Garciaparra was in a fine mess

HOUSTON -- The Red Sox say it is now a dead issue, but after fining him three times for noncompliance, Major League Baseball was prepared to suspend shortstop Nomar Garciaparra last week if the MLB logo on the back of his helmet was not visible.

Garciaparra was faced with a suspension starting last Tuesday, according to a source in the commissioner's office, after being fined a total of $4,500 in a dispute that began last season. Garciaparra had detached the logo from his helmet at that time, and had objected to being told to put it back, the source said.

"He said that we hadn't made an issue out of it when he was going bad, so why were we now making an issue of it when he was going good?" the source said. "Why did he care in the first place? I don't know, maybe it was a superstition thing."

MLB sent letters to the player and the Red Sox, and eventually the union entered the dispute, the source said. Garciaparra was fined $1,000 the first time, $1,500 the second, and $2,000 the third, the source said. Even after he reattached the logo, Garciaparra was seen smearing dirt on the helmet, obscuring the logo from sight.

Sandy Alderson, MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, said yesterday he was aware of the Garciaparra situation but offered no further comment, other than to indicate it was his belief that Garciaparra was now in compliance with the MLB directive regarding the logo, which is about a square inch in size.

"It's a uniform issue," Alderson said.

"Clubs wear uniforms in which certain things are required to be on the uniform. Certain things also may not be worn on the uniform."

The source said that MLB no longer will tolerate the batting helmets of Sox players, including those belonging to Manny Ramirez and Trot Nixon, which are smeared with dirt and pine tar, obscuring the "B" logo on the front of the helmets.

"I think you'll see a difference when the second half starts," the source said. "You have to be able to see the team's logo."

Ramirez's pants, which he wears past his shoetops, are borderline acceptable, said the source. "Never mind the style," the source said. "There's a safety issue. One of these days he's going to catch a cleat in his pants and tear something."

Twin city interest
Both Chicago teams, the Cubs and White Sox, surfaced in speculation here involving Garciaparra, but a major league source said the Sox are more than happy with the play of the shortstop and aren't close to anything at this time . . . Former Red Sox manager Jimy Williams, whose Astros are 44-44 and 10 1/2 games back in the NL Central, could be fired as soon as today. The leading candidate to replace him is former Astros star Phil Garner, who managed the Brewers and Tigers and has a lifetime record of 708-802 (.469). Williams was booed during pregame introductions . . . Ramirez's first-inning blast off Roger Clemens was the first homer by a Red Sox player in an All-Star Game since Wade Boggs went deep in the 1989 edition . . . Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was ecstatic about TV ratings for the Home Run Derby, which showed an increase of 31 percent over last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. "We are having a remarkable year," said Selig, noting that attendance will go over the 40 million mark Friday and is on a record pace . . . The Red Sox signed their top pick in the draft, shortstop Dustin Pedroia of Arizona State, and assigned him to Single A Augusta.