Rivera will have to work his way up from Triple-A Columbus

www.newsok.com 2003-02-26 By Anthony McCarron New York Daily News

TAMPA, Fla. -- They were happy days for Juan Rivera. From his home across the street, he would peer into the Stadia Nicolas Leon where the ballplayers were practicing. Eagerly, he'd run inside and try to join them, even if it meant a few hours of shagging baseballs or throwing batting practice before he got a chance to hit.

Several Venezuelan stars were always there -- Ozzie Guillen, Richard Hidalgo, Henry Blanco. They were older than the 15-year-old Rivera. Some, like Guillen, were established major leaguers. Others, like Hidalgo, were playing in the minors.

"Sometimes," Rivera said through an interpreter, "they didn't let me hit. But that was all right.".

Growing up in Guarenas, Venezuela, Rivera fell in love with the game when he was 5. As a skinny 15-year-old, he knew he wanted to join play in in the majors.

Last year, Joe Torre was impressed with Rivera's self- assured manner and grit in returning after a bizarre June injury that left him with a broken kneecap just when he was starting to get comfortable in the Bronx.

But now Rivera's big-league hopes are stalled because of the Yankees' clogged outfield. They signed Japanese star Hideki Matsui to a three-year, $21 million contract over the winter, blocking left field, and have so far been unable to move trade bait Raul Mondesi, who will start in right, or Rondell White.

So unless there is an injury or a trade, Rivera will begin the season at Triple-A Columbus.

Rivera chuckled softly when asked what he thought his role could be this season. He said the way last year ended -- he made four starts and had three RBI in the playoffs -- gave him "a lot of energy and excitement.

"But then they signed Matsui. I don't know what will happen. The game's a business, but I hope to always be with the Yankees."

Rivera agreed with Torre that it would be better for him to play regularly in the minors than languish on the bench in New York. "Of course I want to be in the major leagues, but I want to be there playing," he said.

Even Rivera's strong showing yesterday in the Yanks' first intrasquad game won't go far in swaying Yankee brass to keep him instead of Chris Latham as a spare outfielder. Rivera hit an opposite-field drive that hit the right-field foul pole. It wound up a two-run triple, though, because umps ruled the ball was in play.