Lombardi Longs to Be a Yankee

At first glance, Phil Lombardi would seem to have it made, having been paid by the New York Yankees to play baseball for the past seven years.

But there’s a catch: the former Kennedy High catcher has spent nearly all of that time in towns like Paintsville, Ky., and Albany, N.Y.--not New York, N.Y. And when your goal is to become the starting catcher for the Yankees, that is not necessarily time well spent.

Indeed, six summers after signing with the Yankees for about $60,000 as a third-round pick in the June 1981 free-agent draft, Lombardi has hit a crossroads.

“This is an important year for me,” said Lombardi, currently plying his trade for the Yankees’ Triple-A club in Columbus, Ohio. “This is my second year on the 40-man roster, and if I don’t stay on it I will become a free agent.

“That could mean I leave the Yankees.”

Baseball rules stipulate that if a player with three full seasons of minor league experience with the same team is not retained on the parent major league club’s 40-man roster, he is a free agent and can be drafted or sign with any organization.

But don’t bet against Lombardi staying with the Yankees. According to Bobby Hofman, the Yankees’ director of player development, it’s a decision Lombardi may never have to make.

“Phil’s got the winning tradition that the Yankees like,” Hofman said. “He plays hard and he’s a winning ballplayer. The Yankees are looking forward to him having many good years with the club.”

But as years go by, Lombardi, 24, becomes less of a prospect.

“It’s getting to the point where age isn’t exactly helping me,” Lombardi said. “It’s not hurting me, but you can’t look at me and say, you know, he’s a young pup.

“But it’s not like I have gray hair coming out of my head.”

Lombardi has a good chance of being in the major leagues sometime in September. Big-league teams are allowed to expand their rosters from 24 to 40 on Sept. 1. Hofman said the Yankees would wait until after the International League playoffs are over before deciding whether to promote Lombardi.

The Columbus Clippers are three games out of first place and are virtually guaranteed to make the playoffs, which run from Wednesday to Sept. 11.

Lombardi has helped push Columbus along the playoff path. Through last Thursday, he was batting .267 with six home runs and 33 runs batted in. Decent numbers, especially considering Lombardi’s troubles this season.

He arrived at spring training hoping to make the major league team as the 24th man. In order to enhance his chances, he worked out at third base and in the outfield.

However, lingering effects from a knee injury (torn cartilage) that required surgery in 1985 prevented him from catching during spring training. The old injury, along with the Yankees’ acquisition of free-agent catcher Rick Cerone to back up starter Joel Skinner, meant it was back to Columbus.

Being sent down didn’t get Lombardi down for long.

“When you’re playing with the Yankees you’ve always got to keep an open mind,” he said. “There’s always the possibility of a trade or something opening up on the roster right away.”

One of those jobs did become available last season, but Lombardi spent only 12 days with the Yankees before being demoted. Then on Sept. 1 he again was called up, this time for the season’s duration. He batted 36 times in 20 games, compiling a .278 average with 2 home runs, 3 doubles and 6 RBIs.

Because of the knee injury, the 6-2, 200-pound Lombardi primarily played third base and the outfield for Columbus this season until May 28, when persistent pain from the knee forced him to the sidelines.

A second knee surgery was performed in June, and he did not return to Columbus for a month. Five days later he was sent down to Albany, the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, for a rehabilitation program. “It was like spring training all over again,” Lombardi said.

He was moved back to Columbus early in August and shared catching duties with Mark Salas, recently demoted by the Yankees.

This marks the third straight season that injuries have prevented Lombardi from catching for a full season.

“I think the last two or three years have been kind of waste years as far as my development as a catcher,” Lombardi said.

In fact, Lombardi said that gaining more experience behind the plate was the key to becoming a starter in the big leagues. His body permitting, he is a willing and able learner.