01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, May 22, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Manager Terry Francona wasn't quite sure of Mike Barnett 's new title, but Barnett, fired by the Blue Jays as their hitting coach on April 24, has joined the Red Sox' organization.

Francona said Barnett would work in a "couple of different" capacities, including offering his input and expertise in the area of video. That was a role he had several years ago with the Yankees, Francona said.

Barnett served as Francona's hitting coach in Birmingham, when a newcomer named Michael Jordan was pursuing a career in baseball. Francona said Barnett also knows Boston's hitting coach, Ron "Papa Jack" Jackson , from their days in the White Sox' organization.

"He's tremendous," said Francona. "We think he can help us."

Barnett will be in uniform during batting practice, but will be up in a booth watching video of the hitters and pitchers during games.

Barnett had surgery last September to repair a detatched retina. He was replaced in Toronto as hitting coach by Mickey Brantley. Nixon's glove still good

Trot Nixon, hobbled by a mysterious right-leg injury that he said will require postseason surgery, made two outstanding catches in the first inning.

First, he followed Marcus Giles ' fly ball as it drifted in the strong wind toward the seats down the right-field line. He made the catch leaning into the seats, falling over the wall so that half his body was in the seats.

Nixon, though, showed his awareness on the play. Knowing there was a runner at first base, Nixon popped quickly out of the seats and threw the ball to second base, keeping Rafael Furcal from tagging up.

Later in the inning Nixon went racing back toward the bullpen fence and reached up just in time to snag Adam LaRoche 's long drive.

Giles got a measure of revenge in the third, looping a ball to right that fell in front of a diving Nixon and got past him for a two-out double.

Schilling making progress

Curt Schilling , whose right ankle was taken out of the protective boot on Friday, was scheduled to play catch yesterday.

"He's making some progress," said Francona. "It's never fast enough. He's a good pitcher. But we have to use common sense. I don't think we can put a timetable on it."

Wakefield's new battery mate

There really was no other decision to be made.

In the absence of Doug Mirabelli, who was placed on the disabled list Friday because of a sprained left wrist, Jason Varitek was plugged in behind the plate last night to catch knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The last time Varitek caught Wakefield on a semi-regular basis was the first half of 2002, when he was pitching out of the bullpen. Mirabelli became Wakefield's personal catcher in July of that year when Wakefield was put into the starting rotation.

Varitek last caught Wakefield in Game 5 of last fall's ALCS, when two passed balls put the go-ahead run at third base with two outs in the 13th inning and the Yankees one victory from clinching the series. Varitek, though, held onto the ball as Ruben Sierra whiffed for the final out.

Francona's other option was Shawn Wooten, called up from Pawtucket on Friday to replace Mirabelli, but Francona said yesterday his plan all along was to pair Varitek with Wakefield.

Some amusing missives

Before the game, Francona was telling humorous stories about some of the letters he has received.

One time, Francona said, he received two tickets and a letter from an irate fan, demanding that he be refunded $40 for the tickets to the game he had gone to because Francona had done a bad job of managing in that particular game. Francona said he got a chuckle out of that one.

"It was not just a note, but a letter," said Francona. "It was so funny. It was great."

The man did not get his money back.

"That letter went into the [waste]basket," said Francona.

Just yesterday Francona opened up a letter in which the writer -- Fred from North Deer Isle, Maine -- suggested the pitchers either throw underhanded or behind their backs on pickoff throws to first, saving time and resulting in more outs at first. So said Fred, anyway.

"If we do that," joked Francona, "you'll know where it came from."

It was not Fred's first attempt at offering Francona such strategic advice.

"I'm sending this to you in case you didn't get it the first time," was how Fred closed his letter.

"I've gotten four of them [like that one], three today," cracked Francona.