Foulke injects some optimism

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Keith Foulke threw to batters yesterday, something he hadn't done since last September, and announced, ''I will be ready Opening Day. There's no doubt in my mind. I'm stronger now than I have been in four years. April 3, that's a lifetime away."

Informed of Foulke's projection, manager Terry Francona said, ''I believe him. I have a lot of faith in Foulkie."

Foulke's faith, though, seemed to waver on the mound. His fourth pitch, to his first batter, took off, prompting Foulke to yell ''Look out!" as the ball veered off Dominic Ramos's back.

Foulke uttered obscenities on three occasions after missing his spot. But his ability to hit those spots, and get some swings and misses, improved during the simulated game.

Asked what he liked about his outing, Foulke said: ''I didn't get hit [by a comebacker] today. I didn't blow out. I didn't pull anything. I didn't hurt anybody else. So that's a good thing."

Foulke, who's been having his knees injected with the lubricant Sinvisc, said he's due to have another round of injections today.

''I've got one more in the right and two in the left," he said. ''And then we're done for a period of time."

His plan, as of yesterday: receive injections today, long toss Monday and Tuesday, and throw to hitters again Wednesday or Thursday. A game would come presumably no sooner than the beginning of the following week (that's about March 20 or so on your calendar).

''When it comes to the injection and how my knees feel, I'm happy," he said. ''I can bend down and pick up my kid without grimacing or having pain."

Foulke was throwing fastballs, changeups, sliders, and a splitter yesterday. The split is rather new. Apparently, he attempted to work on it last spring, but found he couldn't sufficiently drop and drive with his leg.

''I think it's a different pitch for me that I can throw to different locations," he said. ''We'll find out. When I know, you'll know."

Foulke said he'll need only one spring game to get ready for the season, though Francona found that unrealistic.

''I replicated game situations today as much as I ever will," Foulke said. ''All I need is me, a catcher, and that hitter. That's a game to me. I don't need the big stadium. I don't need the adrenaline. I don't need the save situation. I don't need to drive to Bradenton [where the Sox play today] to get adrenaline to pitch. I hope that doesn't offend anybody in Bradenton."

Foulke's impression of what he'll mean to the bullpen: ''I hope it makes it stronger. I hope it makes it easier on everybody else. If that's the case, good. If not, I guess we got problems still. But we've got guys in that bullpen who can pitch. They're going to go out there and pitch. It doesn't matter if I'm there or not."

Up until last season, Dustin Pedroia had played all but about 10 games in his life at shortstop. But, in 2005, with Edgar Renteria signed to a four-year deal and Hanley Ramírez in line behind Renteria, Pedroia played 97 games at second and just 16 at shortstop. Now, Pedroia sounds poised to start at shortstop in Pawtucket.

At least that's the appearance. Consider: Francona was asked yesterday where Pedroia would play.

''He's supposed to play shortstop," the manager said. Francona paused, then said, ''Well, I take that back. Maybe both. You'd have to ask Theo [Epstein] about that."

Epstein's reply: ''It's undecided."

The bottom line: It's tough to know these days when the club hasn't yet made a decision and when the club has made a decision but simply doesn't want it made public.

Pedroia, sidelined with a strained shoulder, probably won't be game-ready before the club begins reassigning players to minor league camp.

''I'd be surprised if we see him in a game this spring at the big league level," Francona said. ''When you hear so much about this kid and how he plays the game, it's nice to put some actions with the reports you get."

David Murphy entered yesterday 1 for 11 this spring. The good pitches he'd seen, Francona has been saying, he'd been fouling off. Even home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth realized it. During Murphy's first at-bat yesterday, in the fifth inning against Cory Lidle, Murphy fouled a pitch that he believed ricocheted off Culbreth.

''He was like, 'Come on, you've got to put that one in play,' " Murphy later recalled.

Later in the at-bat, Murphy got a Lidle changeup he could handle and left the yard. Culbreth picked up Murphy's bat and handed it to him as he touched home, saying something. Murphy smiled widely but acknowledged, ''I didn't really hear what he said."

Two innings later, Murphy took Aquilino Lopez out for another homer.

''I relaxed today," Murphy said. ''I've been very tense up at the plate."

The Phillies, based about 130 miles north in Clearwater, encountered a sludge spill on their way here for yesterday's 1:05 p.m. start. The spill occurred on the north side of the 5 1/2-mile Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the world's longest cable-stayed concrete bridge, connecting St. Petersburg to Manatee County. One Phillies' beat writer noted it took him 5 1/2 hours to get to Fort Myers, which is the amount of time it takes him to make the Philadelphia-to-Boston drive. The madness delayed yesterday's game until 2:37 p.m.

The Sunshine Skyway opened in 1987, seven years after its predecessor was rammed by a 606-foot tanker in pouring rain and intense wind. A Phillies scout, Granny Hamner, was driving to Sarasota that day when the bridge split, killing 35 people. Hamner was spared, but barely; the car ahead of Hamner's teetered over the edge of the sundered bridge.

The Sox have talked with the Diamondbacks about dealing for catcher Koyie Hill, though there was no deal imminent as of last night, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. With Jason Varitek playing in the World Baseball Classic, John Flaherty calling it a career, and Ken Huckaby's knee ailing, the Sox have just one healthy catcher, Josh Bard. Hill, who turned 27 two days ago, was drafted by the Dodgers in the fourth round in 2000 and was dealt to Arizona at the 2004 deadline. Hill, like Varitek and Bard, is a switch hitter. In 50 major league games, he's had 117 at-bats, hitting .231 with a homer and 12 RBIs . . . Rudy Seánez, who didn't give up a run in 13 innings with San Diego last spring, allowed another run yesterday. He's allowed seven earned runs, and three home runs, in four innings . . . Josh Beckett will pitch in a minor league game early this afternoon . . . Trot Nixon homered yesterday . . . David Riske gave up a homer to Ryan Howard.