STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM : Billy Martin’s Task: Lift Yankees Out of Last Place in the AL East

Rain washed out Billy Martin’s plan to begin “a little baby spring training,” but Thursrday wasn’t a total loss for the Yankee manager.

Although he didn’t arrive at his Manhattan hotel until 5:10 a.m. after the club’s flight from Texas, he was at Yankee Stadium just past noon, surveying the leaden skies and wet grass before notifying players by phone that their mandatory workout had been canceled. He put his time to good use by conferring with general manager Clyde King in two lengthy sessions.

“The only thing that’s surprised me so far is that we lost our first two games,” Martin said. “I don’t think that will happen again. Texas was due to break loose. They’d scored a lot of runs against Toronto before they played us. We’re not scoring a lot of runs, and that’s the only thing I see right now.”

He did declare that Dave Righetti will remain in the bullpen, despite his initial plan to restore the 26-year-old lefthander to the starting rotation. That plan was contingent on finding a replacement for Righetti, and although Martin said the Yankees are talking with the Dodgers about a reliever, immediate help is not eminent.

“We’re going to keep him in the bullpen right now. To start, you have to go to spring training to build yourself up,” Martin said. “He’ll stay there no matter what.”

He stopped short. “Don’t say no matter what,” he added, “because there might be a game in September where we’re going for the pennant and I need him.”

To get into that situation, though, Martin first must lift the Yankees out of the AL East cellar. He plans to do that by being the brash, bold Billy of old and by tinkering with his lineup. One maneuver planned for Friday night is to start Dale Berra against the first of three lefthanders the Royals will throw at the Yankees at the Stadium. A maneuver farther down the road, when Andre Robertson recovers from the strained knee he suffered late in training camp, is to have Berra and Robertson work out at second base. In either case, he sees no problem in working with the son of the manager he replaced. “I’m like an uncle to him. I was one of the voices that said to get him,” Martin said of Dale, Yogi Berra’s youngest son. “I’m going to teach him to play second. I think he can and I’m going to start working with him on turning the double play.”

“I’m going to teach Robertson, too. It can’t hurt to teach both. He’s pretty close to coming back. I always liked Robertson; it was Robertson that hurt me most two years ago when I lost him for 2 1-2 months after Robertson was hurt in a car accident. I’d like to see Detroit lose their shortstop for 2 1-2 months. But you won’t see a fight for shortstop when he gets back: Bobby Meacham is our shortstop. You might see me make same maneuvers and put Robertson at shortstop and Meacham somewhere else if we get into a problem.”

He hopes to smooth out the club’s current problems during off-day workouts, and asked players to report half an hour early Friday to compensate for Thursday’s rainout. “We’re going to do all the things I’d like to see be taught. I told the guys it’s not that I’m punishing them,” he said. “It’s not going to be all the guys all the time, maybe five one time and 15 the next. Just guys who I think need it. I’m not a great believer in a lot of workouts, but when you’re in last place, you’ve got to do them.

“I’ve got my job cut out for me. I’ve got to teach the coaches new signs and tell them what I want them to tell the players. I want to work on hitting relays -- we missed a couple against Texas -- and I want to work on bunting. We’re going to show films and show them how to be aggressive on the bases. I know it’s going to take a lot of time ... Next spring, I’m going to have all our minor league managers there to teach the same way so everyone in the organization will do the same thing.”

That’s optimistic talk from a man who has been fired three times by owner George Steinbrenner. But Martin is optimistic about everything, including the reception he will get Friday night at Yankee Stadium. “I’m more concerned about the ballclub,” he said. “I don’t like everybody pitting Yogi against me. We’re friends. I have a lot of fans, too.”

The senior Berra reportedly packed the rest of his belongings early Thursday and left the Stadium well before the club’s scheduled workout.

” I just hope we start drawing some fans and winning some games. You win, you draw. You lose, you become a scout.”