Wells could soon be tossed into mix

NEW YORK -- As much as any fan who waits in line in the outer reaches of Yankee Stadium for a glimpse of Monument Park, David Wells appreciates what he sees out there, especially in the plaque that honors Babe Ruth.

''I went out there [Wednesday] before my bullpen, and just stood there and smiled at him," Wells said.

Wells has reason to smile these days, feeling he's closer to pitching. He's made just one start, a four-inning disaster April 12 vs. Toronto, but he is scheduled to pitch a simulated game tomorrow, on rehab Thursday, ''and then I'll have the next start probably vs. New York" May 23.

Terry Francona hopes that's the case, but said, ''We'll see."

Wells, who turns 43 in eight days, had a lot to say yesterday, much of it brutally honest and humorous.

Wells, on his creaky right knee: ''I think if I have any more complications, I don't see any reason why they should keep me. If I have to go on the DL and rehab [again], they should let Lenny [DiNardo] stay up here and pitch. I've had a good career, pretty long career. To me, if I don't make it, I can walk out with my head up."

Wells, on being booed last year in New York and this year at Fenway: ''Right now I'm hated in New York and hated in Boston. I'm in a no-win situation. I'm going out there for myself and my teammates. That's fine. If they want to continue that, that's not going to affect me in any way, shape, or form."

Wells, on George Steinbrenner: ''I've always respected him, even when he talked about me or anyone else. If anyone says, 'How did you deal with it?' I say, 'Deal with it like a man, don't run, talk back at him, prove him wrong.' I think you've got to win the respect because he can be tough to take. If you can overcome all the jabs that he throws, then you've got him in your hip pocket."

On Alex Rodriguez, who was criticized this week by Steinbrenner: ''I think he cares about what's said about him in the paper instead of in one ear, out the other. Because these New York writers, they're tough."

On Barry Bonds's pursuit of Ruth's total of 714 home runs, second all time: ''It's a new era, it's a different ballgame. He's entitled to pass it because he's put in the time."

On whether he understands why Ruth's descendants want nothing to do with Bonds's pursuit of Ruth's mark: ''With the whole scandal with Barry and the steroids, I don't think a lot of people want anything to do with it. But you can't overlook what he's done, steroids or no steroids, he's still got to hit the ball.

''I think that he's going to take a lot of criticism, which he always has, and more, because who's to say how many home runs were steroid-related and how many were legit. I think you'll hear more about Babe Ruth than Barry Bonds. Even to this day, you hear a lot about Babe Ruth. He's the man who saved the game of baseball. How can you go any higher than that?"

Matt Clement finally pitches today, on seven days' rest, having been bumped back two days so the Sox could pitch Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, and Tim Wakefield against the Yankees, instead of Beckett, Clement, and Schilling. It wasn't an easy decision for Francona to make or for Clement to accept. They have met three times to discuss the decision.

It was made for several reasons: to pitch Wakefield at Yankee Stadium, where he's fared far better than Clement; to line up the rotation for this series and the May 22-24 series against New York; and to help Clement build off his six-inning, two-hit, one-run outing May 4 vs. the Blue Jays. The thinking: He'd be likelier to succeed, and therefore feel good about himself, if he pitched tonight vs. Texas. He's made three starts for the Sox against the Yankees (1-1, 5.54 ERA) and three vs. the Rangers (2-0, 3.48 ERA).

All are good thoughts, but all are ominous indicators of the club's confidence in Clement, who's making $9.825 million this season and is due $9.25 million next season.

''I concern myself with all that stuff because I care about it and it's important," Francona said. ''And it took a couple conversations to get him to understand it."

The Sox used the day off Monday to juggle the rotation. They're expected to do that again with another offday Thursday. If they do juggle, and if Wells continues on schedule, DiNardo's start tomorrow vs. Texas could be his last.

Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until Dec. 19, but baseball and union held negotiating sessions Tuesday and yesterday, while the union held an internal meeting Wednesday in New York. Mark Loretta, one of the two highest-ranking players in the union, attended yesterday's session along with Yankees Mike Myers, Scott Proctor, and Andy Phillips.

One issue made public this week is a clause in the steroid-testing policy that allows the union to unilaterally terminate the testing agreement if a deal on a new CBA is not agreed upon by Aug. 1. The union would have to exercise the clause between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15, with the termination effective Dec. 19.

''It's not something we've discussed at all internally, exercising it," Loretta said. ''We've done a lot to get to where we are now. It wouldn't be easy just to scrap that. It's not that easy. That [clause] is such a minute thing, it's not even a big topic between the two sides."

Schilling, sometime after 5 p.m. yesterday, left Yankee Stadium in uniform and headed for a local medical facility with what Sox spokesman John Blake vaguely described as a ''non-pitching-related medical issue he had checked out." Word was circulating that Schilling left in a Yankee vehicle, but that could not be substantiated. Stunningly, Schilling was back on the field less than one hour later, during Sox batting practice. Boston and New York reporters gathered near the dugout, waiting for Schilling to come off with the team. When he did, he did his best end around, while Keith Foulke set a harmless but effective pick on two reporters. All Schilling offered was, ''It's nothing. I'm fine. It has nothing to do with baseball." . . . Convinced David Ortiz performs better against the Yankees than other teams? Here's some data. In 56 games with the Red Sox against New York, last night not included, Ortiz was hitting .336 with a 1.063 OPS and one home run every 13.2 at-bats. In 470 games with the Sox vs. all opponents, the Yankees included, Ortiz had hit .295 with a .984 OPS and one homer every 13.4 at-bats.