognize where we can improve and the need to improve. There have been other times in my tenure here where that’s been the case.”

Newman refuses to talk about some changes, saying they are “proprietary.” He also admits to not even like talking about adding two international scouts and two domestic scouts in recent years.

But he notes the Yankees are trying to figure ways to prevent injuries. They’ve also added an outfield/baserunning coordinator — former Cubs manager Mike Quade — something they haven’t had “in awhile,” Newman says. Gil Patterson is entering his second full season as the pitching coordinator. James Rowson, the former Cubs hitting coach, is the system’s hitting coordinator and former Dodger Jody Reed is the coordinator of instruction, handling individual development plans for players. Former Royals manager Trey Hillman will contribute to both pro scouting and player development.

Newman says there are reasons for the Yankees to hope. As one, he cited infielder Jose Pirela, who had a .929 OPS in the Venezuelan Winter League.

“He’s really improved in the last couple of years,” Newman says.

That’s what Newman hopes people in baseball soon will be saying about the Yanks’ system. Will they?