01:00 AM EST on Friday, February 27, 2004

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Not that it was ever in doubt. But manager Terry Francona made it official yesterday.

Pedro Martinez will pitch Opening Day for the Red Sox, who will begin their season on Sunday night, April 4, in Baltimore.

"That's not a big secret," said Francona, though he naturally reserved the right to change his mind should something unforseen happening between now and the end of camp.

Martinez, yesterday, was watched carefully by trainer Chris Correnti as he played catch with Derek Lowe for a while, then endured a lengthy long toss session with Lowe.

Martinez said he won't throw off a mound for about a week. He said because of the family medical matter that kept him away from camp, he hadn't thrown off the mound either in his native Dominican Republic or in the States for about two weeks.

So Martinez, who said his arm felt fine, will build his arm strength back up before having a bullpen session.

Francona didn't seem concerned with Martinez's timetable.

"Veteran players know what they have to do to get ready," said Francona.

Schilling absent

The Sox' newly acquired ace, Curt Schilling, was not at the ballpark yesterday.

Francona said Schilling had a personal matter to attend to. The manager added that it was not an emergency, but that he and general manager Theo Epstein had given Schilling permission to skip the first full-squad workout.

Schilling is expected to back in camp for this morning's workout.

The Sox were able to get in more work yesterday than Francona had anticipated based on an early morning inspection of the fields, which were still soaked from the Wednesday deluge that dumped more than two inches of rain on the area.

The only drill that the Sox weren't able to run was a session on pickoff moves. But Francona said that work can easily be made up before games start next Thursday.

Several pitchers threw batting practice, notably Byung-Hyun Kim and Bronson Arroyo, candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation. They threw on different fields.

Minor development

As the Red Sox were finishing up, a bus and a van carrying a total of 65 minor leaguers showed up. Boston is holding a mini-camp for some its more promising minor leaguers.

Ralph Treuel, who was Boston's pitching coach briefly in training camp two years ago before Joe Kerrigan was fired, was in charge of the workout. Ex-Sox infielder Luis Alicea, who will be managing the organization's Class A team in Lowell this year, also was on hand to provide instruction for the workout.

Around the horn

Adam Hyzdu, trying to hook on as a number five outfielder, is one of five former Red Sox players who has returned to the fold for camp, joining Schilling, Ellis Burks, Brian Daubach and Terry Shumpert. Hyzdu has two former roomates on the team. He roomed with Doug Mirabelli when they were in the Giants' organization and he was Trot Nixon's roommate in Trenton . . . Pitching coach Dave Wallace has been impressed by the arm of right-hander Anastacio Martinez . . . Today's workout will be shorter than normal because several members of the Sox will be participating in an annual charity golf tournament to benefit the local children's hospital.