Rain washes out finale of sunny spring
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Lightning flashed, thunder clapped and a torrential downpour struck City of Palms Park on Thursday, washing out the Boston Red Sox’s Grapefruit League finale against the Minnesota Twins.
But for a franchise accustomed to a never-ending hurricane season of clubhouse storms, this was the sunniest spring training in years.
The Red Sox, who travel to Atlanta for two more exhibition games before opening day Monday in Tampa Bay, broke camp healthy. They hit well and the bullpen looked sharp.
Off the field, the newcomers seemed to blend in, and unlike last year there was no confusion about who would manage the team or lead the front office.
“It was definitely a lot more peaceful and a lot more calm around here,” centerfielder Johnny Damon said. “We know what we had to get done and we did it. We didn’t waste any time out there. That’s all you can ask for in spring training. And now we have a favorable schedule again for us to start the season and we just need to go out there and win.”
There were speed bumps. Little hoped to have his 25-man roster set when he left here, but he’s still whittling five pitchers into two bullpen slots. Left-handed starter Casey Fossum struggled. Pedro Martinez sounded off about his contract extension, and Manny Ramirez sounded off hardly at all, sticking to a vow of silence that began late last year.
But that was small potatoes by the standards of this tumultuous franchise. Fossum still has Little’s support. The bullpen, which will have all new faces from the one that left here a year ago and dragged the Red Sox down all season, was outstanding.
Ramirez, meanwhile, made plenty of noise at the plate, hitting .490. Shea Hillenbrand, shrugging of trade rumors, hit .471.
Martinez finished 1-3, but struck out 26 and walked none in 18 innings of work. His deadline for a contract extension by opening day still could prove a major distraction, but he looks healthy and shows no signs the dispute is affecting his pitching.
The Red Sox finished spring training 13-14-1, but it’s a baseball axiom that spring records mean nothing. Little said things couldn’t have gone much better.
“We’re coming out of here as healthy as we can possibly expect to be and we’re looking forward to getting started,” Little said in his office Thursday as movers taped up boxes for the trip north.
Little was asked if things were easier for him this year compared to last, when he was hired midway through camp.
“I’ve had a better chance to communicate with the players more on an individual basis,” Little said. “That’s a big factor, especially with the way we’re going to operate coming out of spring training. With the position players and that bullpen, it takes good communication because there could be some surprises pop up on somebody and I don’t want that to happen to our players.”
For his most pleasant surprise of the spring, Little named pitching prospect Brandon Lyon, a 23-year-old right-hander who was 1-4 last year with a 6.53 ERA for Toronto but who struck out 17 batters in 15 innings this spring, going 2-1 with a 4.20 ERA.
“He really opened some eyes around here,” Little said.
Still, Lyon is just one of the five candidates for the last two bullpen slots. Little plans to announce the winners this weekend.
Little didn’t seem heartbroken about Thursday’s rain-out, Boston’s third in seven days. He’d already called in a bunch of minor leaguers to avoid injuries to his starters, and figured the Twins had done the same.
“If we’d have played that game you would have seen Rochester playing Pawtucket,” he said.
He’ll use this weekend’s game to try to stretch out not only his pitchers but position players. Damon hadn’t gone a full nine innings until Wednesday and said he could use some more work.
But time for that is running short, and now Little takes his team north for the games that count. With no off days in the first two weeks, he’ll quickly find out what his bullpen is made of and whether his team has the “character and personality” he hoped for.
“It takes that to play in the market we’re playing in up there,” Little said.
Notes: Tim Wakefield, Alan Embree, Bob Howry and Chuck Person all threw simulated games indoors after the game was called. … The Twins’ Corey Koskie remains day-to-day but the team said it expects he will be ready by opening day. … Boston reassigned catcher Chris Coste to its minor league camp. … Little said Jeremy Giambi, who hit .191 this spring, would be the designated hitter opening day instead of David Ortiz, who hit .360. But there will be four unique lineups in the first four games. … Little said Hillenbrand might make the most appearances at first base this season, but not necessarily the most starts, suggesting he’ll often moved to first in the late innings as Little makes defense adjustments. … Minnesota finished 18-12 this spring, but 7-2 against left-handed pitchers.
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