Manny Arrives; Guerrero Out of Classic
02.03.2006, 17:14
On the same day Manny Ramirez finally joined his Red Sox teammates, Vladimir Guerrero, Billy Wagner and C.C. Sabathia pulled out of the World Baseball Classic.
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Ramirez arrived at spring training Wednesday, six days after Boston's first full-squad workout and one day after Major League Baseball's mandatory reporting date. He was given permission by the team to show up late so he could continue working out near his Miami home.
The enigmatic slugger arrived with his agents and others in a pair of spiffy vehicles: one copper, one silver. He sported dark orange dreadlocks and was on the field for only an hour. And he passed up several chances to say he's pleased to still be with the Red Sox after he asked to be traded following last season.
"I'm here. I'm here," Ramirez said when asked if he's happy to be with Boston.
He wouldn't entertain questions about past trade rumors.
"My main focus," he said, "is getting prepared for the season to help Boston win."
He also confirmed he won't play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, which begins Thursday night U.S. time in Tokyo when
South Korea plays Taiwan. The Dominican Republic's first game is next Tuesday against Venezuela.
"I'm not ready, so I'm not going to go out there and make a fool of myself," he said.
Ramirez isn't expected to play in Thursday night's exhibition opener against Minnesota, but Boston manager Terry Francona didn't expect him to be out of the lineup for long.
"I'm fine. I'm fine," Ramirez said. "I guess a lot of people want me to be back and that's why I'm here."
Guerrero pulled out of the WBC, saying he will not play for the Dominican team because of the deaths of his three cousins last weekend in a car accident.
"I feel mentally that I cannot go out there and play to the level and compete for my country," Guerrero said through a translator at Los Angeles Angels camp in Tempe, Ariz.
Wagner and Sabathia dropped off the United States team and were replaced by Washington right-hander Gary Majewski and Yankees left-hander Al Leiter.
Wagner, the All-Star closer who signed a $43 million, four-year contract with the
New York Mets during the offseason, said he needed more time to get his arm in shape.
"I just didn't feel like I was ready yet," the hard-throwing lefty said in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "I want to do what's right for me and my country, and I'm not a very good pitcher in March. I didn't want to hurt the (WBC) team."
Sabathia also said he wouldn't be ready to pitch in the WBC and he doesn't want to risk an injury that could cost his
Cleveland Indians. His withdrawal leaves the U.S. team with only three starters on its 14-man pitching staff: Jake Peavy, Dontrelle Willis and Roger Clemens.
Also in Port St. Lucie, Bret Boone retired at Mets camp, the culmination of a swift decline for a player who was one of baseball's best second basemen only a few years ago.
"This really gives me some closure," Boone said, his eyes moist at a morning news conference. "I went out this winter and worked as hard as I could, and it would have been easy to walk away after last year."
Boone's production plummeted dramatically since the 2003 season. The three-time All-Star was cut by Seattle and Minnesota last year, when he batted .221 with seven homers and 37 RBIs in 326 plate appearances.
The 36-year-old Boone agreed to a minor league contract with the Mets in January and came to spring training with an opportunity to win the starting second base job. But the four-time Gold Glove winner called it quits before New York even played its first exhibition game.
"Physically, I think I can still do it. It wasn't as easy as even three or four years ago, but I had lost the edge. I couldn't look in the mirror and think that I would get that edge back," he said.
At Bradenton, Fla.,
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kip Wells said he will have surgery next week to replace a vein in his right arm, near where he has a blood clot.
Though there is no established time for recovery, Wells said he would have a better idea after surgery, which is scheduled for Monday.
"Whatever it is, it's too much," Wells said. "I came in here throwing well. It's frustrating. I just have to hope for a speedy recovery."
Wells, who led all major league pitchers in losses last year with an 8-18 record, was diagnosed with a blood clot last week near his right throwing arm. In the surgery, a vein will be taken from his leg and put in his chest to replace a vein that has become restricted.
"I could have had this for a few weeks, a few months or 15 years," he said. "I don't know."
At Tucson, Ariz., tests on Craig Counsell's sore right shoulder revealed a slightly torn labrum, an injury that probably will force the
Arizona Diamondbacks' shortstop to miss more than a week of spring training.
"I've got to rest it," Counsell said. "My spring training is going to be shorter, for sure. But we got it figured out far enough in advance, where I think I can get the shoulder strong, and be all right by the time opening day comes around."
At Clearwater, Fla., Phillies third baseman David Bell is having back problems again. He will see an orthopedic surgeon in St. Petersburg on Thursday.
At Tampa, Fla., Randy Johnson was picked as the
New York Yankees' opening day starter April 3 at Oakland.
At Peoria, Ariz., Raul Ibanez and the
Seattle Mariners finalized an $11 million, two-year contract extension that runs through 2008.
At Tucson, the
World Series champions got off to a rough start — even if it was only their exhibition opener.
The
Chicago White Sox managed only three hits in a 6-1 loss to the
Colorado Rockies in the first spring training game this year between major league teams. Chicago starter Jose Contreras took the loss, giving up four hits and two runs in three innings. Todd Helton hit a pair of doubles for Colorado.