01/10/2003 2:39 pm ET  mlb.mlb.com

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com Larry Barnes would love to play for the team he grew up rooting for. (Ben Platt/MLB.com) LOS ANGELES -- When Larry Barnes signed with the Dodgers in October as a six-year free agent, he was told the club was looking for a left-handed batter that could platoon at first base with Eric Karros.

So he signed.

Then things changed.

Barnes showed up at the Dodgers winter workouts this week and was given a locker a couple spaces away from another left-handed hitting first baseman who has 477 more Major League home runs than Barnes, who has one.

Oh well.

"With McGriff here, I just have to stick as a fourth or fifth outfielder, or just a left-handed hitter off the bench," said Barnes. "I just can't put pressure on myself. I have an expectation to make the team. If the Dodgers like what they see, they'll keep me around."

Barnes, 28, got his first taste of The Show in 2001, going 4-for-40 with the Anaheim Angels. But he spent all last year at Triple-A, while the Angels spent the season on a dream ride to the promised land, convincing Barnes he had hit a dead end with Anaheim after compiling a .290 average in eight minor league seasons with 121 homers and 610 RBIs.

So the Bakersfield native, who attended a handful of games at Dodger Stadium as a child, figured he could be a good fit for what the Dodgers needed. Then along came McGriff, and Barnes was forced to deal with the reality of his situation.

He's dealing with it by showing up regularly at the winter workouts, borrowing a page from Dave Roberts, who parlayed the workouts into a starting job.

"I was talking to Dave this week and he told me his story, which is similar to mine," said Barnes, twice named Angels minor league player of the year. "Just like him, I'm looking to make an impression and see what happens in Spring Training."

Longshots seem to thrive on ballclubs managed by Jim Tracy, who learned in his playing days what it took to squeeze the most out of his ability.

"Jim Tracy left me a message when I signed and he explained how guys like Roberts, (Paul) Lo Duca and (Mike) Kinkade have been given opportunities and made the most of them," said Barnes. "That's what I'm trying to do. I think if I get the opportunity, I can be a good fit. If not at first base, then maybe as a left-handed bat off the bench or as an extra outfielder."

Barnes remains upbeat, not hard to do for a lifelong Dodger fan.

"To grow up 100 miles north of here and to just be on the field is a great time for me," he said. "There's so much tradition here, just to be in this locker room is something else. I just love watching guys like McGriff and Shawn Green. I just try to blend in."

Visa accepted here

Native Venezuelans Giovanni Carrara and Cesar Izturis are not expected to experience any delays obtaining a work visa despite the prolonged political turmoil in their homeland, according to the Dodgers' senior manager of Latin American operations.

"They will have their visas next week," said Luchy Guerra. "Major League Baseball was proactive and made arrangements so the Major Leaguers can get to Spring Training on time."

Because of the national strike in Venezuela, staffers at the American consulate will be ordered home at the end of next week, but Guerra said all Venezuelan Major Leaguers will be expedited. Minor leaguers, however, could encounter delays.

JANUARY 20, 2003 INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK www.businessweek.com

For the past three years, OPEC has done a remarkable job of managing output to keep oil prices around $25 per barrel, which the cartel thinks is the right price to bring in plenty of revenue without killing off world growth. OPEC's key player, Saudi Petroleum & Minerals Minister Ali Al Naimi, has deftly cracked the whip to keep the cartel's motley crew of developing countries in line.

But Naimi thinks the latest spike to about $30 per barrel--prompted by an oil workers strike in Venezuela--is too much of a good thing. The Saudis are now calling for production increases of up to 2 million barrels per day to make up for lost Venezuelan crude and cool prices before they damage the world economy. "We start worrying whenever we see prices go above $30 per barrel," says a gulf OPEC delegate. The cartel will meet on Jan. 12 to discuss output.

Despite the current concern over prices, crises such as the Venezuela debacle and the U.S. standoff with Iraq have generally worked to OPEC's benefit of late, firming up otherwise soft markets. But OPEC's run of good fortune may be about to end. Political and economic forces are building that could put downward pressure on prices. Although analysts say prices could soar to over $40 per barrel if production in Venezuela, Iraq, and some other gulf states is hit at the same time, they could eventually swing back to $15. The policy of post-Saddam Iraq, Russia's ambitions, and fissures between gulf Arabs and OPEC's poorer members would all play a role. "These combined pressures make OPEC's current price-defense policy appear untenable," says Raad Alkadiri, an analyst at PFC Energy in Washington.

Take the case of Nigeria and Algeria--both with rickety regimes and growing economic problems that could strain the cartel. To raise revenue, their governments have struck agreements with Western companies that will lead to an additional 1.5 million bbl. in capacity--a 70% increase over their current quotas. Both are pushing OPEC to boost their production ceilings, which could lead to a clash with the Saudis.

Venezuela, meanwhile, could also turn into an OPEC renegade. The government is losing billions of dollars in the oil workers' strike, aimed at toppling President Hugo Chavez. Either he or a new regime, if he is ousted, may want to produce flat-out once the strike is over. Finally, output from non-OPEC producers such as Russia, Kazakhstan, and various West African countries is likely to grow by 1 million bbl.-per-day annually for the next few years, says PFC Energy. That's almost as high as expected growth in world demand.

But the wild card is Iraq. Saddam's pariah status has helped OPEC's unity by preventing the development of Iraq's oil resources, second only to Saudi Arabia's. Few analysts, though, believe a new regime in need of funds will stick to Iraq's 3 million bbl.-per-day OPEC quota. "Iraq will go ahead in expanding capacity and production irrespective of OPEC," says Fadhil Chalabi, a former Iraqi oil official who is now executive director of London's Center for Global Energy Studies.

The Saudis are watching developments closely. Analysts think Naimi, along with his counterparts in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, may open the taps to punish Russia and other producers encroaching on the Saudi market share. Such a move could come when the U.N. lifts sanctions on Iraq. "If there is a price war, it will not stay for more than a year," says the gulf OPEC official. "The marginal fields will disappear, and investment in new fields will go down sharply." One way or another, OPEC is entering a tumultuous phase.

By Stanley Reed in London

sg.biz.yahoo.com Saturday January 11, 3:53 AM Venezuela/Southern Oil Fields-2: Were Shut Down On Strike

CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- Oil fields south of Venezuela's eastern Puerto La Cruz refinery are pumping about 144,000 barrels per day of crude, from 25 wells that were reopened after they were shut last month due to a general strike, a person close to the operations said Friday.

Next week, state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (E.PVZ), or PdVSA, hopes to bring the number of pumping wells up to 100, the person told Dow Jones Newswires on the condition of anonymity.

The rate is still very low, considering Puerto La Cruz could ship around 2 million barrels per day before the strike cut output, the person said.

Loading at the facility's terminals is also still slow, the person said.

Friday, the tanker Nereo was loaded with a total 350,000 barrels, composed of roughly equal amounts of three grades of crude, and was headed for PdVSA affiliate Citgo's Lake Charles refinery in the U.S., after its original destination - the Corpus Christi refinery - was changed, the person said.

Another tanker, the Victory III, was to be loaded with fuel oil destined for Bonaire, the person said.

The Astro Canopus, another tankers, was also getting ready to load bunker fuel but didn't currently have a destination and would anchor off the terminal, he said.

(MORE) Dow Jones Newswires

01-10-03 1435ET

Venezuela/Southern Oil Fields-2: Were Shut Down On Strike -2

While the government is trying to break the strike and bring oil production back to the roughly 3 million barrels per day in November before the action began, international shippers' refusals to load at the troubled country's ports is restricting exports to about 9 million barrels per month, an industry executive said.

That's because the government currently has to rely mostly on its own eight tankers, each of which can only ship a bit more than 1 million barrels per month, said Ciro Izarra, who was the international crude trading manager at PDVSA before an ongoing 40-day-old strike began.

PdVSA officials couldn't be reached for comment but the estimate concurs with Oil Ministry reports of how much oil has left Venezuela's shores since the strike began.

About 45 tankers with some 16.36 million barrels of crude and products left Venezuelan ports between Dec. 5 and Jan. 8, the government's Venpres news agency reported.

International shippers have refused to load at Venezuela's terminals citing insurance restrictions because the government's replacements for harbor pilots and tug boat captains don't have the licenses to satisfy requirements.

Government officials have said they expect oil output to be around 2 million b/d by the end of January but industry insiders have rejected the claims as unrealistic.

Output is currently at around 400,000 b/d, according to observers who contradict government claims it's anywhere from about 600,000 b/d to 1.1 million b/d.

Opposition leaders are demanding President Hugo Chavez agree to call elections in 30 days if he loses a Feb. 2 nonbinding vote on whether he should remain president.

Chavez has thus far maintained the constitution only requires him to accept the results of a possible recall referendum next August, the midpoint of his term.

Chavez's critics blame his left-leaning policies for the country's deepening economic crisis, as the economy likely contracted about 8% last year amid unemployment of 17% and inflation of 31% sparked by the bolivar's ($1=VEB1513.25) 46% devaluation.

Chavez has said the country's problems are due to an "economic coup" led by his opponents.

PdVSA Website: www.pdv.com

-By Jehan Senaratna;Dow Jones Newswires; 58212 564 1339; jehan.senaratna@dowjones.com

www.fredericksburg.com By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER Associated Press Writer

President Hugo Chavez fired 700 workers from the state oil monopoly Friday, hoping to break a 40-day-old strike that has paralyzed the world's fifth largest oil exporter.

At least 30,000 of the 40,000 workers at Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. are participating in a nationwide strike to demand early presidential elections. Chavez sacked 300 managers of the company earlier in the strike.

"The revolutionary government is standing firm," Chavez said. "An oligarchy ... has reared like a poisonous serpent to destroy the path of justice that we are paving. The people and our morals won't let them."

The firings inflamed an already unstable situation. Chavez's opponents took to the streets Friday, and a bank strike prompted authorities to suspend dollar auctions for a second day in a row after Venezuela's currency fell.

The Bush administration was talking with other nations in the Americas on ways to end the strike, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Friday.

"We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela," Fleischer said. Asked about a possible U.S. role in a breakthrough, Fleischer said, "An electoral solution is the direction the United States sees."

A nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule is scheduled for Feb. 2. Chavez insists the constitution only requires him to respect a possible recall referendum in August, the midpoint of his six-year term.

Chavez said the government would have to invest "thousands of millions of dollars" to revive the oil industry. He urged Venezuela's attorney general to imprison strikers, whom he called "criminals" and "traitors to the country."

The strike has shut thousands of businesses and brought Venezuela's oil industry to a virtual halt. Chavez has tried to jump-start oil production, and crude output is estimated at about 400,000 barrels a day, compared with the pre-strike level of 3 million barrels. Exports, normally 2.5 million barrels a day, are at 500,000 barrels a day.

Bank workers and other opposition sympathizers were rallying in Caracas and 11 other cities Friday, a day after violence broke out at similar protests.

Hundreds gathered in Caracas to march on the Melia hotel, where Organization of American States Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria, who is mediating between the two sides, is staying.

Fleischer said Gaviria has been quietly discussing options with other OAS states, including formation of a "Friends of Venezuela" group "to help the Venezuelans find a solution."

The Central Bank suspended dollar auctions for a second day Friday after the currency, the bolivar, dropped to a record low of 1,593 to the dollar Thursday _ 5 percent weaker than Wednesday and down 12 percent since the start of the year.

Analysts speculated Chavez's government may have to devalue the bolivar to balance its budget. Most government income is in dollars and a weaker bolivar would increase its domestic spending power.

Meanwhile, unknown assailants tossed a grenade at the residence of Algerian Ambassador Mohamed Khelladi on Thursday night, the embassy said Friday. Nobody was injured and no arrests were made.

The motive for the attack wasn't known. Algeria has offered to send technicians to help jump-start Venezuela's oil industry.

Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said the government reinforced security at embassies and diplomatic residences after the attack and a series of telephoned bomb threats at the Australian, Canadian, German, Libyan and Uruguayan embassies.

Chavez opponents claim the president's fiery rhetoric incites violent reactions from his most radical backers. But the president, a former paratroop commander who was elected in 1998 and re-elected two years later, accuses the opposition-backed media of whipping up emotions and campaigning for his ouster.

Bloodshed last year spurred a coup and Chavez's brief ouster. Loyalists in the military returned him to power on April 14.

Spokesmen at three of Venezuela's largest banks _ Banco de Venezuela, Banco Provincial and Banesco _ said 80 percent of the country's nearly 60,000 bank employees stayed home Thursday. Friday, Jan. 10, 2003

World - AP Latin America story.news.yahoo.com 1 hour, 18 minutes ago

By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez fired 700 workers from the state oil monopoly Friday, hoping to break a 40-day-old strike that has paralyzed the world's fifth largest oil exporter.

At least 30,000 of the 40,000 workers at Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. are participating in a nationwide strike to demand early presidential elections. Chavez sacked 300 managers of the company earlier in the strike.

"The revolutionary government is standing firm," Chavez said. "An oligarchy ... has reared like a poisonous serpent to destroy the path of justice that we are paving. The people and our morals won't let them."

The firings inflamed an already unstable situation. Chavez's opponents took to the streets Friday, and a bank strike prompted authorities to suspend dollar auctions for a second day in a row after Venezuela's currency fell.

The Bush administration was talking with other nations in the Americas on ways to end the strike, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said Friday.

"We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela," Fleischer said. Asked about a possible U.S. role in a breakthrough, Fleischer said, "An electoral solution is the direction the United States sees."

A nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule is scheduled for Feb. 2. Chavez insists the constitution only requires him to respect a possible recall referendum in August, the midpoint of his six-year term.

Chavez said the government would have to invest "thousands of millions of dollars" to revive the oil industry. He urged Venezuela's attorney general to imprison strikers, whom he called "criminals" and "traitors to the country."

The strike has shut thousands of businesses and brought Venezuela's oil industry to a virtual halt. Chavez has tried to jump-start oil production, and crude output is estimated at about 400,000 barrels a day, compared with the pre-strike level of 3 million barrels. Exports, normally 2.5 million barrels a day, are at 500,000 barrels a day.

Bank workers and other opposition sympathizers were rallying in Caracas and 11 other cities Friday, a day after violence broke out at similar protests.

Hundreds gathered in Caracas to march on the Melia hotel, where Organization of American States Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria, who is mediating between the two sides, is staying.

Fleischer said Gaviria has been quietly discussing options with other OAS states, including formation of a "Friends of Venezuela" group "to help the Venezuelans find a solution."

The Central Bank suspended dollar auctions for a second day Friday after the currency, the bolivar, dropped to a record low of 1,593 to the dollar Thursday — 5 percent weaker than Wednesday and down 12 percent since the start of the year.

Analysts speculated Chavez's government may have to devalue the bolivar to balance its budget. Most government income is in dollars and a weaker bolivar would increase its domestic spending power.

Meanwhile, unknown assailants tossed a grenade at the residence of Algerian Ambassador Mohamed Khelladi on Thursday night, the embassy said Friday. Nobody was injured and no arrests were made.

The motive for the attack wasn't known. Algeria has offered to send technicians to help jump-start Venezuela's oil industry.

Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said the government reinforced security at embassies and diplomatic residences after the attack and a series of telephoned bomb threats at the Australian, Canadian, German, Libyan and Uruguayan embassies.

Chavez opponents claim the president's fiery rhetoric incites violent reactions from his most radical backers. But the president, a former paratroop commander who was elected in 1998 and re-elected two years later, accuses the opposition-backed media of whipping up emotions and campaigning for his ouster.

Bloodshed last year spurred a coup and Chavez's brief ouster. Loyalists in the military returned him to power on April 14.

Spokesmen at three of Venezuela's largest banks — Banco de Venezuela, Banco Provincial and Banesco — said 80 percent of the country's nearly 60,000 bank employees stayed home Thursday.