Baseball roundup

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 | 10:40 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

Cardinals offer apology to Helton

St. Louis Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty apologized to the Colorado Rockies for comments by radio broadcaster Wayne Hagin suggesting Colorado first baseman Todd Helton used steroids.

"He said on behalf of their organization that he was sorry, and that Todd Helton is one of the finest people in baseball," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said after a conversation with Jocketty on Monday.

Hagin was a Rockies announcer before taking a job with the St. Louis team.

Dan Farrell, the Cardinals' senior vice president of marketing and sales, said Hagin would not be disciplined.

'Game Over' just beginning in spring

It was a long way from Game Over.

For one thing, it was the sixth inning. For another, "Welcome to the Jungle" was being played at a volume level the prevailing demographic of South Florida wouldn't find offensive. And finally, it bore no resemblance to vintage Eric Gagne.

Making his long-awaited spring debut, Gagne threw 22 pitches against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, enough to get him through a full inning in which the Red Sox didn't get a hit and didn't come close to scoring.

Gagne clearly was still feeling the effects of the strained medial collateral ligament he has had in his left knee since planting his foot awkwardly during a routine defensive drill Feb. 24.

Rivera feels improvement

For an injured pitcher, the day after throwing is usually the most important. That is what Mariano Rivera said after his bullpen session Sunday, and when Monday arrived, Rivera was relieved.

"I wasn't expecting to feel bad," he said. "But not this good."

Rivera has not pitched since March 12 because of bursitis in his right elbow.

Red Sox plan to stay at Fenway

The Boston Red Sox on Wednesday will announce that the team is staying put in Fenway Park, baseball's oldest and smallest stadium.

The announcement will mark the beginning of an effort to revitalize the neighborhood that is later expected to include a push for public financing for improved streets and sidewalks, a new MBTA train station, and one or more garages, say Red Sox executives. The team also wants to have a say in development decisions around the park that could affect the Fenway experience, the executives said Monday.

Schilling pitches against minor leaguers

Curt Schilling made his first game appearance of the spring Monday, allowing two runs and three hits over three innings against a team of Boston minor leaguers.

Schilling, recovering from ankle surgery, already knows he won't be ready for the opener at the New York Yankees on April 3.

"Today, to me, was a very big day," he said. "I guess you could call it a breakthrough day."

Colon's outing eases team's fears

While most of the Angels organization luxuriated Monday during the club's lone off day this spring, Bartolo Colon went about the business of putting their minds at ease about his chronically aching back.

Amid the surreal confines of the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A field, Colon did just that, mowing through 73 pitches and five innings of work, shattering two bats of old friend Carlos Lee and getting on track to the role the Angels envision for him -- their opening-night starter.