Monday, Jan. 27, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
SUN WIRE REPORTS
Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu says he wants to play in the major leagues, but not for the San Diego Padres.
"I have absolutely no desire to conclude a contract with San Diego," Irabu said today at Narita Airport outside Tokyo.
Earlier this month, the Padres acquired negotiating rights to the 27-year-old pitcher from the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Irabu, 12-6 with a 2.40 ERA last season for the Chiba Lotte, said he still hopes to play for the New York Yankees.
"My first pick is the Yankees," said Irabu, who returned to Japan from a honeymoon overseas. "All I can say for now is that I have told this to my agent and that there has been no change in my wishes."
Yoshiaki Kanai, secretary general of the Japanese baseball commissioner's office, said that since San Diego has the sole rights to negotiate with Irabu, he can't talk with any other major league teams.
"It's for the Chiba Lotte Marines to decide," Kanai said.
On Wednesday, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said Irabu should be a free agent able to negotiate with any major league team.
* MEXICO GETS GAME: The San Diego Padres will return to Mexico to play a spring-training game against the Colorado Rockies. The game will be played March 16 at Culiacan in the General Angel Fores Stadium, the 14,500-seat home of the Mexican Pacific League's Tomateros, the Padres said Thursday. It will be the first spring training game in Mexico since 1993. Last year, the Padres played the New York Mets in the first-ever regular season games in Mexico. The Padres took two out of three games in the August series at Monterrey. The Padres also are planning to play two regular season games against the Houston Astros at Honolulu's 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium. The games would be the first regular-season major league games in Hawaii.
* RANGERS SIGN WARD: Las Vegas resident Duane Ward agreed Thursday to a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers, another step in his long comeback from arm surgery. The relief pitcher would get a $350,000, one-year deal and the chance for $50,000 in performance bonuses if he makes the team. He has appeared in only four major-league games since tearing his right rotator cuff prior to the 1994 season. In 1993, he led the AL with 45 saves while pitching for the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays. Ward pitched in just three games in 1994, for minor league Dunedin. In 1995, he gave up 11 runs in 2 2-3 innings over four games for Toronto before being put on the disabled list again. He pitched 12 more games in the minors, then became a free agent after the season.
* WELLS FRIEND SURRENDERS: A man injured with New York Yankees left-hander David Wells during a street fight has surrendered to police. Wells' broke his hand in the Jan. 12 fight and will not be ready for the start of spring training. David Allen, 31, walked into police headquarters Thursday morning with his lawyer, police spokesman Dave Cohen said. Allen was arrested for investigation of felony battery and filing a false report, he said.
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