01:00 AM EST on Friday, February 24, 2006

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Owner John Henry, CEO Larry Lucchino and chairman Tom Werner made their first appearances in camp yesterday as the Red Sox went through their first full-squad workout of the spring.

They acknowledged that the offseason produced a riveting soap opera, with Lucchino seemingly having lost a power struggle with Theo Epstein, who ostensibly was chafing under Lucchino's thumb and turned down a contract offer to continue as general manager.

Ultimately, of course, Epstein was lured back as general manager, and now everyone puts on their happy faces, pushing forward as the 2006 season dawns, with Epstein to serve more as the organization's sole voice on baseball players and baseball issues, Henry said.

Lucchino also was asked about this year's organizational chain of command.

"The organization has made some changes, healthy changes for the better," said Lucchino, surrounded by media outside the Sox' clubhouse at the minor-league complex.

"You'll see for yourself the role I play, the job I perform," said Lucchino. "John and Tom and I, we are participants in major transactions with financial implications. We're a team with Theo and Tito (manager Terry Francona)."

Lucchino, meanwhile, said he was enthused by the team and refused to get into an Evil Empire-bashing mode when told that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had proclaimed a day earlier in New York's camp that his team would win the 2006 World Series.

"It's a fun day," said Lucchino of the first workout. "The grass seems a little greener, the sun seems a little brighter. It's an intriguing team with new faces and players bouncing back from injuries.

"Every year there are questions about your team, but this year it seems as if we have even more questions. We could be exceptionally good. I've talked to Theo and Tito, and their initial impressions are quite positive," said Lucchino.

Of course, as Lucchino acknowledges, this is the time of the year when each organization is enthused about its chances. And, naturally, that type of sentiment was expressed by Steinbrenner Wednesday at his team's camp in Tampa.

"I'll take it as an expression of optimism instead of a prediction," said Lucchino. "He's free to say what he wants at his camp. I still see it as David against Goliath. Optimism flows in the spring. There's optimism is New York. There's optimism in Toronto. We're the underdog. That's okay."

Next question . . .

Francona's contract is up after this year, with the Red Sox holding the option for 2007. Henry said he didn't think it was necessary for the Red Sox to extend Francona's contract at some point this spring. Lucchino declined comment, adding that Epstein would comment when the GM felt the time was right.

Francona, for his part, has said that contract issues are private. He hasn't seemed overly concerned with the situation as camp opens.

'Productive' meeting

Yesterday's workout was preceeded by a 35- to 40-minute meeting, conducted by Francona.

The manager called it a "very productive" meeting, during which he introduced Henry, Lucchino and Werner, among others.

"We have a lot of new faces, but it's important that they don't feel new for too long," said Francona. "I also had a short message that I wanted to deliver. I want to make sure we're all on the same page, tell them what's expected, what we feel is important as a staff, as an organization and as a team."

Pitchers get going

Several pitchers are expected to throw batting practice for about eight minutes today, including Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, Bronson Arroyo and Jon Lester. Al Nipper, filling in for Dave Wallace, who has been experiencing hip problems, said they would throw between 35 and 50 pitches in those sessions.

Curt Schilling and Matt Clement also are in that first group of pitchers and would have been in line for BP-throwing today, but instead they threw bullpen sessions, the only pitchers to do so yesterday.

Aeound the horn

There was a little hazing of younger pitchers yesterday, with the rookies having to strip down to their sliding shorts for a workout-ending lap or two around one of the practice fields . . . Today's workout begins and ends early because the Sox will be teeing it up in a charity golf tournament to benefit the local children's hospital . . . Arroyo signed autographs for well over a half-hour . . . The attendance jumped markedly yesterday. Two days earlier, the crowd totaled a little more than 1,000. Yesterday, with all of the players on hand, the crowd was doubled . . . David Wells was not out stretching with his teammates. He was inside, continuing to rehab his right knee. It may be another week to 10 days before he is allowed to do any weight-bearing drills, Francona said . . . Alex Gonzalez, the Sox' new shortstop if his surgically repaired right elbow doesn't hamper him, is replacing Edgar Renteria for the second time in his career. He also was the shortstop the year after Renteria was traded from the Marlins to the Cardinals.

skrasner@projo.com / (401) 277-7340