For Most, Replacements Are Forgotten

For many teams, the reminders of replacement ball are long gone this spring. Which is exactly how most baseball people want it.

The Philadelphia Phillies are excited about Todd Zeile and Benito Santiago, not wondering how Jeff Stone is doing back at a steel mill in the Ozarks. The New York Yankees are eager to see Tino Martinez and Tim Raines, not worrying about whether Willie Hernandez has dropped out of sight.

For some, though, it’s not so easy to dismiss. Because as much as a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to forget about the past, it’s staring right at them in the present.

This week, three former replacement players - non-roster pitchers Dave Pyc and Jody Treadwell and catcher Ron Maurer - reported for the start of camp in Vero Beach, Fla. Next week, they’ll be joined by Mike Busch, the former replacement player who became a center of controversy when the Dodgers promoted him from the minor leagues late last season.

“I think everybody learned last year, for this team to win, you can’t have distractions and you just have to work together as a team,” Dodgers pitcher Tom Candiotti said. “To me, these guys are all my teammates.”

Same team, new position

Speaking of former replacement players, Ron Mahay will be back in Boston’s camp this spring, albeit in a different spot. Mahay, who got into five games as an outfielder for the Red Sox last year, is trying out as a pitcher. Seems he got a couple of chances to throw during winter ball in Australia and did well enough to impress a member of the Boston staff. No telling if he’ll work out as well as another guy who once pitched and played outfield for the Red Sox, a guy named Ruth. …

What’s the rush?

It seemed surprising this week that the California Angels were so willing to trade pitcher Brian Anderson, a 23-year-old left-hander with a bit of success in the majors, to Cleveland for pitchers Jason Grimsley and Pep Harris. True, there were people in the Angels’ organization who weren’t sure how well he’d do in the future, but that apparently wasn’t the main reason for the deal.

During the off-season, the Angels offered Anderson a contract that called for more than the allowed 20 percent pay cut. Talks between the sides steamed up, and Anderson’s agent hinted that he might file a grievance.

“We weren’t concerned about the grievance, we were concerned about the meltdown,” Angels general manager Bill Bavasi said.

Time for a change

Angels fans will find things a bit different this year once the regular season starts. Disney, the new owner, has promised to triple the number of cap giveaway days, triple the number of fireworks shows and double the number of fan appreciation days.