By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FORT MYERS, Fla. - It was all over once the Boston Red Sox called. Pokey Reese was weighing free-agent offers from Colorado and the Chicago Cubs.

Pokey's happy to be with the Boston Red Sox. (AP photo)

"Colorado wanted me to play shortstop," he said. "The Cubs wouldn't guarantee me I'd play every day. When the Red Sox called and said they wanted me to play every day, that was it."

Reese, 30, a former Red, signed with the Red Sox for $1 million. He knew what signing with the Red Sox meant: The big time.

"All the time I was with the clubs in the lower spectrum - Pittsburgh, the Reds - I was into playing there," he said. "But being here is like a dream come true."

Reese looks around the club and starts naming all the All Stars.

Reese, ironically, replaced Todd Walker, who replaced Reese in Cincinnati.

The theory is the Red Sox are so talented offensively that they don't need much out of Reese - as long as he plays his Gold Glove defense.

"It's been great being here," he said. "Unbelievable."

ANOTHER EX-RED: While Boston general manager Theo Epstein pursued Reese, he gave Scott Williamson a chance to get out of Boston.

The Red Sox signed free agent Keith Foulke to be their closer. Williamson filled the role in the postseason.

"Theo told me they'd trade me," Williamson said. "It was up to me."

Williamson decided to stay.

"I look at it as I'm closing the eighth," he said.

Williamson had an unbelievable postseason for the Red Sox, moving into the closer role and helping them get to within a game of the World Series. Williamson was 2-0 with three saves and a 1.12 ERA in eight postseason games.

"It was unbelievable," Williamson said. "I've never been so nervous in my life, just sitting in the bullpen waiting to get into the game."

Last year was wild for Williamson. He was traded from the Reds to the Red Sox on July 29, just days after his son, Reece, was born.

While he was getting used to a new club, Reece and his wife, Lisa, were having problems.

"It was very tough," Williamson said. "The Red Sox were great. Theo did everything he could for us. He told me to take as much time as I needed."

Lisa and Reece are fine now.

Williamson still lives in Cincinnati. He's building a house in Guilford, Ind.

He's a free agent after this year.

PUT ME IN COACH: Ken Griffey Jr. was not on the traveling roster, but he made the trip and started in center field.

"I told (manager Dave Miley) I was playing," Griffey kidded. "What's he going to do? Say no."

"He expressed his desire to play (Monday) in St. Pete," Miley said. "We were happy to accommodate him."

Griffey said he was gaining leverage so he could take a long trip off later in the spring.

When informed that the longest trip of the spring was to Orlando, Griffey said he wouldn't skip that one.

"That's a chance to sleep in my own bed for two nights," he said.

ON THE TRADE: Griffey took the speculation that he might be traded back to Seattle in stride.

"There's nothing I can do, but go out and play," he said. "You didn't see any comments from me in that story, did you?"

BUS TROUBLE: The Reds' bus arrived at the City of Palms Park at 4:55 p.m. - five minutes before they were due on the field to stretch.

It seems the bus driver thought they were playing the Minnesota Twins, who also train in Fort Myers.

Bench coach Jerry Narron noticed the bus had passed the exit. By that time, they were 10 miles too far south.

"The bus driver wasn't too concerned," Miley said. "He opened a bag of chips and was munching away while we're lost."

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E-mail jfay@enquirer.com