Former Teammate Recalls Pressure

Former Angel Mike Aldrete, now playing for the New York Yankees, doesn’t believe his former club set its expectations too high coming out of spring training.

Fulfilling those expectations proved to be a difficult burden, however, he said.

“A lot of teams are kidding themselves when they come out of spring training so optimistic,” said Aldrete, who was traded June 12 to New York for ineffective reliever Rich Monteleone.

“Things didn’t work out for the Angels, but they were not kidding themselves. That’s a lineup that should rival any lineup. They have one of the top closers in the game. Good left-handed pitching. All the ingredients are there.”

So what happened?

“It could have been an expectation thing,” Aldrete said. “The expectations were really high and when you start coming up a little short you either kick it into another gear or you say, ‘Uh-oh,’ and it starts to snowball. Once they started losing, things started to snowball.”

*

Despite being 14 games out of first place and 11 games below the .500 mark going into Thursday, interim Manager Joe Maddon wouldn’t trade his job for another.

“If you can’t have fun doing this, I mean, come on,” Maddon said. “I’ve worked other jobs. I’ve been a fence builder, a limo driver. I mopped floors. This is a whole lot more fun than that.”

*

Right-hander David Cone, who had an aneurysm removed from his right arm May 10, rejoined the Yankees Thursday. He is scheduled to start Monday against Oakland . . . . The Yankees acquired right-hander Ricky Bones from Milwaukee as compensation for the injured Pat Listach, who came with Graeme Lloyd in an Aug. 23 trade. Listach, on the disabled list with a broken right foot, remains with the Yankees. . . . Tim Salmon has a infection in his left ear and was scratched from the starting lineup. Orlando Palmeiro started in right field instead. . . . First baseman J.T. Snow batted cleanup for the second time in three games. Those are the only times he has batted fourth in his major league career. . . . Maddon on Chuck McElroy, who returned from the disabled list and pitched a scoreless inning of relief Tuesday: “I thought that was the best forkball he’s had all year. I was not expecting him to be that sharp.”