Fort Myers, Fla. ? Manny Ramirez is so happy to be with the Boston Red Sox that he wants to finish his career with them. That said, the eccentric star isn’t going to ask the team to pick up his option for 2009.

“I want to stay here, but it’s up to them if they want to bring me,” Ramirez said. “But if they don’t want to bring me back, that’s fine. I know I’ll be a free agent after ’08 so that’s another thing that I’m looking forward (to).”

Boston’s slugging left-fielder is entering the final season of his eight-year, $160 million contract that has team options for 2009 and 2010 of $20 million each.

There’s no rush to pick up the option or extend his contract, and Ramirez has no intention of asking the team to do either.

“It’s up to them to say, ‘OK, we’re going to take (the option). It’s not up to me to go into the office and demand a four-year deal, whatever,” Ramirez said. “No, I’m going come here to play the game, finish my year. If they want me to come back, I’ll come back.”

General manager Theo Epstein also wants to wait.

“We’re focused on 2008,” Epstein said. “Manny’s contract provides for the first of his options to be decided upon at the end of the year and there’s a time for that, but it’s certainly after the season. And we’re looking forward to Manny continuing to work hard and have a great year.”

Ramirez is coming off one of his worst offensive seasons – a .296 batting average with 20 homers and 88 RBIs.

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The Chicago White Sox will wear Northern Illinois University baseball caps in their opening spring training game next week to honor the school and the victims of a shooting rampage earlier this month.

A 27-year-old graduate student killed five people and injured several others in a university lecture hall before committing suicide.

After the Feb. 27 exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies, White Sox players will autograph the caps, which will be sent to the DeKalb, Ill., school and auctioned off to benefit a scholarship fund in memory of the five students.

Manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams wore NIU hats last Saturday when the team’s pitchers and catchers reported to spring training.

“It is our way of showing a little bit of support and understanding,” Williams said of the latest tribute. “While it’s a simple gesture on our part, we just want to let the NIU community know that it continues to be in our thoughts and prayers.”

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At Surprise, Ariz., Texas Rangers right fielder Milton Bradley practiced for the second day without limitations on his surgically repaired right knee.

“He’s hitting, doing outfield drills and running,” manager Ron Washington said. “There are no restrictions at all, but we are going to keep an eye on him.”

Bradley had offseason surgery after tearing up his knee on Sept. 23 when his manager, San Diego’s Bud Black, spun him to the ground while trying to keep him from going after an umpire.