Sun, Feb 29, 2004 page23

• Kerry Wood remains a Cub

  • AP
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  Kerry Wood agreed to a US$32.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, the most lucrative deal for a pitcher in Chicago Cubs history.

  It includes a mutual option for 2007 that could increase the value to US$43 million.

  

  Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood throws off the practice mound at the team's spring training facility in Mesa, Arizona, Friday.

  PHOTO: AP

  "For me it was pretty simple. This organization gave me the opportunity when I was 18 years old to play professional baseball. That's something I'll never forget," Wood said in Mesa, Arizona.

  "It was pretty easy. We are going to be a good team for a long time. And that was the whole determining factor for me ... The whole reason I play this game is to win, and I think we are going to do that here for a while."

  Once lovable losers, the Cubs came within five outs of making the World Series last season, and general manager Jim Hendry has been busy building on that. He signed several veterans, including Greg Maddux, to bolster an already formidable starting rotation that also features Mark Prior.

  In Kissimmee, Florida, Atlanta Braves closer John Smoltz threw off the mound for the second time this spring with no problems.

  "He threw everything," manager Bobby Cox said. "He looked really good."

  Smoltz has 100 saves over the last two seasons, but missed nearly a month at the end of 2003 with a sore elbow. He returned for the playoffs, in noticeable discomfort, and had surgery just days after the season ended.

  The Braves aren't concerned about Smoltz being ready for opening day.

  "Not at all," Cox said. "He's good to roll."

  In Fort Myers, Florida, the Boston Red Sox said Bronson Arroyo will be on the mound when they play the Yankees in an exhibition game on March 7, the first meeting of the teams since New York won last year's AL pennant.

  "It's the Yankees," Arroyo said. "It doesn't matter if it's spring or the postseason, it's the Yankees. And if they want to see what I've got, no better team to prove it against than that Yankees."

  Jose Contreras or Javier Vazquez is likely to start for New York in the game at Fort Myers.

  The last time the Yankees faced the Red Sox, New York rallied from a 5-2, eighth-inning deficit in Game 7 of the AL championship series and won 6-5 on Aaron Boone's 11th-inning homer off Tim Wakefield.

  In Phoenix, Oakland left-hander Mark Mulder had back spasms that caused him to miss two straight spring training workouts with the Athletics.

  The 26-year-old Mulder woke up on Sunday with a sore back, a problem he never before encountered.

  "I was concerned Sunday but that was about it," Mulder said Friday. "[Mark] Kotsay said it's happened to him and it usually takes three or four days, and that's what it's been."

  Mulder sustained a stress fracture in his right leg near the hip last August and missed the rest of the season. He went 15-9 with a 3.13 ERA, tying Roy Halladay and Bartolo Colon for the major league lead with nine complete games despite making only 26 starts.

  Mulder is scheduled to throw batting practice Saturday.

  In Peoria, Arizona, Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Chris Snelling had surgery on a bone in his right hand, sidelining the Australian for the next six weeks.

  He was hurt on Thursday in batting practice after taking only two or three swings, another in a string of injuries for Snelling.

  "He's down, understandably," manager Bob Melvin said.

  Snelling had surgery in August for a tear in his left knee. He split time last year between Double-A San Antonio, hitting .333 in 47 games, and Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .269 in 18 games.

  His season also ended with knee surgery in 2002. Snelling was called up to the Mariners from San Antonio in May and played eight games before tearing an ligament in his left knee while rounding third base at Oakland.

  In August 2001, he broke his right ankle after being selected to the California League's midseason All-Star team.

  Shingo Takatsu

  Sitting at his locker in the middle of the Chicago White Sox's spring-training clubhouse, Shingo Takatsu thumbs through a major league baseball players' guide to study his new teammates.

  There are descriptions and captions in Japanese, and Takatsu points his finger at head shots as he tries to match the names of his teammates with faces.

  He goes to the corner and, with the help of translator Hiroshi Abei, meets slugger Frank Thomas, bowing graciously as he departs. Then he greets shortstop Jose Valentin with a handshake.

  "You're going to have fun here," Valentin tells him.

  After becoming Japan's career saves leaders with 260 during 13 seasons with the Yakult Swallows, Takatsu is jumping into another culture.

  Like the Japanese stars who have preceded him to the majors, including fellow pitchers and friends Kazuhisa Ishii and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, there is more to do than just play ball.

  It's a lifestyle change and a getting-to-know-you process for the 35-year-old pitcher, who signed a US$1 million, one-year deal.

  "It's really a new thing to have a new team. It's really fresh and it's really fun talking to them every day in the clubhouse," he says through his translator.

  Takatsu knows some English. At his introductory news conference this winter, when he got to wade through some snow for a photo op, he said, "Chicago is my field of dreams."

  But early on, until he gets acclimated, Abei will be at his side, even during on-field conferences and drills.

  Abei is well-suited for the job. He used to work for the Swallows and translate for American players who went to Japan.

  Takatsu, known as "Mr. Zero" because he did not give up a run in 10 Japanese Series games, got to throw batting practice to hitters for the first time this week, when the full squad reported. He quickly showed off his assortment of sidearm deliveries featuring different speeds and arm angles.

  "Shingo let the hitters know what was coming, and they couldn't even touch it," manager Ozzie Guillen said.

  Outfielder Aaron Rowand, wasn't fooled completely. He connected for a home run over the fence in left. Still, Rowand, was impressed.

  "He's got some nasty stuff," he said.

  Takatsu probably will be a setup man for Billy Koch, who struggled as the closer last season and eventually lost the job to Tom Gordon -- who left and signed with the New York Yankees.
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