Still bitter

It's been about four years since Carl Everett left the Red Sox. He's still mad.

Everett battled with teammates (including the infamous Darren Lewis clubhouse fight), umpires, and reporters during the 2001 season, which came on the heels of a stellar first year in Boston, when he hit .300 with 34 homers and 108 RBIs. He accused manager Joe Kerrigan of being a racist and received a four-game suspension for his verbal attack against the Sox manager.

Though there's been significant turnover since the John Harrington-Dan Duquette regime ran the Red Sox, Everett told the Sun-Times, ''I don't know how [John] Henry runs it, but when I was here, it was a terrible organization . . . The trainer, for instance. He was garbage. The head trainer, Jim Rowe, he was part of the mess over there. A big liar. All around, when I was here, it was a terrible organization."

And Trot Nixon won't be going to Carl Everett's birthday party:

He said he was hurt. Maybe he was hurt," Nixon said. ''I don't know. Other people were saying he quit on the team that one year. He's a great talent, but if he's still gonna sit there and worry about what went on a few years ago, it's time to move on."

Asked to describe his relationship with Everett, Nixon said, ''I don't think I had any problems with him. I have a problem with him . . . if he's gonna say certain things about certain ballplayers. He might as well come over and say it to my face or come out and say it in someone else's face, rather than say it in the papers."

Matt Clement's pitching today against Everett's White Sox. Clement's fifth in the American League in hit batters.