Burks advises mates on altitude adjustment
DENVER -- Ellis Burks can't play baseball yet because his left knee won't cooperate. But the Red Sox are bringing him on this trip, not only for a bit of rehab but perhaps for advice on how to play in Coors Field.
Burks played parts of five seasons in Colorado, including the best season of his career in 1996, when he smacked 40 homers and 45 doubles, stole 32 bases, knocked in 128 runs, and scored a National League-high 140 runs while hitting .344. He had a gawdy OPS of 1.047 that season.
Asked about playing in altitude, Burks said, "It's usually an advantage for the home team for the first couple of days because you're used to playing that field on an everyday basis. When you come in that first day, you come in very tired, very sluggish, and that's just your body getting acclimated to that."
Though the series doesn't start until tonight, the Sox flew into Denver yesterday in an effort to acclimate themselves.
"The ballpark, that's a story in and of itself," Burks said. "That's a hitter's paradise. You're never out of games. If you've got a four-run lead going into the ninth, you've got to bear down because you have to play so deep. The little bloopers are going to fall in. Once the ball gets over your head, it's either going to be a home run or off the wall."
Sox manager Terry Francona is preaching to his pitchers not to get caught up in their stats or the score of the game -- the goal is simply to win. He said everything is magnified at Coors Field, so if a pitcher starts making mistakes and walking batters, it could be very costly. "You try to do the things correctly," Francona said. "Sometimes you pay a little more of a price there. Hitters get rewarded for hitting the ball to the opposite field. They come to the plate more confident."
At-bats on their plate
Sox pitchers took batting practice at Fenway Park last week, but tonight's starter, Bronson Arroyo, doesn't see a ringer in the group. "I don't think anyone has swung the bat enough to make a difference," Arroyo said. "I haven't seen everybody swing, but if I had to guess, I would say [Tim] Wakefield is the best hitter because he's had to hit in the National League a bit." Francona said the most important thing is that his pitchers remain in one piece. "We want them to have a good at-bat, look at five or six pitches," said Francona. "Even if they strike out, it helps." Pedro Martinez, for one, isn't looking forward to batting. He's had 263 career at-bats and 25 hits for a .095 batting average. He has struck out 120 times and has been hit by pitches three times . . . Curt Schilling had his best side session of the year Sunday, according to Francona, and will make his scheduled start tomorrow, the same day Trot Nixon is expected to be activated. Schilling is scheduled for an MRI after the game to monitor the bone bruise on his right ankle . . . Wakefield is wearing a brace on his right hand to stabilize the thumb, which swelled after he fell on it during his start Saturday. He's expected to make his next start in San Francisco this weekend.
Good report on Kim
General manager Theo Epstein, who joined the Red Sox in Colorado, spoke to Byung Hyun Kim by phone. Kim has returned from South Korea and will throw at Fenway Park the next five days. "BK is feeling great," said Epstein. "The therapy he had in Korea was a success." Kim will continue doing the exercises he learned in Korea to balance and strengthen his legs. He'll join the Pawtucket Red Sox at home Saturday and have a bullpen session. Epstein estimates that Kim will throw on the side and in the bullpen for a week to rebuild his arm strength before being used in a game in Pawtucket . . . Five more draft pick signings were announced: lefthander Andrew Dobies (third round, University of Virginia), lefthander Tommy Hottovy (fourth round, Wichita State), righthander Ryan Schroyer (fifth round, San Diego State), righthander Olise Meredith (sixth round, Virginia Commonwealth), and catcher Patrick Perry (seventh round, Northern Colorado) . . . The Red Sox also signed two draft-and-follows from 2003 -- lefthander Willie Newton (17th round) and catcher Mitchel Stachowsky (50th round) -- and three nondrafted free agents -- righthander Scott Shoemaker, a fifth-year senior from San Diego State; lefthander Jake Glanzmann from George Mason, and shortstop Bret LeVier from Sacramento State.
