Yanks’ Pettitte beats Reds for 1st win since 2010
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Andy Pettitte notched his first win since 2010, and manager Joe Girardi said he’s never looked better, writes Wallace Matthews. Story
The struggling Yankees’ offense finally came through … barely, writes Kieran Darcy. Blog
Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320518110
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Ryan doesn’t expect a Hamilton deal in-season
Josh Hamilton: Making Baseball Look Easy
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HOUSTON — Texas Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan said Friday afternoon he expects the club won’t provide slugger Josh Hamilton with a new contract during the season. The Rangers traditionally don’t negotiate new contracts with players during the year.
However, second baseman Ian Kinsler signed a new contract during the first week of the season, only because talks were serious during the late stages of spring training.
That hasn’t occurred with Hamilton.
“We haven’t carried on the negotiations during the season because we don’t feel like it’s fair to Josh,” said Ryan, who pointed out general manager Jon Daniels spoke briefly with Hamilton’s agent during spring training. “And we don’t want to do something that will be a distraction.”
Hamilton is off to a fantastic start, one that Ryan says he hasn’t seen in years.
Heading into the weekend, Hamilton leads the majors in home runs (18), RBIs (45) and slugging percentage (.826). He also leads the AL in batting average (.399) and is second in the AL in hits (55).
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“It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen with Josh,” Ryan said prior to Game 1 of a three-game series with the Houston Astros. “Things will have to play out. I truly think he would like to stay in Arlington, the Metroplex and be a member of the Texas Rangers. I think he’s very comfortable and his family is very comfortable. We are certainly in hopes that we’ll able to work a deal out with him. But I think [Hamilton and his agent] had the mindset they’ll go through the season and see what happens and see what the market is for Josh Hamilton. It’s hard to make any kind of prediction where that will go. I think it’s probably pretty much where we are.”
Hamilton said he didn’t have any goals set for the season and is not worried about any possible Triple Crown run because it’s a long season. He did say he’s enjoying his time with the Rangers.
“I wouldn’t be worried about free agency [because] I’m going to concentrate on the Rangers and play baseball for this year and that’s what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m praying a lot about it; God will show up whether I’ll be here or somewhere else. It’s not about where I want to be — it’s where he wants me to be.”
Ryan expects that something will be decided in late November or early December. He said he couldn’t predict what the Rangers’ chances are of keeping Hamilton, who turns 31 on Monday.
Hamilton, who is making $13.75 million this season, said the process isn’t difficult for him because of his faith. Ryan believes that Hamilton wants to remain with the Rangers, but the left fielder said the decision is out of his hands.
“I’ve got faith in God and I trust God and I want to do his will more than mine,” Hamilton said. “I don’t necessarily want to do what’s comfortable for me or my family. If he asks us to leave and go somewhere else, it might not be comfortable. But you know what? That’s going to bring me closer to him and make me have a better relationship with him.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Calvin Watkins
ESPNDallas.com
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Cubs reliever Wood retires after final strikeout
Wood: ‘It Was Definitely Special’
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“Kid K” went out in fitting fashion: with a strikeout.
After sources said Friday that Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood would retire after making one last appearance, Wood whiffed the Chicago White Sox‘s
Dayan Viciedo in the eighth inning and promptly left the game.
“It’s just time,” Wood said after the game. “It was time. We saw how things were going this year and just not being able to recover and bounce back and do my job, essentially. You know, do what I’m supposed to do, day in and day out. Just the grind of getting ready every day. To go through it, hours to get ready for 15 pitches and go out there and not be successful.
“You know it was just time, time to give someone else a chance.”
Knowing what was happening, the Wrigley faithful erupted and gave him a standing ovation. Wood shook hands with his teammates before leaving the mound and tipping his hat to the crowd. He looked surprised when his son, Justin, ran out to hug him before he reached the dugout.
“I felt like I was getting ready to pitch my first inning. The adrenaline was the same, the nerves were the same. I can’t give enough credit to the fans, just a tremendous feeling,” Wood said.
Comcast SportsNet Chicago reported a news conference will be held on the field at Wrigley at 3 p.m. Saturday.
“It will be tough not seeing him out there pitching,” pitcher Ryan Dempster said before the game, as Wood was shagging fly balls with his son. “I hope he goes out there and finishes on a great note. He’s been a great friend and a great teammate and a great Chicago Cub.”
Initially, it was reported Wood would retire Friday, but the plan to let him pitch once more prior to the announcement was revealed by sources. That opportunity happened Friday.
Wood appeared to start his going-away party by taking out the lineup card Friday.
“One of those things you know it’s the most difficult thing you ever have to deal with,” manager Dale Sveum said of retirement. “Everybody has to do it.”
Wood, 34, is 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA and has been battling health issues all season.
Wood is best known for his 20-strikeout game during his rookie of the year campaign in 1998, earning him the nickname “Kid K.”
On May 6, 1998, he allowed only one hit, a third-inning single by Ricky Gutierrez, in a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros. It was his fifth major league start.
As the game progressed and with rain falling, Wood’s stuff was never better. Throwing fastballs at 100 mph and with his slider dipping around the Houston bats, Wood didn’t walk a batter, hit one with a pitch and gave up that lone infield single in the third on a ball Cubs third baseman Kevin Orie couldn’t come up with.
When Wood fanned Bill Spiers in the ninth for his 19th strikeout, Wood tied the National League record. He struck out Derek Bell to end the game and tie Roger Clemens‘ major league mark (the two still remain the only MLB pitchers to do it in nine innings).
Highest K/9 IP, MLB History
Among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings, Kerry Wood is one of three in MLB history whose strikeouts per nine innings was 10.0 or higher.
“I didn’t know how many strikeouts I had. I knew I had already given up a hit in the third inning,” Wood later recalled. “I was just trying to get my first complete game.”
He added: “I’ll never forget it. It’s a great moment in my life and my career.”
Wood said his slider was his main weapon that day as he struck out the side in the first, fifth, seventh and eighth innings, and fanned two each in the second, fourth and ninth, and one each in the third and the sixth. Wood threw 122 pitches, 84 for strikes, and got a congratulatory phone call from Clemens afterward.
“The age, as hard as he threw, the command and the poise that he had on the mound, nothing bothered him that day,” Gutierrez recalled. “After the game, we just took our hats off to him. He did a great job. There’s nothing you can take away from him.”
Wood went on to be a driving force behind four playoff teams — 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. He won two games against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in 2003, pushing the Cubs into the NLCS.
When word spread that Wood was planning to step down, White Sox players offered their take.
Starter Jake Peavy said Wood was a pitcher “you wanted to be like because of how dominant he was as a starter and then when he went to the bullpen.”
The dominance of Wood’s 20-strikeout game left a big impression.
Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo discuss Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, who is about to retire. They also talk about some of the best pitching performances they have ever seen.
“I can you tell you when you watch that game and you watch what he did to a big league lineup,” Peavy said. “I’m not taking anything away from any of these games, you can go watch Phil [Humber] and his perfect game, you can go watch Mark Buehrle and his perfect game, please don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s not a comparison to what he did and the domination and sheer fact ‘I’m so much better than you today.’ That’s incredible.”
First baseman Paul Konerko lauded Wood as a “a guy who came right at you and challenged you.”
White Sox manager Robin Ventura recalled the phenomenon that Wood was as a young pitcher.
“I think with everything going on now with [the Nationals' Stephen] Strasburg, before him, it was Kerry Wood. When he came up, he was as good as there ever was,” Ventura said. “He threw hard, great curveball, competitor, professional. It’s always sad when you see a guy like him … make that choice.”
Unable to stay healthy as a starter, Wood remade himself into an effective closer. He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2007 and priced himself out of the Cubs’ plans.
He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1½ seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and was part of their bullpen as they advanced to the ALCS.
“Most every day he went out there, especially before he had the arm surgery, he had no-hit stuff,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was Wood’s teammate from 2000 to ’02 with the Cubs and then managed him in New York. “Loved playing with him. He loved to play the game. He really did.”
Kerry Wood
ESPN Chicago takes a look at Kerry Wood’s career.
Wood’s career | 50 Greatest Cubs
Wood then returned to the Cubs in 2011 at a bargain price, $1.5 million for one year. He had maintained a residence in Chicago and is considered one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.
Wood’s final season has been a rough one. He barely pitched five innings in Cactus League play because of what turned out to be shoulder discomfort. He walked three batters on Opening Day and blew a save. Two days later, he took the loss in giving up three runs.
The low point came May 8, when a frustrated Wood tossed his cap and glove into the stands as he was walking to the dugout after being pulled by Sveum. Wood walked two batters and gave up two runs in the eighth inning that allowed the Atlanta Braves to break a tie game and eventually win.
The normally accommodating Wood cut his postgame interview short and walked away when a reporter asked him about the incident after the game.
Wood had to return home during the middle of the Cubs’ first road trip in April, and he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder. He eventually went on the disabled list.
Tuesday was just the second outing for Wood since coming off the DL, and he had given up two runs in each of those appearances.
“My body wasn’t bouncing back this year. I felt like I was putting guys in the ‘pen in situations they didn’t need to be in. I definitely didn’t want to go out with my last inning being me throwing my glove in the seats,” Wood said. “I wanted to put up a zero or at least get one guy out.”
The two-time All-Star has an 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. He also has 63 saves.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945053/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-retiring
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Verlander loses no-hit bid in 9th, blanks Pirates
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If Justin Verlander had pulled off his third no-hitter, he would have joined a very select group of players with more than two career no-nos — many of whom Verlander is destined to surpass, writes Christina Kahrl. Sweetspot
Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320518106
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Crasnick: Patience must be a virtue for the Padres
Bud Black Impressed With Yonder Alonso
San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso has declared a truce with Petco Park. After several years of waiting in vain for a chance behind Joey Votto in Cincinnati, he’s grateful for the opportunity to play every day, even if half his games take place in a venue where long fly balls that ought to come to rest in a bleacher creature’s nachos more often than not land in an outfielder’s glove.
“I’ve come to peace with that,” Alonso says. “People may think I have a problem with it, but I have zero problems with it. So be it. Deal with it. I’m 25, and I think the earlier I learn how to deal with it, the better it will make me as a hitter.”
Alonso, San Diego’s cleanup hitter, has shown the patience to stick with his natural approach, which means hitting line drives gap to gap. He’s batting .286 and ranks fifth in the National League with 12 doubles, virtuous numbers to show for his equanimity.
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Alonso and the Padres both might benefit from patience, because their reason for hope is in the long-term prognosis. In February, ESPN.com’s Keith Law rated the San Diego farm system as No. 1 in the game. He included six Padres prospects — pitchers Casey Kelly and Joe Ross, outfielder Rymer Liriano, catcher Yasmani Grandal, Alonso and third baseman Jedd Gyorko — among his top 100 prospects. The franchise has an opportunity to supplement that nucleus in early June with six of the first 70 picks in MLB’s first-year-player draft.
But in the short term well, Alonso’s hits haven’t translated into many runs (he’s scored only eight), and the rest of the Padres aren’t crossing home plate any more frequently. Find a way to reach second base with the Padres, and it’s a license to relax with a Kindle and a glass of chardonnay. They rank 15th among the 16 NL teams with 127 runs scored and a .629 OPS. Thank goodness for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The National League West has featured its share of surprises in the first six weeks. Tim Lincecum has one quality start, Chris Capuano is pitching like an All-Star and Jamie Moyer leads the Colorado Rockies’ rotation with a 4.20 ERA. The Arizona Diamondbacks, a popular pick to win the division, recently lost 10 of 12. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who entered the season without much hype, got off to a 9-1 start and have yet to pause for a deep breath.
Meanwhile, it’s the same old, same old in San Diego, where manager Bud Black’s lineup is making fans long for the days of Tony Gwynn. Or Nate Colbert.
In the past week, the Padres beat Roy Halladay 2-1 in Philadelphia and notched a 6-1 win in Washington over Stephen Strasburg, who may or may not have been inhibited by Icy Hot in his jock. But highlights and feel-good moments have been hard to find during the team’s 14-26 start.
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The Padres have hit 16 home runs, which puts them within striking distance of Josh Hamilton if they can get hot. They’re hitting .205 with a .608 OPS in San Diego and .241/.667 on the road, so futility isn’t necessarily dictated by the venue.
On a positive note, the Pads are second in the league in stolen bases. But a team can manufacture only so many runs with an aggregate .301 on-base percentage.
“Obviously, it’s nice to have the homer in there to bail you out when you don’t have anything going,” says third baseman Chase Headley. “You can hit a shot and pick up one or two runs right away. Our margin for error is smaller than a lot of teams. We have to play clean, be focused all the time and execute as far as getting runners over and getting them in. We’re not going to win 8-7 very often. It’s gonna be 3-2, and if you make an error that gives another team an out, that might be the end of it.”
As the Padres strive to get better, they continue to get younger. General manager Josh Byrnes shook things up Thursday when he released 34-year-old second baseman Orlando Hudson and summoned middle infielders Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista from the minors. Those moves didn’t bode well for shortstop Jason Bartlett, whose strained right knee has him on the disabled list at the moment. Once he’s healthy, his .133 batting average (11-for-83) might have him headed straight for an airport ticket counter.
The push to stockpile all those highly rated prospects began in earnest when former Padres GM Jed Hoyer traded Adrian Gonzalez to Boston for Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Reymond Fuentes. Byrnes, Hoyer’s successor, made another bold move in December when he dealt starter Mat Latos to Cincinnati for Alonso, Grandal, pitcher Edinson Volquez and reliever Brad Boxberger.
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Grandal is off to a strong start with Triple-A Tucson, where he’s hitting .287 with an .866 OPS. A National League scout says he’s a better defensive catcher and game-caller than Devin Mesoraco, the young catcher the Reds decided to keep. The scout describes Grandal as a “switch-hitting Alex Avila” type — which is pretty good if the Padres can get the 2011, All-Star version of Avila rather than the .700 OPS, 2012 model.
Alonso, who saw many of San Diego’s prospects in the Cactus League, describes the Padres’ system as “stacked.”
“They have a plan here,” he says. “I saw some of these guys in spring training and they’re good players.”
But a long-range plan doesn’t preclude the Padres from taking some here-and-now lumps. Ryan Ludwick led the 2011 Padres with 11 home runs, and he’s now in Cincinnati; so Byrnes knew the team was going to be power-impaired this season. The Padres acquired outfielder Carlos Quentin from the White Sox in a December trade, and expected him to provide cover for the kids in the middle of the order. But Quentin underwent knee surgery in March and suffered a setback earlier this week that led to a cortisone shot. This is Quentin’s sixth trip to the disabled list since 2007; it’ll be hard to count on him staying healthy even when he completes his latest rehab assignment.
“We thought he would give us a threat and a presence,” Byrnes says. “With his makeup, he brings an intensity and a confidence to the lineup. So he’s been missed.”
Center fielder Cameron Maybin and Alonso probably have felt the biggest burden to fill the void. Maybin, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract extension in March, was bumped from the leadoff spot after hitting .170 in his first 12 games. Alonso’s numbers improved markedly in May once he came to grips with the December trade and finally allowed himself to relax.
“I feel like I’m more myself now,” Alonso says. “I’m normal. You can get so caught up in trying to be something you’re not in this game. You have to be content with who you are and what you’re capable of doing, no matter what stadium you’re playing in.”
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Alonso showed some serious pop with his lone 2012 home run — a line drive that traveled an estimated 394 feet and dented the Budweiser sign just beneath the second deck in right field at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Scouts and talent evaluators ultimately project him as a 15-to-20-homers, 40-doubles type of guy rather than a classic masher.
“He’s able to let the ball travel in the zone, and he’s shown he’s able to hit good pitching,” says Omar Minaya, San Diego’s senior vice president of baseball operations. “You watch the games and see a guy who isn’t going to rush himself in an RBI situation. He’s going to hit the ball where he wants to hit it, and he isn’t going to swing at bad pitches. He identifies the zone very well for a young hitter.”
Alonso is an intriguing hitter. But the Padres lack a Giancarlo Stanton, a Bryce Harper or even a Jason Heyward with the talent and charisma to be a focal point of the batting order and a franchise face for years to come. Unless they decide to bring in the Petco Park fences, they’ll have to address their offensive issues with depth and imagination moving forward.
At least they have some financial flexibility. The Padres’ Opening Day payroll of $55.8 million ranked 29th in the game, and the future will come into clearer focus when a new ownership group takes over for John Moores. Now that the Dodgers have been sold, the Padres are next up on MLB’s agenda.
“With the moves we’ve made, we’ve gotten better performance at half the cost, plus prospects on the back end,” Byrnes says. “Those are the things we have to do. But when your record is what it is, that isn’t much consolation.”
The long-term outlook in San Diego is reasonably sunny. The short-term pain is more acute than the players, the front office or the fan base would prefer.
Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com MLB insider
- ESPN.com senior writer
- Author of “License to Deal”
- Former Denver Post national baseball writer
Source: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7946217/yonder-alonso-embodies-san-diego-padres-hurry-wait-future
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McNamee: Some evidence not from Clemens
WASHINGTON — Brian McNamee testified Friday that some of the medical evidence he saved in a beer can was not used on former pitcher Roger Clemens.
McNamee is the main prosecution witness in the case against Clemens, who’s accused of lying to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs. McNamee testified this week that he injected the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with steroids and human growth hormone.
McNamee has said he kept medical evidence from injecting Clemens with steroids in 2001, and stored some of the material in a Miller Lite beer can. But under cross-examination, he acknowledged that some of the items in the can were not in fact used on Clemens, such as a small bottle of HGH, a needle to inject HGH, and a bottle of saline solution used for such injections.
McNamee, Clemens’ former strength and conditioning coach, also testified that a pin included in the beer can might not have been used on Clemens. He said it was either used on Clemens or another player, whom he did not name.
Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin is trying to raise doubts about the integrity of the evidence.
“You were a police office for three years, you know about chain of custody?” he asked.
“A little bit,” McNamee replied.
“Haven’t you testified that everything in beer can was for Roger?” Hardin asked.
“Not everything,” McNamee said. He added: “I’ve said that all along — it could have been from three different players.”
Although Hardin expressed shock that some items in the beer can were not used on Clemens, McNamee told congressional investigators the same thing in 2008, prior to the hearing in which he and Clemens testified.
Clemens
McNamee
An investigator questioned the source of the HGH in the beer can, because McNamee said he injected Clemens with HGH only in 2000, not 2001. The investigator asked if it was Chuck Knoblauch, who has admitted taking HGH.
“It can only be Knoblauch,” McNamee replied.
Also Friday, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said he hoped the trial would be over by June 8. He said he had conflicts for the next several weeks after that and that if the trial isn’t finished by then, “We’ll probably have to go into recess for at least a month, and then we’ll have some real unhappy jurors.”
The day before, out of earshot of the jury, the judged revealing that some jurors had wondered how long the trial will last.
“At this pace, I’ll guess we’ll be here forever,” Walton said.
A prosecutor said he expected to finish the case by the end of next week — or at the latest early the following week. He said the government had 14 more witnesses after McNamee.
“Fourteen additional witnesses?” Walton said incredulously.
After the government’s case, the defense then brings its own witnesses if it chooses to.
Walton said that the case is taking too long, that jurors want to get back to their lives. He warned that one side could suffer — although he didn’t know which one.
Chided by the judge on Thursday for what he called a confusing and mostly pointless cross-examination, Hardin finally turned, after 19 hours, to his central accusation: that McNamee doctored the physical evidence to frame the former star pitcher.
Hardin started that attack late Thursday, insinuating that McNamee manufactured the evidence after Clemens’ televised denials of steroids use.
“All of a sudden, the person being accused is fighting back,” Hardin said, “and you have to figure out some way to save yourself.”
Defense lawyers have said that they will attack the chain of custody of the materials, which McNamee said he stored at his house from 2001 until 2008, when he and his lawyers turned the evidence over to federal authorities.
The Clemens team has also suggested that McNamee put the steroids in the needle after injecting Clemens and that McNamee actually used the needle to inject Clemens with vitamin B12. Clemens has maintained for years that he received B12 shots and the local anesthetic lidocaine but not performance-enhancing drugs.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
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MLB wild-card winners to host division openers
Mike and Mike in the Morning
ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney dishes on the new format for the postseason, David Wright, Alex Rodriguez, the Athletics’ surprising start and more.
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MRI shows tear in knee of Cubs’ Soto; DL likely
More On The Cubs
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Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945637/mri-shows-tear-knee-chicago-cubs-geovany-soto
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Could A’s leave Bay? Selig raises possibility
NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says it’s up to Oakland owner Lew Wolff to decide whether to consider additional sites for a new ballpark for the Athletics, leaving open the possibility of a move outside the Bay Area.
Speaking Thursday after a quarterly owners’ meeting, Selig said there’s no timetable for resolving Oakland’s dispute with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are preventing the A’s from building a ballpark in San Jose, which is part of the Giants’ territory.
Baseball has been reluctant to approve relocations. When the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals after the 2004 season, it was the first shift since the expansion Washington Senators transformed into the Texas Rangers in 1972.
Mike and Mike in the Morning
ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney dishes on the new format for the postseason, David Wright, Alex Rodriguez, the Athletics’ surprising start and more.
Asked whether the A’s would consider other relocation possibilities, Selig responded: “You’d have to ask Lew Wolff. That’s really his decision to make.”
Twenty-three teams have opened ballparks since 1989, and the A’s and Tampa Bay are the only two teams still seeking new stadiums. Wolff would be allowed to consider other sites within the A’s territory — such as downtown Oakland — but approval from MLB would be needed for a move outside the territory.
“It depends where they’d be. They could be all over the world, for that matter,” Selig said. “They need approval. We have to go through an approval process. It just depends on where they’re moving to.”
Selig established a committee to examine the situation in March 2009 but appears reluctant to impose a decision on either team.
Wolff, a California real estate developer, has said he does not plan to sell the team and has no regrets in buying the franchise despite the rundown Oakland Coliseum.
“Lew continues to be committed to moving to San Jose, following the procedures and guidelines of the commissioner and the committee,” team spokesman Ken Pries said. “The focus has not changed in keeping the team in the Bay Area, and specifically San Jose. The focus is San Jose, No. 1, and keeping the team in the Bay Area.”
Selig said last month he hoped the A’s and Giants would resolve the matter themselves, but there’s no indication that will happen.
“Both clubs yesterday made a presentation to the executive council, but there’s nothing new other than that,” Selig said.
He added that he can’t provide a timetable and responded “no” when asked whether some kind of decision was approaching.
With the Houston Astros switching to the American League next year, MLB also is working on a new schedule format that provides season-long interleague play. Selig said it’s possible baseball could retain six interleague games between rivals, such as the New York Yankees and Mets, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, the A’s and the Giants, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels.
“The fans like it,” Selig said. “When your fans like something, you have to be responsive to that and sensitive to it.”
Baseball hopes to complete its new collective bargaining agreement with players within a few weeks. A memorandum of understanding on the five-year deal was signed Nov. 22.
Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive vice president of labor relations, also gave MLB’s first explanation for last week’s decision to fire Shyam Das, the arbitrator who in February overturned a 50-game suspension for NL MVP Ryan Braun following a positive drug test. Braun’s lawyers argued his urine sample wasn’t handled as specified in baseball’s drug agreement.
“Shyam served for 13 years. That’s a very long time,” Manfred said. “He’s a very high-quality arbitrator. We made a decision to exercise our contractual right to make a change. There’s nothing more to that.”
Management and the union are to talk next week about selecting a new arbitrator, who would hear the union’s grievance to overturn a 100-game suspension for Giants reliever Guillermo Mota.
Mark Walter and Stan Kasten, the Dodgers’ new chairman and president, attended their first owners’ meeting since buying the team from Frank McCourt on May 1 in a record $2 billion deal. Owners approved a six-year extension of the major league constitution and Baseball Advanced Media, the sport’s Internet division.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
Source: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7942133/oakland-athletics-move-bay-area-possible-bud-selig-says
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Source: Cubs’ Wood to retire after next outing
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will retire after his next outing, which could come as soon as Friday, a source familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine.
The Cubs won’t force him into a game, a source told ESPNChicago.com’s Doug Padilla. The announcement will come after his next appearance. The team has said Wood is available to pitch Friday afternoon in the first game of the city series against the Chicago White Sox.
Initially, it was reported that Wood would retire Friday, but the plan to let him pitch once more before the announcement was revealed by sources.
Wood, 34, is 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA and has been battling health issues all season.
Wood is best-known for his 20-strikeout game during his rookie of the year campaign in 1998, earning him the nickname “Kid K.”
He was a driving force behind four playoff teams — 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. He won two games against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in 2003, pushing the Cubs into the NLCS.
Unable to stay healthy as a starter, Wood remade himself into an effective closer. He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2007 and priced himself out of the Cubs’ plans.
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He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and was part of their bullpen as they advanced to the ALCS.
Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011 at a bargain price, $1.5 million for one year. He had maintained a residence in Chicago and is considered one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.
Wood’s final season has been a rough one. He barely pitched five innings in Cactus League play because of what turned out to be shoulder discomfort. He walked three batters on Opening Day and blew a save. Two days later, he took the loss in giving up three runs.
The low point came May 8, when a frustrated Wood tossed his cap and glove into the stands as he was walking to the dugout after being pulled by Cubs manager Dale Sveum. Wood walked two batters and gave up two runs in the eighth inning that allowed the Atlanta Braves to break a tie game and eventually win.
The normally accommodating Wood cut his postgame interview short and walked away when a reporter asked him about the incident after the game.
Wood had to return home during the middle of the Cubs’ first road trip in April, and he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder. He eventually went on the disabled list.
Tuesday was just the second outing for Wood since coming off the DL, and he has given up two runs in each of those appearances.
The two-time All-Star has an 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. He also has 63 saves.
Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945053/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-retiring-source-says
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Source: Cubs’ Wood to retire after next outing
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will retire after his next outing, which could come as soon as Friday, a source familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine.
The Cubs won’t force him into a game, a source told ESPNChicago.com’s Doug Padilla. The announcement will come after his next appearance. The team has said Wood is available to pitch Friday afternoon in the first game of the city series against the Chicago White Sox.
Initially, it was reported that Wood would retire Friday, but the plan to let him pitch once more before the announcement was revealed by sources.
Wood, 34, is 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA and has been battling health issues all season.
Wood is best-known for his 20-strikeout game during his rookie of the year campaign in 1998, earning him the nickname “Kid K.”
He was a driving force behind four playoff teams — 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. He won two games against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in 2003, pushing the Cubs into the NLCS.
Unable to stay healthy as a starter, Wood remade himself into an effective closer. He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2007 and priced himself out of the Cubs’ plans.
ESPNChicago.com Cubs blog
The latest Cubs news from ESPN Chicago. Blog
He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and was part of their bullpen as they advanced to the ALCS.
Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011 at a bargain price, $1.5 million for one year. He had maintained a residence in Chicago and is considered one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.
Wood’s final season has been a rough one. He barely pitched five innings in Cactus League play because of what turned out to be shoulder discomfort. He walked three batters on Opening Day and blew a save. Two days later, he took the loss in giving up three runs.
The low point came May 8, when a frustrated Wood tossed his cap and glove into the stands as he was walking to the dugout after being pulled by Cubs manager Dale Sveum. Wood walked two batters and gave up two runs in the eighth inning that allowed the Atlanta Braves to break a tie game and eventually win.
The normally accommodating Wood cut his postgame interview short and walked away when a reporter asked him about the incident after the game.
Wood had to return home during the middle of the Cubs’ first road trip in April, and he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder. He eventually went on the disabled list.
Tuesday was just the second outing for Wood since coming off the DL, and he has given up two runs in each of those appearances.
The two-time All-Star has an 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. He also has 63 saves.
Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945053/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-retiring-source-says
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Source: Cubs’ Wood to retire after next outing
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will retire after his next outing, which could come as soon as Friday, a source familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine.
The Cubs won’t force him into a game, a source told ESPNChicago.com’s Doug Padilla. The announcement will come after his next appearance. The team has said Wood is available to pitch Friday afternoon in the first game of the city series against the Chicago White Sox.
Initially, it was reported that Wood would retire Friday, but the plan to let him pitch once more before the announcement was revealed by sources.
Wood, 34, is 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA and has been battling health issues all season.
Wood is best-known for his 20-strikeout game during his rookie of the year campaign in 1998, earning him the nickname “Kid K.”
He was a driving force behind four playoff teams — 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. He won two games against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in 2003, pushing the Cubs into the NLCS.
Unable to stay healthy as a starter, Wood remade himself into an effective closer. He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2007 and priced himself out of the Cubs’ plans.
ESPNChicago.com Cubs blog
The latest Cubs news from ESPN Chicago. Blog
He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and was part of their bullpen as they advanced to the ALCS.
Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011 at a bargain price, $1.5 million for one year. He had maintained a residence in Chicago and is considered one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.
Wood’s final season has been a rough one. He barely pitched five innings in Cactus League play because of what turned out to be shoulder discomfort. He walked three batters on Opening Day and blew a save. Two days later, he took the loss in giving up three runs.
The low point came May 8, when a frustrated Wood tossed his cap and glove into the stands as he was walking to the dugout after being pulled by Cubs manager Dale Sveum. Wood walked two batters and gave up two runs in the eighth inning that allowed the Atlanta Braves to break a tie game and eventually win.
The normally accommodating Wood cut his postgame interview short and walked away when a reporter asked him about the incident after the game.
Wood had to return home during the middle of the Cubs’ first road trip in April, and he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder. He eventually went on the disabled list.
Tuesday was just the second outing for Wood since coming off the DL, and he has given up two runs in each of those appearances.
The two-time All-Star has an 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. He also has 63 saves.
Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945053/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-retiring-source-says
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Source: Cubs’ Wood to retire after next outing
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will retire after his next outing, which could come as soon as Friday, a source familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine.
The Cubs won’t force him into a game, a source told ESPNChicago.com’s Doug Padilla. The announcement will come after his next appearance. The team has said Wood is available to pitch Friday afternoon in the first game of the city series against the Chicago White Sox.
Initially, it was reported that Wood would retire Friday, but the plan to let him pitch once more before the announcement was revealed by sources.
Wood, 34, is 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA and has been battling health issues all season.
Wood is best-known for his 20-strikeout game during his rookie of the year campaign in 1998, earning him the nickname “Kid K.”
He was a driving force behind four playoff teams — 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. He won two games against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in 2003, pushing the Cubs into the NLCS.
Unable to stay healthy as a starter, Wood remade himself into an effective closer. He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2007 and priced himself out of the Cubs’ plans.
ESPNChicago.com Cubs blog
The latest Cubs news from ESPN Chicago. Blog
He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and was part of their bullpen as they advanced to the ALCS.
Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011 at a bargain price, $1.5 million for one year. He had maintained a residence in Chicago and is considered one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.
Wood’s final season has been a rough one. He barely pitched five innings in Cactus League play because of what turned out to be shoulder discomfort. He walked three batters on Opening Day and blew a save. Two days later, he took the loss in giving up three runs.
The low point came May 8, when a frustrated Wood tossed his cap and glove into the stands as he was walking to the dugout after being pulled by Cubs manager Dale Sveum. Wood walked two batters and gave up two runs in the eighth inning that allowed the Atlanta Braves to break a tie game and eventually win.
The normally accommodating Wood cut his postgame interview short and walked away when a reporter asked him about the incident after the game.
Wood had to return home during the middle of the Cubs’ first road trip in April, and he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder. He eventually went on the disabled list.
Tuesday was just the second outing for Wood since coming off the DL, and he has given up two runs in each of those appearances.
The two-time All-Star has an 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. He also has 63 saves.
Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945053/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-retiring-source-says
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Source: Cubs’ Wood to retire after next outing
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will retire after his next outing, which could come as soon as Friday, a source familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine.
The Cubs won’t force him into a game, a source told ESPNChicago.com’s Doug Padilla. The announcement will come after his next appearance. The team has said Wood is available to pitch Friday afternoon in the first game of the city series against the Chicago White Sox.
Initially, it was reported that Wood would retire Friday, but the plan to let him pitch once more before the announcement was revealed by sources.
Wood, 34, is 0-2 with a 8.64 ERA and has been battling health issues all season.
Wood is best-known for his 20-strikeout game during his rookie of the year campaign in 1998, earning him the nickname “Kid K.”
He was a driving force behind four playoff teams — 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. He won two games against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS in 2003, pushing the Cubs into the NLCS.
Unable to stay healthy as a starter, Wood remade himself into an effective closer. He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2007 and priced himself out of the Cubs’ plans.
ESPNChicago.com Cubs blog
The latest Cubs news from ESPN Chicago. Blog
He signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. He spent 1 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2010, and was part of their bullpen as they advanced to the ALCS.
Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011 at a bargain price, $1.5 million for one year. He had maintained a residence in Chicago and is considered one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.
Wood’s final season has been a rough one. He barely pitched five innings in Cactus League play because of what turned out to be shoulder discomfort. He walked three batters on Opening Day and blew a save. Two days later, he took the loss in giving up three runs.
The low point came May 8, when a frustrated Wood tossed his cap and glove into the stands as he was walking to the dugout after being pulled by Cubs manager Dale Sveum. Wood walked two batters and gave up two runs in the eighth inning that allowed the Atlanta Braves to break a tie game and eventually win.
The normally accommodating Wood cut his postgame interview short and walked away when a reporter asked him about the incident after the game.
Wood had to return home during the middle of the Cubs’ first road trip in April, and he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder. He eventually went on the disabled list.
Tuesday was just the second outing for Wood since coming off the DL, and he has given up two runs in each of those appearances.
The two-time All-Star has an 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. He also has 63 saves.
Source: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7945053/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-retiring-source-says
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Pujols, Wells blast Angels past White Sox
More on the Angels
For more news, notes and analysis of the Angels, check out Mark Saxon’s blog »
Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320516103
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Rockies’ Moyer beats D-backs with arm and bat
DENVER — Jamie Moyer handcuffed the Arizona Diamondbacks at the plate and in the field.
The 49-year-old lefty pitched neatly into the seventh and drove in two runs with an infield single in Colorado’s 6-1 win Wednesday night.
In the fourth inning, he dribbled a 2-2 fastball in between lefty Patrick Corbin and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who fielded the ball and futilely lunged at the old-timer lumbering down the line.
That scored Jordan Pacheco from third, and he was quickly followed by Dexter Fowler, scoring all the way from second base on the 85-foot single and giving the Rockies a 5-0 lead.
“The guy has his back turned, he’s not expecting that,” Fowler said. “I always run hard, especially with two outs.”
The two RBIs tied Moyer’s career high set against Pittsburgh in June 2004 when he was with the Seattle Mariners.
After working the count to 2-2, Moyer squirted the ball off the end of his bat.
“I thought it was going to roll foul,” Moyer said. “And I feel like I hesitated just a little bit, and then … as I was running down the line, I saw the pitcher stop and the first baseman, I think he picked it up and he was going to throw it to the pitcher and then he realized the pitcher wasn’t (covering the bag).
“So, then it became, I guess, a slow crawl to first base.”
The D-backs said they were caught in no-man’s land.
“At first, I thought I could get to it,” Corbin said. “He called me off, thought he could get to it.”
Still, it was close and from some angles on TV, it looked like Goldschmidt might have made the tag.
“I didn’t feel him tag me,” Moyer said with a shrug.
“I thought I got a piece of him,” Goldschmidt said. “It wasn’t one of those plays where I crushed his leg or anything like that. But that’s how it goes sometimes.”
Moyer said he never considered just jogging out the dribbler.
“I feel like when you’re on the field, if you can’t give your best effort, then you shouldn’t be out there,” he said. “That’s how I was taught the game of baseball and I’m not one of the overly-talented guys in the league, so I always feel I have to try to be on top of things all the time.”
Moyer couldn’t recall ever witnessing a two-run infield single in his nearly quarter-century in the majors.
In fact, he still hasn’t.
“I didn’t see it,” Moyer said of Fowler’s hustling home on the play. “Actually, I didn’t realize it until I came back to the bag and I stood on the bag and I looked up and I just assumed he would be on the base. And my gosh, that’s (third base coach) Rich Dauer. Then, I looked at the scoreboard and I realized what had happened. It was great hustle.”
Fowler said Moyer’s the one who should be commended.
“I was more shocked that Moyer beat it out,” Fowler said. “The guy was hustling. He was hustling, himself. … He’s a bulldog. The guy never quits.”
Moyer (2-3) also drew a walk in the sixth, but he was even more impressive on the rubber. He allowed one earned run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings, walked two and struck out five in winning for the first time since April 17, when he broke Jack Quinn’s mark to become the oldest pitcher in Major League Baseball to win a game.
He outpitched Corbin (2-2), who gave up six runs on nine hits in six innings, in improving to 5-1 lifetime against the Diamondbacks.
Corbin is the second 22-year-old pitcher Moyer has faced this season. The 26-year, 243-day difference in their age marked the fourth-largest differential for starting pitchers in major league history, according to the Rockies’ pregame notes, which cited the Elias Sports Bureau.
“I haven’t really seen him too much,” Corbin said. “Big age difference, obviously, that people were saying. He’s still going out there and look what he did today, still keeping our hitters off balance. That’s why he’s been around so long.”
The D-backs finally got to Moyer in the seventh when John McDonald led off with a double and scored one out later on pinch hitter Cody Ransom‘s double. That brought in Josh Roenicke, who threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before Esmil Rogers pitched a perfect ninth.
Fowler, who was recently dropped to eighth in the batting order, went 3 for 3 with a single, double and triple but didn’t get a shot at becoming the seventh Rockies hitter to hit for the cycle. He was on deck when Pacheco made the last out in the bottom of the eighth.
Game notes
The press box grease board where other games are charted at Coors Field was blank Wednesday night in memory of Robert Storey, 67, an usher at Rockies and Broncos games who was killed in a traffic accident Tuesday. … Rockies RHP Jhoulys Chacin said he still hasn’t started throwing yet. He’s dealing with shoulder inflammation and biceps tendinitis, which he said started to bother him in spring training: “I didn’t feel good at all in spring training,” he said Wednesday night.
Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320516127
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Rays 2B Rhymes passes out after hit by pitch
NEXT VIDEO
- Rhymes OK After Collapsing
Rhymes OK After Collapsing
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Rhymes Faints After Being Drilled By Pitch
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A scary moment occurred Wednesday night at Tropicana Field when Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Will Rhymes collapsed and passed out on the field in the bottom of the eighth inning because of what the Rays called an adrenaline rush after he was hit in the elbow by a pitch thrown by Boston Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales.
Rhymes clearly was in pain after he was hit and was immediately tended to by a Tampa team trainer and manager Joe Maddon. After a few minutes, Rhymes trotted to first base while the Red Sox made a pitching change.
![[+] Enlarge](http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/0516/bos_a_rhymes01jr_600.jpg){kind=link}
Rhymes then began to motion toward the Tampa dugout that he could not continue when he collapsed.
Rays first-base coach George Hendrick was nearby and was able to catch Rhymes before he hit the ground. EMTs came out and after approximately 10 minutes, Rhymes was alert and taken off the field on a golf cart.
“That stuff hurts,” Maddon said. “It’ll knock the wind out of you and take your breath away. When you get hit that well on the arm, it makes you want to throw up.”
Rhymes said after Tampa’s 2-1 win that he was fine and described what happened.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to throw the ball but I thought I’d be able to run,” Rhymes said after the game. “When I got to first, I started to get really dizzy and nauseous and that’s when I started walking off. Apparently I didn’t get very far.
“I was totally fine until I got to first. I assured Joe I was good to go. I don’t know if the adrenaline wore off or what, but I started to get dizzy and nauseous and that’s when I started walking off.”
Morales was clearly bothered by the incident and was concerned for Rhymes’ health after the game.
“That scared me too,” Morales said. “I tried to go in with my fastball. I hit him and I feel bad for him. I’m going to call him and talk to him. I want to know that he’s going to be fine. I feel sorry for him. I missed it and I’m sorry.”
“That was an ugly sight,” Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. “It was scary.”
Rhymes had X-rays taken on his arm at Tropicana Field and the results came back negative.
“I’m shocked,” Rhymes said of the results. “Morales throws 95-96 and that one was pretty firm and it hit me right on the bone because I kind of turned into it. It literally hit me square on the bone. They say it’s one of the strongest bones in the body, so thank God for that.”
Rhymes said it was the first time he has passed out.
“Hopefully it’s my last,” he said. “I told them I was Batman, just to mess with them.”
Joe McDonald
Reporter, ESPNBoston.com
- Red Sox and Bruins beat reporter
- Covered Boston teams since 1992
- Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2010
Source: http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7940296/tampa-bay-rays-rhymes-passes-being-hit-pitch
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Darvish tops A’s for sixth win in seven decisions
More from ESPNDallas.com
Going into Wednesday’s game, Yu Darvish and catcher Yorvit Torrealba talked about using his fastball as an out pitch. It worked and Darvish went deep into the ballgame, writes Richard Durrett. Blog
• Durrett: Trust Washington with rest
• Stats Info: Yu throws early strikes
• Rapid reaction
Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320516113
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Jays’ Lawrie banned 4 games; plans to appeal
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Appeal Play
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TORONTO — Brett Lawrie heard the penalty, then expressed just one regret about his tantrum: that his batting helmet bounced up and hit an umpire.
Major League Baseball suspended Lawrie for four games and fined him an undisclosed amount Wednesday, a day after the Toronto third baseman got into an altercation with umpire Bill Miller.
Lawrie appealed and can play until there is a hearing, which could be held next week via video conference. He said he intended to apologize to Miller for being hit in the right hip.
“The only thing I would change is maybe not throwing the helmet or any equipment toward the umpire because you can get an unlucky hop and have the kind of mess that’s going on right now,” he said.
The 22-year-old Lawrie was in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the New York Yankees — with the same umpiring crew in town, Miller was stationed in close proximity at third base.
Lawrie received the loudest cheer in pregame introductions and the umpires were booed when their names were posted on the scoreboard. He did not speak with Miller upon taking his position for the top of the first, and quickly ran off the field after the inning ended.
“I’m just playing the game the way I’ve always played it,” Lawrie said. “That’s the passion I have for the game and I don’t feel like I need to change anything.”
Lawrie, born and raised in Canada, is in his first full season in the majors. Miller became part of the MLB umpiring staff in 1999.
The trouble began Tuesday night in the ninth inning in a game Toronto lost to Tampa Bay 4-3. Lawrie started toward first base after he thought a 3-1 pitch missed, but Miller called it a strike.
On a full-count pitch that he believed was ball four, Lawrie again headed toward first base. When Miller called strike three, Lawrie momentarily crouched in disbelief. Lawrie dropped his bat, gestured at Miller and shouted, and was ejected.
Lawrie then started toward Miller, wound up with his right arm and slammed down his helmet. It bounced at the umpire’s feet and ricocheted up into him.
“That’s a bit extreme,” Miller said after the game.
As Miller walked off the field, he was hit in the shoulder by a drink thrown by a fan.
Both Blue Jays manager John Farrell and general manager Alex Anthopoulos said they would not try to curtail the exuberance of their infielder.
“He’s an energetic player, we don’t want him to lose that energy and that passion for the game, that will to compete and do whatever he has in his power at the moment to make an impact on the game,” Farrell said.
Anthopoulos said he would “never begrudge a player for being upset and being a competitor.”
“That’s just part of the game,” he said. “I don’t fault anybody for that.”
Anthopoulos approached Lawrie as he stood next to the cage during batting practice. The two spoke briefly, with Anthopoulos patting Lawrie on the shoulder several times before walking away.
Lawrie then returned to the clubhouse to speak with his manager and GM in Farrell’s office before returning to the field to face the media as news of the suspension was made official.
Lawrie said he looked forward to the hearing as a chance to tell his side of the story.
“The only thing I regret is the helmet hitting him,” Lawrie said. “I never meant to do that and it shows … it took a bad hop and it hit him just totally by accident.”
“I don’t have any intentions of hurting anyone,” he said. “I was just frustrated at the play at the time.”
While conceding that Lawrie had made “a bad choice” in slamming down his helmet, Anthopoulos stressed Lawrie’s lack of intent, and the misfortune that Miller happened to be struck.
“He knows he shouldn’t throw his helmet, it goes without saying,” Anthopoulos said. “Everyone knows he didn’t throw it at anybody, it happened to bounce and hit someone. If he had turned a little to his right or a little to his left, I think you’re probably not even involved in any type of suspension.”
“It’s not like you’re recounting a story over the phone of, ‘You won’t believe what happened,’” he said.
Anthopoulos deflected the suggestion that Miller’s strike calls were motivated by spite after Lawrie headed toward first base.
“I don’t think the umpires would ever do their jobs that way,” he said. “I think, from that standpoint, you can look back at the film, like we all can in hindsight and 20-20, and we can obviously see if they’re balls or strikes. That’s very easy to look at in hindsight. I’m not sitting back there behind the plate and I know how hard that job is so I would never accuse anybody of doing that.”
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
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Manny to begin Triple-A stint, eyeing A’s debut
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Sacramento River Cats’ latest post on Facebook: “It’s Manny Time.”
Suspended slugger Manny Ramirez is scheduled to begin a 10-game minor league stint with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M., and the club is already preparing special ticket packages for his home games in Northern California.
Barring rainouts, the dreadlocked designated hitter and outfielder is eligible to be activated by the Oakland Athletics from his 50-game suspension on May 30 — his 40th birthday — for the finale of a three-game series at Minnesota.
The A’s announced his schedule Tuesday, and the River Cats have already been busy planning for his much-anticipated arrival in the state capital.
The limited edition “Manny Pack” ticket packages in Sacramento will include 20 or 40 ticket vouchers good for any game this season along with a Ramirez River Cats T-shirt, while supplies last, of course.
“Manny’s name is getting thrown around quite a bit,” said A’s outfielder Collin Cowgill, recently promoted from Sacramento. “It’ll be good for the fans in Sacramento to see a guy like him come through. Obviously, he’s going to fill the seats there, as he should. He deserves it. He’s one heck of a player.”
While the A’s could have sent Ramirez to Class-A Stockton this weekend and guaranteed themselves a big draw at the gates, general manager Billy Beane wanted to get Ramirez prepared against the best competition and pitching possible before his return.
The 12-time All-Star had to serve a 50-game suspension for a second positive drug test.
This will be the 20th major league season for Ramirez, a career .312 hitter with 1,831 RBIs.
The A’s signed Ramirez to a one-year minor league contract on Feb. 20 that is worth approximately $500,000 if he’s added to the big league roster.
Ramirez retired from the Tampa Bay Rays last season rather than serve a 100-game suspension for a second failed drug test. The penalty was cut to 50 games because he sat out nearly all of last season.
He ranks 14th on the career list with 555 home runs. Ramirez went 1 for 17 (.059) in five games last season for Tampa Bay.
This spring, Ramirez vowed to be ready to make a comeback with the A’s.
“It’s going to take time. I haven’t played in a whole year, so it’s like starting to walk again, getting into that feel,” he said.
Also Tuesday, the A’s claimed Australian lefty reliever Travis Blackley off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s transferred right-handed reliever Joey Devine to the 60-day disabled list as he recovers from his second Tommy John elbow reconstructive surgery in three years.
A move on the 25-man roster will be made when Blackley joins the A’s, who were set to play the second game of a two-game series against the Angels in Anaheim.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
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