And yet, according to several sources, on one occasion early in the exhibition season, he got to the clubhouse as the rest of the team was walking to the backfield to begin stretching and was a couple minutes late joining the exercises. When there were no repercussions, it raised some eyebrows. The manager said he didn't consider Abreu to have been late. These are small issues. But over the course of a long baseball season, small issues can add up and become big problems if a team isn't careful.
People are all over the field.
I like it better when everything gets into a routine. If you can't get excited on Opening Day, something is wrong. He'll have 40 family members at today's game. Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who lives in Jupiter, Fla., will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before tomorrow night's game. If you experience any problems with the Daily News Web site, please let us know.