Shoulder throws off Damon
FULLERTON, Calif. -- Johnny Damon's ailing left shoulder could become a moot point for Team USA -- still stinging after a 7-3 loss to Korea Monday night -- if the Americans don't advance to the World Baseball Classic semifinals, but it is beginning to raise concerns in New York.
Damon said yesterday that he's been told to shut down his throwing for up to two weeks, but that he can pinch hit, pinch run, or be the designated hitter. Damon doesn't think the US will replace him on the team.
US manager Buck Martinez said he planned to meet with general manager Bob Watson to discuss the roster.
''It's just one of those times in spring training where it's tired," said Damon of his shoulder. ''We figure it's a better thing to be safe with it. I should be ready to start playing here in a couple of days."
Damon, who was hindered by pain in the same shoulder with the Sox last season, did not have surgery, claiming that Sox doctors told him he didn't need it.
Damon said he's working to strengthen his rotator cuff and believes the soreness has occurred because he stretched his arm too quickly to get ready for the tournament.
''If the season were to start today, I'd definitely be able to go," he said.
To reach the semifinals (the top two teams in each pool advance), the US most likely needs to beat Mexico tomorrow and have Japan lose to Korea today.
The rivals had a memorable on-field spat in 2004 but it hasn't been an issue in the WBC.
''I never talked to him about it," said Rodriguez. ''There's respect on both sides. We both play the game hard, with a lot of passion. We both love the teams we play for. Right now, we have one common goal and that's to help USA win."
''It's no big deal," said Varitek. ''Never has been to me."
Rodriguez, who won Sunday's game against Japan with a ninth-inning, two-out single, left six runners in scoring position in Monday's loss to Korea. He had a lot of problems with the Korean pitchers, who threw from various angles and delivered all sorts of pitches. ''I think they're taught a splitter when they're baptized," said A-Rod.
Varitek has caught two losses by Dontrelle Willis, who can't seem to get his delivery right.
''It's hard for me to gauge," said Varitek, ''because I just don't know him very well -- where his location should be when he's locked in -- but he did do a better job [Monday]. There's no question he's got a different kind of delivery. He's got a lot of deception in his delivery. Like a hitter who has a lot of movement in his swing, it's going to take a little while to get your timing right."
Varitek, who reported some soreness yesterday, played all nine innings in sub-50-degree conditions at Angels Stadium. He spent yesterday getting in extra stretching work with the trainer.
Varitek is also trying to keep an eye on his Sox teammates.
''I'm not one who looks at the paper very often," he said, ''but I've been following the box scores and the stories since I've been away. I'm looking to see how guys are throwing and how guys are swinging the bat.
''Hass [first base coach Bill Haselman] has called me. [Pitching coach Al Nipper] has called me. We do it periodically. They wait until they have a bunch of people to talk to before they call me so we have a few people to talk about it in one conversation."
''The conversations that we supposedly had, I never remember happening," Griffey said. ''That's it. I just don't remember us ever talking about it. The only thing Barry and I have really talked about is me coming out there to San Francisco and working out with him. I told him for six weeks I can't leave my family, just like me asking him to come down to Florida for six weeks. It's tough when you have families but I think that's the only thing we ever really talk about."
So was Bonds envious of McGwire?
''By '98, what did [Bonds] have, three or four MVPs by then? What do you have to be envious of?" said Griffey. ''He's proved to everyone in baseball that he's one of the best who ever put on a uniform."
Asked about Bonds's increased size since '98, Griffey said, ''Some guys work their butts off. You guys don't get to watch him in the weight room, but I walk by him and I say, 'What are you doing?' He believes in going to the weight room five or six times a week."
Asked whether he thought Bonds's physique was natural, Griffey said, ''Does it really matter what I think?" Pressed again, he answered, ''Yeah."
''The only thing I can do is be truthful about myself. I'm not big into caring about what other people do. If they want to do something, they have to live with it.
''Not me. They can't look at [my statistics] because you all know damn well that what you see is what you get. You can look at other people and speculate all you want, but I didn't touch a thing."
