Sunday, February 13, 2000
OUTFIELDERS
Learning right from left
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ken Griffey Jr. is in center field. That much is certain. The other two spots aren't exactly vacant.
Dante Bichette and Dmitri Young are likely to flank Griffey. But manager Jack McKeon wants to try Bichette, a left fielder with Colorado, in right field. Bichette has expressed a desire to try right field; Young has said that he's equally happy in either corner position.
Young, who emerged from first-half doldrums to bat .339 after the All-Star break last year, must again fend off Michael Tucker for playing time. The chain of competition will continue as Tucker and newcomer
Alex Ochoa, formerly of Milwaukee, will push each other for the top reserve spot. Given manager Jack McKeon's frequent use of late-inning defensive replacements, both Tucker and Ochoa should receive plenty of activity.
Keep an eye on Ochoa. Insiders consider him too good to be just a fifth outfielder. His role will expand significantly if Young's traded for pitching help, as has been speculated.
Don't forget Deion Sanders, the sometime cornerback. The presence of five established, competent outfielders ahead of Sanders indicates that he has no shot to make the team. Not having
played baseball since 1997 also hurts his chances. But given Sanders' prodigious athletic ability, it's risky to count him out until he proves unfit for the majors.
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