Flaherty gets a Wake-up call

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox, if you're wondering, have not picked up the phone this spring to ask the San Diego Padres if they'd like to deal Doug Mirabelli back to Boston. If the Sox were to call, the Padres, almost certainly, wouldn't be inclined to offer up Mirabelli, whom they need as protection for Mike Piazza.

This brings us to yesterday's spring training game against the Twins. John Flaherty was behind the plate, Tim Wakefield was on the mound, and the ''Who is going to catch Wake?" experiment began.

Wakefield, in the first inning, threw two consecutive called strikes to Ruben Sierra, neither of which Flaherty caught. Later in the inning a pitch beat him low for a passed ball, allowing two runners (both of whom had walked) to advance. Wakefield escaped the inning when a ball eluded Flaherty, who chased it down and relayed to Wakefield covering the plate for the out.

Flaherty summed up his day by relaying a comment made by fellow catcher Mike Redmond, after fanning in the second inning.

''I said, 'You're not expected to hit it. [I am] expected to catch it."

Flaherty turned his body more to the side in the second inning, which he found helpful. He used an oversized mitt, though he thought it was too big.

''A bunch hit me in the pocket and popped out," he said. ''I may go to a smaller model so I can feel the ball."

The plan, as set by manager Terry Francona, calls for Flaherty, former Indians backup Josh Bard, and nonroster invitee Ken Huckaby to catch Wakefield equally throughout camp. Huckaby, though, tweaked his left knee last Thursday when he caught a spike on a turf mat in a batting cage. He remains day to day. Bard, Francona said, is likely to take the next turn.

''It's not going to be easy," Wakefield said. ''I'd rather make a decision on who's going to catch me and let that guy fail first. And then if you need to change something you have somebody to change to before spring training is over."

That, Francona said, will not happen. ''We already talked to Wake," Francona said. ''I'm not quite sure why he said that. He knows what we're doing."

Furthermore, Wakefield added, ''I think [Jason Varitek] needs to have some input on this, who he wants to have as his backup . . . I'm not ruling out the possibility 'Tek may catch me, too."

Wakefield allowed no runs in two vastly different innings. He walked three and struck out two but didn't allow a run in the first inning. He set the side down in order in the second.

Asked when Keith Foulke's spring debut will come, Francona labeled the neighborhood of March 12-15 ''a pretty realistic goal." Asked if be believes it's realistic that Foulke can begin the season on time, Francona said, ''Yeah, I do right now."

However, Foulke has been receiving lubricating injections in both of his knees.

''I don't think anyone's talked about a DL [stint]," Francona said. However, moments later, Francona said, ''The last thing I want to do is for you to go to Foulke and say Francona says you're about ready to go on the DL. We're not ready to say that. We just have to let it progress at its own pace.

''We always have contingency plans."

Josh Beckett makes his Sox debut today at St. Petersburg against the Devil Rays. Beckett is likely to throw two innings, or about 30-35 pitches. A year ago, with the Marlins, Beckett was asked to go five innings in his debut. The Sox are considerably more conservative. ''He told us, 'I might have thrown too much early, I might have peaked too soon [last year],' " Francona said. Thus far, in camp, Francona said, ''He just looks so strong to me. I know there were issues [with his shoulder]. But you watch him throw, he's not nursing it." . . . The Sox lost to the Twins, 5-1, with David Riske allowing three runs on four hits and a walk over two innings. Rudy Seanez, who surrendered two home runs last Thursday to the Twins in his debut, gave up two more runs on three hits and a walk . . . J.T. Snow knocked in the Sox' only run . . . The Sox shut out the World Baseball Classic's Australian team, 3-0, in an exhibition last night. Kevin Youkilis provided two runs with a towering home run to left. Top pitching prospect Jon Lester made his debut in a Sox spring game, allowing three hits but no runs over two innings. ''There's a lot there," Francona said after taking in Lester for the first time. ''He's got a lot of poise." . . . Leave it to David Wells, while musing on how his own unsettled situation this winter coincided with Theo Epstein's abdication and restoration, to offer his take on how things have shaken out for Epstein. ''It's nice to have the pressure off of him," Wells said. ''Now he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't have to answer to a whole lot of people. Now I think it's just one guy." He presumably was referring, of course, to principal owner John W. Henry.