MAILBAG: March 13

Q: Now that Grady Little has been hired by the Boston Red Sox, it appears the Sox have their own Joe Torre. With the players' support, is it possible this could be the year we see the impossible championship? -- Richard, Hennessey, Okla.
PWG -- Understand, for the last few years the Red Sox have been under the thumb of an old Eastern Bloc country, afraid to talk in the clubhouse or trainer's room because of spies. This is like the Berlin Wall falling, and Little may be the perfect personality to understand all the elements at play. The essential questions remain -- Pedro Martinez's shoulder, Nomar Garciaparra's wrist and trying to play with a terrible roster with useless millions tied up in Jose Offerman, Darren Oliver, at al.

	Martinez

Q: If the St. Louis Cardinals (as expected) are in the race for the NL Central, do you see them adding Mark McGwire (if he's interested) for the playoff run? -- Wade Pfleger, Arlington, Texas
PWG -- No. They signed Tino Martinez, and Mark had the incredible grace to retire rather than collect money for doing something below his personal standards.

Q: Who do you see as the top five players in the NL heading into the season? -- Michael Dault, Republic, Mich.
PWG -- Barry Bonds, alone. Then a group from Chipper Jones, Ken Griffey Jr., Roberto Alomar, Mike Piazza and Vladimir Guerrero.

Q: Is David Cone going to pitch this year? If he doesn't, don't you think he would be a great pitching coach? Maybe head back to the Kansas City Royals and revive that franchise? -- Nick Schneider, Portland, Ore.
PWG -- David is in Tampa and being reclusive. There are no bidders right now, but I doubt K.C. would be interested, or that owner David Glass is that interested in winning.

Q: Will the Minnesota Twins move Rick Reed before the March 15 deadline? Do any teams have a strong interest in Reed? -- Jeff, Minneapolis, Minn.
PWG -- If his agent makes him a free agent, he'll lose a lot of money.

	Hitchcock

Q: If the New York Yankees knew ahead of time that they could sign David Wells, would they have re-signed Sterling Hitchcock? -- Mike Morgan, Raleigh, N.C.
PWG -- They would have signed Hitchcock first, because they have no idea whether or not Wells' back will hold.

Q: Will Jose Canseco reach 500 home runs in his career? Do you think Canseco wasted any chance of being one of the greatest players ever? -- Matt Loori, Middletown, N.J.
PWG -- He has driven in 95 RBI just once since '92. He couldn't play the field. He'd have to hit 650 homers to get a vote for Cooperstown.

Q: What can the Colorado Rockies' new middle infield duo of Juan Uribe and Jose Ortiz do this season? They have immense talent, but can the two have breakout seasons this year? -- Ted Emrich, Dallas, Texas
PWG -- In time, we're looking at the potential of 55-60 homers plus speed. That may take some time, but they should be a force to watch this season, perhaps even with 40 homers.

Q: What do you expect from the Philadelphia Phillies this year? Are they going to have a year like 2001 or will they plummet to the bottom again? -- Ryan, Waynesboro, Pa.
PWG -- I realize we're asking a lot of Brandon Duckworth, Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla and Brett Myers, but they all have great arms and have exceptional upsides. I still believe that with Mike Lieberthal back and some development in Pat Burrell, the Phillies are going to be a lot better than people think.

	Park

Q: How many wins do you expect from Chan Ho Park this season? Compared to his days in L.A., is he in a better position for more wins? --Hyutiginda, Seoul, Korea
PWG -- The question isn't his stuff; it's makeup and accepting the No. 1 starter responsibility. I have some doubts, but with the runs the Rangers are going to score and a Hall of Famer at catcher and short, to fail to win 18 games will be a disappointment.

Q: How do you think Adam Dunn of the Reds will do this year? Do you see him hitting 40 home runs? -- Roger, Fair Lawn, N.J.
PWG -- This will be a transitional season, but if Adam is healthy, I see 40 homers. He can be a .300/50-60 HR player ... and soon.