Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
HOWARD ULMAN
Associated Press
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Manny Ramirez reported to Red Sox training camp Monday morning, three days ahead of his scheduled arrival.
The team had given the slugging left fielder permission to report Thursday, the day after its first exhibition game, for family reasons. His mother underwent surgery recently.
Ramirez arrived to take his team physical and may or may not work out Monday, team spokesman John Blake said.
The collective bargaining agreement gives teams the right to penalize players who report after Tuesday, but general manager Theo Epstein said last week that the team hadn't planned to discipline Ramirez.
The team's first full squad workout was last Thursday, when Epstein held out hope that Ramirez would report to camp sooner than March 1.
"It's not the biggest deal in the world, provided he's here March 1, or even earlier if his mother's situation resolves itself," Epstein said last Thursday.
Ramirez walked into the clubhouse shortly before 9 a.m. and began placing items into his locker. Ramirez's agent, Greg Genske, was in camp with Ramirez.
The team and Ramirez have had a sometimes bumpy relationship since he signed an eight-year, $160 million contract before the 2001 season.
He has complained about a lack of privacy, requested trades and been placed on waivers with no takers. In the last six weeks of last season, he played in just 11 games, raising speculation that he wasn't badly hurt. The team said he had tendinitis in his right knee.
Still, he batted .321 with 34 homers and 102 RBIs in 130 games. In his career with Boston, he is hitting .316 with averages of 39 homers and 119 RBIs.
Ramirez is scheduled to make $18 million this season.