www.jacksonvilleprogress.com From the Booth - By Rick Watson

Words like "snow" and "sleet" are in the forecast for some portions of North Texas, so why not think of spring training?

I know, there are state high school basketball playoffs going on. The Region 14 basketball race is in the home stretch, and isn't it wild?

That is all covered so well by the rest of your JDP sports page, I thought maybe we could talk a little baseball. Often, some of you E-mail me, call, or just visit.

Would you share some of your favorite baseball thoughts? Some of you remember back to the Jacksonville Jacks. My friend, Merv Dawson has often talked about the days when J'ville had a pro baseball team. That was before I came to town, but maybe some of you have a memory of that time that is special. Or maybe the old Dallas and Fort Worth minor league teams. Bobby Bragan was a big part of baseball in the D-FW area, and I once had a chance to have lunch with him. It went about four hours and I still didn't get enough of his great baseball stories.

How about the Houston Colt 45's? We went to a game at the old stadium to see the Cardinals, and Stan Musial in his final swing through the National League. I think fans enjoy reminiscing about any sport, but baseball seems to have a special hold on people.

I still remember the first time I walked into what was then Briggs Stadium to see the Detroit Tigers. Even before you walked up the ramp to the seating area, the smells came over your senses. You could sort out hot dogs, sauerkraut, various drinks, popcorn and more. But mixed in was fresh cut grass, and something you could only identify as "old stadium smell". Very pleasant, but very distinctive. The Tigers had been at Trumbull Avenue since the early 1900's.

It was the odor of history.

Walk up the ramp, and through the portal to the seating area, and the first glimpse of the field was literally breathtaking. The grass was greener than any green. The seats, all painted a deeper green. The walls and the signs completed a mosaic that was almost cathedral-like. The Tigers taking infield, leaning on the rails talking to fans, running in the field, were dressed in the most perfect white, with the blue and orange trim. I think for a fan, the first time you see a major league park remains the fondest memory.

That day I saw Joe DiMaggio hit a home run. I saw Hal Newhouser and Whitey Ford pitch. But the all-encompassing first view of the inside of a major league ballpark tops it all.

As years went by, fortune often touched me. I have seen Ted Williams homer. Roberto Clemente just play ball. Ernie Banks at Wrigley Field. I have laughed in the Astros locker room with people like Biggio, Bagwell, Richard, Ryan and other stars that also happen to be very nice people. I have eaten in the Astrodome pressbox with Don Drysdale, Duke Snider, and the diminutive story teller, Donald Davidson. I once had dinner with Yogi Berra, and it was like I had grown up on The Hill in St. Louis, with him, Joe Garagiola and the rest of the gang.

Spring training brings back so many memories. The one piece of mail I look forward to each year, more than any other, is "The Sporting News" spring training issue. I remember playing in the spring. The first workouts when the weather and the gloves are fresh. Everyone on the team thinks "this is our year." It may be the purest feeling in sports. I liked being 13 and of all the hits you got that season, the first one over the hedges and into the coal yard was always the best. I liked the first workouts in high school and college, before the reality of the season set in. Before I found out there were pitchers who lived in a different world than I inhabited.

It was even better than getting traded from a sixth place team to a first place team (although that is one of my best in season memories). Got a favorite from playing...watching...listening? I hope so. It is a little early I guess, but it is time for those spring training dreams.

Rick Watson is sports director for eight area radio stations, including KEBE 1400 AM and KLJT 102.3 FM, where Indians football is broadcast. Watson can be reached by e-mail to rickw@wallerbroadcasting.com.

www.timesstar.com110801203218,00.html By Josh Suchon STAFF WRITER

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Yorvit Torrealba of the San Francisco Giants can't help smiling when he passes an Arizona gas station that is open 24 hours and has no lines. It was much different this past winter back home in Venezuela.

"It would be a day or two that you would wait for the gas to get to the gas station," Torrealba said. "The thing is, once it did arrive, the people made big lines. It would be 3-4 hours long. Where I live, I know everybody, so I don't have to wait in the long lines. But for my friends, it was messed up. Some people would spend the night waiting in line just to get gas in their cars."

Torrealba, who quietly put together a nice rookie season as the backup to Benito Santiago, never feared for his life as the South American nation underwent political and economic turmoil.

But coming off the euphoria of his rookie season in the big leagues and being in the World Series, it was disheartening for him to return home and see what had become of his country.

"It's definitely frustrating," Torrealba said. "I know that Venezuela is a great country. A lot of people don't like the president and don't like the rules. It's tough. I love my country.

"You want to go somewhere, and you are afraid of what's going to happen, whether they are going to be killing people or what. One day, it was all right and everybody was happy. The next day, almost half the country take to the streets and argue about the president."

Torrealba didn't have the misfortune of some major-leaguers.

Houston outfielder Richard Hidalgo was wounded in the left arm in an attempted car jacking. Anaheim Angels pitcher Francisco Rodriguez said his grandmother and uncles were robbed three times in one week at gunpoint because the men thought the World Series hero's family members had money.

Instead, Torrealba stayed mostly in his neighborhood and spent time with his family.

"If I go to a neighborhood that I haven't been before, I definitely have to be careful," he said. "They know ballplayers have more money and they might try to do something to you. Each player in his own neighborhood is all right though. Most of the time, I stay in my neighborhood with my family, my wife, my son."

At Scottsdale Stadium, players arrive and breakfast is waiting for them in the kitchen. After workouts, lunch is waiting for them. A big refrigerator has beers, sodas and waters for the players.

Back in Venezuela, the owner of the biggest beer distributor took part in the strike designed to force President Hugo Chavez's ouster.

"For two months, we didn't have beer, we didn't have soda, we didn't have some food we need to eat," Torrealba said. "What we did was buy big bunches. Like I'd buy the biggest package of rice that I could find. One day, you could buy food. The next day, you couldn't. You would never know what to expect.

"There's been a lot of crime and other stuff. It's tough when you are sitting in your house and you need money to support your family."

RAIN FORECAST: The Giants intrasquad game this morning is in jeopardy because of a storm headed to Arizona that is expected to keep the Phoenix area wet for two days. No veterans were expected to play in the game, but manager Felipe Alou was eager to see some of the youngsters play.

ONE-HOPPERS: Individual game tickets for the 2003 season (opening day excluded) go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Giants Web site at sfgiants.com, the Pacific Bell Park ticket office, all Giants Dugout Store locations and all Tickets.com locations. ... Thursday's Cactus League opener will be the first of 13 exhibition games airing on 680 AM.

www.bayarea.com Posted on Tue, Feb. 25, 2003 By RICK HURD Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

PHOENIX - Ramon Hernandez had only one thing on his mind when he hopped on a plane and headed home to Venezuela this winter. He said he wanted to wipe away the memory of a disappointing 2002 season.

"I just wanted to forget it," he said. "Sometimes, that's just the best thing you can do."

He had no idea how easy that would be. Hernandez's winter was marked by snapshots of fights in the streets, protests in the capital, long lines for gas and food, military marches and general unrest.

Turned out the only thing on his mind was keeping his family safe.

"It was sad, very sad," he said. "I've never seen anything like it before. I hope I never see it again."

What Hernandez witnessed was a crippling nationwide strike that nearly tore apart his country. Workers throughout Venezuela went on strike to protest the policies of president Hugo Chavez, and the fallout was tumultuous.

Violence erupted in Venezuela in December, shortly after the strike began. The importing and distribution of gasoline and oil is a huge industry in Venezuela, Hernandez said, and the strike left the country with a huge shortage.

Thus, he said, workers in other industries who relied on gas were unable to earn money.

"You'd see hundreds and hundreds of people lined up for gas. It might take two or three days to get some," Hernandez said. "But if you drove a taxi, then you can't work. So people like that would go hungry. There were lots of people in my country who couldn't get food."

Hernandez wasn't one of them. He said the country's baseball players are considered among the elite citizens of Venezuela and that he "had ways around" the mess that was causing so much misery. But the violence that resulted wasn't lost on him.

"I'd turn on the TV, and you'd see the army marching in the capital city (of Caracas), and you'd see fights between (Chavez's) supporters and opponents breaking out all over the place," he said. "It was very scary."

So scary, Hernandez said, that his family rarely left its home. Hernandez said his home was several miles on the outskirts of any big city, and that his neighborhood was relatively safe.

"But you couldn't take any chances," he said. "You never knew where it might be dangerous."

That point hit home early in December, when a fellow major league became a victim. Houston Astros outfielder Richard Hidalgo was shot in the left arm during a carjacking attempt in early December.

"It's a scary thing, what happened to him," Hernandez said. "It could've happened to anyone."

The turmoil also wrecked something else that was so close to Hernandez's heart. The Venezuelan winter league was canceled after only two weeks, because adequate security to protect the players couldn't be found. Hernandez had been named the league's MVP in 2001.

Thus, he said, the dawn of spring training was more welcome than ever. He reported to Arizona with his wife, Bellatrix, and son, Randy, but the rest of his extended family remains in Venezuela.

"I was glad to get started," he said. "I talked to family, and they say things are getting much better down there. It was getting better before I left, so hopefully it keeps going in that direction."

As for baseball, Hernandez said he hopes his offense moves in a better direction this season, too. He hit only .233 after signing a four-year, $9.5 million contract in March. He hit just seven home runs after totaling 29 over the previous two seasons.

"Hey, guys have bad years sometimes," manager Ken Macha said. "Hopefully, that was one of his. But that still doesn't take away from the work he did for us handling our pitching staff. He's as big a reason for our pitchers' success as any. As long as he keeps doing that, we'll be happy."

Hernandez seems happy already. He said he has put the memory of 2002 out of his mind. And he said the memory of his 2002 winter will be a nice reminder that some things are more important than batting averages.

www.pressdemocrat.com February 25, 2003 By BOB PADECKY THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In his California office this winter, Giants assistant general manager Ned Colletti came to a necessary if not cold conclusion: The 2002 Giants came within five outs of winning the World Series but they were not perfect.

"If we had one weakness," Colletti said, "it's that we didn't have a strong right-handed bat coming off the bench."

Meanwhile, at his Florida home, Andres Galarraga also came to a conclusion.

"I am only 14 homers from having 400 for my career and only 19 RBIs from having 1,400," said Galarraga, also known as the Big Cat. "I have had a good career but maybe if I get 400 homers and 1,400 RBIs, I have a better chance to make the Hall of Fame."

And so a sort of marriage of convenience was born. The Giants needed right-handed power coming off the bench and Galarraga has that right-handed bat that produced 386 homers. So Galarraga, 41, was signed to a minor-league non-roster contract, one that offers no guarantees.

Galarraga will compete with Damon Minor, 29, to be J.T. Snow's backup at first base. The early buzz around spring training is that Galarraga is still fit and looks to have the inside track. Besides the 17-year career and all those homers and RBIs, Galarraga also has something going for him that Minor doesn't.

"When Andres was with us in 2001," Colletti said, "his presence in the clubhouse had a significant impact."

And if there is one constant in the Brian Sabean-Colletti era, it's clubhouse presence. From Kenny Lofton to Ellis Burks to Reggie Sanders to Shawon Dunston to Mark Gardner and others, the Giants have sought stabilizing influences. As anyone who has even had just a chance encounter with Galarraga has found out, he might as well as have "STABILIZING INFLUENCE" tattooed across his forehead.

"When I retire I want to be remembered as a nice guy," Galarraga said.

Of course, if you believe what the late Leo Durocher once said about nice guys -- they finish last -- then Galarraga should never have played in five All-Star Games, three division series and one National League Championship Series. Galarraga ranks in the top 100 in doubles (91st, 429), home runs (40th, 386), grand slams (40th, 8) and RBIs (59th, 1,381). He's won the Silver Slugger Award twice. He is a formidable presence, whether he smiles or not.

But Sabean and Colletti never have fancied themselves as gatherers of worn-out ballplayers who just want to pad their statistics and their pension. Galarraga is not here to be just a wise old soul holding court in the locker room.

"His enthusiasm for the game is still obvious," Colletti said. "He is still vibrant. He's a quality person and a quality player."

Galarraga is a man of social responsibility. He admits freely that he feels obligated to act in a civilized and decent way because the whole country of Venezuela is watching their native son. Among Venezuelan-born big leaguers, Galarraga has the most homers and RBIs.

"I'm probably the biggest (sports) hero, the biggest role model in my country," Galarraga said. "I know people are watching me."

His legend was enhanced considerably when he fought and won a battle with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1999. Galarraga missed the season and returned the next year with Atlanta to hit 28 homers and drive in 100 runs. He has hit 54 homers and driven in 209 runs since 1999. He inspires more than Venezuelan baseball fanatics.

"Andres has a view of life," Colletti said, "that many players do not have."

A big man at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Galarraga doesn't buckle under the weight of such expectations.

"It's why I play hard," Galarraga said. "It's important to respect the game. It's important (that) people see me as a nice guy."

If that's the test, Andres Galarraga can retire today. He's already made the Decent Human Being Hall of Fame.

Contact staff writer Bob Padecky at 521-5490 or bpadecky@pressdemocrat.com.

www.sunspot.net

Originally published Feb 25, 2003 Laura Vecsey

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Sometimes when you talk to Melvin Mora, you wonder if he wasn't dropped on Earth to remind us all to take a chill, to have a good attitude, to establish a reservoir of unshakable faith that diffuses anger toward heaven, where some other force will help out.

This is the power of Melvin.

Sometimes you wonder if the Venezuelan utility man wasn't sent here to prove that a person can balance serenity with competitive fire, sensitivity with strength, respectful reserve with fetching personality.

Oh, the power of Melvin.

Please, if the Orioles don't do something silly like package the versatile Mora in a trade for that bigger bat they need, let Mora play every day, Mr. Hargrove. We can't get enough of the impish but sturdy player whose nature reassures us that humanity does indeed have tremendous upside.

No, Melvin Mora did not go to Venezuela this winter. He did not return home to be near his mother, Phillipa, who gave birth to 11 children but has only 10 left after last April, when son Jose was shot by thugs outside their house on Santiago Road and died in his mother's arms.

"These killers hang around outside," Mora said. "They think I have money so they are around there. I have a different house that I want my mother to go to, but she says, 'Fix this house up,' even though there are bad guys hanging around. I say, 'Mama, listen, we have to get out of here.' But she doesn't want to leave. This is the place where she watched her son die. She doesn't want to leave him."

No, Mora did not go home to the country where 25 years ago, when he was 6, he also lost his father to senseless violence. A gunshot dropped his father to the street, where he died in Mora's arms.

And, no, Melvin Mora could not return home to Venezuela, even though his winter league team, Magallanes, so badly wanted Mora to come play and he was willing to leave his wife and six children -- including those 18-month-old quintuplets -- in Bel Air for one month, enough perhaps to lift Magallanes to the playoffs.

"They called twice in November. I wanted to go. They were losing and they needed me to come, but there was talk about a strike. People didn't know what was going to happen. Then there was a strike. It happened Dec. 2," Mora said.

The paralyzing national strike led thousands of people, rich and poor, to the streets to protest the rule of President Hugo Chavez. By Dec. 22, as the unions and university professors continued to march, shutting down the oil industry and prompting international companies to leave the country, the president of the Venezuela Professional Baseball League shut down the country's beloved baseball.

"You'll hear 'Play ball!' only when we can guarantee the quality of the game and the safety of the players," said Ramon Guillermo Aveledo.

They never could guarantee safety.

"It's never been this bad," Mora said yesterday. "This is crazy. People were running out to get food before it ran out. A lot of people died, and then you don't know about those other people who disappear.

"One of those dead people is my brother. The police work with the bad guys. All they have to do is give the [police] some money and that's it. They let you go. There is so much corruption. If you have no power, nothing they want from you, you have no chance. You can't live like that.

"I think about this every day when I go to sleep. I just think I don't want to get a phone call and hear bad news. If your mother sees her son die in her own hands, this is too much. They pay $100 to kill someone. ... I cannot accept someone paying for murder. The police might take money to let you get away, but you never live in peace. I have God on my side. One thing he says, do not kill. I pray for me and my family. I believe in him."

And we also believe in Melvin.

This spring, with B.J. Surhoff rejoining the Orioles, the outfield is already crowded with Marty Cordova, Gary Matthews and Jay Gibbons. In the infield, where Mora plays second base and shortstop, veteran free agents Jeff Reboulet and John Valentin are in camp battling for roster spots. Jerry Hairston established himself at second last season and this spring. Brian Roberts is also getting a good look. It's pretty clear there's less wiggle room for manager Mike Hargrove to use Mora the way he did last season, when Mora wheeled the diamond, filling in for whoever was injured -- and that was almost everybody.

In 149 games, Mora played five different positions. Now, though, Hargrove is talking about starting Mora two or three times a week. Mora accepts this because he is dutifully diplomatic. Still, he wants to change that forecast.

"I had 19 homers last year, I walked 70 times, scored 86 runs and was third for on-base percentage on this team," he said. "I love to play this sport. I came out of nowhere [to help the New York Mets in the 1999 and 2000 playoffs] when I had no pressure on me. I cannot sit in the dugout when I think I can help the team win. I like to hit from any spot -- 6, 5, 9 or 1 -- wherever they want to put me. Of course, I would like to hit No. 2 and start in center field every day."

For him, you wish this could happen.