Scott Miller

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Among the politics of a manager's new contract -- and the specific example, of course, if that of Boston's Terry Francona -- is timing.

Managers hate going into a season with just one year left on a contract because if things start poorly, then the contract quickly becomes the story and they lose authority in the clubhouse. In a place like Boston, you can see where that could be a huge potential problem.

Francona certainly deserved the extension, having helped deliver two World Series titles in the past four seasons, and that he was going to get one really was never in question. He did, though, admit to a couple of nights of worry recently, before his three-year deal was finished.

And amid the relief of finally knocking it off, the first thing Francona spoke of Sunday was the relief he feels that the issue won't be dragging into the season -- or, even, any further this spring.

"None of us wanted this to go into what we're doing down here," Francona said. "There was a lot of hard work and we were able to get it done to where everyone was comfortable and we can concern ourselves with baseball -- which is what we should do."

General manager Theo Epstein said that the club wouldn't have let the talks drag into the season.

He also offered an interesting insight into how he's seen Francona grow into the job since 2004, Francona's first season in Boston.

"Where he's grown, I think, is in dealing with confrontation," Epstein said. "That's one area that doesn't come naturally to him. I've seen him through the years become more and more comfortable saying what needs to be said, especially in the clubhouse to players."

Francona is a nice guy who was genuinely embarrassed -- to a degree -- by the negotiations.

"I'm not very comfortable doing this," he said. "The minute (the negotiations) started, I wanted it to be over, and that's just not practical."

Likes: The Marlins looking for "plus-size" guys (read: fat guys) to form an all-male cheerleading cast (to be called the Manatees) on Friday and Saturday nights. How great is that? ... The Brewers setting a single-day ticket record by selling 98,000 of them for the 2008 season. Nice to see people care about baseball in Milwaukee again -- and nice to see the Brewers give them something to care about. ... Nearly 2,000 folks at Boston's practice facility watching the Red Sox's first day of full-squad workouts the other day. And the 1,500 or so folks who came to watch the pitchers and catchers work out for a few days running. ... No, I don't think the Mitchell Report or steroids has dampened enthusiasm for the game. ... Seeing a Toyota Prius hybrid and a Hummer H2 parked next to each other at Boston's facility the other day. ... Memphis-Tennesee on Saturday night. Great ending. ... The Drift Inn near Bradenton Beach. Met a friend there the other night, and what a wild place that is.

Dislikes: Hey Florida, how about you join many other states and pass a law prohibiting smoking in public buildings (restaurants and bars, especially)?

Sunblock day? Absolutely beautiful here Sunday. Warm sun and 80-some odd degrees.

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"I started as an altar boy
"Working at the church
"Learning all my holy moves
"Doing some research
"Which led me to a cash box
"Labeled 'Children's Fund'
"I'd leave the change
"And tuck the bills inside my cummerbund"

-- Warren Zevon, Mr. Bad Example

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Just returned from a nice, long run on one of the back practice fields here at the Minnesota Twins' spring training complex, one of those mind-clearing runs that blows out the cobwebs, burns your lungs and gives you time to think.

And among other things, what I was thinking about was ... cows.

The Twins' complex here is terrific, one of the best in baseball, and Lee County does a wonderful job of maintaining it. Friday, workers spent much of the day putting up the latest touch across the press box facade facing out into the stadium: Colorful pennants featuring the years the Twins have won division titles, AL titles and WOrld Series, and banners depicting the Twins' retired numbers.

But one of the most down-home touches from the past is long gone. Where once there were grazing cows, now there now are condos and other buildings beyond the Hammond Stadium outfield fence.

The cows, which were still around as recently as the mid-to-late 1990s, were one of the quaintest sights in the Grapefruit League. They'd be out there grazing, heads down to the grass, and doing whatever else cows do, and the Yankees or Red Sox would arrive, the game would start and you'd wonder whether any of the cows were in danger from a home run ball.

I never saw one get struck, but you had to hand it to the cows. Often the herd would be grazing just on the other side of the outfield fence. But as the game progressed, they'd slowly move further and further away from the stadium. It wasn't a stampede or anything but, suddenly, you'd look up in, say, the fifth inning and the cows would be several hundred yards from the park.

I guess the noise from the crowd and the public address system probably drove them away. I don't know. Maybe they just tired of watching Rich Becker take another called third strike. Perhaps they were offended that, as the steroid era took hold, guys started becoming almost as big as them.

Whatever, it was a soothing effect, watching those cows. I liked the cows.

Among the other new touches at the stadium this year are improved, brighter lights -- the outfielders should love that -- and a bigger batter's eye in center field.

See, as more buildings were built, there is this large, beige building off in the distance that sometimes made it difficult for hitters to see the ball.

Far as I'm concerned, with the buildings having replaced the cows, they may as well extend that batter's eye from foul pole to foul pole. The background is the one thing the stadium folks haven't been able to improve.

Likes: Rick Stelmaszek, longtime Twins coach, in uniform here and back in action after winter hospitalization because of seizures. Stelly looks good and says he feels good, and here's to his long-term health. ... George Toma, the legendary Kansas City groundskeeper, moonlighting this spring here in Fort Myers as one of the main guys taking care of Minnesota's field in Hammond Stadium. For a guy in his 70s, Toma looks to be in incredible shape. How do I know? The guy was pushing a fertilizer cart across the field Friday morning shirt-less. ... Congratulations to Michael Cuddyer, one of the greatest human beings in the game, and his wife, Claudia. They're expecting their first child, a boy, in June. ... Notre Dame's hoops team winning again. ... Thursday night's Democratic debate. Very nice gesture at the end by Hillary, shaking Obama's hand and remarking about what an honor it was to be there with him. Great to see so many people enthused about politics, and the University of Texas students seemed an exceptional audience. ... Not just the chicken parmagiana at Nino's Pizzeria and Italian Ristorante here, but the sauce that goes over it. Best fresh tomato sauce I've had.

Dislikes: Kelvin Sampson's incredibly poor judgment. Nice job by Indiana University, running Bobby Knight out a few years back, running the classy Mike Davis out, and then ending up in far worse shape ethically.

Sunblock day? Let's just say there was a bright sun and 80 degrees by 9 a.m. Let's just say nobody's shoveling snow anywhere near here.

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"She knows the score
"So long before the morning papers make the call
"And she's searching around the dial
"For a song that'll make her smile

-- Fountains of Wayne, Revolving Dora

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- So I'm cruising across Metro Parkway toward the Red Sox camp in Fort Myers about 8 a.m. Thursday, still working on waking up, when I pass Danley St. and it starts again.

Within a split-second, I think of Kerwin Danley, the major-league umpire.

Twisted, I know. Whacked, I admit.

But I'm guessing I'm not alone here.

Anybody else out there have an issue with automatically associating street names with players?

Long ago, I'd be driving on I-5 in Southern California, my stomach would start growling and I'd know exactly where to exit for the In-N-Out burger: Steve Avery Parkway.

OK, truth be told, it probably isn't named for the old Atlanta left-hander. Especially because it's actual name is Avery Parkway.

A few springs ago I got turned around heading to dinner at Le Tub, a marvelous old gas station-turned-into-a-grill on Florida's intracoastal waterway.

Now I know exactly where to exit I-95. Sheridan St. How could I forget Pat Sheridan, who played outfield in the 1980s for Kansas City and Detroit?

On and on it goes. The exit leading off of I-75 in Florida that takes me to Minnesota's camp isn't Daniels Parkway, it's Kal Daniels Parkway. A tip of the cap to the Cincinnati outfielder who led the National League in on-base percentage in 1988.

The exit off of I-10 in Arizona that takes me to Peoria Stadium (home of the Mariners and Padres) is Bell Rd. -- which never fails to remind of wacky outfielder Derek Bell. He played with a number of teams, but I'll always fondly recall the time he took his uniform pants back to the Blue Jays equipment manager and asked for a longer pair.

"How long?" the equipment guy asked.

"For the whole season," Bell replied.

I could go on, but it's late afternoon and I'd sure like to get a run in before dinner and a night of prepping for tomorrow's stop, Twins camp.

Of course, when I drive back to the hotel from Boston's complex here, the route will take me on Fowler St., during which I'll no doubt think of Billy Martin's old pitching coach, Art Fowler. ...

Likes: Manny being Manny. ... Full squad workouts starting. ... Exceptional tribute to the late Bob Howsam, the highly respected former Reds executive who passed away a few days ago, from Sparky Anderson in this piece. ... Nino's Pizza and Italian Ristaurante at Daniels Crossing. Had an outstanding pizza -- New York thin crust -- from there last night, and meals there remain one of the highlights of the Florida tour. Graziano and his staff serve terrific meals with impressively fresh ingredients.

Dislikes: Fort Myers traffic has grown exponentially since I first started coming down here in 1994. It's the old joke -- Daniels Parkway, one of the main thoroughfares, is called a Parkway because you spent a whole lot of time parked on the asphalt. ... Physical exams. Everybody goes through them, of course -- such as Boston on Thursday -- but they really throw the day's schedule off.

Sunblock day? Little rain in the morning but the sun came out shortly after 9 a.m.

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"In the garbage disposal of you dreams I've been ground up, dear
"On the river of your plans I'm up the creek
"Up the elevator of your future I've been shafted
"On the calendar of your events I'm last week"

-- Johnny Cash, Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart