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Around the bases Big Hurt joins the angry chorus: Pay us more!
NEW YORK (AP) -- Frank Thomas sounds insulted: The Chicago White Sox first baseman thinks his $9.9 million salary is unjust. "He's a little upset," teammate Ray Durham said Thursday at Chicago's training camp in Tucson, Ariz. "All around baseball guys are upset about their contracts. It filters down. A lot of guys are wanting new deals because of the deals that are out there." Thomas used to be one of baseball's highest-paid players. Then, Alex Rodriguez got a $252 million, 10-year contract from Texas in December. Now, Thomas isn't even in the top 30. He unpacked his bags Wednesday, left the clubhouse before a team meeting and vented during dinner with some teammates. He joined a lengthening list of stars upset over money. Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Barry Bonds and Omar Vizquel all have asked for extensions. "You see the pay scale is getting out of whack," Thomas said. "You can't have A-Rod making 25 million and we're coming in at 7, 8, 9 million. It's a business. It's just like Hollywood. You can't have the top actor making 25 million and the rest making 10 million." David Wells, whose attempt to gain an extension from Toronto led to a trade to the White Sox, finally reported Thursday, a week past the voluntary date but well before next Tuesday's mandatory date. Toronto has asked the commissioner's office review the controversial trade that brought him to the White Sox for injured Mike Sirotka, with the Blue Jays asking that the deal be reworked. "That's out of my hands. I'm here now and I'm not going to even worry about it," Wells said. "It's not a distraction and it's not going to make any difference because I don't think I'm going anywhere. I think this is where I'm going to lay my hat. Right here." Pedro Martinez, winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards, also reported Thursday. He looked beefier when arrived at Boston's training camp in Fort Myers, Fla. Martinez said the extra pounds on his usually skinny frame came from dining on healthier fare in the Dominican Republic.
"Rice, beans, vegetables and some chicken," he said. "I wanted to feel stronger." At Winter Haven, Fla., Juan Gonzalez worked out with the Cleveland Indians for the first time and quickly got hurt. Gonzalez, signed as a free agent this winter to help replace Manny Ramirez, was hit on the right elbow by a foul ball off the bat of Russell Branyon during the team's first full-squad workout. "It scared me a little bit," said Gonzalez, who three hours later still had the elbow wrapped in ice. "The doctor checked it and said it was on the muscle, not the bone." The Indians did not think any X-rays were needed. Gonzalez thinks the elbow will be OK, but didn't know if he'd participate in Friday's workout. "He had his arm up on the cage and the ball hit him in the elbow," said Indians manager Charlie Manuel. "His arm might be a little sore for a while, but he'll be OK. I'm not worried." In Melbourne, Fla., the Marlins found out pitcher A.J. Burnett again will spend much of spring training sidelined by an injury. Burnett has a broken right foot that will prevent him from pitching for up to a month. Last year, he fell during a fielding drill, hurt his right thumb and missed the first 3 1/2 months of his rookie season. "Next year I'm getting him locked in a closet," manager John Boles said. In Tucson, Colorado's Larry Walker showed improvement from the left calf muscle he strained a day earlier and took batting practice. The oft-injured Walker, who emerged from last spring with the same injury, did not take part in sprints, fielding drills or conditioning. He did, however, ride a stationary bike. "It's not that serious," manager Buddy Bell said. "We're being more cautious than anything else. I know it's kind of upsetting to him just because he's in such great shape." Left fielder Ron Gant, meanwhile, pulled up with two tight hamstrings near the end of Thursday's workout.
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