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Sox's Everett comes home, but he's not happy about it

By BRUCE LOWITT, Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2000

Carl Everett is coming home.

After a tumultuous first season in Boston, the centerfielder will be on the bench for the Red Sox's final three games, on crutches (he injured a tendon in his left ankle Tuesday). And -- since the Red Sox aren't going anywhere -- he's going home to Tampa.

"It's disappointing to be going home, period, that's what's disappointing," Everett told the Boston Herald. "I really don't have any personal glory in going home. My whole thing is to get to the post-season, so the entire season is a flop for me."

Asked why the Red Sox failed to make it to the playoffs, Everett gave several reasons. None, he insisted, was related to his 10-game suspension for bumping umpire Ron Kulpa or his squabbles with manager Jimy Williams and teammate Darren Lewis.

The problem, he said, is the Red Sox just aren't quite that good.

"We don't have the same talent as the Yankees or Cleveland," he said. "We can compare to an Oakland or Seattle."

And for the first time, Everett assailed unspecified teammates who criticized him in unattributed quotes in news reports.

"There have been others who have spoken out that probably shouldn't have spoken out without putting a name on it," he said. "If you're going to say something, make sure your name goes behind it. Only a coward runs and hides behind something. When someone says something derogatory toward someone and can't put their name behind it, then he's a coward...

"You haven't heard me criticize anyone here, and you will never hear me criticize anyone (by name). That should sum up the whole season. All the criticism went toward me and I never opened my mouth to criticize anyone else."

Despite all that, Everett plans to host a team dinner at a Tampa restaurant this weekend.

Everett said he has no regrets about joining the Red Sox and agreeing to a three-year contract extension before playing a game for them. "I signed here because it was a team that played together, the same way it was in Houston. If it wasn't a winning ballclub, there's no way I would have signed."

PEDRO SAYS NO: Williams says the potential for another brawl with the Devil Rays entered into the team's thinking about whether Pedro Martinez would take his last turn in the finale Sunday.

Martinez said that was only incidental to his decision. "I just won't pitch," Martinez said, "because I need to rest more than I need to pitch that game. ... I don't really want to get into it (with the Devil Rays). I'm not scared of going out there, but I don't have anything to prove. What I had to prove, I proved it that day to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

"I respect those players, even Gerald Williams, for what he did. It's just part of the game." Williams charged the mound after Martinez hit him with his second pitch in the Aug. 29 game, touching off a brawl.

TAKE A GOOD LOOK: Paxton Crawford pitched six innings of one-run, four-hit ball Tuesday night against the White Sox, another sign that the 23-year-old rookie has the potential to be a part of Boston's starting rotation in 2001.

Williams said the game "is not necessarily a September evaluation (for a starting role). It was a continuation of the way he has been pitching. He's good out there."

Crawford did it with his parents and grandfather, up from Morrilton, Ark., in the stands, their first time seeing him pitch in the majors in person. He finished the season 2-1 with a 3.41 earned-run average.

MEDAL MEMORIES: Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and catcher Jason Varitek played on the 1992 U.S. Olympic baseball team, whose dreams of a medal were dashed by the Cuban team. One of its pitchers was former Devil Ray Rolando Arrojo, now with the Red Sox.

"Back then it was like men against boys," Varitek said of the 1992 game. "We played them in the first game of the medal round and we were up 3-1 or 4-1 before they came back and beat us. It's quite a feat for this team to beat Cuba, let alone shut them out."

The United States beat Cuba 4-0 Wednesday in the gold-medal game.

NOMAR'S REASONS: Garciaparra said part of Boston's disappointing finish could be attributed to the release of pitcher Mike Stanley, although he didn't name him specifically. When Stanley was released Garciaparra said the Sox would miss his leadership.

"We had guys who were an important part of our team and they're gone," Garciaparra said. "And we had guys who were important and they were hurt. And we had a lot of instability, going out there and playing every day as far our lineup was concerned."

By the numbers

1.74

Earned run average by Pedro Martinez this season, with an 18-6 record and 284 strikeouts.

2.07

ERA by Martinez in 1999, when he was 23-4 with 313 strikeouts and won the Cy Young Award.

18

Consecutive games in which Nomar Garciaparra has a hit.

34

Home runs, a career high, by Tampa native and resident Carl Everett.

Who's hot

Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra is batting .400 (10-for-25) with three home runs and seven RBI in his past seven games.

Who's not

Former Rays pitcher Rolando Arrojo has allowed eight hits and nine earned runs in his past 52/3 innings, a 14.29 ERA.

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