Notebook: Wells says book wrong about half-drunk' perfect game

TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees pitcher David Wells said he hopes his autobiography won't be a distraction for his teammates, and he disputed a claim in the book that he was "half-drunk" when he threw a perfect game in 1998.

Wells told reporters yesterday at the Yankees' spring-training camp that he apologized to General Manager Brian Cashman for any problems the autobiography has caused for the organization.

Wells also said Chris Kreski, the co-writer of "Perfect I'm Not! Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball," may have taken some things he said out of context. Among them, the claim that Wells was half-drunk and hung over when he pitched his perfect game against Minnesota five years ago.

"I went out the night before and now it says I'm drunk that day," Wells told reporters. "I wasn't. I took some aspirin and had a headache, but what I read said I was drunk. How would that look? It would look bad for the organization, it would look bad for me. Hopefully it will be written the way I said it."

Also in the book, Wells had a number of controversial comments about some fellow Yankees — including pitchers Mike Mussina and Roger Clemens — and said as many as 40 percent of Major League Baseball players use steroids.

"It's my fault for not going through it with a fine-tooth comb," Wells said. "What I said is what I said. Sometimes I'm too honest, I guess. That's probably my own fault."

Wells said he talked with Mussina, saying a claim the two don't see "eye to eye" referred to their stint as teammates in 1996 with Baltimore.

"From the word around here, there were some people who felt that the timing (of the book) was a little off," Mussina told the team's Web site. "I think people have mentioned some things to him, so he's looking at things a little differently than he did originally."

Yankees Manager Joe Torre said he thought Wells had been distracted by the attention given to the book when the 39-year-old left-hander made his first spring-training start Friday. Torre also said he was pleased that Wells started to address his teammates and team officials to diffuse any problems.

"He knows he's responsible for what's in this book with his name on it," Torre said. "It's something we'll have to deal with, get through and move on."

Notes

• Tom Glavine was roughed up in his New York Mets debut yesterday, giving up four runs and six hits in two innings of a 7-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "For the first time, hearing, 'Pitching for the New York Mets,' and then hearing my name — that was a little strange," he said.

• Toronto Blue Jays infielder Mike Moriarty sustained small fractures to his cheekbone and orbital bone after being hit yesterday by a pitch from Tampa Bay pitcher Seth McClung. Moriarty walked off the field under his own power and was taken to a hospital after he appeared to be struck on the edge of the left side of his helmet.

• The Anaheim Angels agreed to terms on one-year contracts with relievers Ben Weber, Scot Shields and Mark Lukasiewicz. Minor-league infielder Alfredo Amezaga and outfielder Nathan Haynes also agreed to one-year deals.

• Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Pokey Reese will have X-rays on his injured right index finger tomorrow, but he expects to be back in the lineup in the near future. Reese hurt the finger in January by closing the back door of his SUV on it.

• Gil Heredia faced major-league hitters for the first time since 2001, working two innings as his Chicago White Sox fell 7-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson, Ariz. The 37-year-old Heredia allowed three hits and three runs. He sat out last year, then played in the Mexican League.

• Rick Ankiel got through a wild inning unscathed in his first appearance for St. Louis in almost a year, but the Cardinals fell 7-3 to the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. Ankiel, trying to come back from injuries and wildness, walked two and struck out one. He threw 11 balls and five strikes.

• Paul Wilson, projected as Cincinnati's fourth starter, had to be scratched because of a sore back. Wilson developed a sore back after pitching an inning of an intrasquad game Wednesday. Manager Bob Boone said he will be sidelined for a week to 10 days.