Copyright 2005 Boston Herald Inc.
The Boston Herald
April 4, 2005 Monday
FIRST EDITION
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 086

LENGTH: 796 words

HEADLINE: BASEBALL;
OPENING NIGHT;
RED SOX NOTEBOOK;
Anxious to pitch in;
Schilling, Miller eye quick return

BYLINE: By Jeff Horrigan

BODY:


NEW YORK - Curt Schilling appears all but certain to make his season debut on April 13, and if Wade Miller has his way, the right-hander will be making his first start for the Red Sox shortly thereafter.

Miller, the former Houston Astros star who was released in December due to the state of his right shoulder, has made quick and steady progress on his rehabilitation. He has been so encouraged by his recent work that he feels he will be ready by the end of the month.

Miller pitched three hitless innings in a minor league intra-camp scrimmage in Fort Myers yesterday, striking out two batters while walking a pair. He's scheduled to work again Thursday, but the Sox haven't decided if he'll pitch in an extended-spring exhibition or for the new Single-A affiliate in Wilmington, N.C., of the South Atlantic League.

``I was letting go and letting it all hang out, and everything was good,'' Miller said of yesterday's outing.

If Miller appears for the Blue Rocks, it will officially start his 30-day minor league rehab but the extended spring game wouldn't start the clock.

``I'd rather get in a regular game and get in good competition and face hitters and not worry about hitting my own teammates,'' he said.

Miller, who threw 38 pitches yesterday, expects to up his pitch count to 50-60 in his next outing. If all goes well, he'd like to build up his endurance in a few more minor league games before being activated from the disabled list in late April.

``That's my goal,'' Miller said. ``I feel really confident right now. I feel like I have good stuff and I feel like I have something to give. Obviously, (the Sox) want me to build endurance, and they want to see how my arm bounces back every day. It feels fine today, but I've got to see how it bounces back when I get to 100 pitches.''

Schilling, meanwhile, will start for Triple-A Pawtucket Thursday in Indianapolis and, barring setbacks, will make his following start against the New York Yankees in the middle game of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Schilling will throw in the bullpen tomorrow and then head out to Indianapolis after Wednesday's game with pitching coach Dave Wallace and trainer Chris Correnti.

Damon is booked up

Johnny Damon will have a busy off day today, when he promotes his new book, ``Idiot: Beating the Curse and Enjoying the Game of Life.'' He'll be on ``Live With Regis and Kelly,'' sign books at a Fifth Avenue Barnes & Noble and appear at a charity event in Brooklyn.

His appearance on ``The Late Show with David Letterman,'' however, was called off. Damon was originally supposed to be a guest on the show but then was told that the extent of the visit would be he and nine teammates reading items on Letterman's Top 10 List. When the Sox couldn't make a firm commitment last week regarding which 10 players would be on hand, The Late Show canceled the appearance entirely.

Damon, whose unique perspective on life made him the prime Sox candidate to write a book, offered this take on the death of Pope John Paul II: ``It's an unfortunate thing. The Pope was very awesome.''

Fans need new material

Sox players were curious to see what type of derogatory chants the Bronx fans greeted them with last night, seeing that they can't use ``1918!'' anymore to mock the Sox' last title. ``Who's your daddy?'' no longer applies because Pedro Martinez is gone.

``I'm sure those fans have been thinking about what they're going to tell us,'' Damon said. ``I'm sure they've got something different up their sleeves.''

Kevin Millar, who had to play right field at Yankee Stadium last season when Trot Nixon was sidelined by injuries, said he's happy to be back at first base, away from the nasty Bleacher Creatures.

``There's nothing like coming out here with the Red Sox and hearing all the nice things they yell at you, especially in right field,'' he said. ``I'm glad Trot's healthy this year.''

Bombers have a Brown out

Prior to last night's game, the Yankees placed pitcher Kevin Brown on the 15-day disabled list with a strained back suffered during his final spring training start. He was replaced on the roster by infielder Andy Phillips, who was called up from Triple-A Columbus. Brown, 40, went a disappointing 10-6 with a 4.09 ERA last year in his first season with the Yankees, and he regressed this spring, going 1-2 with a 6.66 ERA in six Grapefruit League starts. . . .

With the exception of newcomer Tony Womack, admitted steroids user Jason Giambi received the least enthusiastic reception from the capacity crowd during introductions. . . .

Major League Baseball announced that approximately 49 million tickets have already been sold for the upcoming season, which is a 6.5 percent increase from this point last year. MLB established a new single-season attendance record last year (73,022,969).

GRAPHIC: OPPOSING NUMBERS: Red Sox starter David Wells warms up for last night's game in the shadow of Yankees starter Randy Johnson. The teams clashed last night at Yankee Stadium in the first game of the major league season. Staff photo by Matthew West

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