Morandini Breaks Nose

Mickey Morandini became the Philadelphia Phillies’ first spring training casualty when a ball broke his nose.

The second baseman was leaning on the aluminum framing of a batting cage watching batting practice when a foul tip off Mike Lieberthal’s bat went straight back into the mesh at the back of the cage.

The netting gives easily, and Morandini apparently was standing too close. He dropped to the ground, bleeding heavily. Trainers helped him into the clubhouse.

Morandini was taken to a Clearwater, Fla., hospital, where doctors diagnosed a non-displaced fracture of the nose.

Team spokesman Larry Shenk said Morandini will not miss any time and was expected to participate in today’s practice.

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Baseball’s ruling executive council will meet Thursday in Chicago and receive the report from the committee investigating what to do with Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu.

San Diego reached an agreement last month with the Chiba Lotte Marines, the 27-year-old right-hander’s team in Japan’s Pacific League, for what the Padres say are exclusive negotiating rights.

That has been contested by the New York Yankees and the Major League Baseball Players Association, who say Irabu should be a free agent.

The committee is likely to recommend to the council that San Diego be given exclusive rights for 1997 only, a management source said on condition he not be identified.

If Irabu doesn’t sign with the Padres before the end of that one-season period and doesn’t sign with a Japanese team, the major leagues would then consider him a free agent, the source said.

Irabu, who has said he will not sign with the Padres because he wants to play for the Yankees, has eight years of service in Japan, two short of the total needed for free agency. However, Japanese rules say a player who is retired for one season can then sign with any team. That is why the Dodgers were able to sign Hideo Nomo.

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Mitch Williams pitched eight minutes of batting practice for the Kansas City Royals and, contrary to his reputation, showed good control.

Williams, known as “Wild Thing” while with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, is one of six non-roster left-handers vying for a job in the Royals’ bullpen.

Manager Bob Boone and General Manager Herk Robinson watched Williams pitch for the first time against hitters.

“He looked real smooth and easy,” Boone said. “He was putting the ball where he wanted to.”

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Yankee pitcher David Wells worked out for the first time after sitting out four days because of gout.

The left-hander threw on a bullpen mound for about 10 minutes, his first mound appearance this spring.

“I was very pleased with that I saw,” Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. “He threw the ball well and had no signs of anything bothering him. He didn’t favor the foot at all.”