FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In his years with the Red Sox, star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra typically addressed the entire clubhouse every Spring Training with the message that it would take a lot more than the 25 players who broke camp with the team to win the World Series. Garciaparra would enforce the message that many players would be called on throughout the course of the long season.

As it turns out, the Red Sox are viewing their glorious season of 2004 in similar fashion, and Garciaparra -- now with the Cubs -- is one of the players who will benefit. It is expected that all 50 players who played at least one inning for the 2004 team will get a World Series championship ring.

That means that the 25 men who were on the World Series roster represent only half of the players who will have rings to commemorate the historic accomplishment.

"I think you will see there's been a philosophy of inclusiveness with respect to the players who contributed," said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "Theo [Epstein] and Tito [Terry Francona], who were responsible for identifying the players who would be recipients of the rings, took a broad -- and I think appropriate -- view that anybody who wore that uniform last year should be included."

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While the returning members of the team will get their rings prior to the home opener (April 11 vs. Yankees), the club was still in the process of determining how rings would be distributed to those who have moved on, such as Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Orlando Cabrera.

"We're going to try to find some meaningful way to distribute those rings," said Lucchino. "It may not be possible to get them in person to all the people who played for us last year who aren't here this year. But we're going to make an effort to provide for some kind of personal distribution to them, maybe when their teams come in. Maybe when we are traveling. We haven't sort of focused on that yet. Those former Red Sox players deserve to wear these and have them bestowed on them with some degree of dignity and pride as well."

As for the design, the matter is still being finalized with the jeweler, Jostens Inc.

"It's approaching completeness," Lucchino said. "We'll have an announcement on that in the next few days."

Schilling ready for mound: Barring a last-minute change in plans, ace Curt Schilling will throw off a mound on Thursday, marking the first time he will do so since November surgery on his right ankle.

Schilling is hoping to make it through the spring with no setbacks, something that would likely enable him to take the ball on April 3 -- Opening Night -- against the Yankees.

Wells fitting in fine: Francona has had nothing but good things to say about 41-year-old left-hander David Wells, who threw on the side as a member of the Red Sox for the first time earlier this week.

"I think he'll fit in as easily as anyone has ever fit in," said Francona. "It doesn't have to be our clubhouse. It could be anyone's clubhouse. When he's on the mound or he's around the ballpark, he's really professional. He takes what he's doing very seriously. I saw him do a side the other day. It was a pleasure to watch that. This is going to be fun. I know he's got some years under him, but he can pitch. He's going to do OK."

Quieting down on A-Rod: Lucchino confirmed that the players were urged in Tuesday's team meeting to stop sending derogatory comments in the direction of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, even when the issue is provoked by media members.

"I think there was an effort to discourage any further references or at least to resist the provocations of media folks to lead us in those kind of discussions," said Lucchino. "I was a little surprised by it. But then I learned there were a lot of New York media, and I learned a lot of these responses were in response to questioning, provocation, and all of that. I'm glad that Tito Francona has declared an end to that. Theo has as well. We're all going to sort of focus on this camp in this town right now and worry about the Yankees on the field when we get there."