Ventura Has Broken Leg

When they showed the replays of Robin Ventura wrecking his right ankle and leg, sportscasters warned viewers that what they were about to see was graphic.

“Just to see him laying helpless like that, that’s tough to take,” Chicago White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas said. “These kinds of things happen all the time in sports, but when it happens so close to home, it’s not fun to see.”

Indeed, it was so severe that it caused a woman in the ballpark to faint and prompted Ventura’s teammates to prevent his wife, Stephanie, from seeing it up close.

The All-Star third baseman dislocated his right ankle and sustained a compound fracture of his leg when he slid into home plate Friday night during an exhibition game against Boston.

Ventura underwent surgery until 4 a.m. EST Saturday and will be sidelined for at least three months.

Ventura’s leg was put in a cast and he will not be able to put weight on it for six weeks. He’s then expected to rejoin the team and begin rehabilitation.

Chris Snopek, who has played only 68 games in the major leagues, will take Ventura’s place.

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The San Diego Padres cleared up any questions about second base when they traded Jody Reed to the Detroit Tigers for two minor leaguers.

Reed, the Padres’ starting second baseman the last two seasons, entered camp knowing the club had acquired 25-year-old second baseman Quilvio Veras in the off-season. But Reed, 34, was determined to hold onto his job, batting .323 with two home runs in 31 spring at-bats.

The Padres received outfielder Mike Darr and right-handed pitcher Matt Skrmetta from the Tigers.

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Concerned about the condition of shortstop Rey Ordonez’s sore shoulder, the New York Mets acquired infielders Manny Alexander and Scott McClain from the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Hector Ramirez. . . . New York Yankee Manager Joe Torre named Wade Boggs as the team’s starting third baseman over Charlie Hayes. Boggs has a .421 average with two homers this spring. Hayes has struggled, hitting .226.

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Less than a week after negotiations on a contract extension broke down seemingly for good, the Philadelphia Phillies still are trying to sign ace right-hander Curt Schilling.

The key now is whether an insurance company will fully cover Schilling, who had major right shoulder surgery in August 1995.

Schilling, 30, will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder for insurance purposes Monday in Clearwater, Fla. If he passes the test, the Phillies will search for a company to fully insure him.

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Enthusiasm for baseball has failed to bounce back two years after the players’ strike, according to a nationwide Associated Press poll.

The poll showed 47% of Americans reported lower interest in attending games since the strike, which affected parts of the 1994 and 1995 seasons, compared with 30% who said interest is back to normal.

The poll also found the decline in interest linked to a belief by 55% of fans that the cost of attending a game is out of reach.

The average price for tickets alone is expected to exceed $50 this year for a family of four.

The poll indicated enthusiasm could get a boost from interleague play. About 54% said games between the American League and National League is a change for the better, and only 12% said it’s a change for the worse.