In protest of coaches not receiving the same $40,000 stipend negotiated by the players union, the Red Sox players vote to boycott playing in their exhibition game, scheduled to be televised nationally from the City of Palms Park, and tomorrow’s flight to Japan for the season-opening game against the A’s. The delayed game starts an hour later when MLB consents to pay the managers, coaches, and trainers $20,000 each from management’s proceeds, with the team agreeing to make up the difference.

In an attempt to be part of a healing process on the campus where 32 students and staff became victims of a deadly shooting spree last April, the Yankees play the Hokies at Virginia Tech’s English Field. George Steinbrenner, moved by coverage of the massacre last spring, donated $1 million to a memorial fund and made arrangements for his team to participate in an exhibition game at the school.

The Dodgers lose to the Astros, 12-10, in their last game at Dodgertown, the team’s spring training home since 1948. Eighty-one year old Carl Erskine, who pitched the first game that occurred at Holman Stadium 55 years ago, plays the national anthem on his harmonica before the contest.

Randy Wolf, the Padres’ new left-hander starter, struggles in a 6-2 spring training loss to the Brewers in Peoria, Arizona. The pitcher’s brother, Jim, isn’t much help as the home plate umpire, an occurrence which isn’t allowed during a regular-season game and is the only time it has ever happened, as the San Diego hurler gives up three runs in four innings.

Replacing the $3,925,000, one-year contract signed in January, Brad Hawpe and the Rockies agree to a $17,425,000, three-year deal. The Colorado right fielder becomes the team’s fourth young player of the National League champs to receive a long term deal from the club.