Free agents play Japanese amateurs in exhibition

Tyler Clippard wore a black jersey with a white players’ union logo and pitched hitless ball for two innings against amateurs in the green shirts of the East Japan Railway Company.

Even coming off the worst of his nine major league seasons, this is not how the 33-year-old right-hander envisioned spring training.

“We know that my year last year was a bad year, but at the end of the day how bad was it? And it wasn’t as bad as some that got significant contracts,” he said Tuesday after appearing in the first of two exhibition games for free agents scheduled for this week at the IMG Academy.

Thirty-eight players have attended the camp since workouts started Feb. 14. They wonder why they are on the outside while several teams have jettisoned veterans to fill a higher percentage of their roster spots with lower-salaried youth.

Two players agreed to minor league deals after attending camp: right-hander Carlos Torres with Cleveland and left-hander Tommy Layne with Boston.

This camp is similar to the one run by the union at Homestead, Fla., following the end of the 1994-95 strike.

Dave Gallagher attended then as a player and signed with Philadelphia. Now he is a coach under manager Bob Porter.

“They start to lose hope,” he said. “And it’s a little bit humiliating.”

The starting lineup included centre fielder Alejandro De Aza, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, designated hitter Juan Francisco, first baseman Tyler Moore, right fielder Luke Scott, third baseman Chris Johnson, shortstop Omar Infante, left fielder Nolan Reimould and second baseman Tyler Ladendorf. The free agents won 2-0 in five innings, allowing just one hit. Several scouts looked on from the small stands.