BRADENTON, Fla. - Henry Rodriguez has been hitting tape-measure homers during batting practice this spring with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but not by design.

Three years ago, he made a painful mistake when he tried to see how far he could hit a baseball. On the final day of the 2001 spring training, Rodriguez got caught up in a game of home run derby with his New York Yankees teammates.

"I tried to hit a 1,000-foot homer," Rodriguez said. "I went down on the ground and wasn't the same after that."

Rodriguez injured his back on the swing and he was essentially sidelined for three seasons.

Now 36, Rodriguez has resurfaced this spring as a non-roster outfielder with the Pirates, and he's intent on showing he's healthy and ready to resume his career.

"I'm hungry to come to the park every day," Rodriguez said. "I feel like I'm brand new."

Rodriguez, who hit 119 homers for the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs from 1996-99, thought his career was over when he injured his back. He was 0-for-8 in five games with the Yankees that year. In 2002, he tried to come back with the Expos but was released after getting one hit in 20 at-bats.

"I wasn't ready," Rodriguez said. "I needed to go home and get everything fixed."

Rodriguez worked with a personal trainer to strengthen his back and shed 30 pounds. He also built a batting cage and weight room in his house.

"It's been a long time," Rodriguez said. "I'm ready to go out there and see what happens."

In his first at-bat of spring training, Rodriguez ripped an RBI double off the wall. He also was 2-for-2 Sunday and is 3-for-6 in three games.

Rodriguez would like to provide the same bang for the Pirates that he did during his 1996 breakout season with the Expos. He hit 36 homers that year and became the first National League player to hit 20 before June 1.

Rodriguez also spawned a candy-bar craze in Canada. Fans would throw Oh Henry! bars on the field after his home runs.

"I'm here to play baseball," he said. "I think I'm ready to play here, but whatever they want to do is fine with me. I'll go to the minor leagues. I just want to play."

The Pirates, searching for a left-handed bat off the bench, signed Rodriguez after watching him play in the Dominican Winter League playoffs. Rodriguez was 10-for-16 with two homers and eight RBIs in four games, helping his team reach the Caribbean World Series.

"It's difficult to take a year off and make it all the way back," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "To his credit, he's in great shape and he's swinging the bat really well. It looks like he's got plenty of bat speed left."

Notes: Outfielder Jason Bay (right shoulder

surgery) got his first start Monday at a split-squad game in Dunedin. He was used as a designated hitter. ... Center fielder Tike Redman is another day or two away from making his spring debut. He injured his right hamstring almost two weeks ago while running in the outfield. ... Second baseman Bobby Hill was scratched for the third consecutive day because of lower back stiffness.

AP-ES-03-09-04 0014EST