01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, February 22, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Okay, so maybe Alex Rodriguez isn't a clown.

Trot Nixon regretted saying that about the Yankee third baseman last week.

But the Red Sox right fielder didn't back down yesterday from his comments criticizing A-Rod for making self-congratulatory comments about his workout regimen relative to workouts other big-leaguers go through in the offseason.

And the comment A-Rod made about working out while others were driving their kids to school still stuck in Nixon's craw, with Nixon repeating he didn't think A-Rod was a true Yankee yet.

"A-Rod is a phenomenal player, very gifted," said Nixon. "But other guys work out as hard as he does in the offseason. I don't think anybody can work harder than (Jason) Varitek and Nomar (Garciaparra). You don't have to say things like that. I love my son Chase and I take him to school. I work out hard.

"He's only been with the Yankees for one year," added Nixon after working out yesterday in advance of today's first official full-squad workout. "When I think of the Yankees I think about Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Reggie Jackson. "But what I wanted to get across is that this is just my opinion. That doesn't mean anything to anyone else except to my wife and maybe my teammates. It's just one man's opinion."

Nixon is more concerned with staying healthy this year. Back and quadriceps problems limited him to 48 regular-season games a year ago. Nixon is down to 220 pounds, about 10 pounds fewer than the previous season, he said.

McCarty makes his pitch

Last spring, journeyman first baseman/outfielder David McCarty got serious about adding pitching to his résumé. He opened camp with the pitchers and catchers.

This year McCarty is in camp still hoping for some action on the mound, but he didn't report until yesterday, taking grounders at first and taking some hacks in the cage.

"I was going full-bore last year with the pitchers, but we figure we don't have to do that again," said McCarty. "It's not like I'll be pitching twice a week. But I'll get with Tito [manager Terry Francona] and Wally [pitching coach Dave Wallace] and see what we can do. I still want to get out there."

McCarty ended up getting in three games during the regular season, allowing one run in 3 2/3 innings, with four whiffs and only one walk.

McCarty, who had four homers and 17 RBI for the Sox last season, was not active during the playoffs and considered retirement. He came back as a non-roster invitee to see if he could win one of the two remaining spots either as a defensive first baseman to back up Kevin Millar or an extra outfielder.

"I still want to compete," said McCarty, who turned 35 last November.

A preseason loss

David Ortiz, who was recommended to the Sox as a free agent by countryman and friend Pedro Martinez after the Twins let him go after the 2002 season, said he will miss the ace right-hander, who signed with the New York Mets as a free agent.

"Pedro was like a father, a friend, a brother, everything for me," said Ortiz. "When I came to the Red Sox I was expecting to play with Petey for a long time. But you know how the business goes. He went to another team. I hope he does well. I miss him a lot, I won't lie to you."

Gang's all supposed to be here

The Sox will go through their first full-squad workout of the spring today. The position players were scheduled to report at some point yesterday, and Francona said he expected everyone to be on time.

The players will have their physicals this morning and then there will be a team meeting. Management likely will have a few words for this year's team, and then Francona will say a few words, though he elected not to share his theme with the media.

One likely point that was to be addressed, though, was that while last year was great, providing Boston with its first World Championship in 86 years, this is 2005, a new year, and that the Sox shouldn't feel comfortable or ready to rest on their 2004 laurels.

Around the horn

David Wells threw 55 pitches in his first side session of the spring and impressed Francona. "He might be 42, but there's no way his arm can be 42. He had the cleanest arm action I've seen." . . . Catcher Doug Mirabelli, who had been ill and was sent home early on Sunday, participated in the entire workout yesterday . . . Curt Schilling played long toss and participated in the pitchers' fielding practice drills.