Watered down

Thanks to a new training regimen, Wells takes a new shape

Was that really David Wells sipping water and praising the merits of exercise and a low-carb diet after his first outing of the spring? Believe it. There's less to the Boomer than used to meet the eye -- about 30 pounds less.

The New York Yankees left-hander hired a personal trainer to revamp his diet over the winter. Wells, 38, cut way back on beer, carbohydrates and fried foods, though he allows himself to return to his old ways (in moderation) every Sunday.

On Monday, in his first outing since July, when a back injury shut him down for the season, Wells looked sharp and slim. He set down the Twins in the first inning on five pitches, while breaking two bats. Though Wells is thought to be competing with Sterling Hitchcock and Orlando Hernandez for the two remaining spots in the rotation, Wells said he wants to return to the level of pitching he reached with the Yankees in 1998, when he was the staff leader. "I want the ball with the game on the line," he said. "I started every playoff [series]. That's what I want to do, to be the pitcher that sets the tone."

Wells admitted he did very little conditioning over the past five years, while running up a 76-39 record with the Yankees, Toronto and the White Sox. "Why mess with a good thing?" he said. Back surgery was his wake-up call. He also said he was motivated to return pain-free to everyday activities such as playing with his two children and playing golf. Now he does daily cardiovascular work, lifts weights three times a week and drinks 15 bottles of water a day.

"I think I'll be stronger toward the end of the season," Wells said.

Already regarded as a clutch pitcher, Wells is 8-1 lifetime in the postseason. He said he has felt no discomfort in his back this spring. A healthy, committed Wells as a No. 4 starter -- behind Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte -- cannot be good news for the rest of the American League.

Guzman: Don't start with me

Don't look for Cristian Guzman at the top of the Minnesota Twins'lineup anymore. The team's offensive spark, who hit both first and second in the lineup last season, wants no part of the leadoff spot.

"He came to me and said he wasn't comfortable hitting leadoff," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who has been using second baseman Luis Rivas at leadoff this spring. "He said he doesn't like making the first out of the game."

Why argue? Last season Guzman hit .279 batting first and .320 in the No. 2 hole. The Twins should once again contend in the forgiving AL Central, but only if they remain healthy. Alarms went off in the organization, for example, when third baseman Corey Koskie suffered a sprained wrist last weekend that bears watching and worrying. However, no player would be harder for Minnesota to replace than Guzman.

"We have other people to plug in, and Denny Hocking did a nice job when he stepped in last year," Gardenhire said, "but [Guzman's] our igniter."

The Twins were in first place by four games last July 13. The next day Guzman finally gave in to the pain in his throwing shoulder and went on the disabled list. "Sometimes a ground ball would be hit to me and I would say to myself, 'Oh, no,'" Guzman said.

Without Guzman, Minnesota collapsed. By the time he returned on Aug. 17, the Twins were 4 1/2 games out of first place, having suffered through an 8-24 disaster without him. With Guzman back, they resumed playing winning baseball, finishing 21-20.

Despite missing a month, Guzman, 24, led the AL in triples (14) and hit a career-high .302. He ranked behind only Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter in slugging percentage and on-base percentage among regular AL shortstops -- that's right, better than Miguel Tejada of Oakland.

The biggest knock on Guzman would be that he doesn't walk enough. He drew only 21 bases on balls last year, leaving him with a .337 on-base percentage, only slightly better than the league average. Neither Guzman nor Gardenhire, however, see it as a problem.

"I'll try sometimes," Guzman said, with a laugh, about being more selective, "but then I just have to swing."

Gardenhire said he doesn't encourage Guzman to be more patient, saying, "No, he's pretty dangerous swinging the bat. He hits the ball in the gap and flies around the bases. I swear, he's so fast going from first to third, sometimes it looks like he cuts across the infield. So I want him to be aggressive. He's a young kid. I want him to swing the bat."

The Lineup

Here are the most indispensible players in baseball. In other words, take these players away from their teams, and that team disappears from the rank of contender.

1. Pedro Martinez, Boston

2. Sammy Sosa, Cubs

3. Mike Piazza, Mets

4. Barry Bonds, Giants

5. Jim Thome, Indians

Mondesi on the move?

The Toronto Blue Jays have issued a challenge to Raul Mondesi: Play your way to another team. Toronto tried all winter to move the 31-year-old outfielder, but found no interest. Why not? Mondesi is pulling down $11.5 million per season, a poor value for a .282 career hitter (he hit .252 last year) who has never made an All-Star team, never driven in 100 runs (his high of 99 came in 1999) and never scored 100 runs (98 in 1999).

While it's true that the Blue Jays have pared payroll, under new GM J.P. Ricciardi they are also emphasizing selectivity at the plate. Mondesi is a free swinger with a .335 career on-base percentage. He's not their preferred kind of player.

After convincing Mondesi that no team wanted him over the winter, the Blue Jays have challenged him to raise his game to re-establish his value. If Mondesi gets off to a good start -- and he impressed Toronto by showing up for camp in excellent shape -- he could be an attractive midseason trade option for a contending team. Toronto would happily accommodate him.

A-Rod climbing HR ladder

When Alex Rodriguez moved from Seattle to Texas last season his home run total at home doubled from 13 to 26. His overall output increased from 41 to 52, a major league record for shortstops.

While no one in Texas wants to hang a number on where Rodriguez is headed next, he clearly has 60 on his radar screen. "I believe he can still be a lot better," hitting coach Rudy Jaramillio said.

Said Rodriguez, who turns 27 in July, "He's right. This year I feel like I can improve a lot more. I've always believed that [ages] 28 to 34, if you keep in good shape, are the best years of your career. I realize I still have a lot to learn. I'm always looking for ways to get better. I'm not going to say what my numbers could be, but I feel like I'm around only 70 percent of what I can do."

Fifty-two just happens to be 70 percent of -- you got it -- 74. First things first. Should 52 be considered an easy stepping stone to 60 for someone just entering his traditional prime? Seven players previously hit between 52 and 59 home runs in their 20s: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Ralph Kiner, George Foster and Ken Griffey Jr. Only one of them stepped up in class to 60: Ruth. Of course, Griffey is only 32, and the inflation of home run statistics has been dramatic since people like Foxx and Greenberg were slugging for the fences.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

 

Related information
Stories
Tom Verducci's Insider Archive
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.