Well, the ice has been broken with Cliff Floyd. He gets a couple of hits, including a home run, so it seemed like the opportune time to talk.
Walking on eggshells is a good way to put it. Tomorrow will be a big test, because that’s when he’s expected to get back the ultrasound results that could determine whether he has a kidney disease. Nobody wants to talk about this, because we all know how serious it is. But, once Floyd brought it up we can’t ignore it. What’s going on with Floyd is important because the disease could impact his health and playing career. Here’s something to make book on: Whenever you read a story about a player struggling, such as I had in today’s Journal News and on LoHud.com, bet he’ll snap out of it. The reverse is true, too. David Wright said he felt awkward at the plate, but got two hits, including a homer. Not surprisingly, he said not to read anything into one game. The feel-good story in camp is Brian Bannister, who wasn’t even a pitcher until college. After four scoreless innings today he has nine for the spring and has a legit chance to stick. Right now he’s nose-to-nose with Aaron Heilman for the fifth spot. If Bannister continues to light things up, it’s possible he could get the job and Willie Randolph could go back to his original thinking and put Heilman in the bullpen. Randolph said it’s too early to think about such things, but count on the issue being revisited.30
