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By RODNEY PAGE and Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 13, 2001
FORT MYERS -- Chuck Knoblauch bounced a throw. Then he threw the ball wide. Then he threw another one low and another one wide.
Four bad throws, two more errors. The Yankees second baseman doesn't appear to have solved the arm problems that have plagued him since 1998.
"It was a rough day, that's about all I can say," Knoblauch said Monday after the Yankees' 8-7 loss to the Twins. "You have to have some adversity and learn from it."
Knoblauch has made seven bad throws -- and earned four errors -- in his past three games. He had 15 errors in 82 games at second base last season.
"It was a bad day," manager Joe Torre said. "You just have to fight your way through it."
Knoblauch has five errors, four on throws, in 10 exhibition games.
CLEMENS POUNDED: Roger Clemens gave up six runs and 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings. He had not allowed a run in two previous appearances this spring, pitching five innings.
"Roger was not very good, but he'll make the team," Torre said. "He had a problem with his off-speed pitches."
Of 72 pitches, Clemens threw 40 strikes. "I felt great," he said. "It was probably the strongest I felt, stamina-wise."
STOTTLEMYRE CHECKUP: Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre returned to New York for a six-month checkup. Stottlemyre, who missed the post-season last year because of multiple myeloma, was scheduled to return Wednesday.
CLEARWATER -- Reserve infielder Jeff Frye may be lost for at least the rest of spring training after re-injuring his right knee in his first spring at-bat.
Frye replaced Tomas Perez at second base in the seventh inning, and on the first pitch of his at-bat, Frye swung and fell in the batter's box. He was carried off the field.
Frye left the game with the knee heavily wrapped.
"Jeff was in a lot of pain," manager Buck Martinez said. "He couldn't bend the knee. We'll just have to wait and see. ... To have this happen is bad for him, and it's bad for us."
Frye originally injured the knee in an intrasquad game Feb. 28. Dr. Steve Mirabello drained fluid from the knee.
Frye signed a one-year, $1-million contract this off-season as a free agent from Colorado.
LOAIZA'S SECOND START: Esteban Loaiza made his second spring start and pitched four innings, and gave up seven hits and two runs in a 5-4 loss to the Phillies. Loaiza had the flu Sunday.
"I thought he was very good," Martinez said. "He was sick as a dog (Sunday), but he cranked up a good one."
ROSTER MOVES: Infielders Aaron Holbert and Cole Liniak were sent to minor-league camp. Catcher Jayson Werth was optioned to Double-A Tennessee.
UP NEXT: Right-hander Roy Halladay was scheduled to start today against Cincinnati right-hander Osvaldo Fernandez at Dunedin.
CLEARWATER -- Phillies right-hander Robert Person looked sharp in his third spring start. Person didn't give up a hit until the fourth inning. In the fifth, he gave up a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Ryan Thompson.
Person went five innings and gave up three hits and two runs.
"I thought Robert pitched well except for the one mistake," manager Larry Bowa said. "He pitched 60 pitches in five innings. That's good for him."
MAKING A CASE: Jimmy Rollins is erasing any doubts about replacing Desi Relaford at shortstop. Rollins, 22, had two hits, including a home run, and is hitting .400 (7-for-28) this spring. He has hit safely in six straight games. Rollins played for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season.
NO BP: The Phillies did not take batting practice before the game. Bowa wanted to get back to basics after his team committed eight errors in the previous four games.
Philadelphia committed three errors.
"Two were legitimate, one was a close call," Bowa said. "It's still unacceptable. We still need to work on it."
UP NEXT: Left-hander Omar Daal was scheduled to start against Tampa Bay right-hander Albie Lopez today in Clearwater.