We tend to get lost in the numbers - the batting averages, home runs and RBI - and forget about the men responsible for them.

Manny Ramirez, who continues to prove he is one of the game's elite offensive players, opened up to Boston reporters during an insightful pregame interview session last week.

The Red Sox left fielder touched on several topics and hinted that he was leaning toward retiring when his current eight-year, $160 million contract with the Red Sox expires.

"I might feel different (in time), but it's hard when you have your family and you're all over the place and you don't get to see your kids grow up," Ramirez, 31, said. "You always have it on your mind."

A seven-time All-Star who has averaged 40 home runs and 128 RBI the past six seasons, Ramirez is signed through 2008 with club options for 2009 and 2010.

"I definitely want to finish in Boston," he said. "If you're going to win a World Series, this is the place to be.

"Not New York. Not Miami. That's nothing. The big thing is winning here, and we've got the pieces to do it this year."

THE ROCKET: The Roger Clemens time-warp tour continues today in Houston.

The 41-year-old Astros pitcher enters today's game against the Mets with a 7-0 record and 1.99 ERA.

"He's a freak of nature," Yankees bench coach Willie Randolph said. "People say a power pitcher can never adjust when he gets older, but (Clemens) can pitch to spots, because he's got great control. And who's to say he won't keep throwing 95, 96 miles per hour?"

This is the third time Clemens has started a season so well. He began the 1986 season 14-0 and the 1997 season 11-0.

If Clemens wins today, he will become the first pitcher since Billy Pierce in 1962 to win his first eight starts for a team he did not pitch for the previous season.

RESTLESS IN SEATTLE: The Mariners are teetering on becoming an afterthought in the American League West.

Seattle was 11 1/2 games behind the Angels through Friday. Not since 1988, the year before Ken Griffey Jr. debuted, had the Mariners fallen into a double-digit deficit this fast.

"Where we are, that number has no significance," manager Bob Melvin said. "No significance at all. The significance to me is that we've got to win games and play better.

"I don't even look at the scoreboard anymore. If we don't win games, nothing else matters."

BACKUP PLAN: When he left Padres camp this spring, ending any competition with shortstop Khalil Greene, three-time Gold Glove winner Rey Ordonez appeared content to sit out this season.

The Cubs, however, were in need of another shortstop in their farm system after Damian Jackson was called up when Alex Gonzalez broke a bone in his right wrist earlier this month. Chicago signed Ordonez, 33, to a minor-league contract Wednesday and will send him to Triple-A Iowa.

"I know he can pick it," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said of Ordonez. "He can come into play, too. Everybody else we've signed has come into play."

A career .248 batter, Ordonez holds six National League fielding records.

BUMP IN THE ROAD: White Sox pitcher Esteban Loaiza, a 21-game winner and Cy Young Award runner-up last season, had lost two of his last three starts entering Saturday's outing against the Twins.

Opponents were batting .262 against him this season.

"I need to concentrate on getting stronger and putting more on the ball," Loaiza said. "I'm going to start working on my velocity and go from there."

FINAL WORDS: "I hope I'm upright when I'm his age." - Clemens on 73-year-old Florida manager Jack McKeon.

Odds and ends

• The Marlins went 93-63 in the 365 days since Jack McKeon (left) took over as manager May 11, 2003, the best record of any team during that span.

• Veteran utilityman Mark McLemore was called up by the A's on Tuesday and started at second base. He now has played for every AL West team.

• The Royals have turned to a closer-by-committee approach since Mike MacDougal, an All-Star last season, was optioned to Triple-A last week.

Hot corner

With apologies to Ivan Rodriguez, no one epitomizes the turnaround in Detroit this season as much as right-handed starter Mike Maroth. With his strong performance Thursday, in which he pitched eight innings of the Tigers' 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics, Maroth improved to 4-1 (although his ERA is 4.86). As you'll recall, Maroth went 9-21 for last year's 43-119 Tigers squad. Last season, Maroth didn't get his fourth win until July 5.

Not-so-hot corner

The Atlanta Braves lost five consecutive series, the first time that has happened since 1988. That year, just a couple seasons before the Braves blossomed into a perennial playoff team, Atlanta finished 54-106. If you saw them back then, and you probably did on the Superstation, you probably will remember these team leaders:

Dale Murphy: He was still around and led the club in homers (24) and RBI (77).

Ron Gant: Led the club in runs (85) and triples (8).

Gerald Perry: Led the club in batting average (.300), stolen bases (29) and hits (164).

As we said, this was when the club was on the brink of greatness, as you will see from the pitching leaders:

Rick Mahler: Wins leader (9).

Tom Glavine: Loss leader (17).

Bruce Sutter: Saves leader (14).

Big boppers

Ken Griffey Jr. entered Saturday needing 12 home runs to join the 500-homer club. The all-time leaders:

1. Henry Aaron	755
2. Babe Ruth	714
3. Barry Bonds	668
4. Willie Mays	660
5. Frank Robinson	586
6. Mark McGwire	583
7. Harmon Killebrew	573
8. Reggie Jackson	563
9. Sammy Sosa	549
10. Mike Schmidt	548
11. Mickey Mantle	536
12. Jimmie Foxx	534
T12. Rafael Palmeiro	534
14. Willie McCovey	521
T14. Ted Williams	521
16. Ernie Banks	512
T16. Eddie Matthews	512
18. Mel Ott	511
19. Eddie Murray	504
20. Lou Gehrig	493
21. Fred McGriff	491
22. Ken Griffey Jr.	488

Longtime shortstops

Barry Larkin is 12th on the all-time list for games played at shortstop (2,030 entering Saturday). A look at the all-time leaders:

Luis Aparicio	2,583
Ozzie Smith	2,511
Cal Ripken Jr.	2,302
Larry Bowa	2,222
Luke Appling	2,218
Dave Concepcion	2,178

MLB power rankings

1. Anaheim Angels	Went toe to toe with Yanks in the Bronx.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers	Southern Cal World Series in the making?
3. Houston Astros	Wait 'til they get Clemens in the NL, they all said.
4. Texas Rangers	If only they had some pitching - wait, they do!
5. Minnesota Twins	Struck gold with Silva.
6. New York Yankees	We know, we know - they're gaining.
7. Florida Marlins	Finally might have stadium deal.
8. Boston Red Sox	Closing in on deal for Beltran?
9. San Diego Padres	Trevor Hoffman racking up saves again.
10. Chicago Cubs	Wood's injury doesn't appear serious.
11. Baltimore Orioles	Lights-out bullpen emerging.
12. Philadelphia Phillies	Finally get on roll; now Wagner's hurt.
13. Chicago White Sox	Loaiza struggling; offense slugging away.
14. Milwaukee Brewers	Overbay making Beermakers fans forget Sexson.
15. Cincinnati Reds	Hope for future: Kearns homers in rehab outing.
16. St. Louis Cardinals	Pujols merely very good so far.
17. Oakland Athletics	Ladies and gentlemen, Mark McLemore!
18. Chicago White Sox	Manager Ozzie Guillen's enthusiasm infectious.
19. Detroit Tigers	Dmitri Young's return might be two weeks away.
20. Atlanta Braves	Drew hitting baseballs, missing games.
21. New York Mets	Glavine rebounding this season.
22. San Francisco Giants	Bonds bummed over losing.
23. Arizona D'backs	Dessens bounced from rotation.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates	Mondesi steps out; Craig Wilson steps up.
25. Cleveland Indians	Long-awaited bullpen shuffle comes.
26. Colorado Rockies	It has come to this: They signed Kevin Jarvis.
27. Toronto Blue Jays	Will Delgado be on the trading block soon?
28. Kansas City Royals	Don't doubt upbeat Tony Pena will turn around team.
29. Seattle Mariners	Might shake things up soon.
30. Montreal Expos	Connecticut's bid for team short-lived.

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Information submitted by other baseball writers was used in this report.