Yankees' pitching coach plans to retire after 2002 season

<br>NEW YORK (AP) _ Mel Stottlemyre, who came back from a stem-cell transplant to preside over one of baseball's best staffs last year, plans to retire as the New York Yankees' pitching coach after

Tuesday, January 29th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ Mel Stottlemyre, who came back from a stem-cell transplant to preside over one of baseball's best staffs last year, plans to retire as the New York Yankees' pitching coach after this season.

``I've told several people that that is my intention,'' he said at a banquet Monday night.

Stottlemyre, 60, is heading into his seventh season as the Yankees' pitching coach under manager Joe Torre. New York has won four World Series championships during that time, and narrowly missed another last year when it lost Game 7 to Arizona.

Stottlemyre, a five-time All-Star when he pitched for the Yankees from 1964-74, said he wants to retire to spend more time with his family. His departure is not health-related, he said.

In April 2000, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer. On Sept. 11 that year, he left the Yankees for his transplant and missed the postseason.

Stottlemyre returned last season, saying, ``I hope this year shows people they can continue to work after cancer.''

The Yankees, led by a rotation that included Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina and relief ace Mariano Rivera, finished third in the AL with a 4.02 ERA.