Texas Rangers: The Rangers have named right-hander Colby Lewis their No. 4 starter, team officials said Thursday.

"We had a meeting with all the coaches and scouts last night and we thought it best for Colby to name him the No. 4 starter now,'' manager Buck Showalter said. "It's good for him and it's good for the Texas Rangers. We'd like him to go every fifth day, but that will be up to him.

Showalter did not say when Lewis, the team's first-round draft pick in 1999, will make his first start.

The season begins with the Major League Baseball Opener on the road Sunday against the Anaheim Angels.

Lewis appeared in six games this spring, three as a starter.

He had no record while posting a 7.47 ERA in 8 1/3 innings. As a rookie in 2002, Lewis posted a 1-3 record with a 6.29 ERA in 15 games for the Rangers.

He was 5-6 in 20 games for Triple-A Oklahoma. Right-hander Ismael Valdes, who will pitch the regular-season opener for the Rangers, also will pitch the home opener on April 4 against the Seattle Mariners.

Teixeira, Blalock make Rangers' squad: Rookie third baseman Mark Teixeira and fellow third baseman Hank Blalock will open the season on the Texas Rangers 25-man major league squad.

"We're going to take Teixeira with us when we break camp. Hank is on the team, too,'' manager Buck Showalter said Thursday.

Teixeira came into camp as a non-roster invitee and has made his mark on the Cactus League with a .333 average in 24 games.

He set a Rangers spring record on Wednesday with his eighth home run. The old record of seven was held by three players including Ruben Sierra in 1989. Sierra also is in camp trying to make the team.

Pete Incaviglia (1989) and Dean Palmer (1994) also hit seven homers.

Teixeira has played mainly at first, third and designated hitter during spring training.

He was the Rangers first pick in the 1999 June draft and 5th overall.

As a rookie in 2002, Blalock was the youngest player in an Opening-Day lineup at 21 years, 4 months. Blalock played in 42 games and hit .211 with three home runs and 17 RBI for the Rangers.

After a slow start, he was sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma on May 12 where he hit .307 with eight home runs in 85 games earning a September call-up.

Also Thursday, the Rangers sent right-handed pitcher Joaquin Benoit to Triple-A Oklahoma while right-hander Victor Santos and left-hander Brian Shouse were assigned to the minor league camp.

New York Yankees: Left-hander Andy Pettitte allowed one run and five hits over five innings in a minor league game Thursday.

In his final tuneup before the regular season, Pettitte struck out four while pitching for Triple-A Columbus against Scranton.

"I'm ready to go," said Pettitte, who threw 75 pitches. "It's been a good spring. I couldn't have asked for things to go better."

Pettitte will make his first start Tuesday at Toronto. He pitched in the Triple-A game because the Yankees played the Blue Jays in spring training Thursday.

"I feel great locating everything," Pettitte said. "I just want to carry this into the season. I'm looking for a good year."

Pettitte went 1-0 with a 2.04 ERA in five major league spring games. He is on schedule to start the Yankees' home opener April 7 against Minnesota.

Hitchcock packs ... for New York
The Yankees told pitcher Sterling Hitchcock to pack his bags Thursday and it had nothing to do with a trade.

The Yankees have been trying to trade Hitchcock, who lost out in the competition to be the fifth starter and will work out of the bullpen should he stay in New York.

"They told me to find a place to live (in New York)," Hitchcock said. "I'm there until they tell me I'm not there."

Cincinnati, Texas and Montreal have been among the teams that have scouted Hitchcock this spring. The Yankees would like to clear a roster spot for a true reliever and at the same time give Hitchcock the opportunity to be a starter elsewhere.

"Unless it makes sense, he's going to be a Yankee,'' New York general manager Brian Cashman said. "I have nothing to report today. Maybe it will different tomorrow, but he could be here throughout the entire year and might become a big piece for us. We'll see."

Cashman said minor league RHP Jason Anderson and LHP Randy Choate are competing for the final roster spot.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Curt Schilling pitched five innings in his last start before the season as an Diamondbacks' split squad played a 5-5 tie with the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Schilling allowed two runs -- one earned -- and four hits, striking out four. Brian Daubach scored in the fifth when Schilling dropped the ball while covering first base on Armando Rios' grounder, and Aaron Miles followed with an RBI single.

Most of Arizona's players were in Texas on Thursday for a game against their Diamondbacks' Double-A team in El Paso. The Diamondbacks left behind Schilling, catcher Rod Barajas and young players to face the White Sox.

Arizona built a 5-0 lead on home runs by Mike Bell in the first and Brian Gordon in the third, and a two-run double by Josh Kroeger in the fourth.

Joe Crede and Daubach hit RBI doubles in the eighth, and Miles hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

The multi-talented Gonzo
Luis Gonzalez showed his versatility Thursday, as a hitter, a humanitarian and then as a team mascot during Arizona's 22-8 split squad exhibition win over Double-A affiliate El Paso.

After going 2-for-2 at the plate with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in four innings, Gonzalez slipped into the costume of "Scoops" the Tiger and entertained the 10,226 fans for an inning.

"I would have worn it longer but I couldn't see very well out of it," said Gonzalez. "I didn't want to hurt myself."

Gonzalez did the same thing in an exhibition game in El Paso in 1999. "We want to have a little fun during the exhibition season," Gonzalez said. "It's fun to put the costume on and harass some of my teammates."

Gonzalez actually started his antics before the ballgame got under way.

Well aware that the NCAA Tournament was being televised, Gonzalez noticed there was no television in El Paso's clubhouse. So he fixed the problem.

Gonzalez gave one of the clubhouse managers $400 and sent him to the nearest Best Buy electronics store to purchase a 19-inch color TV.

"The guys were really interested in watching the basketball games and since I was fresh off signing a new contract, I guess it was my turn to pull out the wallet," Gonzalez said.

The set was placed in the clubhouse so he and his teammates could watch the tournament when they were removed from the game.

Gonzalez then donated the television to the El Paso organization.

"I told them to put the set in the home team's clubhouse," Gonzalez said.

New York Mets: David Cone will stay behind in Florida when the Mets break camp in order to build up his pitch count.

General manager Steve Phillips announced Thursday that left-hander Mike Bacsik and right-hander Jae Weong Seo will make the trip to New York with the team.

Cone will pitch in a minor league game Sunday with the intention of increasing his pitch count into the 90s. If all goes well, Cone will pitch a side session Tuesday and fly to New York before Friday and could make a start at Shea Stadium for that game.

The 40-year-old right-hander is trying to earn a job with the Mets after sitting out the 2002 season.

The Mets will open with Tom Glavine on Monday, with Al Leiter and Steve Trachsel to follow on Wednesday and Thursday.

Seattle Mariners: Although the Mariners have a 12-17-2 spring record, manager Bob Melvin said he was happy with what his team accomplished in its longer-than-scheduled stay in Arizona.

"We got all the at-bats, we got the innings, I think we're going to be OK," Melvin said.

The Mariners went through the motions after their Japan trip was called off last week and it showed on the field.

"It's tough to find a little atmosphere and excitement, especially the last week," Melvin said.

The Mariners will be minus their top catcher, Dan Wilson, for the first four games of the season. But their starting shortstop, Carlos Guillen, and starting center fielder, Mike Cameron, who have minor injuries, are expected to be able to play Tuesday night in Oakland.

Guillen sustained a mild left hip strain while running to first base after getting a first-inning RBI single Thursday and came out of the game immediately.

Cameron left Wednesday's game in the seventh with a hyperextended left knee when he fell on the warning track while chasing a double.

Both players are day-to-day. Melvin may choose to hold both out of the weekend exhibition games.

"We had a little scare there with Mr. Guillen," said Melvin, who ran to first base to check out the player. "Hopefully, that's OK. And Cammy the other day. The things you worry about are the injuries. But I think we're going to be OK. I think we're in good shape."

Melvin has good reason to worry about injuries. The Mariners are not a young team and it takes older players longer to recover.

Closer Kazuhiro Sasaki is 35 and was able to pitch in only three innings this spring because he was bothered by a sore right shoulder.

Sasaki, who reported he felt no pain after he pitched one inning in a minor league game Wednesday, will pitch Sunday in Sacramento.

Oakland Athletics: The Athletics pitcher Jim Mecir had a simulated game canceled Thursday because of tightness in his right leg.

Mecir, recovering from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon, wasn't expected to pitch in the major leagues until at least early May.

"We shut him down more as a precautionary move,'' A's manager Ken Macha said.

Meanwhile, Macha said Eric Byrnes would probably start in center field if Chris Singleton is unable to go on Opening Day.

Singleton, who had cysts removed from his thyroid late last week, hasn't played in nearly two weeks. He participated in batting practice on Thursday and was scheduled to play in a minor league game.

"Byrnes has had a great spring,'' Macha said. "He's kind of earned the opportunity to see what he can do.''

Byrnes entered play Thursday hitting .364 with four homers and 12 RBI.

Atlanta Braves: Mike Hampton completed spring training on a high note.

The Atlanta lefty gave up one unearned run in four innings as the Braves snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Houston Astros 7-2 Thursday.

It was the final game in Florida for both teams, who head to their home ballparks for exhibition games this weekend. Heavy rain forced a 30-minute delay in the fifth inning, but the game was completed under partly cloudy skies.

Hampton, who struggled early in the spring, didn't allow an earned run in his final two starts, a span of 10 innings. Against the Astros, he was tagged for seven hits but used two double plays to stay out of trouble.

The lone run scored in the fourth when Houston strung together three straight singles. Lance Berkman came home after left fielder Chipper Jones bobbled a hit by Richard Hidalgo, but Hampton ended the threat by retiring Gregg Zaun and Geoff Blum.

"The ball was hit, and the ball was up,'' Hampton said. "I know I've got to work on keeping it down.''

With his sinker working better, he got six groundouts, and a few of the hits came on seeing-eye grounders through the infield. He lowered his spring ERA from 4.95 to 4.13.

San Diego Padres: Outfielders Brady Anderson and Roberto Kelly failed to make the Padres as non-roster invitees.

Kelly, 38, asked for and was granted his release as the Padres broke camp on Thursday. Anderson, 39, accepted assignment to Triple-A Portland.

The Padres chose to carry only five outfielders, including Shane Victorino, who must remain on the big-league roster all season or be offered back to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I understand the situation,'' Anderson said.

Anderson is attempting to revive his career after batting .163 for Cleveland last season and getting released in May. He did not seek another job after his release because he sustained an Achilles' injury while working out on his own.

But he said he felt good this spring, despite a .196 batting average, and wants to continue to play.

"I feel great,'' he said. "I felt comfortable enough at the plate. I'm running and throwing well.''

The Padres loaded up veteran non-roster invitees like Kelly, Anderson and pitcher Charles Nagy. But infielder Keith Lockhart was the only one to stick. The Padres purchased Lockhart's contract on Thursday.

The only undecided roster spot is the backup catcher, where Wiki Gonzalez and Michael Rivera are the options behind starter Gary Bennett. It could go to Rivera by default since Gonzalez has missed several days with back problems that manager Bruce Bochy said could require a trip to the disabled list.

Bochy selected right-handed rookie Clay Condrey to be the No. 5 starter, relegating rookie left-hander Mike Bynum to the bullpen.