Ex-Cougars Boost Status With Boston

Aaron Sele has progressed much further than Scott Hatteberg since the two were batterymates and roommates at Washington State University.

Sele became part of the Red Sox starting rotation in 1993, while Hatteberg has played in just 12 major-league games in six years with the organization.

But Wednesday, both had big days as Boston improved to 5-0. Sele pitched three shutout innings in his first spring-training start, and Hatteberg hit his first grand slam in pro ball and a solo homer in an 8-4 win over the Minnesota Twins.

“If they get rid of him,’ Sele said of Hatteberg, “they’re going to be making a big mistake.”

“As long as he stays confident,” Hatteberg said of Sele, “there’s nothing to keep him from being a dominant pitcher.”

Both are at a crossroads, although Hatteberg’s is more ominous.

He is out of options, and Mike Stanley, Bill Haselman and possibly Tim Spehr are ahead of him in the catching picture. His sixth spring training with the Red Sox may be his last.

Sele was an immediate sensation with the Red Sox, starting his big-league career with a 6-0 record in 1993 and posting a 3.83 ERA in 1994. But a shoulder problem limited him to just six starts in 1995, and he was 7-11 with a 5.32 ERA last season.

“This spring I can work on just throwing pitches again without having to worry about the health of my arm,” he said Wednesday. “Last year, I was real tentative and it took me a while to trust my body.”

He also struggled to gain the trust of manager Kevin Kennedy, who wondered about the mild-mannered Sele’s mental toughness on the mound.

Hatteberg, who grew up in Yakima, played with Sele in a high school all-star game in college and briefly in the minors. Hatteberg thinks he knows why Kennedy may have questioned Sele’s makeup.

“This is the first time he’s really struggled. He never struggled anywhere that I’ve seen,” Hatteberg said. “I think it was difficult for him.”

Wednesday, Sele didn’t struggle much. He struck out two of the first three batters and got out of a third-inning jam with no outs and runners on first and second.

The departure of Roger Clemens as a free agent to Toronto could make a strong comeback by Sele, 26, more important. Hatteberg, 27, is simply trying to hang on.

Hatteberg has added 50 pounds since being drafted in 1991 when he weighed 165. He’s particularly in tune with Sele, having played with him for so long.

“We’ve been friends for eight years and it’s a no-brainer to throw to him,” Sele said. “He just puts down the signs. I don’t shake him off.”

If Hatteberg doesn’t continue his good spring, his long career in the Red Sox system may end and a new career may begin with another team.

“They’ve been looking for me to get over that hump, and I feel, personally, that I’ve gotten there,” he said. “All I can do is keep going out and keep trying to improve and, hopefully, somebody will say, ‘It’s time.”’

Alomar ditches crutches

Roberto Alomar has thrown away the crutches and is now throwing baseballs without pain. If his injured left ankle cooperates, he could be back in a Baltimore Orioles uniform by the end of next week.

Alomar has yet to suit up for a spring-training practice because of the ankle sprain he suffered in mid-February. The second baseman took another step toward returning Wednesday when he threw hard for the first time in weeks and walked briskly without a limp.

Mariners win

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first home run of the spring and five Seattle pitchers limited Chicago to six hits as the Mariners beat the Cubs 6-2 at Peoria, Ariz.

Right-hander Bob Wolcott pitched four shutout innings for the Mariners, striking out two, walking one and allowing two hits.

Ripken returns

Cal Ripken Jr. returned to the Baltimore Orioles lineup after sitting out two straight exhibition games with a strained left groin.

Ripken, who has played in a record 2,316 consecutive regular-season games, was originally excluded from the starting lineup against the New York Mets at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But he decided to play after taking infield and batting practice.

Belle wins postponement

Albert Belle will not face trial for allegedly injuring a boy in response to a Halloween prank until after the season.

Judge James Sweeney of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court set a Nov. 10 trial date in a civil lawsuit brought by the teenager’s legal guardian, Sandra Abdul-Razzaaq of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

The lawsuit, which alleges Belle injured the boy when chasing him in his vehicle on Oct. 31, 1995, asks for $850,000 in damages, Lillie said.