McCarty may provide relief to teammates

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- He may be the feel-good story of spring training. David McCarty arrived yesterday not only to compete for the role he played last year as a righthanded bat off the bench but for a job as a lefthanded reliever. At 34, McCarty is starting over, a la Brooks Kieschnick, who last year emerged as a two-way threat for the Brewers, pitching 42 times in relief and batting .300 in 70 games, mostly off the bench.

"It's an idea I've kicked around for the last several years," McCarty said. "Once [Kieschnick] paved the way, I figured I might as well give it a shot."

McCarty is scheduled to join a group that includes Keith Foulke, Mike Timlin, and Byung Hyun Kim today when the Red Sox hold the first official workout for pitchers and catchers. Even though he has not pitched regularly since high school, McCarty persuaded the Sox to give him a chance by throwing in the bullpen several times last September for pitching coach Dave Wallace.

"It's real intriguing," manager Terry Francona said. "He's a 6-foot-5-inch lefthander. If you told me [I would face] a 6-5 lefty, that gets me out. As a hitter, I'm out already."

Still, Francona cautioned against high expectations.

"We're going to see how it plays itself out," he said. "The one thing I don't want to happen is have him hurt himself. I need to talk to him more about it, but he's definitely going to give it a shot."

McCarty, describing himself as "a hitter in a pitcher's body," said he mixes a fastball, slider, and changeup with his best pitch, a split-finger fastball. He said he has more finesse than power, like Seattle's Jamie Moyer.

"I'm not going to go out there and just get people out by having incredible, nasty stuff," McCarty said. "But I'm the kind of guy I don't like to face because I'm not going to give the hitter anything to hit."

McCarty, a .240 hitter over parts of nine seasons with the Twins, Giants, Mariners, Royals, Devil Rays, A's, and Sox, hit .407 in 16 games for Boston last year after he arrived from Oakland. Now, he hopes to extend his career by expanding his portfolio.

"My primary job is as a hitter, but if I can go out there and pitch some too, especially throwing lefthanded, that's a big plus," he said. "It's something I'm confident I can do."

El Duque on radar

The Sox, seeking depth for the starting rotation, are monitoring Orlando Hernandez, the former Yankee and Cuban star who is a free agent coming back from shoulder surgery last March. El Duque, 38, has not pitched since the Yankees sent him to Montreal Jan. 15, 2003, in a three-team, seven-player deal also involving the White Sox.

A Red Sox official said the team has focused on Hernandez as a possible substitute starter later in the season. He went 53-38 with a 4.04 ERA in five seasons with the Yankees. The Sox plan to scout a workout he is scheduled to hold Monday in Miami. If they are satisfied with his progress, they may offer him a small contract laden with incentives. Otherwise, they plan to look for help on the waiver wire at the end of spring training.

Martinez in contact

Pedro Martinez remains on track to arrive by Monday night after tending to a medical problem involving a close family member. "He's been very good about being in contact with me," Francona said. "He's been very respectful through it and we appreciate that." . . . Despite his best effort, Francona has yet to contact Manny Ramirez, who is renowned for making himself scarce to managers in the offseason. Asked if he expected Ramirez to be "a handful," Francona said, "I think that's very unfair to even talk about him being a handful. If I was a player and the manager was talking about me being a handful before I even met him, I would be a handful. I think Manny is going to do great." . . . The Sox said they plan to proceed cautiously with Tony Womack, who is recovering from elbow surgery and hoping to stick as a utility player. But Womack reported early yesterday and declared himself healthy. "That's why I'm here early, to compete for a job." . . . The Sox announced media relations director Kevin Shea has departed to pursue new opportunities. Shea, 36, spent 14 years with the team. "Kevin was fiercely loyal to the Red Sox, and he will remain part of the club's extended family and part of its history," said Dr. Charles Steinberg, executive vice president of public affairs. Shea was among nearly 40 employees who received two-year contracts from former CEO John Harrington when the franchise was sold in February 2002. Notable among those who remain with the team is Mike Port, who served as interim general manager between Dan Duquette and Theo Epstein.