AMERICAN LEAGUE: AROUND THE HORN RED SOX SAY NO FRICTION IN THE FAMILY.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - The Boston Red Sox have been without MVP candidate Nomar Garciaparra all season with a wrist injury. Pitcher Pedro Martinez has been out with a shoulder injury. Starting catcher Jason Varitek has a broken elbow. Outfielder Carl Everett has been out with a knee injury.

Manager Jimy Williams feuds with his players, the Boston media and general manager Dan Duquette.

So why are the Red Sox still in good shape to make a playoff run, in the AL East race and AL wild-card race?

``What's important is there's never been friction among the players,'' Red Sox pitcher David Cone told Baseball Weekly. ``People have underrated our overall team depth at every position really, including the pitching staff. It's probably the most overlooked factor when you try to evaluate a team. Certainly it was overlooked with this team.''

The free-agent signings of Cone, Hideo Nomo and Frank Castillo have turned out to be key for the Red Sox, whose team ERA of 3.78 is second best in the league.

``We knew in spring training we had a lot of players and there were thoughts that we had too many pitchers for the rotation and too many outfielders,'' Cone said. ``But we held onto everybody and we held onto all of the pitching and we've needed everybody.''

Depth has been important for the Red Sox, but probably even more important has been the unity among the players.

``It's been a little chaotic at times,'' outfielder Darren Lewis said. ``The media perception is that we don't get along, that we have a weird clubhouse, that everyone can't stand the manager. All of that is just not true. Sure, you're going to have instances where people maybe aren't on the same page. But the inner strength of this team is that we know we have to get the job done no matter what.''

One of the knocks on Williams by the players is that he uses a different lineup nearly every day.

``You have a lot of guys on this team with a lot of talent who would be playing every day for other teams, so when you have that much talent on a team it's hard to please everybody,'' outfielder Troy O'Leary said. ``But this team knows how to play the game, knows what to do and just has to accept that you might not be playing every day.

``There's no doubt that Nomar was a big loss, so was Pedro, so was Jason, so was Carl. But we're survivors and warriors when we go out and play.''

--Ripken fever: Cal Ripken will be honored today before the Baltimore Orioles' game against the Angels at Edison Field, but some of the praise being heaped on Ripken is going a little too far according to some.

After Ripken homered against the Rangers in Texas last week, the Rangers' public-address announcer played the home run music from the movie ``The Natural.''

``Everything Cal got here during his three days here - the on-field stuff and the standing ovations - was great,'' Rangers first baseman Rafael Palmeiro told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. ``I just think we went a little too far. I just think the music is something we deserve as the home team. When they played the music, I felt like I was back on the visiting team with the Orioles and the Rangers had just hit a home run.''

Chuck Morgan, the PA announcer, later apologized.

``I reacted like a fan out of respect for Ripken and baseball,'' Morgan said. ``On the way home, I realized I was wrong.''

--Party of five: The Orioles' Melvin Mora has heard his name come up in trade rumors, but he's not worried about going to another team. Of more pressing concern is his wife, Gisel, who is due to deliver quintuplets in the next month.

``I am thinking about only two things right now: my wife and winning,'' Mora told the Baltimore Sun. ``That's all that matters. I have no control over whether I get traded or not. I am a professional. I go where I'm sent. I worry about my wife.''

He is especially worried when he is 3,000 miles away from her, like he is now playing the Angels this weekend in Anaheim. Many of the Orioles wives have helped Gisel, who has been bedridden for most of her pregnancy, when Mora is away with the Orioles.

``I worry,'' Mora said. ``I worry a lot.''