Are you ready for some Grapefruit League play?

Thursday, March 9. 2006

By GLENN MILLER
The News-Press of Southwest Florida

Two days now. Two days without a baseball game. The Red Sox were out of town Wednesday and again today.

They have six home games in the next eight days. That will give Red Sox fans plenty of time to see the story lines of 2006 spring training play out.

Here are some things worth watching:

¸The Bard and Huck: Not William Shakespeare and Huckleberry Finn. With the retirement of veteran catcher John Flaherty, the back-up job will be won by either Josh Bard or Ken Huckaby. With starter Jason Varitek off in the World Baseball Classic, Bard and Huckaby will get plenty of playing time.

¸Coco Crisp: He's a pleasure to watch, a dynamic player who tears around first base nearly as fast as Negro League legend Cool Papa Bell must have run. Crisp plays with energy and passion.

¸Curt Schilling: The veteran will get his first start against a big-league opponent Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit City of Palms Park. Schilling seems leaner than a year ago and seems closer to the Schilling of 2004 than he was post-surgery in 2005. We'll see.

¸David Wells: Speaking of veterans. ... At some point soon, I imagine, the lefty will make his first appearance of the spring.

¸Hog Nation to Red Sox Nation? Minor-league third baseman Rodney Nye, who played at the University of Arkansas, was named the Hog Nation 2003 Minor League Player of the Year when he hit .312 with 10 homers and 70 RBI for the Binghamton Mets of the Class A New York-Penn League. Nye has started the spring 5-for-8, .727.

¸Alejandro Machado: The shortstop began his pro career at age 16 in 1999. He's now 23. Machado has started 5-for-9, .545. Despite the rousing start, Machado will likely play shortstop for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

¸Dustan Mohr: He needs to play well to become the fourth outfielder and has started 4-for-7, .571. We may see Mohr of Dustan.

¸Tabubia: That's not the name of a player. The Red Sox don't have a Alejandro Tabubia or a Rocky Tabubia or a Bubba Tabubia. That's the name for the trees in front of City of Palms Park. They blossom every spring with yellow blossoms. As of Wednesday, the yellow explosion has yet to happen. It will soon.