Sure, Martinez struggled with his command in the exhibition season. Varitek wished he had more time to work on his hitting. And Garciaparra never seems to mind a little more practice. But their expressions say it all: The Big Three are ready for action.

Which means the Red Sox are back in business after a season in which the trio's injuries served as a backdrop for the team's baseball equivalent of bankruptcy.

The ownership puzzle has been solved. Discontented souls such as Carl Everett who contributed to last year's foul chemistry are gone. Grady Little is the new field boss, to the delight of Manny Ramirez and most of his mates. There is promise where there once was pathos.

In a fortunate twist, deposed general manager Dan Duquette, who emerged as the chief goat amid last year's debacle, left an array of parting gifts that could enrich the club, including Johnny Damon, Tony Clark, and Rickey Henderson. If nothing else, the new guys possess character traits conducive to winning.

On paper, the revamped lineup - deeper and speedier than many in the club's recent history - packs the potential to rank among the most productive in baseball. The defense promises to improve with the fleet Damon in center field, Trot Nixon back home in right, and second baseman Rey Sanchez helping Garciaparra establish a legitimate double play combination.

The strength of the pitching staff remains the biggest question. John Burkett already is sidelined with shoulder trouble. And barring a sensational year by Martinez and major breakthroughs by Derek Lowe and Dustin Hermanson, Boston's rotation will be hard-pressed to match New York's or Oakland's. The bullpen is above average, but far from the best. And it remains to be seen how well the Sox can contain opponents on the bases.

Teams ran almost at will on them last year, and opponents had stolen 28 bases in 31 attempts in spring training, a 90-percent success rate.

But as the Sox prepared to break camp, statistics meant much less than smiles.