03-18-2002, 08:52 PM
Henson isn't looking back
By Mark Feinsand
MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- When the Houston Texans make the first overall selection at the NFL Draft on April 20, Drew Henson will likely be preparing for a game against the Toledo Mud Hens.
The former University of Michigan quarterback might very well have been the top choice of the NFL's newest expansion team, but he decided that playing for the New York Yankees was an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up.
"I know it would have been my draft, but do I wish I was in that situation? Not at all," said Henson, who is in the middle of his first full Spring Training as a Yankee. "I am very happy with how far I have come as a baseball player in the last 12 months. I am happy for a lot of guys that I played with at the University of Michigan, this is their chance to make some money and become a pro. I'll follow it closely -- I'm a big football fan -- but I don't have any second thoughts or regrets at all."
After signing a six-year, $17 million deal with the Yankees last spring, Henson turned in his football helmet for a batting helmet -- and he hasn't looked back. Two weeks after starting the season with the Class-A Tampa Yankees, Henson broke his left hand after being hit by a pitch. He returned to action two months later with the Double-A Norwich Navigators, then moved to Triple-A Columbus five days later. In 81 minor-league games last year, Henson hit .228 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.
The Yankees' third base job belongs to Robin Ventura this season, while Henson is penciled in to be the starter at Columbus. But with only one year remaining on Ventura's contract, Henson may be manning the hot corner in the Bronx as soon as next season. But for now, he is looking to improve his game and learn as much as he can, and what better place is there to do that than at Spring Training with the Yankees?
Everywhere you look in and around Legends Field, there are great Yankees of the past, there to help current and future pinstripers develop their game.
"I have Graig Nettles and Clete Boyer helping me at third base, which is great," Henson said. "Pretty much every day one of them is out there when I am doing my workout. They have things to say about every aspect of playing third base, so I try to take it all in and whatever I can take from that will help make me a better player."
Another old-timer that has taken an interest in Henson is former Yankee captain Don Mattingly, who thinks that Henson is going to be a big hitter -- especially after he gets some more experience.
"I love his demeanor, he's got a great swing and some pop in his bat," Mattingly said. "He's going to be a good hitter. He has big power, and as he learns his swing and how to approach certain things, he'll improve. Time is going to help him -- the more he plays, the better he's going to get. We're going to see good things from him."
For Henson, who was just 2 years old when Mattingly took his first big-league swing, hearing those complimentary words from "Donnie Baseball" is quite a thrill.
"He knows hitting, and what it takes to hit in New York," Henson said. "It's wonderful that he said those things, and now I have to keep working on it. He knows how to be successful, so the tips that he gives me, I have to take them and try to apply them if I want to get to his level."
Henson may have been a big star at Michigan, but as a 22-year-old in his first full camp, he blends in with the rest of the Yankees' prospects in the Legends Field clubhouse. Even his uniform number -- 75 -- is an indication of a not-ready-for-prime-time baseball player. Henson likes it that way, and prefers to stay in the background.
"I'm not a vocal guy at first, I'm just trying to take it all in," Henson said. "You never want to be a new person in a situation and come across the wrong way. I listen a lot, ask some questions if I feel the need to. I'm just here to work and see how the Yankees go about things."
One Yankee that Henson has a close relationship with is Derek Jeter, as the two players share the same agent. Jeter thinks that while Henson will eventually be a great player in New York, he shouldn't be pushed to the Major League level until he's ready.
"He's got a lot of talent and a very bright future, and he doesn't appear to be intimidated at all," Jeter said. "A lot of times, people try to put timetables on things, which is the worst thing you can do. Drew is going to play when he's ready, whether that's next year or whenever."
Henson has talked to Jeter about a number of things, from his offseason regimen to dealing with the bright lights of New York City. Jeter, who came to the Yankees as a hot 21-year-old prospect, knows exactly what Henson will deal with when he eventually makes his way to the Majors, so Henson pays close attention to anything Jeter says.
"He told me that when he was coming up, there were guys that helped him, looked out for him, and helped groom him to play," Henson said. "He's a perfect role model, he got up to the Majors young and has had tremendous success. If he says something, that's probably the right way to go about things."
Jeter, who grew up in Michigan, said that the experience of playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Michigan Stadium will certainly help Henson, but that nothing compares to the raucous October atmosphere at the "House That Ruth Built."
"In terms of playing in front of a crowd, it will help," Jeter said. "But 100,000 at Michigan and 50,000 at Yankee Stadium, that 50,000 is very different."
Henson's Yankee debut came in the team's first Grapefruit League game on Thursday, as he went 1-for-3 with a two-run single and a walk in New York's 8-3 win.
"It was nice to get out there," Henson said. "It was nice to get that first hit."
"He's very confident, he has a presence," said Yankee skipper Joe Torre. "Michigan is an impressive place to be, that's the big leagues -- he just doesn't seem to be overwhelmed. He's confident to know that he belongs, but he's also smart enough to know that it's going to take a little more time."
At 22, Henson has all the time in the world. He realizes that another year in the minors is ahead of him, but that doesn't mean he isn't thinking about trying to win the third-base job this spring.
"I know I'll probably go back to Columbus, but it's only going to help me and make me play harder to think of it as if I'm competing for a job," Henson said. "I'm in camp, I'm getting Major-League at-bats, so I approach it that way. Whatever happens at the end of camp is out of my control, and the pressure isn't on me because it isn't my job to lose. I can go out there relaxed and just play, take in the whole experience."
By Mark Feinsand
MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- When the Houston Texans make the first overall selection at the NFL Draft on April 20, Drew Henson will likely be preparing for a game against the Toledo Mud Hens.
The former University of Michigan quarterback might very well have been the top choice of the NFL's newest expansion team, but he decided that playing for the New York Yankees was an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up.
"I know it would have been my draft, but do I wish I was in that situation? Not at all," said Henson, who is in the middle of his first full Spring Training as a Yankee. "I am very happy with how far I have come as a baseball player in the last 12 months. I am happy for a lot of guys that I played with at the University of Michigan, this is their chance to make some money and become a pro. I'll follow it closely -- I'm a big football fan -- but I don't have any second thoughts or regrets at all."
After signing a six-year, $17 million deal with the Yankees last spring, Henson turned in his football helmet for a batting helmet -- and he hasn't looked back. Two weeks after starting the season with the Class-A Tampa Yankees, Henson broke his left hand after being hit by a pitch. He returned to action two months later with the Double-A Norwich Navigators, then moved to Triple-A Columbus five days later. In 81 minor-league games last year, Henson hit .228 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.
The Yankees' third base job belongs to Robin Ventura this season, while Henson is penciled in to be the starter at Columbus. But with only one year remaining on Ventura's contract, Henson may be manning the hot corner in the Bronx as soon as next season. But for now, he is looking to improve his game and learn as much as he can, and what better place is there to do that than at Spring Training with the Yankees?
Everywhere you look in and around Legends Field, there are great Yankees of the past, there to help current and future pinstripers develop their game.
"I have Graig Nettles and Clete Boyer helping me at third base, which is great," Henson said. "Pretty much every day one of them is out there when I am doing my workout. They have things to say about every aspect of playing third base, so I try to take it all in and whatever I can take from that will help make me a better player."
Another old-timer that has taken an interest in Henson is former Yankee captain Don Mattingly, who thinks that Henson is going to be a big hitter -- especially after he gets some more experience.
"I love his demeanor, he's got a great swing and some pop in his bat," Mattingly said. "He's going to be a good hitter. He has big power, and as he learns his swing and how to approach certain things, he'll improve. Time is going to help him -- the more he plays, the better he's going to get. We're going to see good things from him."
For Henson, who was just 2 years old when Mattingly took his first big-league swing, hearing those complimentary words from "Donnie Baseball" is quite a thrill.
"He knows hitting, and what it takes to hit in New York," Henson said. "It's wonderful that he said those things, and now I have to keep working on it. He knows how to be successful, so the tips that he gives me, I have to take them and try to apply them if I want to get to his level."
Henson may have been a big star at Michigan, but as a 22-year-old in his first full camp, he blends in with the rest of the Yankees' prospects in the Legends Field clubhouse. Even his uniform number -- 75 -- is an indication of a not-ready-for-prime-time baseball player. Henson likes it that way, and prefers to stay in the background.
"I'm not a vocal guy at first, I'm just trying to take it all in," Henson said. "You never want to be a new person in a situation and come across the wrong way. I listen a lot, ask some questions if I feel the need to. I'm just here to work and see how the Yankees go about things."
One Yankee that Henson has a close relationship with is Derek Jeter, as the two players share the same agent. Jeter thinks that while Henson will eventually be a great player in New York, he shouldn't be pushed to the Major League level until he's ready.
"He's got a lot of talent and a very bright future, and he doesn't appear to be intimidated at all," Jeter said. "A lot of times, people try to put timetables on things, which is the worst thing you can do. Drew is going to play when he's ready, whether that's next year or whenever."
Henson has talked to Jeter about a number of things, from his offseason regimen to dealing with the bright lights of New York City. Jeter, who came to the Yankees as a hot 21-year-old prospect, knows exactly what Henson will deal with when he eventually makes his way to the Majors, so Henson pays close attention to anything Jeter says.
"He told me that when he was coming up, there were guys that helped him, looked out for him, and helped groom him to play," Henson said. "He's a perfect role model, he got up to the Majors young and has had tremendous success. If he says something, that's probably the right way to go about things."
Jeter, who grew up in Michigan, said that the experience of playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Michigan Stadium will certainly help Henson, but that nothing compares to the raucous October atmosphere at the "House That Ruth Built."
"In terms of playing in front of a crowd, it will help," Jeter said. "But 100,000 at Michigan and 50,000 at Yankee Stadium, that 50,000 is very different."
Henson's Yankee debut came in the team's first Grapefruit League game on Thursday, as he went 1-for-3 with a two-run single and a walk in New York's 8-3 win.
"It was nice to get out there," Henson said. "It was nice to get that first hit."
"He's very confident, he has a presence," said Yankee skipper Joe Torre. "Michigan is an impressive place to be, that's the big leagues -- he just doesn't seem to be overwhelmed. He's confident to know that he belongs, but he's also smart enough to know that it's going to take a little more time."
At 22, Henson has all the time in the world. He realizes that another year in the minors is ahead of him, but that doesn't mean he isn't thinking about trying to win the third-base job this spring.
"I know I'll probably go back to Columbus, but it's only going to help me and make me play harder to think of it as if I'm competing for a job," Henson said. "I'm in camp, I'm getting Major-League at-bats, so I approach it that way. Whatever happens at the end of camp is out of my control, and the pressure isn't on me because it isn't my job to lose. I can go out there relaxed and just play, take in the whole experience."
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