Twins, Radke tune up for opener

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins unveiled their probable opening day lineup Thursday afternoon at Hammond Stadium. The Boston Red Sox were only able to come up with about two-thirds of theirs.

Missing Nomar Garciaparra, Carl Everett and Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox still managed to edge the Twins 3-2 in their final spring training game.

Garciaparra, the All-Star shortstop, has been out all spring with a split tendon in his right wrist that may require surgery. Everett, the center fielder, was suspended for Thursday's game and fined three days' pay for violating team rules. Ramirez, the right fielder, is recovering from a hamstring strain.

Still, Bret Saberhagen (2-0), recovering from rotator cuff surgery on his throwing arm, pitched three scoreless innings in his second outing of the spring to lead Boston. He allowed one hit.

Brad Radke (2-2), the Twins' scheduled opening day starter at Detroit Tuesday, gave up two runs on six hits through five innings. He struck out five.

"Brad pitched very good today," Twins manager Tom Kelly said. "He's had a very good spring, and he's got all his pitches working."

Radke said he feels ready to get the regular season under way after throwing around 75 pitches.

"I feel good," he said. "It's been a good spring for me, a lot quieter than last year (when he was dealing with contract negotiations). Let's go."

Trot Nixon went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, Darren Lewis hit an RBI double and Troy O'Leary went 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead Boston.

Chad Allen went 2-for-2 with two RBIs for Minnesota, and David Ortiz went 3-for-4.

Kelly got his first look at utility infielder Hanley Frias, acquired Wednesday from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a trade. Frias went 0-for-1 with a walk and an assist at shortstop in relief of starter Cristian Guzman.

"Oh, he was pretty much as advertised," Kelly said. "He can slap the ball around a bit, moves well and can play a couple of positions."

The Twins play two split-squad games Friday, one against the New York Yankees in Tampa and another against the Texas Rangers in Port Charlotte. Lefty J.C. Romero gets his last chance to claim the fifth starter spot against the Rangers.

Minnesota's final spring home game is Saturday against Montreal. Lefthander Eric Milton is scheduled to start.

Boston 001 100 100 -- 3 11 0

Minnesota 000 000 101 -- 2 9 1

Saberhagen, Crawford (4), Wakefield (5), Beck (6), Lowe (7), Erdos (8), TreMiller (9) and Varitek; Radke, TraMiller (6), Cressend (7), Brewington (8), Hawkins (9) and Prince, Smith (7). W--Saberhagen, 2-0. L--Radke, 2-2. Sv--TreMiller (1). HR--Boston, Nixon (6).

Bosox fine Everett

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox fined and suspended center fielder Carl Everett to ensure that his second season with the team doesn't end up looking like his first.

The $97,222 fine and suspension from Thursday's game with the Minnesota Twins came after Everett missed the bus to Tuesday's exhibition, then skipped a workout the next day.

Everett had problems with tardiness last season and openly defied manager Jimy Williams, marring his first year with the Sox.

General manager Dan Duquette announced the penalties Thursday after he and Williams met with Everett and his agent, Larry Reynolds, for about an hour.

Both sides emerged claiming a truce was reached. Duquette said the meeting provided a chance to address "festering" issues.

"Carl has a better understanding of his role on the team," Duquette said. "We had a candid exchange and I believe the issues are resolved."

Everett also struck a conciliatory note, saying progress was made.

"I'm not worried about fines and different stuff like that," he said. "We've got April through October to worry about."

But Reynolds wasn't happy with the size of the penalty.

"Put it this way, we're going to appeal it," he said.

Boston applied a three-day penalty to Everett's $7 million salary, but based the fine on a 216-day season -- the 183-day regular season plus 33 mandatory days of spring training.

The standard formula fines a player for a percentage of his salary for just the 183-day regular season.

What Boston did is unusual because players are paid only for the regular season, not for spring training. Gene Orza, No. 2 official at the players association, said the penalties were illegal and laughable.

"It's not going to stand," Orza said. "They're hopeless up there. There are some cases that are so far beyond the pale that you don't worry about them."

Duquette said Everett was being fined for missing three days of work.

"I believe the pay should be tied to the work," he said.

Everett batted .300 with 34 home runs and 108 RBIs in his first year with Boston last year, but didn't get along with Williams.

Everett said he didn't like Williams and irritated the manager by showing up late for a game against Cleveland. That day, he got into a clubhouse argument with outfielder Darren Lewis.

When the team didn't discipline Everett, Williams said if Duquette wasn't going to back him, the general manager should fire him.

Williams and Everett reportedly settled their differences during a talk at the winter meetings in Dallas, but Everett's behavior was no different this spring.

He missed the bus to Clearwater on March 7 for a game with the Phillies. Tuesday, he drove a private car to Tampa -- where he lives -- and met the team at Legends Field, a violation of team rules requiring everyone to ride on the team bus or van.

After Williams sent Everett home, he was reportedly so angry that he said he would demand a trade. The next day, he didn't show up for a scheduled workout in Fort Myers.

Everett is signed through 2002, with a club option for 2003. Everett said a possible trade wasn't discussed in Thursday's meeting.

"You shouldn't even ask for something that you have no control over," he said. "I have a contract and I'm honoring my contract. I have a contract with the Red Sox and that's what I am. I am a Red Sox."

Duquette added that he has no plans to deal Everett.

The team can succeed even though Everett and Williams don't get along, he added.

"In every workplace, there's personality issues," he said. "But it's incumbent on people involved to focus on their job to get their work done."

But Everett may have hurt his standing among some teammates.

"It reflects to me that he doesn't care about me enough to show up on time," Boston pitcher Pete Schourek said. "When one of your best players is not happy, he's probably not going to perform as well as he could, and that hurts me in the long run because I want to win a World Series."