Griffey hurt hand on yacht

Ken Griffey Jr. is finally saying what broke his throwing hand -- wrestling with his kids.

The Cincinnati Reds center fielder said he was wrestling with his daughter and two younger sons on his yacht in the Bahamas in December when the oldest jumped in and knocked him off balance. He landed awkwardly on his left hand.

“It was nothing that could violate my contract,” he said Friday after reporting early for training camp at Sarasota, Fla. “It was Dad being Dad.”

Griffey says the hand feels fine and he expects to be ready to go for spring training. He was waiting for Reds medical director Timothy Kremchek to reevaluate it.

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Second baseman Ronnie Belliard agreed to a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals that will pay him $750,000 if he makes the team.

The 31-year-old Belliard helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series last season, starting 14 of 16 postseason games. The Cardinals acquired him from Cleveland on July 30; he hit a combined .272 with 30 doubles, 13 homers and 67 RBIs with the two teams in 2006.

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Curt Schilling looked into the dozens of cameras and made one thing clear: The Boston Red Sox pitcher who usually gets most of the attention will remain the staff leader despite Daisuke Matsuzaka’s potential to be an ace.

“The kid is phenomenally talented,” Schilling said. “I think he’s an ace in the making, stuff-wise. Makeup-wise, he’s very polished. He’s very composed.”

But Schilling left no doubt that he expected to be Boston’s opening day starter on April 2 in Kansas City.

“I feel good. I’ll be ready to go opening day,” Schilling said.