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Drinking Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day 14

Bud Black's first camp is an atypical one in the major leagues. The former pitcher and pitching coach, who replaced Bruce Bochy as skipper of the Padres this winter, is making things personal in Peoria. Not in a bad way, though. Buster Olney reports that Black takes the time to get to know each player, be they minor league longshot, prized prospect or grizzled veteran. He then uses that information to bond his players with their team. He had Kevin Kouzmanoff, the third baseman, make a fire without using a match because Black knew he was an expert camper and had farmhand Leo Rosales make his teammates a Mexican lunch. Rosales' culinary skills are ahead of his mound ones at this point but Black told him to focus on the taquitos.

A [Trevor] Hoffman-like changeup," Black said. "Now, go work on the command of your fastball; you have to have that in the big leagues. Work on your command the way you worked on those taquitos -- those were big league taquitos; you did a great job with that. You go down and get big league fastball command."

Even if Rosales never pans out as a big league hurler, Black's given him a first rate name for a fast-food restaurant inside stadiums across the country. Who doesn't enjoy a Big League Taquito? It's not a bad way to evaluate pitchers. Chan Ho Park's bulgogi has always been gristly and never tender, much like his work on the mound. Hideki Irabu never skimped when it came to the size of his nigiri but the substantive size of the pieces couldn't hide the lackluster taste and any one who has ever tasted Sidney Ponson's conch fritters knows that he has as much touch with a deep fryer as he does with his slider.

• Don't be put off by Jon Garland's sunglasses, bong and black-lit posters in the bullpen. "It might not look like it, [but] my intensity is a lot higher than people think," Garland said Monday, a few hours after pitching coach Don Cooper implored his four starting pitchers to increase their intensity after a shaky start. "I think that's the way I make it look. That's why people have always doubted me, think I don't go out there and give it my all.
• Javy Lopez isn't lettting little things like losing a battle to Chris Ianetta, not throwing out a single baserunner trying to steal this spring or getting released by the Rockies keep him from being a starting catcher. "I don't think I'll go anywhere else as a backup. The way I feel, I can easily be an everyday catcher. If I'm not an everyday catcher, I'd rather not play this year or retire." But how are his taquitos?
• Tom Gordon had to fly back to Philadelphia to see a doctor. He's not without a history of arm trouble but the team isn't worried about their closer. "He probably should pitch Friday," manager Charlie Manuel said. "Seriously, there's nothing wrong there." He then made the sign of the cross, splashed holy water on himself and sacrificed three virgin goats.
• Ty Wigginton of the Devil Rays is in midseason mode. Unfortunately it's midseason NHL mode. He got hit with a pitch during Monday's game with the Tigers. "We can get one of them too, boys," he yelled, then, according to teammates, got further upset when the Rays didn't immediately respond. "I think it's respect in the game of baseball and standing up for your teammates. I'm not going to come straight out and tell a pitcher to hurt somebody; you never want to see anybody get hurt on the baseball field for either team. You just want to play the game right." Wigginton got hit after the Rays plunked Placido Polanco begging the question, do three wrongs make a right?
• Richie Sexson is starting his 11th big-league season and in all 11 seasons he's been 6'8" tall. "For me, as a taller guy, I have lot more holes than other people and there are a lot more things I have to tinker with to get my swing right," he said. 321 strikeouts over the past two seasons say that maybe he's over tinkering.

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day 13

Day 13 is an unlucky one for two of spring's darlings. Both Philip Hughes and Daisuke Matsuzaka ran into some trouble in their Sunday outings. Matsuzaka got banged around by the Baltimore Orioles a little bit, not that that stopped the Boston Globe from making a terrifying threat in the lede to their article about the game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had been so impressive, so early, Drew Barrymore was being lined up for the sequel to "Fever Pitch."

Jason DuBois, formerly of the Cubs and Indians and soon to be of the Orioles AAA affiliate took Dice-K deep and the Globe was similarly understated when they asked the outfielder about his blast. "Going international? That's scary," said Dubois, when informed that his swing soon would be discussed from Akita to Yokohama.

Joel Sherman of the Post, meanwhile, took some time to introduce Hughes to the favorite tool of the New York tabloid journalist - the rush to judgement. He struggled mightily yesterday against an Indian lineup that resembled the one that will contend for a playoff spot this season and Sherman killed him for it.

But Hughes sure has made it easier for the Yankees to have him begin the season in Lackawana County rather than the Bronx. He did not make a case this spring to rise to the big team. Perhaps the strongest case he made is that we need to stop comparing 20-year-olds to Roger Clemens.

We don't Joel, you do.

• Rickey Henderson shares what Rickey Henderson thinks about who has the best chance to break Rickey Henderson's single-season steals record. "(Jose Reyes) is the most likely in my eyes," Henderson said. "With his approach and the way he plays the game. He loves the game. He looks like when he's out on the field, he's having fun. There's no pressure on him." This isn't to say that Rickey Henderson is willing to count Rickey Henderson out of the running, he's still not officially retired, after all.  "It'd make it a lot more easy for me knowing that I can't compete with the guys. In my mind, I don't see that. If I thought I couldn't compete with them, I'd have retired last year."
• The Dodgers released reserve infielder Damian Jackson. "I no longer have anything to do with baseball," an angry Jackson said before clearing out his locker, furiously shoving equipment and clothes into his duffel bag and knocking down two chairs on his way out. He was batting .125 this spring, hit .198 last year and the Dodgers would have been his seventh team in the last six years. In other words, it's been a while since he's had anything to do with baseball.
• Chris Duffy has the right attitude for a guy with 71 strikeouts and a 655 OPS when it comes to approaching his at-bats. "For most people, it's easy to get caught up in the numbers," he said. "I'm going up every time trying to get a hit. But I'm more pleased with myself just putting the ball in play and getting my timing down. That's starting to come."
• Mark Prior? We don't need no stinking Mark Prior. Not when Angel Guzman's in town. "You've got to like the young man," manager Lou Piniella said. "He's throwing the ball 94-95 miles an hour, he's getting his breaking ball over, throwing some nice ground balls. He's pitching like he wants a job on our staff, whether it's in the bullpen or the rotation." Prior has really slipped when he no longer even gets the benefit of the doubt over a guy who was 0-6 with a 7.39 ERA.

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day 12

After a quiet couple of days, Duaner Sanchez gets us back on track by approaching his rehab from last season's cab accident with the same relish that Tim Hardaway has for Broadway musicals. Sanchez couldn't seem to find his way to Mets camp on time and earned the ire of his manager Willie Randolph. Judging by his rotund physique, the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Port St. Lucie Shoney's was keeping him from getting to the trainer's room a the required hour. Randolph kicked Sanchez out and told him to get back on track and the reliever showed up on Friday before his 8 AM meeting with the skipper. MetsBlog has the transcript of Randolph's comments,

"It was very productive…I’m glad we had a chance to sit down and talk face to face.  He understands now, he understands his responsibility and he showed remorse and he understands now that he needs to get with the program and I’m confident that he will…we’re ready to move forward, and get him ready to pitch. He heard me loud and clear.  Again, he showed a lot of remorse, he was sorry, maybe a little bit emotional…but I think he understands now his total commitment to and responsibility to this team.  We’ll see moving forward, but I’m confident that he understands that this is a team and that we are all working under the same umbrella."

Maybe a little emotional = cried like a little girl who lost her dolly.

• Remember that congressional hearing when Sammy Sosa played the "I no speakie the English" card to get out of talking about steroids? And how a lot of people accused him of playing up his lack of facility with the language? Maybe he wasn't playing. ''But they say no, they was OK,'' he said. ''I pretty much have an opportunity with Chicago -- I mean, Texas -- and they are the one that step up to the plate, and they are the one that look like genius now.''
• Mark Prior's fallen behind the dark horse in the Cubs rotation battle. At least Lou Piniella made an attempt at finding a silver lining. ''You know what, he threw the ball a little better,'' Piniella said after a pause. ''He couldn't get his breaking ball over at all, and he's pitching with one pitch [an 87-88-mph fastball], and he's not locating that pitch. So it's not really a recipe for success right now.''
• Gary Sheffield says that he wanted to go to Boston, not New York, which is both factually untrue and a moot point. That said, if there's a more entertaining interview with a more self-centered view on the way the world works I've never heard of 'em. “I never got that sense either,” he said. “Even when I was out in public, Boston fans would say, ‘Why are you hanging out with Jeter? We hate the Yankees, but we respect you.’ And Jeter would say, ‘Man, when we go out in Boston, no one messes with Gary. Everybody’s always talking good about Gary.’ I used to wonder why, too. Maybe it’s the style of play or something else, but I always sensed the respect factor, even when I came to the plate.”
• Howie Kendrick's fast, swings the bat with skill and has a good glove at second base. According to Mike Scioscia, he's just a debilitating throwing problem away from being an old teammate of the Angels manager. "There's definitely some comparisons," Scioscia said. "Both guys worked hard to become good second basemen, both have speed, although Saxy might have had more pure speed in terms of stealing a base. And both can hit."
• Joe Nelson of the Royals may not be a very good baseball player, but he's no dummy. He wore #55 before Gil Meche came to town with his $55 million contract and he wasn't giving it up for nothing. "Meche has had to buy Nelson a couple of suits, a set of golf clubs and "all kinds of other junk," as Meche put it."

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day 11

We begin today in Mesa, Arizona at Brewer camp with a man who may be out of place in a town with as German a history as Milwaukee. The name may be Algonquin for "the good land" (thanks, Alice Cooper!) but it's made it's bones on the back of beer and brats, two staples of the German lifestyle. Vinny Rottino, on the other hand, has a name that would be a better fit on Staten Island or on a character from The Sopranos. That disconnect isn't stopping him from taking his best shot at making the Brewers out of camp. With Corey Koskie and Prince Fielder ailing, Rottino has played in every spring game and leads the team with 20 at-bats. "Vinny's going to be the first player in the history of the game to get 500 spring training at-bats," manager Ned Yost said Tuesday. Sadly, Rottino has just four hits in his 20 ABs although one of them was a home run. Rottino can also catch in addition to his work in the infield and if the 27-year old is going to make more than the six-game cameo he made last year it will be because of his versatility.

• Brad Penny isn't winning too many friends or influencing too many people in Dodger camp. Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle says the team should deal their winningest starter of 2006 because "according to sources around the club, Penny tends to be at his finest when it doesn't really matter. He tends to question and berate teammates in full view of the public."
• Pat Burrell failed the eye test administered by doctors at Phillie camp but he disputes their belief that he has problems with his vision. "I told them I didn't," Burrell said. "They said that I might not realize it. They said I might need contacts." Pat the Bat has led the league in called third strikes two years running.
• The Pioneer Press isn't believing the bullish words Ron Gardenhire's been spouting about Sidney Ponson. "It will be a shock if pitcher Sidney Ponson isn't released by the Twins," they report.
• Chris Shelton's put last year's demotion behind him and is being aggressive in camp. "I wasn't hesitant, I felt good," Shelton said. "But there's no reason I shouldn't feel good. I'm not worried about anything." And why should he be, it's not like the Tigers can trade for Sean Casey again this season.
• David Wells is living in the past. “There's no reason we should have lost to St. Louis,” he said. “I felt that we had a better team than theirs.”

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day 10

J.D. Drew left the Dodgers in somewhat controversial fashion after the end of the 2006 season. He opted out of his contract and many observers felt that he and his agent, Scott Boras, had already secured a sweetheart deal with Boston before Drew was actually free to negotiate with other teams. Drew claims that he wanted to stay with L.A. but Dodger GM Ned Coletti had some harsh words about the outfielder and that pushed him to explore other options.

"Absolutely. We told them up front when we opted out that they were on top of the list, and we wanted to keep the channels open and talk about re-signing there. But after I opted out, they really showed no interest. The thing with me is we were looking for some job security, and I know where the Dodgers were heading, and I didn’t want to become trade bait at some point down the road, and those were things that were very important to me, and it seemed like they didn’t want to pursue any of those avenues. So they moved on, and I kind of had to do the same thing. The things that disappointed me were some of things Ned said. He called me not a man of my word, a hypocrite, those things. I could have very much understood if I had ever looked him in the eye and told him I would never explore the option in my contract. At the time I talked to Ned, and I still feel this way greatly about LA: I loved playing there, I loved where I lived and would have loved to have stayed if we had come to an agreement. I never once brought up the option to Ned, we never ever talked about the option. He never once said, ‘Hey, you’ve got an option in your contract. Are you happy here?'"

Boras saw what was happening with the market and he knew his client well enough to know that Drew would do anything to make a few million more dollars. He did it when the Phillies drafted him and he did it again this winter. He whines about wanting more job security, I can see how three years and $33 million would make a man feel insecure about his future, and then signed with a team that turns players faster than Justin Timberlake turns over bed partners.

• If Josh Hamilton, the embattled former first overall pick of the Devil Rays, makes the Reds it's a nice story although the Dayton Daily News may be overrating the importance of a handful of spring training games. "Cincinnati Reds outfielder Josh Hamilton, fast becoming a legend on a level of The Natural," is their lede for today's article.
• "Our approach to our business is we're looking to pick up where we left off," manager Jim Tracy says. Prepare yourself, Pirate fans, for another 67-win season.
• Gary Sheffield isn't letting a change in teams stop him from weighing in on Yankee camp. “Alex is going to have the best year he’s had since he’s been here. I think what he did -- he stood up -- that’s going to get him over the top because he expressed how he really felt. He was honest, and that goes a long way. I guarantee when he went home, it was a peaceful night because he really wanted to say these things a long time ago.”
• As for A-Rod, “But I made a very strong decision to stay in New York,” he said. “It’s probably a little tough on me, but I love playing in New York. It’s a privilege to play with this uniform on every day.” See Drew comments above and remember this when A-Rod opts out after this season.
• How did Rockie pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez grade his performance against the Rangers? "My changeup was unbelievable and I threw my curve good," said the 23-year-old from the Dominican. How did the Rangers grade him? They had four hits and three runs in one inning so Jimenez must not have been using either of those pitches in that frame.   
• Casey Fossum was also high on his performance in a batting practice session at Devil Ray camp. He "didn't hit anybody."
• Carlos Delgado is a believer in Shawn Green's quest to recover his power and swing. "I’d like to believe it’s like riding a bike. You don’t forget. Sometimes you’ve got to think a little bit to get back to where it was." Green's 0-for-10 in the spring.
• The Dodgers can't catch the ball, 14 errors in six games, but Grady Little's not worried. "However you want to look at it, it's the first week of spring training."
• And, finally, Lou Piniella reminds us that snap judgements made in the spring aren't always positive ones. "I've only been here four days, but I certainly don't like what I see. I'm being truthful. There's a whole lot of work to do. But I guess that's why we're in spring practice."

(AP Photo/Brita Meng Outzen)

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Cocktails, Day Nine

Joel Zumaya was a member of last year's bumper crop of rookies and his stellar work as a set-up man helped the Tigers advance to the World Series. He used a blazing fastball to get his job done and regularly reached triple digits. He's a closer in waiting, with flame tattoos on his forearms, some wacky facial hair and that stinking cheese from his right hand, but may take a step backward if he follows through on some of his plans.

"There aren't going to be too many 101s and 102s out there this year," Zumaya said. "I'm going to go out there and pitch this year. I hope I get those ground balls. It's not too big of an adjustment. It's getting ahead in the count and trying to walk fewer people. I don't want to try to strike out the whole world this year. I know I can get outs by getting the guy to pop up or roll into a double play. I really don't need to throw 100 m.p.h. all the time. I can get a guy out with a 95 m.p.h. sinker and have him easily ground to second for a double play, and I'm out of the inning."

It sounds good but it's much easier said than done. Zumaya gave up just 56 hits in 83 innings last year and it's amazing how many of those ground balls he'd like to induce come with a pair of eyes that find holes in the infield. Zumaya did walk a guy every other inning but when you strike people out it's a lot easier to pitch around a little wildness.

• Sam Perlozzo is going to try a new approach in Baltimore this season: Winning games - "You have to change the losing mentality in some way," Perlozzo said. "The first part is to add better players. The second part is to get them to play as a team and trust each other. We added better players, we have a good staff and now it's up to us to have a better team. I am not going to relax. There were times last year where I knew that we were just as good as we were, but the worst thing you can say is that, 'It is what it is.' That's what breeds losing. 'It is what it is' makes you a loser."
• Sometimes bloggers have a rosy glow,vtoo.  Mike Pindelski of Beyond the Box Score is touting the following five guys as stealth Cy Young candidates - Rich Hill, Scott Olsen, Randy Johnson, Anthony Reyes and Clay Hensley.
• Curt Schilling isn't going to let the existence of Johan Santana get in the way of his delusions. "I’m going to do what I have to do to get ready," he said. "I’m going to work my ass off to improve the things I need to do to improve to be the best pitcher in the game, and I’m going to take the ball every fifth day."
• Two Japanese teams made inquiries into signing Willie Bloomquist during the offseason but while the utility man says he'd like to play every day he's not willing to don a kimono to do it. "I'd prefer to stay here and play my days out here and play as long as I can," he said. "At some point, you know, never say never. It would be an awful tough transition to move my whole family over there. It would have to be a pretty sweet deal."
• C.C. Sabathia blames golf for injuries to his rib cage the last two seasons so he's got a new regimen planned for this year. "I'm definitely not playing this year. I can play more video games and throw more batting practice to little C.'' Prepare for a thumb injury and/or a line drive to the groin costing Sabathia time this season.
• Richard Hidalgo's attitude is just fine, even if his math is a little off. "Every time I get a chance, I have to do my best and get a hit," Hidalgo said. "If I don't get my hits, I just have to work hard every day and just look good in the field." If he doesn't hit he's not getting a job.
• Carlos Silva was awful last season and is trying to add a second pitch to his repetoire to help improve his results this season. Johan Santana's helping him. "You cannot live in this game with just one pitch as a starter," Santana said. "He knows that, and now he's working on it." Santana's right but it's going to take more than a changeup to fix Silva's problems. In other shitty Twins pitcher news, Sidney Ponson is set to make his first start of the spring. "He told me he was nervous," Gardenhire said. "And that always makes you feel good, because that means he's ready for this." Nervous, drunk, six of one, half a dozen of the other.

(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day Seven

Now that exhibition games are starting we should get a steady flow of ambitious assessments, rosy projections and assorted other rushes to judgement based on games featuring players who won't sniff big league grass at any point this season. Case in point, Howard Megdal at Gotham Baseball who liveblogged the Mets exhibition opener against the Tigers and found it "easy to pretend that the Mets are simply playing Game 1 of the 2006 World Series."  Somehow a game that features Ryan Raburn, Chad Durbin and Vance Wilson in Detroit's starting lineup makes it hard for me to get on board with that kind of thinking. Howard did a great job and his enthusiasm was clearly more about baseball's return than about anything that actually went on in the game but it did seem like a good place to start today's roundup. 

• "If I told people he was going to hit .340 with 60 homers and 150 RBIs there isn't a person alive that would say I was crazy because that's how good he is," Reggie Jackson said. "You can't say that about [David] Ortiz or about Manny [Ramirez]. Maybe you can say that about [Albert] Pujols, but maybe not. The only thing about [A-Rod] is he has to get his mind right."
• Is there a chance that Rick Ankiel's going to be a regular in the Cardinal outfield? "Nobody has been more impressive in our pitching practice sessions than him," said manager Tony La Russa. "I would say that if he stays healthy, it will all fall into place. This guy is a very talented and a very tough individual."
• Jimmy Rollins is making believers out of his teammates. "We've got the talent to accomplish a lot of great things," Rowand said. "No doubt about it. It's about doing it, about getting lucky and staying healthy. A lot can happen over 162 games, but we've got the team to do it. We've got a great chance to win."
• Some takes on Gary Matthews Jr., his breakout season and these steroid rumors - “We really had no reason to believe anything he did for us was anything but hard work and his natural ability,” Texas General Manager Jon Daniels said yesterday in a telephone interview. “The potential has always been there with Gary,” Showalter said yesterday. “Gary has always been a guy that everyone knew there was more there with him. He’s strong and he plays hard. It just seemed like everything clicked for him last year.”
• Ron Washington said Hank Blalock seems completely healthy after minor shoulder surgery in the off-season. When asked about Blalock's shoulder, Washington said, "I think it looks awesome. Hank is fine. He's been doing a lot of throwing. He's been taking balls from his position at every angle -- backhands, forehands, sideways, slow rollers, working the bunts. He's been doing everything. He's good."
• Buddy Bell's still feeling Jorge De La Rosa - “He still has to compete for that spot,” Bell added, “but we saw enough from him last year that we would really like for him to be in the rotation.”
• Mike Hargrove's not the type to let a little thing like getting kicked off the Angels two weeks before the 2004 playoffs cloud his judgement of Jose Guillen. "Guillen probably has the most pure swing of anyone in camp," the manager said. "He seems to be a man on a mission this spring." Hargrove doesn't seem put out by Guillen's bad-boy reputation."He was fine (the last) two years in Washington," Hargrove said. "All you ever heard about was what happened in Anaheim."
• Terry Francona thinks the Red Sox rotation's going to be just fine, thank you. "The one thing I’m not looking for out of the bullpen is the so-called ‘long guy,’ that when a guy gets knocked out, he can eat up innings," Francona said. "That happens every couple of weeks. I’d rather have a bullpen that can try to get outs, and if we run into that disaster, we’ll piece it together, and, if we have to call somebody up, we will.“I hate to have somebody sit down there for games when we’re getting our asses kicked. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me."

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Part Six

The whole will he or won't he thing with Roger Clemens has grown pretty stale in his second year. He won't decide if he's going to play until May, which could be too late for the Astros, and will only grace a handful of teams with his presence. Until then he and his agents will just try to push up the price for a handful of starts and he'll continue to pitch batting practice to his kids in between telling people that he just doesn't know if he's got another season in him. As Murray Chass wrote in yesterday's Times, he should do whatever he wants "but let him remain quiet on the subject of his major league future."

The uncertainty, the exorbinant price tag and the closed bidding won't stop teams from dreaming, though, and should Clemens look outside the Sox, Yanks and 'Stros, Cardinal GM Walt Jocketty would be happy to have him.

"I guess you would always have interest in a guy like that," Jocketty said. "He's someone we've expressed interest in before. I'm not sure it would be mutual, though. There are so many factors involved it would be pretty tough to do any deal with them. You never know."

The Cards who, to their credit, didn't get involved in the inflationary starting pitching market this winter have some money to spend and several rotation holes to fill. How many holes?

Non-roster lefthander Randy Kiesler also has left a strong first impression, said Duncan, who challenged the notion that he is working with little safety net should someone falter this spring.

So many holes that Randy Kiesler has a shot to make your team, I guess, which is however many starters they're going to use other than Chris Carpenter.

• "Manny is at peace with his situation in Boston," said Gene Mato, one of Ramirez’ representatives, yesterday. "He has indicated to me that he would look forward to the opportunity to retire in a Boston uniform." I'll take under June 15 before the first Boston paper reports Manny's requested a trade.
• "Rudy is one of the great hitting coaches for many, many years," Sammy Sosa said. "All the mechanics that I didn't correct in 2005 are going to be corrected." Old dogs and new tricks have never been fast friends.
• "I think I can," Shawn Chacon said. "Obviously, getting the velocity was the big thing. It had been a couple years, actually, since I threw as hard as I did that night in L.A. But that's why Colby's good. I can't attribute it to anything but the work he did with me on my mechanics. He maximized my power."
• The Kansas City Star likes to give a positive rub to the local ballers. "Royals left-hander Odalis Perez sure looks primed to reclaim his status as a dependable starting pitcher as he enters the last season of a three-year contract."
• "If he needed a PR guy, I might be it," Scott Hatteberg said of Kirk Saarloos. "I'm a huge fan of his. He's just one of those guys that make a team better silently, is undervalued and under-appreciated." It's amazing how little appreciation the public has for pitchers with a 4.79 career ERA.
• Lou Piniella's got a new approach to try with the Cub pitching staff. They're going to try not to walk people this season. "We've talked to our catchers about getting them out on three, four pitches, as opposed to working the count. Not too many good things can come from long counts. First of all you're letting the hitters see all of your pitches. Second of all your infielders aren't going to be as attentive so they aren't going to make as many good plays behind you. Third of all you have pitch counts and there are guys who will be out of games sooner than you would like. Fourth of all you're in running counts all the time, so you're opening up holes for the hitters to hit the ball through. And finally the manager is not going to be very pleased."
• "I love Buddy Bell like he’s my dad,” Mike Sweeney said. “This move, I understand it from his point of view. I just don’t agree with it because I’ve come here in great shape and I want to play." His great shape made it all the more shocking when that elephant trampled him. It's the third trampling of Sweeney's career.

• "I'm not getting on the mound till I can help the team," he said. And then Mike Hampton walked away for good.

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day Five

For the second day in a row we start off with Manny Ramirez. There is a first, though, we've never quoted an agent among the overly rhapsodic and doggedly optimistic voices of Major League Baseball's Spring Training chorus. Manny was accompanied by his agents, Greg Genske and Gene Matos, when he reported to Red Sox camp. While the slugger had no comments for the press, his representatives showed that they had passed Drew Rosenhaus 101 for stupid responses to questions, stupid or otherwise.

"He was ready to report and he's excited to be here," said a visibly nervous Genske.

"I think it was important for both Manny and me that he get to spring training as early as he could, given his family situation."

"He's in great shape, perfectly healthy. His knee feels fine and he is ready to go."

"I'm not going to comment on somebody else's opinion and speculation of what happened during the end of last season," said Genske. "It's a new season. It's spring training. He's excited for the season. He's ready to go and so we're happy for him. I'm not going to talk about last season."

There ain't no circus like the Manny Ramirez circus cause the Manny Ramirez circus don't quit.

• "If you ask Dayton or anybody in the front office," Royals prospect Billy Butler said, "they’ll tell you that they’re going to give me the opportunity to be the best defensive player that I can be. They believe in me, and that’s all that really matters."
• Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry: "My thing with hitting is you go out every day and not worry about stats and do the little things to help the team win, and then your stats will be where they're supposed to be," he said. "I think the fans have a lot to look forward to. Expectations should be high. Mine are. They are through the clubhouse."
• Ben Broussard of the Mariners brushed up on his Crash Davis during the offseason. "I chose to look at this as a positive," Broussard said. "I've got a job here and I've got a chance to contribute. I can't control what I can't control. And you never know what's going to happen. As long as I'm ready to go, you take what comes."
• His teammate Jeremy Reed didn't. "I've been blessed with a lot of special abilities," Reed said. "I know that. So I'm not really worried about what will happen now that Ichiro is in center field."
• How is new Ranger manager Ron Washington different from Buck Showalter? He's willing to talk about himself in the third person when discussing Sammy Sosa. "I have no doubt," Washington said. "I'm not saying anyone else has no doubt, but Ron Washington's got no doubt."
• Royals manager Buddy Bell stops short — but just short — of characterizing Jorge De La Rosa as a lock for the rotation’s fourth slot behind Gil Meche, Odalis Perez and Luke Hudson. "I like De La Rosa a lot," Bell said. "I like his toughness, and I like his stuff. He would have to be pretty bad not to make the rotation." I'd say it's a 50-50 shot then.
• Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Rich Aurilia is the front-runner to bat third ahead of Barry Bonds.
• "Now,"Nationals catcher Brian Schneider said of Shawn Hill, "he's putting that pitch exactly where he wants to. I'm excited to watch him pitch this year, because I don't think there's any question that he can win in the big leagues."
• "I'm looking to walk more this year," said Richie Sexson, whose walks fell from 89 in 2005 to 64 last year even as his strikeouts fell slightly from 167 to 154. "With this lineup, it should be really possible. There's going to be so much more protection in the lineup every day, no matter where anybody bats in the lineup."

• Former Royals first-round pick Michael Tucker is 35 now but has no plans of retiring. Tucker played last year with the Mets, hitting .196 in 35 games. "The cell phone stays on," Tucker said recently. "I know I can still play. It’s a matter of getting a chance and if somebody wants to give me an opportunity."

Drinking The Grapefruit And Cactus Kool-Aid, Day Four

Where else can we start today's look at the implausibly positive spins found at baseball Spring Training than in Fort Myers, Florida. Perhaps it was the steak-and-sausage pie at the Mucky Duck, perhaps the car auction was cancelled or maybe, just maybe, Manny Ramirez is trying professionalism on for size but the oufielder showed up three days earlier than expected at Red Sox camp. Sporting braids with red highlights and a full beard, the addle-brained slugger got right to work in the cage without speaking to reporters. Jason Varitek's reply upon learning Ramirez had arrived: "Good for him." Sounds like he's happy to see the guy,  just like Terry Francona's sure to be. According to Bill Madden of the Daily News, Francona implored GM Theo Epstein to trade the eccentric slugger over the winter. Epstein tried, but couldn't find a team willing to give him equal value for his cleanup hitter.

• Cleveland Indians second-year pitcher Jeremy Sowers has a cat named Tum Tum. He took the name from a character in the movie "3 Ninjas" which I haven't seen but I'm sure is shitty. Sowers may or may not be - "He's 23, but he pitches like a veteran in his late 30s," teammate Paul Byrd said of Sowers. "When I give him my thoughts on something or how to pitch a guy, he's one of the best I've seen at applying it. When you pitch like that and you're able to apply something you learned in the locker room hours before, the sky's the limit."
• Scott Rolen and Tony LaRussa's feud didn't stop the Cardinals from winning the World Series last year but it was a problem that needed to be solved. The hatchet's been buried but that doesn't stop the manager from making the past seem rosier than it was. "There wasn't one time I've ever done anything with Scott that was not in his and our team's best interests," La Russa said.
• "We are going to find Baker at-bats, but we want to give Brad (Hawpe) every opportunity to take that next step," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "If he hits 10 points higher and takes a small step in every area, he's closing on .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. That's not hoping. That's factual. I think Brad can be a very special player."
• Piazza turned it on during coaches' batting practice, according to manager Bob Geren, who said, "Mike was just killing the ball. He hit a ball off the center-field batters' eye.''
• Royals GM Dayton Moore on Angel Berroa : "But we think Angel is going to play better. He knows there's a sense of urgency to come out and play. I think he'll be fine." Nothing could be finer than a .259 on-base percentage.
• Brewers manager Ned Yost on Rickie Weeks: "He's a little like Rickey Henderson."
• "I like the way he throws," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "I think right now, I'm not leaning toward him, but the way he throws we're going to take a [close] look at him and see how he does, because he can make our club better." Guillen's discussing Gavin Floyd who had a 7.29 ERA in 11 starts with the Phillies last season.
• "I feel really, really good, and mentally, too," Cota said. "Winter ball really got me back into my groove, got my confidence back. And it was everything. I went down there and relaxed and tried to get my game back to the level it was when I was a prospect and how it was in '05. I'm trying to find that Humberto Cota all over again, the guy that was a top prospect, the guy that came up in the majors when he was 22." Here's hoping he finds it. The Humberto Cota that was around last year couldn't even hit .200.
• Manager Charlie Manuel continues to be impressed with what he has seen from righthander Antonio Alfonseca. Manuel also has liked outfielder Karim Garcia, saying he thinks he is a better player than former outfielder David Dellucci