Former Red Sox manager gets hugs from Yankees

TAMPA -- Mariano Rivera was the first Yankees player Terry Francona hugged Wednesday morning in the Steinbrenner Field clubhouse. He wasn’t the last.

Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Tony Pena and Bill Hall all shared an embrace with the former Red Sox manager and current ESPN announcer.

“I can say this now, I hope you do really well,’’ Francona told Rivera after a long embrace. “I couldn’t always feel that way.’’

Francona, who left the Red Sox after their epic collapse last season and was replaced by Bobby Valentine, moved freely among what used to be the enemy.

Francona said the unbalanced schedule has taken some of the jazz out of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry that includes 18-19 games a year.

“There were so many great games, ’04 and ’03, you can’t make it happen,’’ Francona said. “You try and invent it and it doesn’t work.’’

Manager Joe Girardi was glad Francona’s job brought him to GMS Field.

“It was nice to see Terry; he looks good and is happy with what he is doing,’’ Girardi said of Francona, who will be the first name mentioned as a replacement whenever a manager is fired this season.

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First baseman Russell Branyan missed the workout with a lower-back problem.

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Robinson Cano is due back from his grandmother’s funeral Thursday when the Yankees hold a short workout before participating in a team function that Girardi refused to divulge.

“I think it’s nice to get the group together off the field,’’ Girardi said. “They can let their guard down and mingle.’’

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Catcher Austin Romine’s inflamed back still hasn’t allowed him to rejoin drills.

“We are making sure it is very stable,’’ Girardi said. “He had an episode last year. Once we leave here we don’t want it to come back.’’

Girardi said the plan is to have Romine catch in exhibition games at some point, but his chances of unseating Francisco Cervelli as the No. 2 catcher were long when camp opened and getting longer.

“It’s a little bit of a setback, no doubt about it,’’ Girardi said. “We look at him as a guy who possibly can be an every-day catcher in the future. Whether he is with us or not with us, I want him healthy when camp breaks.’’

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Dan Burawa, a St. John’s product and Rocky Point, L.I., native, caught Girardi’s eye in batting practice.

“He threw hard today,’’ Girardi said of the right-hander who appeared in 20 games last year for Tampa when he was 2-2 with a 3.66 ERA.

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The Yankees play host to the University of South Florida tomorrow when Girardi said his regulars will get one or two at-bats. The exhibition schedule starts Saturday against the Phillies in Clearwater.

Terry Francona, Joe Girardi, Red Sox, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Francona, Austin Romine, Tony Pena

Nypost.com