01:00 AM EST on Thursday, February 24, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- How's this for a headline?

"Pedro Martinez Rejoins the Red Sox."

It could happen. In fact, it could happen as early as next Wednesday, when the Red Sox, as winners of the 2004 World Series, will be honoring an invitation and visiting the White House as guests of President Bush.

Of course, a couple of special conditions have to exist. Number one, the New York Mets, who signed Pedro Martinez to a four-year free-agent deal over the winter, would have to give their blessing for him to leave their camp in Port St. Lucie. And then there's Pedro, himself, having to decide if he would want to join his former teammates for the quick trip.

Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said yesterday that all of the Sox players from the 2004 team who are in Boston's camp, along with management and other team personnel, would take a charter flight to Washington, D.C., for the meeting after a morning workout.

He said players who no longer are with the Red Sox are welcome to go, too, providing they can get approval from their new clubs.

"We'd love to have them," said Lucchino.

Lucchino also talked about the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees, which seems to have gotten hotter in recent years, especially after he called George Steinbrenner's team the "Evil Empire" shortly after being part of a new ownership group to take over the team in 2002.

"I didn't start (the rivalry)," said Lucchino. "I just threw a can of kerosene on it."

Pitchers have early edge

Several pitchers threw batting practice yesterday for the first time this spring.

Among the notables throwing BP were veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, newly acquired left-hander John Halama and enigmatic submarining right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim.

Kim threw without a protective screen in front of him because of his unique delivery.

The hitters, predictably, struggled. Most of them were facing full-speed action off the mound for the first time since the end of last year.

"The hitters get abused by the pitchers at this stage," shrugged manager Terry Francona. "But that's just the way it works. It's necessary, though. Guys have to face hitters."

Millar does his part

After the workout, Kevin Millar traveled from the minor-league complex up the road a few miles to the team's City of Palms Park. Millar, along with Toronto's Vernon Wells and Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins, filmed a public service spot for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Around the horn

Barring a setback after his indoor workouts yesterday, Curt Schilling is expected to throw his first side session of the spring today. . . . Mike Timlin and Alan Embree swapped jerseys for yesterday's workout just to horse around. . . . The pitchers worked on pickoff plays at second base. . . . Baserunning drills at the end of the session featured the players running hard from home to second, as if they had hit a double. . . . The Sox' Johnny Damon and David Ortiz said they were given congratulations by Yankees after winning last year. Ruben Sierra congratulated Ortiz after the Sox' comeback in the ALCS and Damon was congratulated by former Oakland teammate Jason Giambi.