Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 38

(L). 0-0 8C Sunday, March 30, 2008 www.star-telegram.com Campaign opens in Washington From wire reports Tonight, it really counts at new Nationals Park. The National League season begins when the Atlanta Braves visit the Nationals (7 p.m., ESPN), the first official game at the new $600-million-plus stadium in Washington, D.C. The dress rehearsal was Saturday night when the Nationals beat the neighbor Baltimore Orioles 3-0 before a crowd of about 25,000. Workers were putting finishing touches on the park including the curly in center field.

The stadium is close enough to downtown Washington that you can see the Capitol Building dome beyond the left-field fence. So long, RFK Stadium the long-ago home of the Redskins and the old Senators, and the Nationals since 2004. "It's a new feel. It makes us a little bit more excited to come here every day, and it gives us a sense of pride," Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "It's going to be tough to beat us here." 'The Orioles' Aubrey Huff from White Settlement Brewer agreed, saying "It sure beats last year's park unbelievable clubhouse and a beautiful field.

It's definitely a good thing for the city." The Nationals will officially open their $600-million stadium tonight against Atlanta. GETTY LAYTON A game with meaning in Memphis This was more than just a baseball game in Memphis. This was symbolism. The annual Civil Rights Game on Saturday night brought the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox to AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, only a short way north of the National Civil Rights Museum, the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

was killed 40 years ago. "Anytime you can bring attention to a part of our society that needs improvement, and you have a chance to make things better as a result of your participation, you can only be supportive of it," said White Sox general manager Ken Williams, who is Astros release Williams Woody Williams was put on unconditional release waivers, although Houston owes the 41-year-old right-hander $6.5 million. That leaves Chris Sampson as the Astros' fifth starter. Williams was 8-15 with a 5.27 ERA last season, had an 11.32 ERA in spring training this year, and gave up five runs and five hits in three innings Friday in a 10-0 loss to Detroit. Astros first baseman Lance Berkman said the release was "possibly a bit premature.

The game is completely different in the regular season than it is in spring training, especially from a guy like Woody, who has been around the block a few times." Williams reportedly plans to retire. Meanwhile, the Astros beat the Tigers 9-4 on Saturday, with Ty Wigginton's three-run homer keying a five-run sixth inning. black. Grammy Award-winning artist BeBe Winans sang Have A Dream with a Memphis-area gospel choir and later the national anthem. Honored in pregame ceremonies were actress Ruby Dee (baseball's Beacon of Change award), Frank Robinson (Beacon of Life award) and late publisher John H.

Johnson (Beacon of Hope award). "The game is an awareness of what happened in the past, not just to Martin Luther King, but in general," Mets infielder Damion Easley said. Both teams toured the National Civil Rights Museum, and several players said they got chills standing in the room King exited before his assassination. Enter the Coliseum As he walked down the Los Angeles Coliseum tunnel and glanced toward the left-field screen, Boston catcher Jason Varitek smiled and said sarcastically: "Wakie is a fly ball pitcher. That's great." Then, in his best broadcast.

voice, he intoned: "Dodgers 85, Red Sox 81." Esteban Loaiza, the Dodgers' starter who opposed knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in Saturday night's exhibition, followed a few minutes later, took a look and shook his head. "It's short, man. It's like playing a whiffle ball game," he said. Some 115,300 tickets, including 25,000 for standingroom only, had been sold for the first MLB game there since September 1961. It's part of the Dodgers' 50th anniversary celebration of their move west.

Around the bases Mariners: Pitcher R.A. Dickey was optioned to Triple A Tacoma in a surprising move. The knuckleballer and former Rangers No. 1 draft choice, who hasn't pitched in the major leagues in 23 months, was a spring revelation with a 2.25 ERA, only one home run allowed in 20 innings and the versatility to pitch in a variety of roles. Braves: Left-hander Mike Hampton pitched three innings, allowing four hits and a run in a 5-4 win over Cleveland, and he appears set to make his first major league start since 2005 on Thursday against Pittsburgh.

"Nothing was hit hard off him," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He really had a terrific spring." Rockies: Cory Sullivan, Colorado's best defensive outfielder, was optioned to Triple A Colorado Springs after he was beaten out for a reserve spot by free agent Scott Podsednik. I Tigers: Former Rangers left-hander Aaron Fultz, just cut by Cleveland, agreed to a minor league contract with Detroit. Reds: Manager Dusty Baker said Corey Patterson will start in center field Monday in the season opener against Arizona. Diamondbacks: Veteran Trot Nixon accepted a minor league assignment after he was beat out by outfielder Alex Romero for a spot on the opening-day roster.

Compiled by Nico Van Thyn TONIGHT'S PITCHERS NATIONAL LEAGUE Probable pitchers Time ATL Tim Hudson (R) WAS Odalis Perez RANGERS HANK BLALOCK Hank Blalock, who was sidelined Rangers 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 000 00 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 00 0 0 0 0 months last season, hit .368 with four doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI this spring. OTERO Losing a rib gave Blalock nuge benefit on the side While sidelined last year, the third baseman studied the game and tried to become a smarter player. By JEFF WILSON No single event triggers the onset of thoracic outlet syndrome, which occurs when a small space between the collarbone and first rib narrows and causes nerve compression. Hank Blalock wasn't sidelined by the syndrome after diving into the stands for a foul ball or crashing into a catcher on a play at home plate. That would be an injury.

Thoracic outlet syndrome? "I had a freak I don't call it an injury because I didn't get hurt," the Texas Rangers third baseman said. "It was a syndrome that my body had naturally. "It was just a situation I had to deal with." But, naturally, there is no quick way to deal with something so unusual. Blalock was out months, from May 17 through Sept. 1.

Those days, weeks and months marked the first time baseball had been taken away from Blalock. Instead of moping or getting overly frustrated, Blalock was determined to return a better player after his first stint on the disabled list. With his body limited physically, the best way to improve was by becoming sharper mentally. Blalock believes he has done that, as do his coaches, and the Rangers are ready to have the slugger make an impact in 2008. "I just studied the game so I could be a smarter player when I came back," said Blalock, a two-time All-Star.

"There are some things I've done during games that I wouldn't have done in the past because of things I picked up while I was out." After being "a little bit irritated" by inactivity following a May 21 operation that removed a rib to alleviate symptoms of the syndrome, Blalock began physical therapy and started studying the game. He watched pitchers, observing their tendencies. He keyed on hitters, focusing on how they approached at-bats. Blalock, limited to 208 atbats in 2007, also picked the brains of the coaching staff. "He was asking situational questions," manager Ron Washington said.

"When you're sitting back watching, sometimes you learn more than when you're out there playing. You can play the situation in your head. "I think he understood that." Said hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo: "That's what good players do. They ask questions and want to learn. He's a good player the way he is.

Now, he's trying to go to a different level by being more educated in all parts of the game." Jaramillo said Blalock, 27, has made minor adjustments in his swing and used a different maintenance program with a one-handed bat. Washington said Blalock has also dedicated himself to becoming better defensively. The results paid off during spring training. Blalock hit .368 with four doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI. He committed only one error in 32 chances.

"For him to come out and be productive like he's been, I'm sure it's weight off his shoulders," shortstop Michael Young said. "As a teammate, we all know what to expect out of him." More important to Blalock than the numbers, though, is that his body feels healthy entering the season opener Monday in Seattle. The time he missed because of a stiff back after a car wreck earlier this month wasn't a setback. He said the rest might have been to his advantage. But he won't attempt to predict how good of a season he will have.

"Baseball's one of those sports that there are so many things you can't control or can't worry about," said Blalock, who has 115 home runs in six seasons, two of them abbreviated. "I just try to play as hard as I can and whatever the numbers say at the end of the year, that's what I did." Washington won't heap expectations on Blalock but said he is confident Blalock will be a big contributor. "I expect Hank to be Hank," Washington said. "And everyone knows what Hank can bring to the table if Hank is ONLINE: texasrangers.com JEFF WILSON, 817-390-7953 RANGERS NOTES Tejeda gets lost in his transition to relief By ANGEL H. VERDEJO FRISCO One effect of the Texas Rangers' trade for reliever Dustin Nippert on Friday was who lost out to him in the race for the 25th and final roster spot.

The right-hander, who will join Texas in Seattle for Monday's season opener, beat out pitchers Robinson Tejeda and Wes Littleton. Tejeda was designated for assignment and Littleton was optioned to Triple A on Saturday. Those moves capped the final round of cuts, though the team doesn't have to finalize its roster until today. Littleton essentially became the odd man out and is headed to Oklahoma. "We can only take 25 13 players and 12 pitchers," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Tejeda, who is out of minor league options, will be designated for assignment after showing inconsistency with his control. He was 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA this spring. "In his defense, it's a tough situation that he was in simply because his mentality has always been a starter," Washington said. "Then he had to learn to go out there and try to get things done in one inning." Spring ends with loss Frisco finally got to Rangers starter Kason Gabbard in the 12. www Frisco 7, Rangers TEXAS ab Kinsler 2 Duran 2b Meyer 1 Catalnotto If.

4 Young ss 2 Vazquez 2 Blalock 3b 2 Roberts 3b 2 Byrd 2 Boggs rf. 0 2 Murphy cf 1 Ellison cf 3 Botts Gold 2 Laird Melhuse Richardson c. 1 Broussard dh 1 Arias 1 2 bi FRISCO ab bi 1 1 1 Gentry 3 0 0 0 0 Majewski cf 1 0 0 0 Andrus ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 Mayberry rf 4 0 0 0 1 0 Davis 3 2 0 0 0 Teagarden 4 1 1 0 0 Ramirez dh. 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 Fox 3b 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Frostad 3b 1 0 0 0 0 Murphy 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Harrison If 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 Ragsdale 2b 2 1 3 0 1 1 Berkery 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 rez. HR-Kinsler.

SB-Arias, Laird. CS-Ragsdale Texas IP ER BB Gabbard, 5 4 1 1 White 2 Frisco IP ER BB SO Feldman, Puffer RHO ON 1 Sheltn ph-dh. 1 0 0 0 Totals 33 2 7 2 Totals 31 7 8 7 Texas 001 000 001 2 Frisco. 000 040 12x 7 -Vazquez. DP- Texas 1, Frisco 1.

LOB-Texas 6, Frisco 3. 2B-Benjamin, Davis 2, Ragsdale, Andrus, Rami- after running into the rightfield wall and cutting his right index finger. In addition. Outfielder Nelson Cruz didn't play, and he will be designated for assignment. Bradley gets day off Milton Bradley, after playing consecutive days in right field, didn't play Saturday.

Ron Washington said Bradley won't play the outfield in Seattle and probably won't until Texas comes home. He'll play seven innings in his first two outfield outings, Washington said, and come out for a defensive replacement. "I think that all depends TEXAS RANGERS ROSTER The Rangers made their final cuts Saturday, leaving the following 25-man Opening Day roster, which will be finalized today. Brandon McCarthy, Luis Mendoza and Travis Metcalf will begin the season on the disabled list. Pitchers No.

Name Ht. Wt. 53 Joaquin Benoit 6-3 220 14 Kazuo Fukumori 6-0 175 13 Kason Gabbard 6-3 200 54 Franklyn German 6-7 260 18 Eddie Guardado 6-0 225 31 Jason Jennings 6-2 235 33 Kevin Millwood 6-4 230 Dustin Nippert 6-8 225 44 Vicente Padilla 6-2 220 59 Josh Rupe 6-2 210 36 C.J. Wilson 6-1 210 Kason Gabbard pitched four perfect innings Saturday against Double A Frisco but gave up four runs in the fifth. BOUAPHANH fifth inning of a 7-2 RoughRiders win at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Saturday.

The lefthander was perfect through four innings, but the first four batters in the fifth reached base and scored. Gabbard went six innings, giving up five hits and striking out seven. He walked just one batter, throwing 96 pitches (64 strikes). Scott Feldman, who is making the switch from reliever to starter with Frisco, held the Rangers to one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out five, allowing only Ian Kinsler's solo homer in the third inning.

Minor league outfielder Brandon Boggs, who replaced Marlon Byrd in the fourth inning, left in the sixth 45 Jamey Wright 6-5 230 Catchers No. Name Ht. Wt. 15 Gerald Laird 6-1 225 2 Adam Melhuse 6-2 210 Infielders No. Name Ht.

Wt. 9 Hank Blalock 6-1 200 23 Ben Broussard 6-2 230 5 Ian Kinsler 6-0 200 12 Ramon Vazquez 5-11 195 10 Michael Young 6-1 200 Outfielders No. Name Ht. Wt. 21.

Milton Bradley 6-0 225 22 Marion Byrd' 6-0 245 27 Frank Catalanotto 6-0 205 32 Josh Hamilton 6-4 235 7 David Murphy 6-4 205 Designated hitter Ht. Wt. 29 Jason Botts 6-5 250 on Milton," Washington said of Bradley playing in the outfield consistently. "Once he makes it through those seven, then we'll monitor him when I decide to leave him out there for nine." W-L ERA IP Rec. W-L IP rec.

2007 season Team 2007 vs. Car. OPERA 16-10 3.33 224.1 22-12 4-0 30.0 0.60 5-1 8-11 11-15 5,57 137.1 0.0 0.00 1-3 ANGEL H. VERDEJO, 817-685-3810.