"I've heard of (AL) pitchers working on their sliders in spring training," chuckled one scout. "But never on their sliding."

	Sexson

Brewers PR whiz Jon Greenberg immediately confessed to the crime, after realizing he'd given Sexson a 6 5/8 size cap instead of a 7 5/8. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Drew Olson, Greenberg denied an initial diagnosis that Sexson had gotten big-headed from his All-Star appearance last year.

He was getting his running in on the warning track at Pirate City -- when he stepped on a golf ball, which had sliced onto the track from the golf course next door. He fell, landed on his shoulder and couldn't throw for 10 days.

"I didn't think it was a driving range," Lincoln told the Beaver County Times' John Perrotto. "I thought it was a baseball field."

We're just glad the Spring Fever staff hasn't been spotted golfing in Bradenton lately.

Highway man of the spring
Usually in spring training, when they tell a guy to "hit the road," that's not good. But Jim Thome gave that term a whole new meaning when he became the first Phillie ever to hit a batting-practice home run that landed on US 19, the highway running behind the right-field fence at Steve Carlton Field, in the Carpenter Complex.

	Thome

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Brookover was so determined to figure out how far away that was, he borrowed a tape measure, started from the guard rail on the highway and started measuring.

It was 82 feet to a stream behind the fence, 35 feet to cross the stream, 33 feet from the stream to the fence that outlines the complex, another 33½ feet to the outfield fence and then 355 feet from that fence to home plate. Which comes to 538½ feet.

"I told Jim, 'We just got a request from the department of transportation,' " Phillies GM Ed Wade told Spring Fever. "'They don't want you to hit during rush hour.' "

"We're thinking of stationing a cop up there," said special advisor Dallas Green. "He's going to hold up a sign: 'Hold on. Thome's hitting.' "

Finally, when asked by Spring Fever if he'd ever given up a home run that landed on a highway, Phillies broadcast-comedian Larry Andersen replied: "No. The home runs I gave up usually hit a plane before they could hit a highway."

Rain game of the spring
Out in weather-challenged Arizona, the A's and Brewers got rained out Friday -- but played anyway.

For reasons only their grounds crew knows for sure, Oakland's field in Phoenix was unplayable. But 15 miles away at the Brewers' ballpark in Maryvale, there wasn't a drop of water for, well, miles.

So they simply moved the game to Maryvale and let a couple of thousand surprised fans in for free.

"Then they made an announcement," Brewers coach-witticist Rich Donnelly told Spring Fever. "They said, 'If it rains here, use your rainchecks.' So 2,000 people started looking in their pockets. But they didn't have any tickets -- because they didn't sell any.

"Later, they started calling out lucky numbers on the tickets -- and 2,000 people were all looking for their tickets.

"At one point, I went over to the stands and asked a guy, 'Hey, do you have a ticket for that seat, sir?' He said, 'No.' And he moved."

Perfecto of the spring

Perez In his first start of the spring, Dodgers pitcher Odalis Perez ripped off a 1-2-3 first inning Friday against the Tigers in Lakeland. But Perez never made it back to the mound again -- because a monsoon hit in the bottom of the first and the game got rained out. So Spring Fever congratulated Perez on becoming the first Dodgers pitcher since about 1908 to throw a complete game in his first start of spring training. "Complete game?" Perez retorted. "No-hitter. Perfect game." He then turned to address the Dodgers' clubhouse. "Hey guys," he announced. "No-hitter today. 1-0 win. Perfect game. Thank you very much." "Next time," teammate Ron Coomer told him, "try and do it for two innings."

Renovation of the spring
Friday's rainout in Lakeland was supposed to have been the first game in the newly renovated life of one of our favorite spring-training places, Joker Marchant Stadium.

Oh, well. Even Joker Marchant might not recognize his own park, which is now 100 percent charming. One new feature is a Dodgertown-esque berm behind the left-field fence for fans to sit on and hang out, picnic-style.

So Booth Newspapers' Tigers beat man Danny Knobler wondered whether there was any connection between the berm and this spring's shift of outfielder Bobby Higginson from left field to right.

"That's why they're moving me," Higginson said. "They don't want me talking to the fans out there. They want me to pay attention to the game."

Party watch of the spring
Lou Piniella already has marked Aug. 28 on his personal Devil Rays calendar. For one thing, he'll turn 60 that day. For another, in a perfect twist of the schedule, his team will be (where else?) in his old haunt, Seattle.

When Spring Fever suggested that was one place where he was certain to get a birthday cake, Piniella laughed.

"Yeah," he said. "They'll put it on my head."

All-American absence excuse of the spring
Diamondbacks left-hander Eddie Oropesa missed workouts Wednesday and Thursday -- because he flew to Miami to be sworn in as a United States citizen.

He was supposed to be back to pitch Thursday -- but never quite made it.

Asked by the East Valley Tribune's Ed Price if Oropesa would be fined, manager Bob Brenly replied: "Nah, that's special circumstances. It's not like he's been missing camp to get his car washed."

Hairstyle of the spring
While most of the media has focused on the refusal of Red Sox masher Manny Ramirez to talk to the press this spring, the Boston Herald's Jeff Horrigan zeroed in on the biggest Manny issue of the spring -- that new dreadlocked coiffe under his cap. "We never know what to expect with his hairdos," quipped manager Grady Little. "But we do know what to expect when he swings a bat."

Vacation tales of the spring
One great feature of every spring training is to hear players report on the highlights of their winter.

	Myers

"I raked about 72 traps," Myers reported.

"My kids love it," Easley said. "They always want me to run over something."