U.S. Manager Tinkers With Batting Order

After considering what he called “a thousand” batting orders from a roster loaded with No. 3 hitters, Team USA Manager Buck Martinez will have Ken Griffey Jr. bat third, Mark Teixeira fourth and Chipper Jones fifth when his team plays the San Francisco Giants today in a World Baseball Classic tuneup game.

When Team USA opens Tuesday against Mexico, however, Alex Rodriguez probably will start at third base over Jones, and the designated hitter will be Teixeira or Derrek Lee, whoever does not play first base.

Martinez said he did not plan to use Rodriguez or Jones as the designated hitter.

Roger Clemens will start today and again Friday against South Africa. Jake Peavy starts Tuesday against Mexico right-hander Rodrigo Lopez, Dontrelle Willis on Wednesday against Canada left-hander Erik Bedard.

Martinez has assigned the three catchers on the roster to the three starters: Michael Barrett to Clemens, Brian Schneider to Peavy and Jason Varitek to Willis. He said the plan would allow the catchers to familiarize themselves with the pitchers quickly.

Against the Giants in Scottsdale, in their batting order, Johnny Damon will play left field, Derek Jeter shortstop, Griffey Jr. center field, Teixeira first base, Jones third base, Schneider designated hitter, Barrett catcher, Randy Winn right field and Chase Utley second base.

Schneider is the designated hitter because he has yet to take any spring-training at-bats. Winn will start in right field in part because today’s game will be played in Scottsdale, where the Giants hold their spring training. Barry Bonds, who continues to experience pain in his right knee, is not expected to play for the Giants.

Several pitchers threw side sessions Saturday, and the position players took batting practice, ran the bases and went over signs.

Martinez said he was pleased the players appeared to be having a good time, none more than Griffey, who is among the loosest of them.

“Many of these young players don’t know Junior,” he said. “They’ve never known the player we all saw ... when he was the best player in the game. It’s good to see him bouncing around.”

Near the end of practice Friday, Griffey was standing with a group of players when he noticed hitting coach Reggie Smith step in to take batting practice against Rick Sutcliffe. After Smith took a couple of swings, Griffey shouted from left field, “Hey! Hey! Turn the page! It’s over!”

Smith laughed and yelled back, “That’s what they were saying about you last year!”

That and other moments of levity, Martinez said, belie the common goal here, particularly for him.

“There is a sense of responsibility,” Martinez said. “I feel very proud to be manager of Team USA, and we intend to win.”

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Hitoshi Tamura hit a three-run homer Saturday and Tsuyoshi Nishioka drove in two runs as Japan advanced to the second round of the World Baseball Classic with a 14-3 win over Chinese Taipei in front of 31,047 at the Tokyo Dome.

Japan joined Korea in advancing to the second round, to be played at Angel Stadium from March 12 to 16.

Ichiro Suzuki had a hit and scored a run for Japan, which plays Korea today.