Master Index of Archived Threads


The Continuing Careers of Ex-Mets

Edgy DC Aug 02 2006 09:05 AM

Um, Xavier Nady went 1-4 in his Pirate debut, playing first base. Here's a story about Kevin Stocker, who finished his career as a Met spring training invitee, one of a group of such players I like to call "Nellies," after Nelson Briles. Injuries made Stocker's career come up short after Abreu deal By ED BARKOWITZ barkowe@phillynews.com It appeared to be just another innocuous baseball trade. On Nov. 18, 1997, the Phillies, coming off a 68-94 season, dealt shortstop Kevin Stocker to Tampa Bay for Bobby Abreu, the Houston Astros outfielder the Devil Rays had just selected in the third round of the expansion draft. Stocker, who five seasons earlier solidified the Phillies' only hole during their magical run to the 1993 pennant, remembers the day clearly. He was at home with his wife, Brooke, and the two were cooking dinner and keeping an eye on the draft (which is about as romantic as most major leaguers get). "I didn't know who Bobby Abreu was at the time, I don't think anybody did," Stocker said. "Obviously now it turned out to be a pretty good trade for Philly." Boy, did it ever. Abreu, traded by the Phillies to the Yankees on Sunday, would go on to become one of the best-hitting outfielders in Phillies history. Injuries kept Stocker from ever recapturing the success he had as a rookie. "Tampa Bay was a miserable place," Stocker said. "At the time, the organization really struggled. It's still struggling, but they're trying. It kind of sucked the life out of me. By the time I left there, I had quite a few injuries. I had a good time in Anaheim [in 2000], except I was hurt most of the time. At the end of the season, with the injuries, I had lost some of the fire. I didn't want to play anymore. I was going to be home with my kids." Stocker spent two-plus seasons in Tampa, a half-season with the Angels and had an invitation to a Mets spring-training camp before discovering his fire for playing had been extinguished. Stocker hit .262 in his five seasons in Philadelphia with 14 home runs and 172 RBI. He was a midseason call-up for the rollicking 1993 club, the last Phillies team to play in the postseason. He hit a career-best .324 that year and played well enough defensively that manager Jim Fregosi used him as the everyday shortstop shortly after his memorable debut on July 7 at Dodger Stadium. Though he went 0-for-6, he did contribute a sacrifice bunt in the decisive frame as the Phillies won, 7-6, in 20 innings. Stocker, the Phils' second-round pick in 1991 out of the University of Washington, retired from baseball at 31. These days, he lives in Liberty Lake, Wash., a suburb of his native Spokane, and spends his time "coaching everything I can" for his three children, who range in age from 6 to 9. He also works part-time as a field manager for Rockwood Property Management, a residential real estate development firm, and serves as a color analyst during college baseball season for the cable network CSTV. Stocker is 36 now and, though he toils in relative anonymity in the Great Northwest, Stocker remembers his days in Philadelphia with great fondness. "It's so different out here because everybody's a Mariners fan," he said during a break at skateboarding camp for one of his children. "I can walk around here and no one really knows me. I can come back to Philadelphia for a day and fans know me. That's why Philadelphia was so fun to play [in]. That's where I had my best years."

Edgy DC Aug 02 2006 01:48 PM

Mike DeFelice, who was the senior member (I assume) of the B-Mets, in order to play Crash Davis for Mike Pelfrey, has been promoted to Norfolk. Heading down to Binghamton to take his place is floundering prospect Joe Hietpas.

Elster88 Aug 02 2006 02:14 PM Re: The Continuing Careers of Ex-Mets

Edgy DC wrote: playing first base. !!!!!

TheOldMole Aug 02 2006 04:46 PM

] Heading down to Binghamton to take his place is floundering prospect Joe Hietpas He needs his mom.

Edgy DC Aug 03 2006 12:44 PM

Mike Bacsik, blowing minds. Dan Joseph Reports Bacsik looking forward to next big league opportunity Aug 3, 2006 12:49 PM EDT In a season where former Sidewinders are making an impact in the majors, a 28-year-old former big league southpaw is quietly having one of his best seasons, but he's doing it in the Pacific Coast League. Mike Bacsik says, "It's definitely the best start I've ever had, probably the best team I've ever played on in AAA. It's definitely not all me." With a win on Tuesday night, Mike Bacsik's record stands at a perfect 11-0 including a 2.40 ERA, perhaps earning him another shot in "The Show." "There's nights where I've not been so great, but we've been able to score a lot of runs and I've been able to put a lot of zeros on the board and get a win," Bacsik says. Teammate John Weber says, "He's not going to throw 97 miles an hour by you. He does well and he hits his spots. Obviously, his numbers don't lie." With a win on Tuesday night, Mike Bacsik's record stands at a perfect 11-0 including a 2.40 ERA, perhaps earning him another shot in "The Show." Bacsik says, "I thought everything was going great and I thought this would be my fourth or fifth year in the big leagues right now. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened that way." Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1996, Bacsik was traded to the Mets in 2001 and spent part of two seasons playing in New York until signing to play for his hometown Texas Rangers in 2004. He joined the D'backs farm team after being released by Washington following spring training this year. According to Bacsik, "It's tough. It's tough to deal with being a triple-A guy and wanting to get back to the major leagues and hopefully the Diamondbacks give me the chance this year." With Arizona's starting staff in disarray, it's hard to explain why Mike hasn't gotten the call to the mound at Chase Field. Bacsik says, "I haven't heard anything. They haven't communicated with me at all on the big leagues or going to the big leagues. I just have to go out there and pitch well and, hopefully, if it's not with the Diamondbacks this year, it will be with someone else or the Diamondbacks next year."

Edgy DC Aug 10 2006 09:41 PM

Marco Scutaro looks to finally cash in. [url=http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060810&content_id=1603181&vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak][/url] Scutaro worth every penny A's get more than their money's worth from utility infielder By Ryan Quinn / MLB.com OAKLAND -- At the end of the season, the A's will have decisions to make with several free agents. Some of the more notables are Barry Zito, Frank Thomas and Milton Bradley. Another free agent that won't get as many headlines, but has been just as important to the team's success over the last three years is backup infielder Marco Scutaro, whose one-year contract is up at the end of the 2006 season. Marco Scutaro has belted seven game-winning hits since joining the A's in 2004. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) Scutaro has been more than a "utility man" for the A's. In fact, manager Ken Macha calls Scutaro the "savior of the team." "He should get a good raise after this year," Macha said of Scutaro. "He deserves every dollar that he gets." Right now, the A's are getting quite a bargain for Scutaro, paying him $340,000 for 73 games, so far, this season. And this year, his batting average and slugging percentage is higher than both Bobby Crosby and Mark Ellis -- the two players he has been filling in for the past three seasons. Ellis and Crosby -- the top two middle infielders -- are scheduled to make over $3 million combined at the end of the season. Crosby has had four different injuries this year, including a lower back strain that currently has him on the 15-day disabled list, and Ellis missed 26 games at second base with a broken right thumb. When the 30-year-old took over for Ellis at second base in June, Scutaro batted .294 with 10 RBIs and was one of the few A's to hit well during Interleague Play. "The job [Scutaro] did was more than commendable," said Macha in June. "We have been fortunate to have him here the last three years." Scutaro has started 32 games at second base, 20 at shortstop and eight at third base this season. "Scut has been great," said Zito. "He has definitely shown that he can fill the gaps anywhere we put him." And this year isn't the first time Macha has received relief from his "savior." Since he joined the A's in 2004, he has looked more like a regular than a backup. In 2004, Ellis missed the entire year with a shoulder injury and Scutaro played 137 games and hit .273 with 43 RBIs. The next year, Crosby had two long stints on the DL with rib and ankle injuries and Scutaro played 118 games. Scutaro has played 328 games with the A's and has made 15 errors, despite bouncing around the infield. In 2004, he set an A's record for fielding percentage by a second baseman by committing just three errors in 545 chances for a .994 fielding percentage. It broke Dick Green's mark of .990 set by in 1964, and was also the best American League fielding percentage since 1994 when Jody Reed had .995 for the then-AL Milwaukee Brewers. "He keeps producing and he doesn't worry about things he can't control," Zito said of Scutaro. "Like when he's going to play and where he's going to play. It's really cool to see him do what he is doing." In addition to his fielding, Scutaro has seven game-winning hits since joining the A's, including a walk-off RBI single against he Yankees on April 4 in the rain. "[Scutaro] has really helped us out offensively and defensively," Zito said. "I think it is great." So far, the A's have been able to get a lot from Scutaro for under $1 million in three seasons. But it's unlikely they will get the same deal in the offseason when Scutaro is up for arbitration -- for the first time since coming up with the Mets in 2002. "I would certainly hope we have him here next year," Macha said. Ryan Quinn is an associate reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Edgy DC Aug 12 2006 03:23 PM

Carlos Baerga graduates from this thread. Carlos Baerga is making it official: He's retiring from baseball after 14 major-league seasons. The 37-year-old Puerto Rican, a three-time All-Star infielder, has been working as a television analyst for ESPN Deportes this season. Baerga plans to work as an agent for Puerto Rican athletes and raise funds for charity through his company, ``Dream Sports.'' His best years were with Cleveland from 1990 to '96. He later played for the New York Mets, San Diego, Boston and Arizona. He played for Washington in 2005.

ScarletKnight41 Aug 12 2006 03:42 PM

Poor cooby :(

cooby Aug 12 2006 04:01 PM

:( At least he is still in baseball

Benjamin Grimm Aug 12 2006 04:22 PM

And now a word from Bobby Valentine

metirish Aug 12 2006 08:46 PM

Preston Wilson tonight was DFA by Houston......Omar should be on the phone right now, it would be perfect with the 1986 celabration coming up.

Edgy DC Aug 12 2006 08:58 PM

'Ceptin' he's not doing so hot. Slugging .405 as an Astro.

metirish Aug 12 2006 09:03 PM

Yeah but perhaps a return to the Mets gets Preston going, suerly he's an option especially as the Mets have Tucker in LF, not that he has done anything wrong but still....

Benjamin Grimm Aug 18 2006 10:49 AM

Here's a list of 39 ex-Mets who were active in 2005 but, as far as I know, have not yet seen big league action in 2006. If anybody knows of any of these guys appearing in the majors in 2006, please let me know: Manny Alexander Vic Darensbourg Brian Daubach Kane Davis Octavio Dotel John Franco Matt Ginter Mike Hampton Lenny Harris Felix Heredia Richard Hidalgo Jason Anderson Kaz Ishii Dae-Sung Koo Al Leiter Luis Lopez Mike Matthews C. J. Nitkowski Hideo Nomo José Offerman John Olerud Juan Padilla Manny Aybar Bill Pulsipher Steve Reed Desi Relaford Rey Sanchez José Santiago Scott Strickland Shingo Takatsu Eric Valent Gerald Williams Paul Wilson Carlos Baerga James Baldwin Ricky Bottalico Alberto Castillo Roger Cedeño Jaime Cerda

metirish Aug 18 2006 10:51 AM

Dotel has pitched the last few nights for the yankees,Juan Padilla is still with the Mets....he went on the 60 day DL on 03/23/06.

seawolf17 Aug 18 2006 11:01 AM

Nitkowski is coaching in the minor leagues somewhere, so he's out. Hampton's been on the DL all year. Pulse is a Duck. Wilson is rehabbing in the Reds' system; he might be back this year.

sharpie Aug 18 2006 11:27 AM

Nomo and Koo went back to Japan.

OlerudOwned Aug 18 2006 11:45 AM

Valent is in the Padres system but hasn't seen the majors yet.

Edgy DC Aug 18 2006 09:04 PM

Jason Phillips is up and in his third go-around with the Blue Jays this year.

Willets Point Aug 18 2006 09:32 PM

sharpie wrote: Nomo and Koo went back to Japan. Wow, I thought Nomo could never go back to Japan. Well, to play professional baseball there at least.

Edgy DC Aug 18 2006 10:52 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 25 2006 10:32 AM

I'll take A-E. Manny Aybar Doris' husband (and last season's early whipping boy) appears to have hung 'em up, but he's gotten in a few releases as he's been confused for Willie Aybar, and his son is apparently now a prospect. Manny Alexander The man who moved Ripken over to short has been a Portland Beaver this season, with a .674 OPS. Jason Anderson Jason has been shooting Beaver with Manny. Carlos Baerga Carlos officially retired a few weeks ago. He hadn't played anywhere this season to my knowledge, but instead worked as a broadcaster. James Baldwin Where there's work for Scott Erickson, there ought to be work for James Baldwin. It should be a law, especially after JB threw 56.2 decent innings in 2005. But 2.2 innings for the Syracuse Sky Chiefs appears to be it for the man. He is now apparently coaching the Carolina Extrem, who hope to move up in the standings and gain that last e this year. Ricky Bottalico The last I heard, Ricky is looking for work as a broadcaster. Alberto Castillo It wouldn't be a season without Alberto, and he's doing his part for Katrina relief by posting an isolated slugging percentage of .064 for the New Orleans Zephyrs. Roger Cedeño Roger is out of baseball, but was recently named by Mike Piazza as a "closest baseball friend." Besides checking his voice mail for calls from Piazza, I imagine that he checks Met boxscores as Jose Reyes goes after his team stolen base record. Jaime Cerda This season JaimeTown has been Colorado Springs, where Cerda has put up a 5.72 ERA in 45.2 innings. He was released a week ago, after healing from a hammy he strained warming up. Steve Colyer (phantom Met?) had been his penmate. Vic Darensbourg He's a Jose Parra type, always getting hurt just as he's getting a break. He's got a 3.57 ERA in 35.1 innings this season for the Buffalo Bisons. Brian Daubach Brian has 11 homers for the Memphis Redbirds, but Preston Wilson took the spot in the Cardinals nest that he had his eye on. Kane Davis Kane has a 4.50 ERA in 4.0 innings, playing for the independent Somerset (NJ) Patriots. Watch them battle Atlantic City for the state's bragging rights this weekend. Octavio Dotel Octavio has spent the season rehabbing, and has recently seen some strange action, setting probably a record (I'm guessing) even for rehabbers, playing for six different teams in the Yankee organization this season: The Gulf Coast Yankees (Low Short-Season A, 3 Games), the Staten Island Yankees (High Short-Season A, 1 Game), the Trenton Thunder (AA, 2 Games), the Tampa Yankees (High A, 2 Games), the Columbus Clippers (AAA, 5 Games), and the New York Yankees (DH League, 2 Games). Who's next? F-J?

Edgy DC Aug 21 2006 03:05 PM

Super has been duper. Check out the name of the author. 'Super Joe' on a hot streak 8/21/2006 1:09 PM By: Victor Diaz The Round Rock Express pulled out of a short slump with a four-game sweep of the Iowa Cubs. It was a huge series for one of Round Rock's most versatile players. Joe McEwing is riding a hot streak he can't find a way to explain. McEwing homered three times during the last Express home stand against Iowa, and he's hammered more home runs this season than his last four years combined. Joe McEwing "I don't know, it's just one of those things, you don't question it. You just ride with it and continue to try to have quality at bats," McEwing said. His quality at bats add up to .304 batting average, one of the best on team. They call him Super Joe because he's played every position except pitcher and catcher in a pro career that spans 15 seasons. Most versatile player Joe McEwing has played every position except pitcher and catcher in a pro career that spans 15 seasons. "He can play a lot of positions for you; he can really become the manager’s pet," manager Jackie Moore said. McEwing also brings quality experience to the Express. He's played eight major league seasons with the Mets, Cardinals and Royals. He hopes the Astros are next on the list. Watch Joe play. "That's your main goal is to play in the big leagues and get back to the big leagues and the day I stop having fun is the day I stop playing," McEwing said. And based on how much fun he's having this season, he won't be stopping anytime soon. The Express are in first place and could clinch a playoff spot by the end of the week.

Edgy DC Aug 22 2006 09:39 AM

Young Mike and the Jury of the Damned: Piazza caught on to hockey as a kid By Randy Schultz | NHL.com Correspondent Aug. 22, 2006 Growing up in Norristown, Pa., Mike Piazza was a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers and Dave Schultz. While looking through an old Los Angeles Dodgers media guide, it described Mike Piazza as a person who "enjoys hockey." Enjoy is not a strong enough word. Over a decade has now passed since that press guide information was printed. Piazza is no longer a Dodger and has played for three other teams -- the Florida Marlins, New York Mets and San Diego Padres. After talking to the future Hall of Fame catcher, one finds that he has a strong passion for hockey. They are feelings that go back to Piazza's days as a youngster growing up in Norristown, Pa. "I grew up being a Flyers fan," said Piazza, who has risen from being a 62nd-round draft choice of the Dodgers to a career that should eventually lead him to Cooperstown. "Reggie Leach was my favorite player with Philadelphia. He had a tremendous shot that he could really unload on a goalie. That's why he could score so many goals for the Flyers. Of course, I like a guy like Dave Schultz as well. He was a great fighter and hitter. I really liked the way he would take guys into the boards." Piazza even played the game as a kid. "I played hockey, but not as much as I did baseball," recalled Piazza, now in his 15th season in the majors and his first with the Padres. "I played defense and I was a bruiser. But I was never good enough to make it as a hockey player." Which was good news for baseball. Piazza was the National League's Rookie of the Year in 1993. His best season was in 1997, a year when he finished second in the MVP voting. Piazza hit .362 with 40 homers and 124 runs batted in, an on base percentage of .431 and a slugging percentage of.638. Piazza enjoyed playing a bit of pick-up hockey when he had the chance, especially when he played for the Dodgers. Occasionally he would travel over to the Great Western Forum, the former home of the Los Angeles Kings, visiting members of the team during their practices and during the regular NHL campaign. Although he doesn't skate as much as he used to, the 37 year-old Piazza used to lace up a pair of skates and play some hockey. "I got to know several of the Kings, including Marty McSorley and Tony Granato," said Piazza, who resides with his wife, Alicia, during the off-season at their home in Miami Beach, and on certain occasions takes in a Florida Panthers game. "Occasionally they would need an extra player, so I would put on the skates and play in intra-squad games with them. It was great. I really got into hockey again thanks to that." So how good is Piazza as a hockey player? Both Granato and McSorley still remember the Padres catcher and his time spent with the Kings. "He's done a lot better with his first career and should stick to baseball," Granato joked. "Seriously, Mike isn't that bad of a player. He has a fairly decent shot. And he's come a long way with his skating ability. It's actually a little scary to think what a guy like Mike, with his size (6-3, 215-pounds) and all, could do if he really played the game seriously." "We knew right away that Mike had skated before. He just didn't have the speed on skates. And there was no doubt that when he got into the corners, Mike really wanted to give it to his opponent." -- Marty McSorley McSorley also recalled Piazza and his hockey ability. "He certainly wasn't shy when he got out on the ice," McSorley said. "We knew right away that Mike had skated before. He just didn't have the speed on skates. And there was no doubt that when he got into the corners, Mike really wanted to give it to his opponent. "To me, Mike is a natural athlete. He could do well in any sport he tries. You can tell why he does so well in his sport of baseball." Piazza sees a great difference between baseball and hockey. "In baseball, you don't get to take out your frustrations like you do in hockey," Piazza said. "You can't hit anybody like you can in hockey. In hockey, there are the situations where you can really smoke somebody. That's the kind of player I would be if I played the sport. "I'm a pinned-up type of player when it comes to baseball. I have to find other ways to take out my frustrations when playing." One of Piazza's most memorable moments as a hockey fan came back in 1980. "The U.S. Olympic hockey team was awesome," Piazza said. "It was one of the most thrilling sporting events I ever watched on TV. I was only 11 at the time, but it left and impact on me. It was one of the truly great accomplishments ever in sports. Team USA overcame a lot to win the gold." The sport of hockey will always be amazing to Piazza. "I'm just amazed at how these big players can skate so quickly, stop, go again, get hit, get up and just keep going," Piazza said. "Having played the sport myself, I have a much deeper appreciation for what they do. When you get to skate with some of these guys like I have, you have a much deeper appreciation for what they go through game after game. It's true when you say that hockey is more than enjoyment for me. It's almost a love."

MFS62 Aug 22 2006 09:46 AM

]Brian Daubach Brian has 11 homers for the Memphis Redbirds, but Preston Wilson took the spot in the Cardinals nest that he had his eye on. Update - Brain was released a few weeks ago. Also signed by Memphis, and released, was old friend Jorge Toca. EDIT: Mike Kinkade (listed as a Marlin) has been named to the US team that will be articipating in the Olympic qualifying tourney. Later

Edgy DC Aug 22 2006 02:26 PM

Back with a new team and a new number. Good luck, Kaz. [url=http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060822&content_id=1623104&vkey=pr_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col][/url] Rockies recall INF Kazuo Matsui; INF Jason Smith designated for assignment DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies announced this afternoon that infielder Kazuo Matsui (#16) has been recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He is expected to be in uniform for tonight's game in Milwaukee, and will be looking to make his Rockies debut. To make room on the roster for Matsui, infielder Jason Smith has been designated for assignment. Kazuo Matsui (kah-ZOO-oh mat-SOO-ee), 30, was acquired by Colorado from New York-NL along with cash considerations in exchange for infielder/outfielder Eli Marrero on June 9. He was immediately optioned to Colorado Springs, where he played in just 6 games before going on the disabled list June 20 with lower back stiffness. He spent over a month on the disabled list before he was reinstated on July 24. Overall in the Pacific Coast League, Matsui has batted .278 with 3 home runs, 16 RBI, and 26 runs scored in 31 games for Colorado Springs. Over his last 18 games in the PCL, he hit .292 (21-for-72) with 3 home runs, 14 RBI and 19 runs. Matsui played mostly shortstop for the Sky Sox, but also saw time at second base. Matsui began this season on the Mets disabled list with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee and was activated on April 20. Matsui hit an inside-the-park home run in his first plate appearance on April 20 at San Diego, becoming the first player in major league history to begin his career with a home run in his first plate appearance for three straight seasons (2004-06). Matsui posted a hit in each of his first 8 games in 2006 and had a 9-game hit streak from May 3-14. Matsui became the first Japanese infielder to sign with a major league team when he joined the Mets on Dec. 17, 2003. The switch-hitter has batted .256 with 11 home runs and 75 RBI in 239 major league games, all with New York-NL over three seasons beginning in 2004. He has been successful in 22 of 26 stolen base attempts in the majors. Matsui had a .200 average with one home run and 7 RBI in 38 games/31 starts for the Mets this year prior to the trade. Originally signed as a shortstop, Matsui has played primarily second base over the last two campaigns. There have been two Japanese natives to play for the Rockies, both pitchers. Masato Yoshii made 29 starts for Colorado in 2000 while Mac Suzuki appeared in 3 games with one start for the club in 2001. A pair of other former Rockie pitchers, Craig House and Jeff McCurry, were born in Japan to U.S. military families. Smith has batted .263 with 5 home runs and 13 RBI in 49 games over 2 stints with Colorado this season. The Rockies have 10 days to trade, release or outright Smith to the minor leagues. With these moves, the Rockies now have 36 players on the club's 40-man roster.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 22 2006 02:31 PM

]kah-ZOO-oh mat-SOO-ee I don't think they're emphasizing those syllables correctly. In fact, one thing I've learned about Japanese is that (in theory anyway) you don't emphasize any syllables. It should be KA-ZOO-OH MA-TSU-EE.

Edgy DC Aug 22 2006 02:35 PM

MFS62 wrote: ]Brian Daubach Brian has 11 homers for the Memphis Redbirds, but Preston Wilson took the spot in the Cardinals nest that he had his eye on. Update - Brain was released a few weeks ago. Also signed by Memphis, and released, was old friend Jorge Toca. EDIT: Mike Kinkade (listed as a Marlin) has been named to the US team that will be articipating in the Olympic qualifying tourney. Later Daubach's brain was released? How awful. How can I prevent this from happening to me?

ScarletKnight41 Aug 22 2006 03:02 PM

I thought it was interesting that the Rockies would otherwise have called Kaz up this past weekend but they didn't want him to have to face the Shea crowds.

Edgy DC Aug 22 2006 03:31 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 22 2006 05:54 PM

Fine, I'll take F-J. John Franco: released by the Astros in the second half of the 2005 season. He's never announced his retirement, but he's done. He coached the pitchers for the Italian entry into the World Baseball Classic. Matt Ginter: has pitched effectively this season, with little to show for it, going 5-12 with a ERA between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Indianapolis Indians. He contributed his banjo playing to this collection Mike Hampton: is out for the season with tomato juice surgery. Lenny Harris: was recently named roving minor league infield instructor by the Washington Nationals. He goes next in the Crane Pool BLC. Felix Heredia: pitched eight innings (6.75 ERA) with the Buffalo Bisons, before getting a suspension for steroid use. That's after spreading aneurysms in the Met clubohouse. Has recently resurfaced in the Mexican League with Los Sultanes de Monterrey. Richard Hidalgo: has fallen off the map. Kaz Ishii: is 8-4 (3.65 ERA) with the Yakult Swallows.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 22 2006 04:47 PM

Didn't Hidalgo go to play in Japan?

Edgy DC Aug 22 2006 06:07 PM

I'm finding nothing on him after a March report that he asked for and received a release from the Orioles four days into camp, in order to pursue opportunities in Japan. I can't find whereas he ever showed up there. Jim Duquette must've had a crush on him.

Edgy DC Aug 23 2006 01:18 PM

The Red Sox have Lenny DiNardo on rehab assignement with Portland. In a show of fraternal fealty toward his Boston brethren that got lit up over the weekend, he got buried by a seven-run second by Binghamton. Joe Vizcaino, recently cut loose by San Francisco, has been signed by St. Louis, who expected to disable David Eckstein. Jose is expected to be in uniform tonight --- unlike that lollygagging Shawn Green --- and wearing number 35. On reunion night at Shea, Timo Perez got himself an intentional walk, Braden Looper through a shutout inning (with help from the ump), and Jason Isringhausen got yoked by Carlos Beltran. Oh, wait, I'm sorry, you probably already heard about that last item.

Edgy DC Aug 25 2006 09:21 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 25 2006 10:23 AM

Mike Kinkade returns to Team USA, leading them in the Olympic-qualifying tournament in Cuba. In all-important Blue Hen news, the University of Delaware has added Brian Walker --- former Brooklyn Cyclone, Capital City Bomber, and St. Lucie Met --- as volunteer pitching coach. The Twins have survived Shannon Stewart's foot injury thanks in part to [url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=150244]Jason Freakin' Tyner[/url].

OlerudOwned Aug 25 2006 10:17 AM

I'll do K-O, why not. Dae-Sung Koo- Had his contract sold to the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization, a league with a team called the Unicorns. I can't find any stats. Al Leiter- After pitching in the WBC and getting one out in MFY spring training, Al hung it up. He does some MFY broadcast and hosted [url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/20060728.html]"Ask the White House[/url]. ]Ben, from Washington writes: Why are you pictured in a Yankee uniform? I thought your heart was with the Mets. Al Leiter My heart was with the Mets I had every intention of ending my career with the Mets, but it was not my decision. I was given the opportunity to finish my career where it all started, and that was in a Yankee uniform. Luis Lopez- The last MLB team he was with was Baltimore, but I can't find anything after that. There's 3 Luis Lopez's in the minors, but none of them are our Luis. All I can find is the bizarrely funny [url=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=19588047]Myspace page of fake Luis[/url], which is part of the frighteningly large community of fake baseball players. Lopez and Coco Crisp are the resident badasses. Mike Matthews- Seems to have fallen off the face of the Earth after leaving the Mets. Surely someone could use a crappy LOOGY. C. J. Nitkowski- Pitching pretty well for the Pirates AAA club. Doesn't seem to have updated [url=http://www.cjbaseball.com/]his website[/url] in a while. But if you feel like getting an autograph from the St. John's grad, seeing a list of every team and teammate he's had, reading his musings on the 2005 postseason, or reading about Jesus, check it out. Hideo Nomo- According to Wikipedia, "He was seen on August 22, 2006 at Rancho Park in Los Angeles rehabilitating." Makes it sound like the guy was kidnapped or something. Although if he was, I don't think many people would mind: ]...This led to him heading to the United States, where in February of 1995, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a contract. Nomo's parents cried for him to come home, and Nomo was soon disowned by family for "disgracing" them. José Offerman- In Norfolk, sucking like the rest of the team. John Olerud- Retired last December. Can't find anything current, although I'd imagine that he is putting time into [url=http://www.jordanfund.org/index.htm]The Jordan Fund[/url], a foundation whose "mission is to provide support to special needs children and their families". It's named for their daughter, who was born with some sort of chromosome disorder.

Johnny Dickshot Aug 25 2006 10:21 AM

C.J. had a letter to the editor published in this week's edition of Sports Illustrated. In it, he remarks on a story they ran a few weeks back on a one-eyed umpire who's son happens to be a current teammate of CJ's. CJ says the writer neglected to mention that the umpire/father was an absentee deadbeat and that the guy's mom is the one who ought to be getting the writeup for the son's success.

MFS62 Aug 25 2006 10:29 AM

Yancy - about your list. You say they were "active" in 2005. Is that limited to the majors? I noticed that Craig Brazell played at Norfolk in 2005, but had no time in the majors. He is currently hitting .253 ,21HR, 88 RBI for Jacksonville in the Southern League. Later

Benjamin Grimm Aug 25 2006 10:39 AM

Yes, limited to the majors. I pulled that list from the UMDB's "this player also player for" table.

MFS62 Aug 25 2006 10:47 AM

Thanks, Later

Edgy DC Aug 25 2006 10:50 AM

Good job on K-O by OO, covering his namesake.

MFS62 Aug 26 2006 11:37 AM

Jeff Keppinger was recalled yesterday from KC's AAA Omaha team. He had been hitting .354 there. Later

Edgy DC Aug 27 2006 07:54 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 28 2006 08:48 AM

In the San Diego-Colorado game today: Kaz Matsui went 0-4, leading off and playing shortstop. That drops him to .412 / .500 / .471 // .971 in five games since returning to big-league play. Mike Piazza had two hits in that game, perhaps pulling out of his post-Shea tailspin. Mike Cameron went 0-4 and whiffed with Piazza on second to end the game. Might as well finish reporting on the exies in that game... Manny Alexander played short for San Diego and went 1-3. No knock on Manny, but tell me San Diego isn't making a playoff run with him at short. Thirty-five years old, Manny is, with 15 career homeruns (including 2 for the Mets in 1997).

MFS62 Aug 28 2006 07:30 AM

Sigh. Those last posts on a page are rarely read. Later

Edgy DC Aug 28 2006 08:04 AM

Fixed.

MFS62 Aug 28 2006 08:08 AM

Edgy DC wrote: Fixed. Edgy, I did like the story you posted. Didn't mean to ask you to delete the entire thread. But I felt the large print announcement of his return was a little overkill. Sorry, Later

Benjamin Grimm Aug 28 2006 08:28 AM

Thanks for the tip on Manny Alexander. I didn't realize he had played for San Diego. I've now updated his UMDB profile. Still waiting for Jeff Keppinger to appear in a game for Kansas City.

Edgy DC Aug 30 2006 09:32 AM

Who is the shortstop on the International League Post-Season All Star Team 2006? Jorge Velandia.

Edgy DC Aug 31 2006 08:31 AM

And former Met farmhand Pat O'Sullivan is American Association (the Independent League, not the old AAA league) Batter of the Month.

Frayed Knot Aug 31 2006 08:33 AM

You need to get out more.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 31 2006 08:37 AM

Edgy DC wrote: And former Met farmhand Pat O'Sullivan is American Association (the Independent League, not the old AAA league) Batter of the Month. This is probably the most obscure update yet. I have no memory of Pat O'Sullivan, but it's nice to know he had a good month.

cooby Aug 31 2006 08:39 AM

What kind of Mets Database runner are you?

Benjamin Grimm Aug 31 2006 08:45 AM

I'm a very good database runner. I'm just not a very good wizard.

OlerudOwned Sep 01 2006 09:35 AM

Marlon Anderson was dealt to the Dodgers to help off the bench for the playoff push.

Edgy DC Sep 01 2006 09:37 AM

Somewhere Rickey Hederson is growiling about Marlon Anderson being unfit to carry his jock.

sharpie Sep 01 2006 09:38 AM

Keppinger played for KC yesterday.

metirish Sep 01 2006 09:57 AM

While reading the "memories of Eric Cammack" on UMDB a Senor Ortiz posted this. ] SENOR ORTIZ February 12, 2006 I noticed on the stats he had one career at bat and he hit a triple. My guess is he is the only player or pitcher to have ever achieved this. Another obscure Mets stat. I'm guessing he's wrong.

seawolf17 Sep 01 2006 10:15 AM

metirish wrote: While reading the "memories of Eric Cammack" on UMDB a Senor Ortiz posted this. ] SENOR ORTIZ February 12, 2006 I noticed on the stats he had one career at bat and he hit a triple. My guess is he is the only player or pitcher to have ever achieved this. Another obscure Mets stat. I'm guessing he's wrong. [url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/i/irvined01.shtml]Ed Irwin[/url] of the Tigers played in one game (a 24-2 loss to Philadelphia) in May 1812. He had 3 ABs and hit two triples. He never played in the majors again. [url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/lindsch02.shtml]Chuck Lindstrom[/url] had one career official AB, in [url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09280CHA1958.htm]1958[/url], and tripled. (He also walked in the game.) Those were the only players I could find quickly. He might be right.

Edgy DC Sep 01 2006 10:29 AM

Tim Bogar is maybe big-league bound.. Kindred: Bogar managing to stay on fast track Tim Bogar was in Altoona, Pa., Thursday. By night's end, he would be on a bus to Erie, Pa., and a four-day stay there. Bogar has been making such trips for three summers now, a throwback to his days as a 20-year-old minor-leaguer. Travel agents don't advertise packages to Altoona and Erie, hoping to avoid career suicide. Still, these are not dead-end destinations for everyone. They have Bogar in the express lane toward baseball's most desirable locales, faster than even he could have imagined. For the third straight season, the Bloomington resident and former major-league player has been named his league's Manager of the Year, this time with the Akron Aeros of the Double-A Eastern League. He earned the honor in 2004 with the Greeneville (Tenn.) Astros of the Class A Appalachian League, and last year with the Lexington (Ky.) Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League. "I never thought I'd win three of these in a row, especially at the minor-league level where you don't know what you'll have from year to year and with guys moving as much as they do --- getting promoted or hurt or sent down," Bogar said Thursday morning. "All you can do is put them in as many good positions as you can. I've been blessed with a lot of talent, especially pitching talent." He is being modest, of course. It is Bogar's way. Meet him on the street, and you'd never know he spent nine years as a major-league infielder with the Mets, Astros and Dodgers. You might hear it elsewhere, but not from him. He is as down to earth as bluegrass and blue jeans, able to adapt and fit in wherever baseball takes him, from New York to New Britain, Conn. --- home of the Eastern League's New Britain Rock Cats. His long-range goal is to manage in the big leagues, and at this rate, it may not be that long. Bogar leaves such talk to others, saying, "I know I have a lot to learn." "I know I'm a long way from being a successful major-league manager ? if that happens," he said. "I'm just learning as much as I can from year to year, and hopefully I'll get a shot at it. "Every year I've learned a lot, especially on the pitching side. The first year I had Jack Billingham (as his pitching coach), who was a quality starter in the big leagues and he taught me a lot about that. This year, I have Scott Radinsky and he was an unbelievable relief pitcher. I've learned a lot about how to run a bullpen and what they think and getting them in good situations." Akron took an Eastern League-best 83-54 record into Thursday night's game against the Altoona Curve. The Aeros have clinched the Southern Division championship and qualified for next week's playoffs. They've done it despite having four players called up to the Cleveland Indians, Akron's parent club. Eight players in all have been promoted to either Triple-A or the big leagues. "You're dealing not just with prospects here, but players who can make an impact at the major-league level," Bogar said. "Handling the game is a little different because of their ability. The game is a little faster, and you can't get away with as many things as you do at the lower levels. "You have to play more of a pure baseball game. You have to be a little more decisive in what you want to accomplish that day." Bogar appeared in 701 major-league games from 1993 through 2001, batting .228 as a utility man who played all four infield positions. He also was the No. 3 catcher with the Mets and Astros. He watched even more games from the dugout, listening and learning while his managers plotted strategy. He would have preferred to be on the field. But... "I don't know if I can say it was the best thing that ever happened to me to sit on the bench, but it might have been," Bogar said. "I got to sit there and take in the game and understand why my manager was doing what he was doing, and why the other manager was doing what he was doing. "Sitting on the bench, you can either waste your time --- which I did a little bit of --- or apply it to your future. I was fortunate to be around some really good managers and good players who helped me with my future." Bogar works hardest at communicating with his players, seeking to "let them know where I stand." "I try to make it enjoyable to come to the park every day," he said. Soon, the parks may be a lot bigger. The cities, too. Randy Kindred is a Pantagraph columnist. To leave him a voice mail, call 820-3402. By e-mail: rkindred@pantagraph.com . The Randy Kindred Blog is at www.pantagraph.com/blogs.

Edgy DC Sep 01 2006 10:46 AM

Kablammeron speaks. Reminiscing with former Met Mike Cameron August 11, 2006 With all the hype surrounding Mike Piazza's return to Shea Stadium and Paul Lo Duca's marital stress and gambling habits, former Mets outfielder Mike Cameron was able to sneak back into Shea almost unnoticed. But, as one fan screamed several minutes after a Piazza ovation Tuesday night, "Hey, Cameron, we didn't forget about you!" So we caught up with Cameron, who's enjoying a successful season back in his natural position of center field for the Padres, and asked him what he did and did not miss about New York. Three things you don't miss "¦ 1. "Traffic." 2. "Traffic — put that one down again." (smiles) 3. "I guess that would be it ..." How about right field? (Smiles) "You know, I don't even think about it, man. After all I went through, I just get to play ball and that's all that's important." Three things you do miss "¦ 1. "My place. I had one of the most beautiful places in Alpine, N.J. Had a big backyard." 2. "The food — going to the same place I used to always go to — this Italian joint. After a while, they didn't even have to ask my order, they just knew — pasta with vodka sauce." 3. "The people that I came in contact with, that were pretty close to me. Those are the things that don't change no matter how much everything else does. Cliff (Floyd), of course. We endured a lot of tough times together." Dave Buscema

Edgy DC Sep 17 2006 06:32 PM

Melvin Mora, and His Ass of Crimson Defeatist attitude rankles O's Mora Third baseman getting tired of losing, teammates who don't care By Dan Connolly Sun Staff Originally published September 17, 2006 Third baseman Melvin Mora recoiled in the far corner of the Orioles' clubhouse before a recent game. He wasn't flitting about, no longer being the silly, goofy effervescent Mora that has been standard issue during much of his time in Baltimore. No, on this day he was the introspective, tortured, moping Mora that occasionally emerges. It's September, after all. Another painful, losing September. And Mora, one of the few in the room who has played in the postseason, wondered if this team will ever win. Or if it wants to. As usual, he sugarcoated nothing. "I think people here have taken the losing mentality," Mora said. "I don't like it when people think, 'OK, we'll go home. We played a good year or whatever.' It's frustrating when you see guys like the Yankees come to town and play for something and you are going nowhere. ... That for me is not baseball." Mora said he listened in disgust as one teammate made offseason plans back in July. He said there's a lack of appropriate leadership on the club and he's afraid the younger guys will become nonchalant or negative, a potential epidemic throughout the organization, management included. "Things need to change here. Big changes," Mora said. "The Orioles can carry on, but people have to understand, I get [ticked]. I get [ticked] when I go home. My wife says, 'Relax.' How are you going to relax when you go to the ballpark for no reason?" Yes, frustration is speaking. Mora, who made the playoffs with the New York Mets in his 1999 rookie year, has suffered through more terrible Septembers than any other Oriole. Since he arrived in 2000, the club is 70-117-2 in baseball's final full month. That's a woeful .370 winning percentage. In those six years, only once has the club posted a positive ending - 19-13 in 2004. But Lee Mazzilli's club lost 12 of 14 to end August that year before his lone successful September. "I don't think the fans get used to [losing], I think the fans get mad," Mora said. "But I think the people here [do]. I see people [that when] we win the game but ... are 20 games behind ... they act like we win the World Series. They want to play some music, they want to play around. Hello? We are 21 behind. "But they say, 'We won the game.' [Forget] that, I don't care. ... We don't want to give up in September, but I don't want to be playing no music. I want to play music when we go to the playoffs." Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, ever the optimist, stresses that the club hasn't given up despite mounting losses. He lauded several players for that last week. "The one thing we've got to be able to take with us is that we played the game hard and had heart the whole time," Perlozzo told a group of position players. "We've got to go home that way. You can't leave this place thinking you didn't do that. Forget the win-loss record. Let's go home saying we gave it everything we've got every day." Club vice president Jim Duquette said he hasn't picked up on a defeatist vibe within the clubhouse. "Losing in general can wear on guys," Duquette said. "I think for the vast majority of players on this club there's not an acceptance of losing. Our job is to find out if there is a player or two who has accepted it. And, if there is, to have them change uniforms. It's not easy to find out, but that's one thing you have to eliminate." Most veteran Orioles dismissed an inherent losing attitude. "People care. Everybody cares in here," shortstop Miguel Tejada said. "Nobody wants to be a loser. Nobody likes to lose." Pitcher Rodrigo Lopez added: "When we start in spring training we have a competitive mind-set. We don't think this is going to happen again in September, that doesn't cross our minds. I don't think it can be explained. I think if we knew how to fix it, we already would have fixed it." There are theories for the poor Septembers, of course. The most obvious is the schedule. Each September, the Orioles play the sport's financial powerbrokers, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, usually a minimum of six times each. This month, they've also had to face the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. "Just look at the teams. How the heck in 2002 were we going to compete with the Yankees? I mean, that's just the fact of it," second baseman Brian Roberts said. "There's no other reason except the fact that we haven't had a team good enough. We're trying to head in that direction, but we are still not there, obviously." Add in the Orioles' glaring lack of depth through much of the past decade. By the time September rolls around, the best Orioles are gassed from constant play, rookies are reeling from overexposure and the farm system has no reinforcements left. "That's been true in the past," designated hitter Jay Gibbons said. "Our farm system has gotten better. But we have needed all these guys in June. We called up all these young guys early and so now you have a lot of young guys who have never played in September. They are in uncharted territory. I've been there and I know it is tiring." First baseman Kevin Millar , who was critical of the Orioles' clubhouse attitude earlier this season, said he believes the team has "turned the corner" in the past few weeks. Now, he said it's up to the front office to fill the club's holes this winter. "When you want to play is in October," said Millar, who last missed the playoffs in 2002. "And we are a little short. Have we quit? No. We are just a little short." Tejada, Gibbons, even Duquette, echoed those sentiments. "We can win. They've just got to believe," Tejada said. "And they have to bring in some more players here." It's a leap of faith, one that has grown tiresome for fans and some players, including the most tenured Oriole. For the line between September swoons and surrenders blurs with each losing season.

metirish Sep 19 2006 07:55 AM

From an article I read about the Dodger game last night. ] Kent hit two doubles, giving him 499 in his career and tying him for 45th place on baseball's career list with Rusty Staub.

Edgy DC Sep 20 2006 11:36 AM

Trax and Pee-Pee, Dirtbags. A tip of cap to 49ers' past Bob Keisser, Staff columnist Long Beach State may not have its own Heritage Hall like USC, but that doesn't mean it lacks a heritage. For a state university that deflated football and plays half as many sports as, say, Stanford, the 49ers have staked out their own corner of the sports world. The school has won national titles in volleyball. It was ahead of the curve in promoting women's basketball. It has produced its share of Olympians. It also took a baseball program with all of the accoutrements of the Mojave and turned it into a lifestyle. Considering its stature, acknowledging that heritage is almost as important as winning games on the field or courts. Job One for new athletic director Vic Cegles is restoring men's basketball as a profit-turning and winning venture, and Job Two is raising money. Reminding people what the school has achieved is a big part of that process. The Dirtbags have taken in turning history into something fresh. Head coach Mike Weathers came up with the idea of naming the Top 30 baseball players in school history via an Internet poll on the school's Web site. Once the public has submitted their own lists of the Top 15 players, the numbers will be counted and the Top 30 named. Sometime early in the 2007 season, banners featuring the pictures and likeness of these players will be hoisted on the light poles and other fixtures at Blair Field. A ceremony of some sort will be held, perhaps at the annual Alumni Game in January, which has the best chance of luring home the Jason Giambis, Jered Weavers and Randy Moffitts of the past. Along this same line, the men's volleyball program is creating its own Wall of Honor similar to the one that exists in the Pyramid for Brian Gimmillaro's women's team. New ventures like this are necessary since some of the old athletic staples need refreshing. The annual "Jewels of the Night" fund-raiser has been a key meeting place for alums, boosters and athletes past and present, but it seems due for a reworking of sorts. The 49er Hall of Fame will increase to 187 members when the 2006 class is inducted in October, and the incoming class includes former Dirtbag shortstop and 2004 American League Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby and one-time quarterback Joe Paopao, who has had a sterling playing and coaching career in the Canadian Football League. But it has reached the point where the honor has as much to do with their status in the greater community as it does the university. Howard Lyon was far better known as a high school basketball coach than he was a starter on the first-ever 49er basketball team. Likewise Dave Rodda, who has been a key figure in women's track and field and sports programs in Lakewood. So new programs to promote the school's heritage is a good fit. Which brings one to basketball. For the longest time, a core group of 49er basketball fans, who remember the days when the team's colors were brown-and-gold, not black-and-gold, have wondered why there hasn't been a greater effort to bring former players back into the program. So little is made of the past that aside from Hall of Famer Ed Ratleff and 49er-for-life Glenn McDonald, one wouldn't physically know Long Beach State had a basketball heritage. Aside from the concept of creating goodwill among alums, a ceremony honoring the Jerry Tarkanian era is long overdue. The fact the school was put on probation for NCAA indiscretions and that Tark jumped to UNLV has always been a sore spot, but some 30 years later, everyone should be over it. The recent passing of Leonard Gray was a reminder of how transitory life can be, and it's a shame he never had the chance to receive a standing ovation from 49er fans of today. Those weren't just good teams. They were good teams featuring memorable people. There were 10 players from the early '70s who played for Tark and his immediate successor, Lute Olson, who were drafted in the first three rounds by the NBA and went on to play in the association. Besides Gray, Ratleff and McDonald, there were Bob Gross, Eric McWilliams, Clifton Pondexter, Roscoe Pondexter, Sam Robinson, Chuck Terry and George Trapp. These guys deserve a night of their own. It's also time for Tarkanian to have a jersey hoisted onto the wall of the Pyramid alongside that of Ratleff and the volleyball icons. And after that's done, maybe one can be raised for John Rambo, the greatest multi-sport star in school history. Who knows, if enough of the past is embraced and the ties to the past linked to today, and with it the requisite dollars, maybe Cegles and F. King Alexander can sit down and have a discussion about football. Until then, vote for your favorite Dirtbags on the school's Web site. Fill out the entire ballot, too, because incomplete ballots aren't being counted. Don't forget about the early teams, too. There were many good 49ers before the current era of Dirtbags. Voting for the Top 30 players in Long Beach State baseball history will continue on the school's athletic Web site through September. Here's one man's Top 20, listed alphabetically: Kyle Abbott, P (1989): Ace of the '89 College World Series team, winning 15 games with a 2.73 ERA. First 49er to be a first-round draft pick in the program in almost 20 years. He had a school-record 135 innings and 140 strikeouts in 1989. Abe Alvarez, P (2001-03): Left-hander with a crooked hat was a mainstay in the rotation and a one-two punch with Weaver, going 12-3 in 2002 and 11-2 in 2003. Don Anderson, OF (1962-64): Probably the best player of the early era, he hit .436 to lead the team in 1964, the first 49er team to win a league title. Don Barbara, 1B (1989-90): One of the original Dirtbags, he hit a school-record .474 in 1990 and helped lead the '89 team to its first-ever College World Series appearance. Holds career record for average (.429). Daniel Choi, P (1993): The right-hander from Korea wasn't on the preseason roster in 1993 but made a huge impact, posting a 17-2 record, a single-season school record for wins, and led the team to Omaha. Andy Croghan, P (1989-91): Somewhat overshadowed by Abbott and Steve Trachsel, he went a stunning 33-7 in his three seasons. Bobby Crosby, SS (1999-2001): The 2004 American League Rookie of the Year was a three-year starter for the Dirtbags at shortstop, with 21 career home runs and excellent defense and leadership. Mike Gallo, P (1997-99): Embodied the Dirtbag ethic as well as anyone, leading the team in ERA in 1998 and 1999 and was the ace of the 1998 CWS staff. He went to the World Series with the Astros last season. Jason Giambi, 1B-3B (1990-92): Helped lead the Dirtbags to the 1991 College World Series, was the 2000 American League MVP while with Oakland and is a four-time All-Star. Gabe Gonzalez, P (1992-95): A two-time All-American and four-year letterman, he was the quintessential college closer for Dave Snow's teams. He had 46 saves in 121 appearances. Neil Jamison, P (2002-05): Ranks behind Gonzalez as the best closer in school history, posting a stunning 0.00 ERA in 2005 and saving 23 games in 2004-05. Jeff Liefer, OF (1993-95): The school record holder for career home runs (30) was an All-American and first-round pick. He hit a dozen home runs in 1993 and hit .354 with 13 in 1995. In his eighth major-league season. Evan Longoria, 3B (2005-06): Was the top hitter on the 2006 team and was the third player chosen in the 2006 draft, the highest any Long Beach player has ever been selected. Randy Moffitt, P (1968-69): The brother of Billie Jean King was the first 49er to be a first-round major-league draft pick (in 1970) and was a mainstay on the 1969 team that won the second league title in school history. He had a 12-year major-league career as a closer for the Giants (96 career saves). Dave Snow, HC (1989-2001): Snow took over a team that won 15 games in 1988 and won 50 in 1989 and advanced to the CWS. He won 511 games at Long Beach, and not only revived the program but gave it an identity that has stuck throughout college baseball. Rob Townley, OF (1978-79): The slugger set school records for hits (100) and RBI (70) in 1979 and hit .404 in his career, second all-time. His RBI record stood until 1991. Steve Trachsel, P (1991): Trachsel was an All-American, first-round pick and the ace of the 1991 CWS team. He's in his 14th season in the major leagues and was the first Dirtbag to make an All-Star team. Troy Tulowitzki, SS (2003-05): The hard-hitting shortstop made the fastest jump to the major leagues in the Dirtbag era, arriving to the Rockies this season after being a first-round pick in 2005. He hit .349 with eight home runs despite injuries in 2005. Jered Weaver, P (2002-04): The consensus college player of the year in 2004, the only alum to ever win any of the top college awards, Weaver won a school-record 37 games, struck out 431, and holds six career school records. He was the biggest reason why the Angels stayed in the AL West race this year as long as they did. He had a 1.96 ERA with 14 wins in 2003, and 1.61 with 15 wins in 2004. Bob Wuesthoff, HC (1964-69): The head coach for six years won the first two league titles in school history and had the best winning percentage of any coach in the pre-Snow era. Others to consider: Rocky Biddle (P) saved 46 games in the majors. ... Rod Gaspar was the best player on the 1966-67 teams and played for the Miracle Mets in 1969. ... Chris Gomez (SS) was a key starter on the 1992 team and is in his 15th major-league season. ... Jaime Leal (OF-DH) hit a school-record 24 home runs in 1999, his only season with the program. ... Dick Nen (1B), the father of Robb Nen and brief hero of the Dodgers' 1963 World Series team, was the first 49er to make it to the pros. ... Jeremy Reed (OF) was a catalyst on two teams, with 54 career steals, second all-time. ... The 1998 CWS team featured four solid stars in catcher Bryan Kennedy, outfielders Chuck Lopez (.422, 113 hits) and Terrmel Sledge (99 runs, 22 career home runs) and third baseman Paul Day (89 RBI). ... Cesar Ramos (P) won 28 games in his career. ... Jason Vargas (P/DH) was a key two-way player in 2004. - Bob Keisser

MFS62 Sep 20 2006 11:41 AM

I never heard Gaspar (he's the only other Met I saw mentioned in that article) being called pee-pee. Where did that come from? Later

Edgy DC Sep 20 2006 11:56 AM

Bret Sabermetric.

Willets Point Oct 19 2006 10:58 PM

Some Mets will be joining this thread shortly.

Edgy DC Oct 23 2006 07:52 AM

Braden Looper, Val Dude. Valley matured Looper Kary Booher News-Leader St. Louis — The surroundings are so much bigger now. Crowds number 47,000, not the couple of hundred that was that Saturday afternoon back in early May 1995. Ballparks tall and wide and majestic, not the quaint little place that the Missouri State Bears called home for years just off Fremont Avenue. Oh, yeah, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Braden Looper will never forget Meador Park. As he sat in front of his clubhouse locker the other day, the right-hander was asked about his days when, as a feared pitcher for Wichita State, he and the Shockers would roll into Springfield. "I know I gave up a home run to Steve Hacker one time," Looper said, breaking into a grin. A big home run, actually: a game-winner to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Shockers, a team everybody loves to beat. "Something like that," Looper said. "That one kind of stunk." There are all sorts of stories as the Cardinals and Detroit Tigers go at it in the World Series, but typically there is little time to reminisce. Yet, Looper looked back at that home run to Hacker as a good thing, part of the learning process in the competitive Missouri Valley Conference that laid the groundwork for him to become a first-round draft pick by the Cardinals in 1996. "That's really where I matured. When I got to Wichita State, I was 6-3, 170-something and threw 88 mph," Looper said. "The competition in the Valley was a lot better than what people realize. The Valley was kind of like my first steppingstone to pro ball." When Wichita State hit town that weekend, WSU and Missouri State both sat atop the Valley standings; both would eventually reach the NCAA Tournament. Missouri State defeated the Shockers that Friday, then took the opener of the doubleheader the next afternoon, with Hacker contributing a home run. Hacker resurfaced again in the nightcap. It was the bottom of the ninth of a 9-9 game and, with runners and second and third and two out. Looper's first pitch to Hacker landed over the center-field wall for a game-winning homer. Wichita State won Sunday's finale, but the Bears took the series. "That ballpark there was small anyway. Back then, it couldn't have been 360 in center field," Looper said. "I played with Steve my freshman year (in the Cape Cod League) and the competition was really good. The guy was a great hitter, particularly in college. "I got him a few times after that. Trust me." Missouri State coach Keith Guttin can't forget Hacker's homer, either. It was one of Hacker's NCAA-leading 37 home runs that season. "It went to the tennis courts, and the place went crazy," Guttin said. "Meador didn't hold a lot, but we were the top two teams in the league at the moment. It was a great series." Looper went on to become an NCAA All-American, leading Wichita State to the Valley title. The next season, after helping WSU reach the College World Series, he was drafted in the first round by the Cardinals, only to be traded away while in the minors. In his mind, his success in his career — he was the closer of the 2003 World Series-winning Florida Marlins — can be traced back to the Valley. "At the time, I think Creighton was a little better than Southwest, but they were kind of up-and-coming," Looper said. "I came from a small town in Oklahoma (Mangum), so the competition was a huge step for me. You have to prove yourself at all kinds of levels to get where you want to go." Certainly, he is one of the big names to come out of the conference in the past 15 years. Detroit left-hander Nate Robertson, the Tigers' Game 3 starter Tuesday, also pitched in the Valley while at Wichita State. Missouri State had four former players in the big leagues at one point this season: Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Bill Mueller, the Texas Rangers' John Rheinecker and the Toronto Blue Jays' Shaun Marcum. In June, left-hander Brett Sinkbeil became a first-round draft pick of the Marlins. Looper is one of 10 first-round draft picks to have come out of Wichita State, the 10th being right-hander Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey pitched at Hammons Field in 2005 and was in the big leagues briefly this year with the New York Mets. "During that cycle (in the mid-1990s), there were a lot of quality guys that went on to have great careers," Guttin said. "I know it's been, with some exceptions, a league recently dominated by young pitching. The Valley has seen some high drafts." Looper can't say enough good things about the conference. "That was definitely the first level where I started saying to myself that I could make this a career," Looper said. "The Valley competition was good enough ... it definitely helped me a lot."

Edgy DC Nov 08 2006 10:59 AM

Brian Buchanan is going from the St. Paul Saints to to the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, the first Saint to jump to Japan.

Edgy DC Nov 15 2006 10:46 AM

Rey Ordoñez, minor league dealie with the Mariners.

cooby Nov 15 2006 01:38 PM

! He's on his way back!

Edgy DC Nov 17 2006 06:29 AM

YOUTH TEAM TO JAPAN A group of local youths, along with Saint Louis School and Hawai'i Pacific University alum Benny Agbayani, will visit Japan for the fifth Goodwill Youth Baseball Tournament from Sunday to Thursday. The team will visit cities in Ehime Prefecture, a fisheries school, as well as a memorial for those who died on the Ehime Maru when it sank off the coast of O'ahu on Feb. 9, 2001. Agbayani, who played for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball, now plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. "I am honored to be involved with both the Hawai'i and Ehime baseball players," Agbayani said. "It's a perfect union and it's so important to continue what was started in 2002." Royals Announce Minor League Personnel for 2007 The Kansas City Royals have announced a majority of the Minor League coaching and training staffs for the 2007 season, Royals Director-Player Development J.J. Picollo announced. Tony Tijerina will manage Wichita (AA) in 2007. Tijerina joins the Royals after spending the past 16 years with the New York Mets, the first six as a catcher in the farm system. Most recently, Tijerina served the past two seasons as the Mets Minor League Field Coordinator. Prior to that, he worked seven seasons as a minor league manager from 1999 to 2004. In 2002, following a season in which he led the Capital City Bombers (A) to a first-half title, he was named the South Atlantic League's Best Managerial Prospect by Baseball America. Tijerina lives in Newark Valley, N.Y., with his wife, Linda, and daughter, Lauren.

Edgy DC Nov 17 2006 06:37 AM

Edgardo sez "Pimpin' ain't eazy." Newzday sez "Gettin' your facts straight before deadline ain't eazy." RICH CRIBS BENNETT MARCUS, LAURA MANN, ABIGAIL W. LEONARD November 17, 2006 It wasn't exactly an easy goal when newly signed New York Islander Sean Hill went house-hunting on Long Island. Shawn Elliott of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates says he showed Hill's wife, Margaret, more than 50 properties before finding the one - a new 5,000-square-foot Colonial in north Syosset. The Hills wanted a place with good schools that was convenient to Iceworks, the Syosset rink where the Islanders practice, and to Nassau Coliseum and local airports for away games. Elliott declined to say how much the Hills paid, but the asking price was $2.195 million. - BENNETT MARCUS A QUEENS CATCH. Why did Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty cross the road to Queens? To get the $8 million listing for a house built by former New York Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo [CORRECTION: Infielder Edgardo Alfonzo most recently played for the Norfolk Tides, the Triple A team of the New York Mets, through the end of the 2006 season. An incorrect team is given on Page C2 of today's Real Estate section, which is printed in advance. The New Orleans Zephyrs, named in the story, will become the Mets' Triple A team next year. PG. A19 C, A17 NS 11/17/06] in Little Neck. The North Shore real estate agency says the property might be the most expensive on the market in Queens. At least on the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island it is. Property records show that Alfonzo - who played for the Mets from 1995 to 2002 and most recently has been a second baseman for the Mets Triple A New Orleans Zephyrs minor league team - bought the property in 1999 for $900,000. He never moved in, says Peggy Moriarty of Daniel Gale's Cold Spring Harbor office, "because it took that long to build with all the custom detailing." She says Alfonzo spared no expense in construction. "The quality of the materials is over-the-top," she says. "The master bathroom alone cost $750,000 to build. It's made with all gold-colored onyx." Even the basement is deluxe with a full batting cage. - LAURA MANN

Edgy DC Nov 22 2006 08:23 AM

Roger Cedeño, after what I guess was a year off, has signed a minor-league dealie with Baltimore. Viva Norfolk.

attgig Nov 22 2006 10:31 AM

="Edgy DC"]Edgardo sez "Pimpin' ain't eazy." Newzday sez "Gettin' your facts straight before deadline ain't eazy." RICH CRIBS BENNETT MARCUS, LAURA MANN, ABIGAIL W. LEONARD November 17, 2006 It wasn't exactly an easy goal when newly signed New York Islander Sean Hill went house-hunting on Long Island. Shawn Elliott of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates says he showed Hill's wife, Margaret, more than 50 properties before finding the one - a new 5,000-square-foot Colonial in north Syosset. The Hills wanted a place with good schools that was convenient to Iceworks, the Syosset rink where the Islanders practice, and to Nassau Coliseum and local airports for away games. Elliott declined to say how much the Hills paid, but the asking price was $2.195 million. - BENNETT MARCUS A QUEENS CATCH. Why did Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty cross the road to Queens? To get the $8 million listing for a house built by former New York Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo [CORRECTION: Infielder Edgardo Alfonzo most recently played for the Norfolk Tides, the Triple A team of the New York Mets, through the end of the 2006 season. An incorrect team is given on Page C2 of today's Real Estate section, which is printed in advance. The New Orleans Zephyrs, named in the story, will become the Mets' Triple A team next year. PG. A19 C, A17 NS 11/17/06] in Little Neck. The North Shore real estate agency says the property might be the most expensive on the market in Queens. At least on the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island it is. Property records show that Alfonzo - who played for the Mets from 1995 to 2002 and most recently has been a second baseman for the Mets Triple A New Orleans Zephyrs minor league team - bought the property in 1999 for $900,000. He never moved in, says Peggy Moriarty of Daniel Gale's Cold Spring Harbor office, "because it took that long to build with all the custom detailing." She says Alfonzo spared no expense in construction. "The quality of the materials is over-the-top," she says. "The master bathroom alone cost $750,000 to build. It's made with all gold-colored onyx." Even the basement is deluxe with a full batting cage. - LAURA MANN the house: http://www.mlslirealtor.com/unidetails.cfm?mlnum=1890786&typeprop=1&bn=1&CFID=17994844&CFTOKEN=93360203

Edgy DC Nov 25 2006 08:02 PM

Wow, the place he lost his bat speed.

Edgy DC Dec 12 2006 07:44 AM

Jay Payton's deal with Bal'mer is finalized. Kane Davis is a non-roster invitee for Philadephia.

Edgy DC Dec 28 2006 07:20 AM

Minor leage deal given by the Tigs to Felix Heredia. Tigers have gone a long way toward securing key parts of their team for the long term.

Edgy DC Dec 28 2006 12:46 PM

Rob Stratton, not quite ready for the Brogna thread. Former Isotopes slugger on ice at Star Center By GARY HERRON/OBSERVER SPORTS EDITOR You never know who you'll see at a New Mexico Scorpions game, and it can be even more surprising when it's someone you've seen play right field for the Albuquerque Isotopes. That's where Rob Stratton was on April 11, 2003, the first home game for the Isotopes. The player wearing No. 17 turned out to quite a power hitter, at least until he started incurring injuries. Married to Brandy Gonzales, a 1999 Eldorado High School graduate and a member of the Scorpions' marketing team, Stratton is learning a little about marketing and hockey this winter, and having a good time after last week's burst of winter sent snow into the metro area. "Here I am, 29 years old, out there building a snowman and stuff," he said, laughing. "I had a great time in the snow; I haven't been around the snow very much." He and Brandy are like a team, at the Star Center and in real estate; the two are real estate agents for Coldwell-Banker Legacy. "My wife likes me to be with her; she doesn't like to have the long drive out here, because we live up by the mountains," he explained. "All my days are directed toward real estate; then my nights, I go to the baseball academy and do hitting lessons there. "My name's still in people's heads here, you know, which is nice and makes it easier for us," he said. "But, you know, I'm sure over the years there have been a lot of other good athletes that go through the Isotopes, too, so I'm sure they're a lot fresher." Stratton signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Miami, then was drafted in 1996 by the New York Mets. He played with the Gulf Coast League Mets that summer, then slowly moved through the ranks until he arrived at triple-A Norfolk in 2001 for a couple of games. He played in 73 games for Norfolk in 2002, then was traded by the Mets to the Rockies. Stratton showed long-ball possibilities in his second year, with 15 homers at Kingsport, and then he had seasons of 17, 18, 30 and 27 homers from 1999-2002. In his only season with the Isotopes, after inking a free-agent deal in December 2002, Stratton led the team in homers with 32, and in strikeouts, with 175. During the year, he was the only 'Tope named to play in the AAA All-Star Game and was the PCL's DH on its postseason tem; he was the team's first PCL Batter of the Week, too (May 12-18). He hit 29 of his homers by the all-star break and led all minor league players in that department until the season's final week. Stratton also has his hand in a couple of PCL records, although don't ask him about them: He struck out 13 times in a row and his 175 whiffs for the year tied a PCL benchmark. He's got other memories on the 2003 campaign at the brand-new ballpark, and the first year of pro baseball since 2000 that came with it. "We had a great team that year, just a bunch of good guys," he said. "Other than that, I'd say the first half was very memorable, and then I started getting injured. And the all-star game - winning the home run derby at the all-star game was pretty exciting. Unfortunately, the second half I hit only three home runs. ... I had like several cortisone shots in my left elbow; I ended up having surgery on it the year after it. So I tried to just baby it, have shots where I wouldn't feel the pain. All of a sudden, it just kept hurtin' and hurtin' and hurtin.' And then, finally, my season went downhill; I'd play for a week and then I'd get hurt." Stratton hit .243 for Cincinnati's Louisville Bats, with no homers in 107 at-bats at the start of the 2006 season, then found himself at Class AAA Columbus, the Yankees' top farm team where he batted an almost-identical .242, but with 13 homers and 37 RBIs in 207 at-bats. In an injury-marred 205 campaign, he batted .308 but with just 26 at-bats at Louisville. Today, he's a free agent and, barring any deals between now and the start of spring training, he could be off to the Land of the Rising Sun. "I've been talking to Bobby Valentine," he said before last Friday's Scorpions game. Valentine is a former big-league manager who once played in Japan, and now is back there managing. Besides helping out with Scorpions promotions - he was busy scooping up teddy bears off the ice Friday and working a fan contest near one of the goals - he recently entered the world of real estate with Coldwell Banker Legacy, is thinking about heading to Japan to play baseball next season, and is working at the Albuquerque Baseball Academy, helping youngsters hone their skills. Kevin Lawton of Rio Rancho said he's familiar with Stratton, who helped his son, perennial Cibola Little League all-star Trenten Lawton, get around on inside pitches. "He did an awesome job; (Trenten) looked up to him," he said. "All of a sudden, wang! wang! He was driving them down the third-base line." Stratton would love to have a wang-wang season, one free from injuries. "I had seven surgeries in the past two years," he said. Five of them were for Achilles tendon injuries. "When I'm healthy, I put up my numbers. When I'm not healthy, nobody cares about you," he said, revealing one of the truths about pro sports. Asked what it was like playing for manager Dean Treanor, the Isotopes manager in '03 and again in 2005 and '06, he had but two words: "No comment." He had some good words about Jason Wood, who turned 37 this month and apparently decided not to retire after putting up good numbers with the 'Topes in 2006, even earning a late call-up to the parent Florida Marlins. "It's nice that the Marlins are sticking with him like that because he's a great guy; he's great for the clubhouse," Stratton said. "He's great for the clubhouse; he's a veteran guy that plays the game the right way. I think the young kids these days need somebody like him around to show them how to play the game and show them how to act in the clubhouse, and on the field. "So I think he's a great asset to the team and, you know, as long as he wants to play, I think he'll have a job somewhere because he is that type of person." Although he seemingly enjoys his new "careers," and said he loves living in Albuquerque, it's easy to see that Stratton would be even happier to be offered a contract to play baseball in time for the start of the 2007 season.

Benjamin Grimm Dec 28 2006 12:49 PM

]Stratton would love to have a wang-wang season, one free from injuries. There's a potential new entry for Urban Dictionary: a wang-wang season is one free from injuries.

Edgy DC Jan 02 2007 07:20 AM

Former Met Joe McEwing and almost-met Kerry Robinson are among the Red Sox spring training invitees. Robinson reports that he is "hoping for a wang-wang season."

Johnny Dickshot Jan 02 2007 08:01 AM

Bubba Trammell, who hasn't played since depression knocked him off the MFYs in 03 (?) I think, gets a minor league deal/invite with the O's.

Edgy DC Jan 02 2007 09:22 AM

As a grievous moper myself, I didn't recall the circumstances of his leaving baseball. Eventually, we may be able to together a Mets All-Depression Team. P - Bill Pulsipher C - 1B - 2B - 3B - SS - LF - CF - Piersall RF - Trammell Go, Sad Mets!

HahnSolo Jan 02 2007 09:32 AM

Pulsipher and Pete Harnisch provide a potent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

seawolf17 Jan 02 2007 01:57 PM

Pete Harnisch dealt with depression too. edit: Sorry, Hahn. Didn't see that there was a second page to the thread.

Edgy DC Jan 02 2007 02:06 PM

OK, we've got the beginnings of a pitching staff: Pulsipher, Harnish, and Reardon.

Edgy DC Jan 02 2007 08:34 PM

Jeff Keppinger DFA'd by the Royals.

Edgy DC Jan 04 2007 10:12 AM

Doug Mientkiewicz, New York Yankee.

Edgy DC Jan 05 2007 02:25 PM

Detroit, despertately trying to rebuild Art Howe's Mets, signs Timo to a minor-league deal.

MFS62 Jan 05 2007 06:02 PM

Just heard on the radio that Roger Cedeno signed a minor league deal with the O's. Later

Edgy DC Jan 06 2007 08:46 AM

Anderson Garcia, Benitez booty claimed on waivers by the Orioles from the Mets last summer, was similarly claimed by the Phils from the Orioles. Everybody wants him but nobody knows what to do with him. Also, the Phils offered a spring training invitation to Lou Collier, damn it.

DocTee Jan 06 2007 11:07 AM

Karim Garcia inks minorleague deal with Colorado. And Richard Hidalgo (who's only 31??) drawing interest from Houston, sez MLB.com.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2007 08:27 AM

Minor league deals and spring training invites will be pouring in now. Tyler Walker is getting one from San Francisco, and Dan Wheeler has re-signed with Houston.

Edgy DC Jan 10 2007 07:32 AM

More minor league dealies: Karim the Stream Garcia with Philadelphia and Mike Kinkade with the Cubbies.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 10 2007 07:34 AM

A Whiz Kid in Philadelphia, huh? That should bring back memories.

Edgy DC Jan 10 2007 10:42 PM

Cincy grabs Keppinger for minor league pitcher Russ Haltiwanger.

Edgy DC Jan 12 2007 12:08 PM

As mentioned earlier, Richard Hidalgo gets a minor-league deal from Houston. Jeff Duncan and Geremi Gonzalez are taking a minor-league walk down Blue Jay Way. Geremi, to his relief, will never again have to pitch to Paul Lo Duca.

ScarletKnight41 Jan 14 2007 05:00 PM

Cup of coffee Matt Watson is now a [url=http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/29500]Chiba Lotte Marine[/url].

MFS62 Jan 15 2007 05:30 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: A Whiz Kid in Philadelphia, huh? That should bring back memories. EVERYONE WAITAMINNIT!!! Stop. Re-read Yancy's comment about Karim Garcia. If there is a CPF Hall of Fame, that deserves to be in there. Later

metsguyinmichigan Jan 15 2007 07:51 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: A Whiz Kid in Philadelphia, huh? That should bring back memories. Brilliant!

Farmer Ted Jan 15 2007 08:01 PM

The St. Louis Cardinals assigned manager Mark DeJohn to their NYPenn affiliate in Batavia. DeJohn, the 23rd round pick of the Mets in 1971.

Edgy DC Jan 26 2007 10:13 AM

Cliff Floyd is officially added to the Cubs roster, as they release... Glendon Rusch. No, I wouldn't be surprised to see 2112 back in camp with the Mets. Thank you for asking.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 26 2007 10:25 AM

Rusch is suffering a blod-clot issue and I read he doesn't expect it will allow him to pitch at all in 07.

Edgy DC Jan 26 2007 10:30 AM

Well, then, I'd be shocked to see him in camp with the Mets.

Edgy DC Jan 26 2007 01:58 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 26 2007 02:04 PM

Last shot for Ledee? By Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports January 16, 2007 It's mid-winter, going on baseball season, so most nights Ricky Ledee drives over to the local public batting cages. Head down. Weight shift. Hands through. At 33, he's been through seven organizations in seven seasons. Now he's beginning to wonder. "I want to play," he says, "but nobody wants me." Ledee patched together 85 at-bats last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. He hit .188. The Mets needed a left-handed hitter, traded for Ledee, and for them he hit .094. He wasn't on their postseason roster. Cliff Floyd, who could barely walk from the dugout to the on-deck circle, was. Ledee went home. Now spring training is a month away, so Ledee's wife, Theresa, feeds miniature, weighted baseballs into the air. He is recovered from a groin injury that stole his strength for most of last season. She is recovering from surgery. Together, around parenting their three young children in Ocala, Fla., they maintain his stroke and, they hope, his career. She flips those small, heavy balls in short arcs. He swings a thin bat that more resembles a broomstick, and the balls thwap-thwap from wood to net. See the ball. Hard front side. Throw the barrel. By the end of last season, some in the Mets' organization believed Ledee was ready to retire. Always on the introspective side, Ledee, they said, seemed distant and defeated. Maybe it was the injuries. Maybe it was the .188. Maybe it was the constant movement, from Philadelphia to San Francisco to L.A. to New York since 2004 alone. Most of free agency's big names and big money are gone. In a rather light offseason for talent, baseball owners outdid themselves, spending $1.5 billion on free agents. Roger Clemens still will get his. Jeff Weaver and Tomo Ohka will get enough to live on. David Wells looks to have another decade in him. Sammy Sosa might be back. But, there are others. Steve Finley believes he can play another season or three. It would be interesting to see Darin Erstad and his perpetual, interchangeable Gold Gloves in the National League. Ronnie Belliard is being blocked by an abundance of second basemen, his previous two teams having added Josh Barfield (Cleveland Indians) and Adam Kennedy (St. Louis Cardinals). Wouldn't the Boston Red Sox have been better off trying Chan Ho Park at closer? Bernie Williams couldn't possibly play in another uniform. Could he? Can't Trot Nixon play every day somewhere? This is their time of year, the fifth starters and fourth outfielders and 25th men. Pushed from their primes by too many seasons or too many miles or too many injuries, they've been put off by two months, passed over and picked over. Most of the starting jobs are gone. So, Phil Nevin waits. And Shannon Stewart waits. So do Preston Wilson and Brian Lawrence and Ramon Ortiz and Craig Wilson. Then there's Ledee, kind and affable and easy to root for. He's too young to be old, too talented to be done, and yet wonders what's next, if anything. "I have no idea," he says. When I think of him, he's in a New York Yankees uniform, a 24-year-old rookie, smiling, shrugging, lugging around that "next Mickey Mantle" thing or whatever it was New York was laying on him at the time. It was 1998. The Yankees were the best team I ever saw. Ledee moved silently, respectfully among the superstars, and there was hardly getting out of their way: Derek Jeter, Darryl Strawberry, Williams, Mariano Rivera, Tino Martinez, Tim Raines, Paul O'Neill, David Cone, Wells, Andy Pettitte, Hideki Irabu, Chili Davis, Orlando Hernandez. There wasn't a lot of room for Ledee, and not much use for him. Scott Brosius batted ninth and drove in 98 runs. The team scored nearly 1,000. Ten players hit at least 10 home runs, none as many as 30. This was a machine. Ledee's time was out there somewhere, beyond this Yankees team, when Chad Curtis moved on or when O'Neill or Raines retired. So, he ran between Columbus and New York, playing in 42 big-league games. He mopped up around the veterans, took his at-bats where they came, and showed more in the way of athletic grace and promise than hard numbers. But, when October arrived, left field had become troublesome for manager Joe Torre. Curtis wasn't hitting. Raines was aging. And Shane Spencer was less tested than Ledee even. So, in Game 1 of the World Series against the San Diego Padres, Ledee started in left field. The Padres started 18-game winner Kevin Brown. Because Ledee batted left-handed and was a capable defender, Torre took the flier. "Yeah," Ledee says, "that's still so fresh in my mind. It feels like it was two months ago." Of course, Ledee hit .600 in that series. He was four for six with a walk and a sacrifice fly against Brown in Games 1 and 4. The Yankees won in four and Ledee, it seemed, had arrived, at least seven months earlier than expected. Just eight years later, he's a career .244 hitter, and without a promise for another season. His agent, Sam Levinson, told him teams have called. "They really want to give me minor-league deals," he says. "I understand. I was hurt. So, that kind of hurt me." He says he hopes to hear something encouraging in the next few days. He says he's sure last season wasn't really his last. He says he'll stay at it. Balance. Hips. Extension. "I'm going to keep battling," he says.

metirish Jan 26 2007 02:03 PM

Ledee never struck me as easy to root for,no real reason why,he just didn't.

Frayed Knot Jan 26 2007 02:08 PM

I never had a personal opinion on him one way or the other, but I did think he would have had a better career than what turned out; at least that of an above-average platoon player. He had a nice swing when he first came up.

Edgy DC Jan 26 2007 02:12 PM

I think a writer is going to find any player sympathetic when his wife is loading the pitching machine in January as he tries to stay sharp and get a team to take one more bite at the end of his career.

Edgy DC Jan 27 2007 08:26 PM

Jaketime: Jacobs shows all-around improvement Click-2-Listen By Joe Capozzi Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Saturday, January 27, 2007 WEST PALM BEACH — On Sept. 28, four days before the end of his rookie season, Marlins first baseman Mike Jacobs received an urgent phone call from his mother in Southern California. Your brother Vince is in the hospital, she said. They found a tumor. They're running tests. It might be cancer. "Once she said there was a possibility of cancer, I mean, I was devastated,'' Jacobs said during a recent charity event at CityPlace. "I lost my dad when I was 6 years old to cancer. Growing up, my brother was like a father figure to me. My dad was 36 when he died. My brother's right around the same age. Just thinking of the possibility of him being gone was hard to take.'' Jacobs, 26, knew he had to return home. When he went into manager Joe Girardi's office to seek permission to leave the team, he broke down in tears. "He was real supportive,'' Jacobs said of Girardi, who has since been replaced by Fredi Gonzalez. "He said, 'We only have three games left. No matter what anybody says, family is the most important thing. You should be there with him.' " After confiding in just a handful of teammates, Jacobs left the club and arrived that night in Southern California in time to see his stepbrother, Vince Bucca, come out of successful surgery. Doctors removed a tumor from his stomach, along with his appendix and part of his intestines. The tumor was benign, and Jacobs said his brother is making a remarkable recovery. Bucca, a mortgage loan officer, was able to see Mike get married Nov. 11. Now, Bucca is well enough to play golf. A few weeks ago, the two climbed into a car and drove 3,000 miles cross-country, partly to spend time together and partly so that Jacobs could get a head start on spring training. Marlins position players don't have to report until Feb. 19, but Jacobs has been working out at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter since early January. Monday morning, he'll be joined by teammates in a mini-camp that is closed to the public and will continue Wednesday and next Friday. Jacobs faced high expectations last season after coming to Florida from the New York Mets in the Carlos Delgado trade. Jacobs, a left-handed batter, hit 11 home runs in his first 100 games with the Mets in 2005, including a string in which he became the first player in history to homer in each of his first four big-league games. But last season he was limited to 136 games, 120 as a starter, because of a sore right ankle and his struggles to hit left-handed pitching. He finished with 20 home runs, helping the Marlins become the first team in 47 years with five rookies each hitting at least 10 home runs. But Jacobs said he wanted to do more, and that's why he has been in Jupiter, testing his ankle with light running and agility drills. "I felt like I missed out on a lot of opportunities, the way I could have played last year," he said. "I don't want to let any injuries this year hold me back. Right now, the ankle feels good. I am running with no pain.'' One of Jacobs' main goals this spring will be to hit lefties better. In 2006, he batted .182 with two home runs against lefties and .281 with 18 homers against righties. "Hopefully I'll face a lot (of left-handed pitching) in spring training,'' he said. "I hit lefties in the minor leagues so it's not something I've never done. Hopefully, with experience it will improve.''

patona314 Jan 27 2007 09:30 PM

Last shot for Ledee? ledee is a yankee and he's ugly

SteveJRogers Jan 30 2007 09:30 PM

[url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spmunson0131,0,7939396.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines]Zambrano going North of The Border[/url] ]Extra bases The Mets' Carlos Delgado, who also appeared at the Munson Dinner, said that he had been cleared to hit. Delgado is recovering from left elbow surgery. Rich Gossage, also at the dinner, said that he would be a Yankees spring training instructor. Gossage had not been in Yankees camp for the past five years, at first leaving for the Rockies, then spending the past couple of years at home. Former Met Victor Zambrano signed a minor-league deal with Toronto. Zambrano had been negotiating with the Mets, as well. No word yet if Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg made any 10 minute declarations!

Farmer Ted Jan 31 2007 08:22 AM

Todd Pratt invited to spring training by NYY.

metirish Jan 31 2007 08:29 AM

I'd like to see Todd make a club but not the yankees,I have some fond memories of him as a Met.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2007 08:41 AM

metirish wrote: I'd like to see Todd make a club but not the yankees,I have some fond memories of him as a Met. I think we all do. That home run against Arizona was classic. The best part was that we didn't see the ball go over the wall; we realized that the Mets won the series because Steve Finley looked into his glove and then slumped against the wall. Very cool.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 31 2007 08:47 AM

Unless you happened to be seated so far out, and so high up, in rightfield that you could see the back the center field fence, as JD and FK happened to that afternoon. I recall our area cheering just an instant before the sound blasted back at us. I was saying "Went off his glove! Went off his glove!"

MFS62 Feb 06 2007 06:56 AM

His new career is as a dad. ]Baseball's Mike Piazza Becomes a Dad MONDAY FEBRUARY 05, 2007 05:05 PM EST By Stephen M. Silverman Oakland A's catcher Mike Piazza and wife Alicia welcomed their first child, a daughter, on Saturday. Nicoletta Veronica Piazza was born at 4:07 a.m. in New York City. She weighed in at 5 lbs., 8 oz. and measured 19 inches long. "Both baby and mother are doing fine," Piazza's rep, Josh Goldberg, said in a statement to PEOPLE. A onetime star hitter for the New York Mets, Piazza, 38, married the former Alicia Rickter, 34, a Baywatch alum, in a candlelit ceremony in Miami on Jan. 29, 2005. Mazel Tov, Mikey. Later

Johnny Dickshot Feb 06 2007 07:02 AM

My 8-month-old son is excited to meet his future wife.

metirish Feb 06 2007 07:12 AM

Congrats to the Piazza family.

ScarletKnight41 Feb 06 2007 07:13 AM

That's nice news. I'm sure that Mikey will be a great dad :)

seawolf17 Feb 06 2007 07:18 AM

Nuts. JD called dibs before I did.

Edgy DC Feb 19 2007 12:16 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 19 2007 02:03 PM

Looks like Piazza's competitive career is done and his stud career has started. Braden Looper, meanwhile, is audtioning with the Cardinals to be a starter. Jay Gibbons has signed an extension with the Toronto Blue Jays covering the 2008 season.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 19 2007 01:33 PM

john

Edgy DC Feb 19 2007 02:03 PM

Yeah. John Gibbons. That's what I said.

Edgy DC Feb 19 2007 08:18 PM

The uphill battle in Seattle. Long way from Shea for former Mets star Ordonez By GREGG BELL AP SPORTS WRITER PEORIA, Ariz. -- Rey Ordonez's comeback day couldn't have been any more humbling. Or damp. The former Gold Glove infielder with the New York Mets began his first day on a baseball diamond since 2004 by fielding ground balls hit by a Mariners coach on Monday. Soon, the 36-year-old was gobbling his grounders in the rain. A drizzle became a wind-blown downpour. The rain wiped out the rest of batting practice and had Ordonez briskly walking back into the clubhouse. His blue No. 10 practice jersey was darkened, drenched among minor league prospects wearing 82 and 93. Hey, is this any way to treat the comeback of the former shooting star once heralded as the "second coming" of Ozzie Smith - by the Hall of Fame shortstop himself? Then again, why is Ordonez even here? Why is he - as a non-roster invitee and backup middle infielder on a minor league contract - even trying to make a team that has finished last in the AL West for three consecutive seasons? "For my son (Anthony Rey) and my daughter (Sonia Stephanie)," said Ordonez, a Cuban defector and veteran of 973 games who hasn't done much more than work out in a gym since he walked away from the Chicago Cubs 31 months ago. "The last two years they've been asking me, 'Daddy, why don't you play again?' Well, here I am. "I can play two, maybe three more years. Maybe not play every day, but I can be on a 25-man roster." This remote chance is perhaps the final one of a rise-and-fall career that began with a soaring Mets debut in 1996. Ordonez completed an astounding relay throw to home plate from his knees on Opening Day against Smith's Cardinals. Afterward, Ozzie marveled "he's the second coming of me." How far he's come - and gone - is remarkable. The former star of Cuba's national youth team defected in 1993, during the World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y. The Mets acquired him later that year through a lottery. Eight years later, he was at the White House with Gloria Estefan, meeting President Bush in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month. "Coming from Cuba, I'd never seen anything like that before," he said, still smiling at the memory. In between the escape and the executive mansion, Ordonez joined Smith, Dave Concepcion and Barry Larkin as the only NL shortstops to win three or more Gold Gloves since the award began in 1957. Ordonez won his third consecutive one in 1999 while setting career highs of 154 games played, 60 RBIs and a .258 batting average. He set a major league record by not committing an error in his final 100 games as the Mets advanced to the NL championship series before losing to Arizona. Then his golden career began fading. During a game on May 29, 2000, at Dodger Stadium, he broke his left arm banging it into the batting helmet of F.P. Santangelo during a tag play. The arm required a plate and six screws and he missed the rest of that season. Ordonez now says the injury was not a turning point, that he maintained his offense in 2001 and '02. But he made 12 errors and then 19 errors in those seasons. When boos at Shea Stadium for the formerly beloved shortstop became sonic booms, he called the New York fans "stupid" in a newspaper article at the end of the '02 season. "Thing is, what they put in the paper was "The fans are stupid," Ordonez said. "What I said was, 'The fans are stupid. I want to win. I play hard.' "The next day, I told the writer I was sorry. He said, 'Rey, it's too late. This is New York.'" The Mets traded him to woebegone Tampa Bay two months later. In his 34th game with the Devil Rays, he tore a ligament in his left knee diving for a ball. He's played in 23 games and had 61 at bats since. In 2004, he walked out of San Diego's camp because he saw that then-rookie Khalil Greene was going to start ahead of him. He says now that the Padres had promised him that he would play ahead of Greene. Then came 23 games mostly as a defensive replacement for the Cubs. Ordonez called it "a month-and-a-half of standing around not doing anything." He got the release he asked for in July 2004 - and spent two years staying fit in a gym. Seattle, the only team interested, sent a scout to Miami to see him last November. After a month of playing in Puerto Rico, he is buried behind dynamic, 25-year-old Yuniesky Betancourt, 25 at shortstop, All-Star Jose Lopez, 23, at second base and established utility man Willie Bloomquist. General manager Bill Bavasi said that if Ordonez does not make the team, Seattle will release him rather than offer him a Triple-A assignment. Mariners manager Mike Hargrove called it "an uphill climb for him." "But I won't say he can't make the club, because he certainly can," Hargrove said.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 19 2007 08:30 PM

Poor Rey.

Edgy DC Feb 19 2007 08:32 PM

There's always the Yankees.

metirish Feb 19 2007 09:06 PM

When I first started watching the Mets I thought Rey was the best thing ever.....I loved him....the things he did with the glove was amazin. I should add that I still like Rey.

Edgy DC Feb 21 2007 08:07 AM

Ex-Met shortstops trying to get their heads above water all over the place. Matsui eager to be big hit with Rockies By Troy E. Renck Denver Post Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 02/19/2007 11:36:51 PM MST Second baseman Kaz Matsui hit .345 for the Rockies in 32 games last season after struggling with the Mets. "I had never experienced anything like New York before," he says. "I like it here." (Post / Steve Dykes) Tucson - Forget Waldo. Where's Kazuo? The public relations staff members insist they saw him in the batting cage a few days ago. Troy Tulowitzki confirms his teammate walked through recently. His interpreter promises that the Rockies second baseman is at Hi Corbett Field. A few minutes later, an autograph on a fan's baseball card provides a fresh clue. Kazuo Matsui, the international man of mystery, is training alone on a back field. Far removed from prying eyes, Matsui runs laps on the warning track, works on agility drills and does stretches that would make a pretzel cringe. It is here in the desert, unburdened from the small army of reporters that used to chronicle his every move, where Matsui believes a lost major-league career will be found. "I had never experienced anything like New York before. I like it here. The Rockies wanted me and I signed back to show my appreciation," Matsui said. "I absolutely believe I can be an (elite) player." That Matsui ended up in Colorado has everything to do with New York, a 2 1/2-year failed experiment that clouds every judgment of the 31-year-old infielder. Is Matsui a star waiting to bloom, the victim of being miscast on the big stage? Or is he just an ordinary player regardless of the uniform? After Matsui batted .345 in 32 games with them last year, the Rockies made retaining the switch hitter a priority, quickly signing him to a $1.5 million contract - a shadow of his $20 million deal with the Mets. Matsui will hit leadoff or second, share second base with Jamey Carroll and be counted on to provide speed for a team too often strapped with clay feet. "We want him to be in control of the game. If he's not running, he's not using all of his tools," new baserunning and outfield coach Glenallen Hill said. "And we want him to know that it's OK to make a mistake." The statement provides a hint how Matsui's career careened off the tracks Rockies Rundown Catch the daily spring training roundup from Rockies beat writers Troy E. Renck and Patrick Saunders in Tucson. You'll find insider information on players and strategy, an explanation of key statistics, quick profiles of young players and unusual team news. Check DenverPost.com's Rockies Page every afternoon for the Rockies Rundown. in New York. He is a perfectionist, an admirable quality that ate his insides when he failed to make a smooth transition to the big leagues. Former Mets general manager Steve Phillips didn't sign Matsui, but was in charge as the organization built the scouting reports that led to his big contract. "Those reports were unbelievable. They indicated that he was a Robbie Alomar type, but a shortstop," Phillips said. "He didn't handle New York well, then he got uptight and it only got worse." Phillips believes Colorado is a perfect stage for Matsui's comeback, saying "he's that rare veteran with an upside. If he regains his confidence, his talent will play out." Even before Matsui shared a laugh with Todd Helton in the parking lot Monday, it was clear he is more comfortable with the Rockies. Denver, he said, reminds him of Tokorozawa, the hilly countryside city where he starred for the Seibu Lions. Talk of him returning to the Japanese League this winter was off base, he confirmed. His pride stung, he wasn't about to give up on his big-league dreams. "I wasn't healthy in New York and didn't play well. I came here to be successful," Matsui said. "I didn't want to go back like that." If Matsui's problems were as simple as a change of scenery, he would have been in demand as a free agent. He has to become more consistent offensively - he hit .299 against right-handers last season, .119 against left-handers - and utilize his speed more. Matsui promises to be aggressive on the bases - he stole eight bases in nine attempts a year ago - and believes Lasik surgery will help him in the batter's box. His vision, he said, is now balanced after he tried unsuccessfully to wear contact lens. "He had problems with his eyes in New York," Mets coach Sandy Alomar Sr. said. "He makes no excuses and works hard. Denver will be good for him. He holds a lot of things inside, you just have to talk to him." Infield instructor Mike Gallego plans to discuss plenty with Matsui, working with him on his double plays. Matsui has terrific range to his left, but as a former shortstop he is still refining his footwork around the bag. "He's gained confidence. We will work with him on his positioning," Gallego said. "He's only going to get better with repetition." Who's on second? Kazuo Matsui, 31, signed a three-year, $20 million contract with Mets in 2003, but never lived up to the hype. He is attempting to revive his career in Colorado after hitting .345 in 32 games for the Rockies last season. Strengths: A switch-hitter, is one of baseball's fastest players from home plate to first base. Has excellent range to his left defensively. Motivated to prove he can succeed in the big leagues. Weaknesses: Swing path makes him vulnerable as a right-handed hitter. Has shown timidity in stealing bases that must be abandoned. A former shortstop, still refining backhand and footwork on double plays as a second baseman. Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.

Edgy DC Feb 22 2007 10:42 AM

Ex-Mets with re-built elbows: Zambrano ahead of the game By KEN FIDLIN -- Sun Media DUNEDIN -- When the Blue Jays took a flyer this winter on Victor Zambrano, fresh from Tommy John surgery, they thought they were banking an arm for the future. Yesterday, after watching Zambrano throw from a mound for the first time, the Jays' braintrust may be thinking the future could be right around the corner. Zambrano had surgery on his right elbow last May after only five starts for the Mets. Pitchers who have the type of reconstructive surgery that Zambrano had take a year of recovery, and even then they are unlikely to be at full strength for many months beyond that. Zambrano, who impressed the Jays when he used to pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays until he was traded to New York for Scott Kazmir, has been throwing since November and thinks he's very close to being back to 100%. "I think I'll be ready in three or four weeks," Zambrano said. "My arm is feeling pretty good." The Jays are more cautious, but both manager John Gibbons and general manager J.P. Ricciardi were impressed by what they saw from both Zambrano and from Pete Walker, who had similar surgery only seven months ago. "By the end of camp, I think Zambrano will put himself on the radar map with us," Ricciardi said. "I don't want him to push it. Same with Pete (Walker). What good is it to bring these guys in and have them blow out their arms in the bullpen?" Zambrano is a fierce competitor and was one of the few bright lights on the Tampa staff from 2001 until mid-2004. He says he is pleased to be coming back to the American League East. "I always liked him when he was in Tampa," Gibbons said. "He on some games for a team that wasn't winning many." The plan remains to hold both Zambrano and Walker back, with a target date for Zambrano of June or July. But off what they saw yesterday, the return could be sooner rather than later.

Rockin' Doc Feb 22 2007 09:39 PM

Unless Zambrano's rebuilt elbow also includes a GPS unit so he can find the plate, he'll still be the same pitcher that frustrated Mets fans. I hold no malice towards Victor Zambrano. It's not his fault the Mets traded Scott Kazmir for him. I truly hope he can make a decent comeback with the Blue Jays, but I'll be surprised if he does. Zambrano's problem never seemed to be his stuff. It always seemed (at least to me) to be an inability to consistently throw strikes which I always suspected came from a personal lack of faith in his stuff.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 22 2007 09:41 PM

Had a bad elbow too. Bad elbow --> poor CAHNfidence --->poor results

DocTee Feb 24 2007 04:13 PM

X-Met X-Man needs X-Rays: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2007/news/story?id=2777979

cooby Feb 24 2007 04:22 PM

="metirish"]When I first started watching the Mets I thought Rey was the best thing ever.....I loved him....the things he did with the glove was amazin. I should add that I still like Rey. I should add that I still love Rey, and although I somehow missed you guys posting the above article, I did see it online and also would like to share this from the Mariners site: Glove still good: Infielder Rey Ordonez hasn't appeared in a Major League game since 2004, though his defensive skills hardly looked rusty following the first four days of workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex. Ordonez flashed some fine leather playing shortstop and second base during drills. With second baseman Jose Lopez out for a few weeks, Ordonez could get a lot of repetition there, along with Willie Bloomquist. "It felt like playing real baseball again," said the 36-year-old Ordonez. Aside from playing in roughly two dozen winter-ball games in Puerto Rico, the veteran shortstop hasn't been on a big-league field since appearing in 67 games with the Cubs in 2004. Ordonez is in camp as a non-roster invitee and a long shot to make the Mariners' 25-man Opening Day roster. A three-time Gold Glove shortstop with the Mets from 1996-2002, Ordonez understands his odds of making the team aren't good. "I'm happy the Mariners signed me," he said. "There's 30 teams out there. If I don't make it here, there are 29 more teams."

iramets Feb 24 2007 04:44 PM

[url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/02/24/ap3459443.html]another Kaz[/url]

G-Fafif Feb 26 2007 02:18 PM

Fonzie not ready for the Rico Brogna thread.

SteveJRogers Feb 27 2007 05:57 PM

[url=http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=566985]Gary Matthews Jr. under investigation[/url] Story was picked up by Rotoworld.com in their player news section: ]An Orlando pharmacy being investigated in connection with steroids was raided Tuesday, and it was discovered that one of the alleged clients of the pharmacy was Gary Matthews Jr. The Albany Times Union learned that investigators have uncovered evidence that testosterone and other performance-enhancing drugs may have been fraudulently prescribed over the Internet to current and former MLB and NFL players, as well as collegiate athletes. Also on the list of clients were admitted steroid user Jose Canseco and boxer Evander Holyfield. No other active major leaguers had their names leaked in the article.

metirish Feb 28 2007 06:44 PM

It's probably has been mentioned here already but I only found out today that Looper is now a starter for St. Louis.

attgig Mar 07 2007 12:24 PM Ed Hearn

[url]http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/070307&sportCat=mlb[/url] ] The Royals' worst -- and best -- trade By Jeff Pearlman Special to Page 2 He first learned of the deal on a Friday night some 20 years ago. Ed Hearn and his wife Tricia were eating dinner in their Clearwater, Fla., apartment when the phone rang. "Ed," said Joe McIlvaine, the Mets' general manager, "I have some news for you. You've been traded to Kansas City." At the time, Hearn was New York's backup catcher -- a decent-hit, decent-field career minor leaguer who had ably filled in for Gary Carter on the Mets' 1986 world championship club. Though hardly one of the boys on the bar-hopping, beer-guzzling, cocaine-snorting Metropolitans, Hearn was respected and well-liked. His nickname was "Ward," after the squeaky-clean father on "Leave it to Beaver." "A good dude," teammate Kevin Mitchell would say years later. "Very solid." With McIlvaine's words back on that warm spring training night, Hearn's mind raced. Traded? Why me? Why now? We're a dynasty in the making. I don't wanna leave. Upon composing himself, he asked the $1 million question. "Well," Hearn said, "who was I traded for?" "A minor league pitcher," McIlvaine replied. "Some kid named Dave Cone." Though he had no reason to suspect such, at that moment Hearn was officially inducted into a secret society, one composed of good men worthy of better legacies, one headed by names like Ernie Broglio, Milt Pappas, Rick Wise, Cedric Durst, Amos Rusie and Bob Buhl. Brother Ed, welcome to the "They Traded Him ... For You?" club. As soon as Hearn reported to Royals' camp, the troubles began. His right arm felt sore, and with each throw the pain intensified. Though Hearn sucked it up to start the first two games of the season (he went 4-for-6 with a game-winning RBI), the mind can only overcome so much. Hearn was placed on the disabled list, diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff and shipped off to the operating room. His season ended after six games. The following year, he played seven more. With that -- poof! -- a major league career was over. The final tally: A .263 average, four home runs and a lifetime of "Dude, I can't believe you were traded for David Cone!" "I still get that all the time," Hearn says. "But what can I say? David Cone went on to an amazing career. He deserves credit for that. The guy was a great pitcher. If the worst thing that happened to me in my life was being traded for him, well, that's not so bad." Hearn utters these words, knowing they serve as a gateway, not a wrap-up. Being dealt for Cone was not the worst thing to happen in Hearn's life. It was not one of the 10 worst things. Not one of the 100. It was a baseball trade. Just a damn baseball trade. Hearn spent four years trying to make it back to The Show, and in 1991 he retired to what he thought would be a life of selling insurance in Overland Park, Kan. The following year, however, during a seemingly routine physical, Hearn was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, an illness that occurs when scar tissue forms in some of the glomeruli of the kidney. Doctors placed him on dialysis and decided he needed a transplant ASAP. He underwent one transplant. A few years later, he underwent a second transplant. A few years later, he underwent a third (yes, third) transplant. With each operation, there is hope. With each failure, there is despair. On a fall day in 1993, Hearn descended the 13 steps to his basement with a loaded .357 Magnum. His plan was to shoot himself in the head. "I was suffering from terrible mood swings because of the medication," Hearn says. "The sadness overcame me." He looked at the gun barrel. He thought about his wife. He looked at the gun barrel. He thought about his wife some more. He looked at the gun barrel. "I could do it to myself," he says. "But I couldn't do it to her." As he slowly returned up the steps, three ponderings entered Hearn's mind: • I need professional help. • I need to return to the basics of my Christian faith. • I need to stop wallowing and start finding positive ways to think. Two weeks after rising from the basement, Hearn was asked by a former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman named Dave Lindstrom if he would like to speak at the weekly Overland Park Rotary luncheon. Surely, the Rotarians would be enthralled by tales of minor league bus rides and Big Apple high jinks and World Series moments. Heck, who wouldn't be? Instead, they got Ed Hearn unplugged -- raw, gritty, pained. The reaction was unlike anything Hearn had experienced as a ballplayer. The Rotarians did not simply feel Hearn's pain. They were moved by it. Hurt by it. Shortly thereafter, Hearn decided he would give full-time motivational speaking a try. More than a decade later, he speaks 30-40 times per year, to operations ranging from Nabisco and the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to the Boy Scouts. He is also the author of a motivational autobiography, "Conquering Life's Curves." "This is bigger than baseball to me," Hearn says. "It's provided a sense of purpose I never had before -- not as a catcher, not as a father or husband. It has given meaning to all that I went through. Otherwise, all that suffering would have been in vain." There should be a happy, uncomplicated ending here -- this is sports, after all. Jim Morris throws 95 mph. The Natural smashes the lights. Something, right? Sadly, with Ed Hearn life is never that simple. Three years ago Hearn was diagnosed with skin cancer, and underwent 1½ months of radiation. He suffers from sleep apnea, and before going to bed attaches himself to a BiPat machine to monitor and assist with breathing. Though he is in pretty good health, everything is relative. Hearn's body is beaten up. Physically, he is 46 going on 86. Unlike the myriad motivational speakers who Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay their way through an hour of upbeat, you-can-do-it drivel, Hearn keeps it real. If he's feeling low, he says so. "It helps to be true," he says. "People understand that there are hard days." When he gets especially down, Hearn tries to reflect upon the twists and turns of his life. He believes, with good reason, that if he had stayed healthy, the Royals would have had themselves a starting catcher for the next decade. Then again, would he be the person he is now? The one who, through suffering, is more than just another of the world's 12,471 ex-backstops? "I'll tell you what moves me," Hearn says. "Three or four times I've had people come up to me after a speech. They say, 'Ed, you were the worst trade the Royals ever made. But after experiencing you today, I'd say you're the best trade the Royals made. Because it brought you here.'" Hearn pauses. "That," he says, "makes my life worthwhile. It's a reminder that, yeah, maybe my baseball career didn't go as planned. And maybe my health problems have been terrible. But I could have used those experiences in bad ways, in negative ways, in horrible ways. "Instead, I look for the good." Jeff Pearlman is a former Sports Illustrated senior writer and the author of "Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero", now available in paperback. You can reach him at anngold22@yahoo.com.

Edgy DC Mar 07 2007 12:27 PM

Big fat error in paragraph two.

iramets Mar 07 2007 12:33 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Big fat error in paragraph two. He was actually traded to Montreal for Warren Cromartie?

Benjamin Grimm Mar 07 2007 01:04 PM

Cashen was the GM at the time.

Edgy DC Mar 07 2007 01:09 PM

Why am I working here while ESPN editors are dropping the ball? (Don't answer.)

metirish Mar 07 2007 01:17 PM

Pearlman claims to be a big Mets fan,especially the 86 team...

Edgy DC Mar 11 2007 05:53 AM

Rey Ordoñez has played in eight of ten games in Arizona for the Mariners, and he's puttting on a show. G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG 8 15 2 5 0 1 1 3 10 1 0 0 0 .375 .667 .333

Gwreck Mar 11 2007 11:24 AM

Jeromy Burnitz retiring. Burnitz retires at 37 with 315 career home runs By Jerry Crasnick ESPN.com Jeromy Burnitz, who hit 315 home runs in a 14-year career with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and five other clubs, has decided to retire, his agent said. Burnitz, 37, hit a disappointing .230 with 16 home runs in 313 at-bats for the Pittsburgh Pirates in his final season. He became a free agent in November when the Pirates declined a $6 million option for 2007 and paid him a $700,000 buyout. Agent Howard Simon said Burnitz had contemplated retirement for the past two or three seasons, only to return to play each time. Burnitz did not receive any offers this offseason. "When it came down to it [in past seasons], he wasn't quite ready to do it," Simon said. "I thought the same thing might happen this time around, but he's made up his mind to call it quits for sure." Burnitz broke into professional ball as the Mets' first-round draft pick in 1990. His best career stretch came with Milwaukee from 1998 through 2001, when he averaged 34 homers and 106 RBI for the Brewers. He made the National League All-Star team in 1999. Burnitz played on a College World Series team with Oklahoma State in 1990, but appeared in 1,694 major league games without a playoff appearance. It was the longest-running postseason futility streak among active players. Burnitz, Phil Nevin, Brian Jordan and Eric Young are among several aging position players who either failed to receive offers from big league clubs this offseason or declined to pursue lesser opportunities. Steve Finley, 41, waited until Feb. 24 to sign a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies. Jerry Crasnick covers Major League Baseball for ESPN Insider.

iramets Mar 11 2007 11:56 AM

I think "retire" should apply only to situations where the player has an offer to play but turns it down. Burnitz's retirement seems entirely unvoluntary. This is similar to saying that JFK resigned from the Presidency on November 22, 1963. I suppose he did, but he would have preferred to keep his job, if he'd been allowed to.

Rockin' Doc Mar 11 2007 03:26 PM

The Sportin' Nues - Today, Rockin' Doc officially announced his retirement from baseball. After more than 25 years without receiving any major league offers, the 46 year old, former infielder decided that it was time to end his pursuit of a major league career. "There comes a time when you have to face reality and move on with your life" added Doc. "I guess I'll just have to concentrate on continuing my transition into my life after baseball." Following a very successful Little League career as an allstar third baseman, Doc went on to successfully man the hot corner throughout Senior League, High School, and American Legion campaigns. Eventually, he landed a scholarship to play second base for WV Tech. Still, the onslaught of major league offers were apparently too much for the US Postal Service and they were never delivered to Doc. "For the first eight to ten years I kept myself in pretty good shape, but eventually I became disillusioned and fell away from my training regimen. I'm only fit for beer-belly softball now," joked Doc.

cooby Mar 11 2007 06:49 PM

]"There comes a time when you have to face reality and move on with your life" added Doc. "I guess I'll just have to concentrate on continuing my transition into my life after baseball." Fortunately, it has recently been revealed that he has a medical degree...

Johnny Dickshot Mar 11 2007 07:18 PM

Good luck in your future endeavors. I'm still hanging around for another spring.

Rockin' Doc Mar 11 2007 07:34 PM

JD - "I'm still hanging around for another spring." Hope springs eternal. Particularly among the young. I wish you the best of luck. I found it increasingly more difficult to hold out hope as the years kept piling on. I also found it increasingly more difficult to bend over for ground balls as the years and pounds piled on. I mean there is only one Julio Franco.

Frayed Knot Mar 11 2007 08:25 PM

Burnitz career: - 14 seasons (or parts of them) - 315 HRs & 741 Xtra base hits - .253 / .345 / .481 (BA/OBA/SLG) Plus a pretty good OFer and decent runner Not going to the Hall of Fame obviously, but not a bad body of work. Some might argue that you'd want more than that out of a 1st round pick (#17 overall in 1990) but 1st rounders who never spend a day in the majors out-number those who become regulars by more than a 2-to-1 margin and many of those regulars won't last as long.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 11 2007 08:35 PM

Yeah, Burnitz deserves a golf clap. Apparently, his selection in the draft at that slot came as a surprise to some analysts but, I believe, Joe Mac liked him a lot. He must be up there among the top handful in home runs by a Met farm product.

OlerudOwned Mar 11 2007 10:08 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Yeah, Burnitz deserves a golf clap. Apparently, his selection in the draft at that slot came as a surprise to some analysts but, I believe, Joe Mac liked him a lot. He must be up there among the top handful in home runs by a Met farm product. Only guy worth a damn to be selected after Burnitz in Round 1 of that draft is Mussina. They showed good restraint passing on Queens native Steve Karsay.

Edgy DC Mar 11 2007 10:26 PM

That 1990 sure was a fun year to draft for the Expos. # Player Name Pos Drafting Team Age Born Ht Wt B T High Level MLB Years Drafted From # 1. Chipper Jones SS Atlanta Braves 18 4/24/1972 6-4 210 B R MLB 1993-2006 The Bolles School High School (Jacksonville, FL) 1 2. Tony Clark OF Detroit Tigers 18 6/15/1972 6-7 245 B R MLB 1995-2006 Christian High School (El Cajon,CA) 2 3. Mike Lieberthal C Philadelphia Phillies 18 1/18/1972 6-0 190 R R MLB 1994-2006 Westlake High School (Westlake Village, CA) 5 4. Alex Fernandez P Chicago White Sox 21 8/13/1969 6-1 215 R R MLB 1990-2000 Miami Dade South Community College 100 5. Kurt Miller P Pittsburgh Pirates 18 8/24/1972 6-5 225 R R MLB 1994-1999 West High School (Bakersfield, CA) 4 6. Marc Newfield 1B Seattle Mariners 17 10/19/1972 6-4 224 R R MLB 1993-1998 Marina High School (Huntington Beach, CA) 7 7. Dan Wilson C Cincinnati Reds 21 3/25/1969 6-3 202 R R MLB 1992-2005 University of Minnesota 66 8. Tim Costo SS Cleveland Indians 21 2/16/1969 6-5 220 R R MLB 1992-1993 University of Iowa 45 9. Ron Walden P Los Angeles Dodgers - - - - - - - - Blanchard High School (Blanchard, OK) 2 10. Carl Everett OF New York Yankees 19 6/3/1971 6-0 190 B R MLB 1993-2006 Hillsborough High School (Tampa, FL) 21 11. Shane Andrews 3B Montreal Expos 19 8/28/1971 6-0 220 R R MLB 1995-2002 - - 12. Todd Ritchie P Minnesota Twins 18 11/7/1971 6-3 222 R R MLB 1997-2004 Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX) 4 13. Donovan Osborne P St. Louis Cardinals 21 6/21/1969 6-2 195 L L MLB 1992-2004 UNLV 34 14. Todd Van Poppel P Oakland Athletics 18 12/9/1971 6-5 210 R R MLB 1991-2004 Martin High School (Arlington, TX) 3 15. Adam Hyzdu OF San Francisco Giants 18 12/6/1971 6-2 220 R R MLB 2000-2006 Moeller High School (Cincinnati,OH) 8 16. Dan Smith P Texas Rangers 21 8/20/1969 6-5 190 L L MLB 1992-1994 Creighton University 19 17. Jeromy Burnitz OF New York Mets 21 4/15/1969 6-0 205 L R MLB 1993-2006 Oklahoma State University 99 18. Aaron Holbert SS St. Louis Cardinals 17 1/9/1973 6-0 160 R R MLB 1996-2005 David Starr Jordan High School (Long Beach, CA) 13 19. Eric Christopherson OF San Francisco Giants - - - - - - AAA - San Diego State University 90 20. Mike Mussina P Baltimore Orioles 21 12/8/1968 6-2 183 B R MLB 1991-2006 Stanford University 114 21. Tom Nevers SS Houston Astros 18 9/13/1971 6-1 195 R R AAA - Edina High School (Edina, MN) 4 22. Steve Karsay P Toronto Blue Jays 18 3/24/1972 6-3 205 R R MLB 1993-2006 Christ the King High School (Flushing, NY) 2 23. Lance Dickson P Chicago Cubs 20 10/19/1969 6-0 185 R L MLB 1990-1990 University of Arizona 114 24. Rondell White OF Montreal Expos 18 2/23/1972 6-0 210 R R MLB 1993-2006 Jones County High School (Gray, GA) 5 25. Robbie Beckett P San Diego Padres 18 7/16/1972 6-5 235 R L MLB 1996-1997 McCallum High School (Austin, TX) 4 26. Don Peters P Oakland Athletics 20 10/7/1969 6-0 190 R R AAA - College of St. Francis 12 27. Mike Zimmerman P Pittsburgh Pirates - - - - - - AAA - University of South Alabama 49 28. Gabe White P Montreal Expos 18 11/20/1971 6-2 200 L L MLB 1994-2005 Sebring High School (Sebring, FL) 3 29. Midre Cummings OF Minnesota Twins 18 10/14/1971 6-0 195 L R MLB 1993-2005 Miami Edison High School (Miami,FL) 2 30. Paul Elis C St.Louis Cardinals - - - - - - - - UCLA 109 31.** Brian Williams P Houston Astros 21 2/15/1969 6-2 195 R R MLB 1991-2000 University of South Carolina 54 32. Scott Sanders P San Diego Padres 21 3/25/1969 6-4 220 R R MLB 1993-1999 Nicholls State University 19 33. Marcus Jensen C-P San Francisco Giants 17 12/14/1972 6-4 204 B R MLB 1996-2002 Skyline High School (Oakland, CA) 7 34. David Zancanaro P Oakland Athletics 21 1/6/1969 - - - - AAA - UCLA 110 35. Stan Spencer P Montreal Expos 21 8/7/1969 6-4 205 R R MLB 1998-2000 Stanford University 115 36. Kirk Dressendorfer P Oakland Athletics 21 4/8/1969 5-11 190 R R MLB 1991-1991 University of Texas 147 37. Ben Van Ryn P Montreal Expos 19 8/9/1971 6-5 185 L L MLB 1996-1998 East Noble High School (Kendallville, IN) 2 38. Anthony Manahan SS Seattle Mariners - - - - - - - - ArizonaStateUniversity 215 39. Sam Hence OF Cleveland Indians - - - - - - - - Stone County High School (Wiggins,MS) 1 40. Stan Robertson OF Montreal Expos - - - - - - - - Plainview High School (Plainview,TX) 2

Benjamin Grimm Mar 12 2007 07:13 AM

What is a "golf clap" anyway? I don't think I ever heard the term until last week.

Rockin' Doc Mar 12 2007 11:12 AM

It's the quiet, polite type of applause that golf galleries generally used prior to the arrival of Tiger Woods and his fist pumping. Golf crowds are much more boisterous and loud now than they were before the arrival of Woods.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 12 2007 11:50 AM

Thanks, Doc. Now I'm VERY aware of what a golf clap is!

Rockin' Doc Mar 12 2007 08:47 PM

Damn site was on the fritz when I logged on during my lunch. I kept getting a DEBUG MODE warning. In attempting to post that one simple reply, I kept receiving the error warning. Eventually, I ended up with a quadruple post. Then the site would not let me edit any of the extra posts, so now I will leave them for posterity. I'm glad that Yancy now knows what a golf clap is.

Edgy DC Mar 12 2007 08:52 PM

In addition to the posting problems this afternoon, I lost my administrative capacity to delete posts. It's back and I killed the redundant posts.

Rockin' Doc Mar 12 2007 08:57 PM

Thanks Edgy.

TheOldMole Mar 12 2007 11:50 PM

The term is used by Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez in "Garbage Men."

MFS62 Mar 13 2007 07:59 AM

From yesterday's transaction wire: Philadelphia Phillies Reassigned ... OF Lou Collier ...(is he the ex-Met?) to Minor League camp; Optioned ... RHP Anderson Garcia ... to Minor League camp. Later

Edgy DC Mar 14 2007 10:36 PM

Victor Zambrano threw 2 2/3 scoreless for Toronto today. against Cleveland in a 10-inning 0-0 game.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 15 2007 06:45 AM

What does the number in the last column in the chart above represent?

Edgy DC Mar 15 2007 08:05 AM

I don't know. I copied the table from here. I intially tried to edit that column out, but it was a hassle, so I left it in and thought somebody else might figure it out. I initially thought it might be the ranking of the players by their eventual careers, but Mike Mussina is at 114, and he's listed by TheBaseballCube as the best player from that draft. (He wasn't. Jones was, but he may be next.) Other theories is that it's the order in which they signed, or the ranking of the players by the size of their bonus. But I don't think either of those is true either. They give a crude grade to each team each draft called "Draft Scores," which credits a team with a point for each season a draftee played --- regardless of how much or how little he played or whether he played for the drafting team, as long as they signed him. The Yankees currently have the highest score for this draft (78). The Mets were sixth of 26 teams (58).

metirish Mar 15 2007 01:53 PM

Kris Benson to have rotator cuff surgery,likely done for the season.

seawolf17 Mar 15 2007 01:59 PM

I thought we already knew that; that was why the O's signed Trax, wasn't it?

Edgy DC Mar 15 2007 02:04 PM

Give him some slack. The board is slow.

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2007 02:07 PM

It was first reported that way a month or so ago -- but then Benson said he wanted to try the rehab route first before committing to surgery. This latest item sounds like confirmation that the rest & rehab alternative isn't going to cut it.

metirish Mar 15 2007 02:12 PM

seawolf17 wrote: I thought we already knew that; that was why the O's signed Trax, wasn't it? Anna just called me to confirm things....

DocTee Mar 15 2007 02:48 PM

So THAT'S why she asked to borrow my phone.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2007 08:36 PM

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Rockies had a relatively healthy season in '06, with only a handful of impact players seeing time on the disabled list, but a few scuffs and scrapes in Spring Training have highlighted the quickness with which injury can turn the team's fortunes around. First baseman Todd Helton and shortstop candidate Troy Tulowitzki have already missed Cactus League time due to an inflamed right knee and right wrist contusion, respectively. On Thursday, projected starting second baseman Kaz Matsui joined the ranks of the wounded with a right forefoot strain. Matsui sustained the injury by stepping on a baseball. Details of where and when he stepped on the ball were not made available and Matsui was unavailable for comment after the injury was announced Thursday. He has not played since Monday, and is considered day-to-day.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2007 08:57 PM

And ReyO is keeping the heat on, at .304 / .360 / .609 // .969. The two reserve infielders are hitting on that team, and the starters aren't. Which raises ReyO's chance of making the team up to a snowball's chance in Hell, but good for him for fighting. Someone will likely throw him a life preserver.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 19 2007 09:27 AM

Alay Soler signs a minor-league deal with the Buccos

Edgy DC Mar 19 2007 09:50 AM

Good for Alay.

iramets Mar 19 2007 09:55 AM

Edgy DC wrote: Good for Alay. Not so good for Buccos.

Edgy DC Mar 19 2007 05:32 PM

Cool. O-Cho sighting at SI. 'Laser Beam' puts on show Journeyman Ochoa displays powerful arm in spring Posted: Monday March 19, 2007 5:21PM; Updated: Monday March 19, 2007 5:22PM FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- His strong arm captivated fans in Japan. His smile comes naturally and often. He is in his first year with the Boston Red Sox with a nickname that captures perfectly his powerful throws. Daisuke Matsuzaka, known as Dice-K with the "K" for strikeout? Wrong. Meet journeyman outfielder Alex Ochoa -- dubbed Laser Beam by followers of the Chunichi Dragons -- a longshot to make Boston's opening day roster that will feature Matsuzaka as its most intriguing player. In 1998, when Matsuzaka threw a no-hitter in his country's national high school championship game, Ochoa hit .257 with Minnesota, one of his six major-league teams before he played the last four seasons in Japan. That's where he earned the nickname, Laser Beam, for his powerful throws from center field. "A lot of people came, especially to our (pregame) practices, to watch me take fielding practice," Ochoa said. "I take a lot of pride in my defense." With Boston, he entered the team's first exhibition game in the top of the fifth and threw out Minnesota's Torii Hunter trying to stretch a single into a double in that inning. Then he ended the eighth with a double play when he caught a fly ball and threw the runner out at home. "As soon as it was hit, I said, 'oh, no, he can throw,' " Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Ochoa made two more strong throws two weeks later in a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh on consecutive plays in the ninth. He fielded a single and Ryan Doumit, rounding third, stopped when Ochoa's throw reached the plate on the fly. Jose Castillo then flied out to Ochoa and this time Doumit ran. Bad decision. Ochoa uncorked a one-hop throw for the double play. "It's fun to watch," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "Everybody knows Alex can throw. I don't care if he's in Triple-A, the major leagues or Japan. He's got one of the better arms in baseball and it's accurate." The Red Sox, who had their only off day of spring training Monday, plan to open the season with starting outfielders Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew and backup Wily Mo Pena. Eric Hinske also can play there, but he and Pena are average fielders. Ochoa, who turns 35 on March 29, said he could get out of his minor-league contract at the end of the month. "Obviously, if I have an opportunity to go to the big leagues somewhere else, it just makes sense," he said, "but I like this organization. It's been awesome. Best-case scenario, I'd love to be here." He went to high school in Miami and returned to the United States this season to be near his family even though he gave up being an everyday player. He signed with Boston after meeting the team's vice president for international scouting, Craig Shipley, while Shipley was watching other players in Japan. "A lot of people were surprised the way I threw in Japan," Ochoa said. "The fans really got excited when the ball was hit to me." In high school, Ochoa played catch with a teammate 330 feet away. In the minors, he would throw from near home plate over the outfield scoreboard when egged on by teammates. "My arm was, believe it or not, a little bit stronger then," he said. "I would surprise myself, like, 'Wow, I didn't know I could do that.' " Ochoa started in the Baltimore system where Orioles intern Theo Epstein, now Boston's general manager, watched him in Double-A. "I saw him throw out a guy out from the warning track in right field," Epstein said. Ochoa reached the majors in 1995 with the New York Mets, then moved on to Minnesota, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Colorado. He left for Japan after playing for World Series champion Anaheim in 2002. He has a respectable .279 batting average in 807 major-league games but is just 4-for-23 in spring training. His throwing ability may be his best chance to stick with the Red Sox. "It's been part of my game all my life," Ochoa said. "I love it." Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

MFS62 Mar 20 2007 07:36 PM

The Washington Nationals released "PH" Jorge Toca. Later

Nymr83 Mar 21 2007 03:11 PM

Our old friend Paul Wilson was released by the Reds today.

MFS62 Mar 23 2007 07:22 AM

Yesterday, San Diego optioned Royce Ring, and Washington optioned Billy Traber to their AAA teams. Later

Centerfield Mar 26 2007 02:53 PM

Jorge Julio and Yusmeiro Petit swap addresses.

MFS62 Mar 28 2007 09:20 AM

The Orioles acquired catcher Alberto Castillo from the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielder Cory Keylor, the Orioles' minor league player of the year last season after hitting .294 with the Bowie Baysox. Castillo, 37, hit .268 last season for the Class AAA New Orleans Zephyrs, formerly a Washington Nationals affiliate. Perlozzo said Castillo will join the major league camp though he'll likely start the season at Class AAA Norfolk. Castillo is a teammate of Miguel Tejada in the Dominican Winter League. Later

seawolf17 Mar 28 2007 09:54 AM

The O's traded their minor league player of the year for a 37-year-old backup catcher who's not even going to make the team!?!?!?! Did they hire Steve Phillips while nobody was looking?

MFS62 Mar 28 2007 09:59 AM

The best player in the Orioles' organization may be like being the best chef at Burger King. Its all relative. But it is kinda' curious. Later

metsmarathon Mar 28 2007 10:07 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 28 2007 10:15 AM

well, he was 27, so i doubt he's a top prospect, and might just be a AAAA type guy. but yeah, its still a bit lopsided a deal, right? OE: never mind even that. the kid won minor league player of the year, and had a 0.780 OPS, career mnl OPS of 0.723! granted, only one bowie regular had a higher OPS - 29 year old noah hall had a 0.816. and there were no real great shakes in their AAA affiliate either. so, maybe they got fair enough value, and have a fairly barren minor league system

Edgy DC Mar 28 2007 10:11 AM

The team's minor league player of the year is hardly their prized possession. Andy Wilson won a Sterling Award two seasons ago, but he's not even on the map as a prospect.

MFS62 Mar 28 2007 10:13 AM

I heard he got released yesterday (Wilson), but haven't been able to find a link for it. Later

Edgy DC Mar 30 2007 05:39 AM

ReyO is this close to breaking camp with the Mariners. This close.

metirish Apr 09 2007 08:34 PM

Dan Wheeler named as the closer for Houston,Mike Hampton to have surgery again on torn tendon,out for the season.

metirish Apr 10 2007 09:17 AM

] Ex-Met remembers his boyhood idol and hero By Keith Pompey EAST ELMHURST, N.Y. - Ed Charles compiled a .263 batting average over an eight-season major-league career. In his final year - 1969 - the third baseman nicknamed "The Glider" helped the "Miracle Mets" win a World Series. Charles, an African American, knows none of that would have been possible if not for Jackie Robinson, the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier 60 years ago. In a recent Q&A, the now 73-year-old Charles spoke to how profoundly the man who remains his hero affected him and countless other major-leaguers. Question: You actually saw Robinson play 61 years ago. Tell us about that. Answer: The Dodgers assigned his contract to Montreal, their triple-A affiliate [in 1945]. Montreal's spring training was in Sanford, Fla., but due to the hostility there, they decided to move the base over to Daytona Beach [in 1946]. It so happens that their practice field was right in the black community, directly across the street from where I lived. I used to watch him as soon as I got out of school instead of going home. Other kids used to run after him and try to get his autograph. I was too shy. I just admired him like he was God. Q: What did he mean to a boy of your age? A: He gave you a reason to hope that things were going to get better. I was a kid that said, "If Jackie can make it, maybe he can open the door for a flood of blacks to make it into Major League baseball." Q: Were there fears for Robinson in the black community? A: We didn't want anything to happen to Jackie. In fact, if anything happened, you probably would have had a race riot. There was a lot of tension. Q: Describe your sense of what he experienced as the lone pioneer. A: He had the weight of the race on him, [but] he knew that every black person was pulling for him. Q: What did you like about his game? A: He took it to the opposition. He was daring. He didn't sit back and wait. After he made it there, he was very aggressive. He was talented . . . and fancy! Q: You were grown when you finally met Jackie Robinson. What was your reaction? A: It was like I was still that little 12-year-old kid. I was trembling like a little kid and I was 39 years old! I was nervous, man. . . . But I walked up to him and said, "Mr. Robinson, thank you for what you had to do for us." I just went off." Q: What was your reaction on Oct. 24, 1972, when you heard that Robinson had died? A: It was like boom! Like somebody tore my guts out. I cried like a little baby. All that was flashing through my mind was, "Why, God? Why does this man who has endured all that he did, why did he have to go so young?" And this is no joke, the inspiration for [Charles' poem] "Jackie Robinson - Superstar" came, like somebody was directing me to write right after he died. It just flowed out. Q: Can you compare Robinson to other athletes of his era? A: We used to hug the radio when Joe Lewis was fighting. But no athlete at the time made a contribution like Jackie. He brought the whole country up to another level, the radical part and stuff like. He impacted the way America does business. He started the whole civil rights movement. He was the front-runner before Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and all of them. Q: Was there a time that Robinson, Branch Rickey and the integration of the game seem forgotten? A: You are talking about the '60s. At that point in time, they had kind of gotten used to things. There were a lot of blacks in the game. Occasionally you would have a little recognition but not to the point that it is today. All of a sudden it's like baseball discovered that we needed to focus on this man and do the right thing. Q: Do you recall the time when Robinson actually seemed to fall out of favor with some blacks? A: In the '60s. I couldn't understand why there was a lot of hostile feelings toward Jackie among blacks coming from the political arena. They didn't like the fact that he was a Republican. I was like, give me a break! But that's a fact. Q: What do you think Jackie Robinson would say if he saw baseball struggling to get young black men to play the game? A: He would definitely be disappointed. But then again I think he would understand what's taking place and would bring it to the attention to the parents. A lot of kids aren't playing because they don't have playing fields. Jackie would work toward trying to get blacks back in the game. Q: What would you say about some young African Americans not even knowing about Robinson and his contributions? A: They don't know because they are not being taught. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. Schools are focusing more on global history than they are American history. You got people here that don't know any American history, any black history or nothing else. In Memory of Jackie Robinson This poem was written by former major-league player Ed Charles on Oct. 24, 1972, the day that Jackie Robinson died. Jackie Robinson - Superstar He accepted the challenge and played the game with a passion that few men possessed. He stood tall in the face of society's shame with a talent that God had blessed. He banged out hits and aroused the fans with his daring base-running skills. This great, great player and proud black man Many bigots did threaten to kill. But he continued to pursue the impossible dream with an intensity that at times was most startling. He hissed at obstacles and tormented the opposing teams to the delight of his vast, vast following. He was a "spirit aflamed" though preordained by God and destiny it seemed. To shoulder the burdens of a race contained and lift them to lofty esteem. He ripped up the sod along the base lines for the likes of you and me. This man from Georgia courageously assisted in the dawning of a new era for thee. Yes, he made his mark for all to see as he struggled determinately for dignity. And the world is grateful for the legacy that he left for all humanity. Thanks, Jackie, whereever you are. You will always be our first "superstar." For history shall record and eternally proclaim your great deeds in its Hall of Fame. So go now and rest for a while for again you shall come a "spirit aflamed" in the bosom of another black child that God and destiny shall name.

iramets Apr 10 2007 09:22 AM

A disgrace to spell Joe Louis's name wrong.

metirish Apr 10 2007 07:57 PM

Richard Hidalgo signed by the LI Ducks.

TheOldMole Apr 11 2007 08:19 AM

Thank you, Glider.

Farmer Ted Apr 11 2007 08:35 AM

March 31: Seattle--Re-assigned to Minor League Camp: Infielder (1): Rey Ordoñez He doesn't appear on any minor league rosters affiliated with Seattle so he may still be on AZ working on that smooth swing of his.

TransMonk Apr 11 2007 03:42 PM

Caught the end of the A's game last night on TV. It was my first game seeing Mike Piazza wearing an Athletic's uniform. The A's rallied past Bobby Jenks and the White Sox to win in the ninth 2-1. Mike is off to a hot start going 13 of 36 with 3 doubles and a homer as a full time DH.

Johnny Dickshot Apr 12 2007 07:48 AM

Kazoo Matsoo sharing the NL stolen base lead with Reyes and 2 others. They haven't caught him yet.

Edgy DC Apr 12 2007 08:07 AM

I want to get a volume of that guy's poetry published before he passes. Most of it is mediocre (or at least crude) in the general sense, but it's pretty valuable in the Met-centric and baseball-centeric universe I live in.

Johnny Dickshot Apr 12 2007 09:29 PM

Trax pitched well in a ND for Baltimore tonight: 7 IP, 1 ER vs. KC. Zambrano now doing middle releif work for Toronto threw a scoreless inning against the Tigers tonight.

MFS62 Apr 13 2007 08:39 AM

Henry Owens recorded his first ML save in a game this past weekend. Later

Johnny Dickshot Apr 17 2007 07:44 AM

Kaz Matsui: To the DL with... wait for it... back spasms. Cliff Floyd: HR, 4 RBI yesterday. Wore No. 42 Sunday. "Cub reporter" for the Northwest Indiana Times:\ ]Date posted online: Monday, April 16, 2007 Cliff Floyd Diary: Lefties have challenges vs. lefties By Cliff Floyd For The Times There's a stereotype that left-handed hitters have trouble against left-handed pitchers and don't get to play as much against them. It is a little tougher for us. You don't see a lot of left-handers. When you do see them, they kind of throw you off. Some left-handers drop down from the side. Other times, the ball goes away from left-handed hitters when lefties are throwing. But when you get paid a lot of money, you're going to play against lefties. That's the way it goes. You don't want to be platooned. You've just got to grind it out. You've got to keep your shoulder in and make sure you see the pitch all the way. You give yourself that extra second, whereas against righties you can cheat a little bit. You can't do that against lefties because you'll fly open and more times than not you'll hit the ball off the end of the bat or whiff a lot. It's good to keep that shoulder in so you have a chance. Lefties have more of a looping curveball and hard sliders. The ball's always going away from me. The more you think it's going away, the more you feel you have to catch it before it breaks, and you swing at bad pitches. You have to try to hit the ball up the middle. I'm always geared to hit the ball there or left-center. If you try to pull, you'll get yourself in trouble. I played every day against lefties, I stayed in there. So when I faced righties, the ball would just shoot off to left field. Everybody has a different philosophy. Mine is to keep it up the middle. Billy Williams hit well against lefties in his Hall of Famer career. He keeps his advice simple: Just see the ball. He doesn't make it harder than it is. The game is hard enough. Make sure you hit the ball hard. If you try to place the ball, you will be in trouble. As told to Times Correspondent George Castle

iramets Apr 17 2007 07:58 AM

Cliff Floyd wrote: There's a stereotype that left-handed hitters have trouble against left-handed pitchers and don't get to play as much against them. Yes, because it's true. You, for example, had a lifetime OPS (through last season of .863 against righties, and .788 against lefties. This is not a stereotype, it's reality. You have trouble against lefthanders, and any manager who didn't think that sitting you and your .788 OPS when a lefthander was on the mound is nuts. Billy Williams' OPS vs righties: .870, and vs. lefties .814. Any other "stereotypes" you want to argue against, Clifford?

Johnny Dickshot May 03 2007 11:39 AM

Victor Zambrano got his first start of the year last night for the Bloo jays, left with the bases loaded in the 3rd and was charged with 2 ER in 2.1 IP. Since he'd bneen working from the pen the Jays only wanted 3 or 4 IP

Edgy DC May 04 2007 12:03 PM

Do you think Piazza's played his last game? Does calling something a stereotype mean it's false?

Benjamin Grimm May 04 2007 12:13 PM

="Edgy DC"]Does calling something a stereotype mean it's false? I think it means that it's not as common as people believe. There are always some who do fit the stereotype. Not everyone is Poland is smart. And some French people really are rude.

Edgy DC May 04 2007 12:19 PM

Because he describes it as a sterotype that lefties have trouble hitting lefties and then describes how hard it is. So it isn't like he's denying that. Man. Oakland is in town June 22-24. Last chance to see Piazza, hopefully not on the bench.

metirish May 15 2007 11:27 AM

] Blue Jays 5, Orioles 3 TORONTO (AP) -- Another late-inning loss led to a testy exchange between Baltimore Orioles teammates on Monday night. Outfielder Jay Payton and infielder Melvin Mora traded angry words and nearly came to blows as they left the field following a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Payton, who grounded out to end the game, apparently was upset with Mora for distracting him as Mora took third base on defensive indifference with two out in the ninth. Payton took a called strike on the pitch, leaving him trailing 1-2 in the count to Jeremy Accardo. "It was my fault because I went over there," Mora said. "Maybe his eyes were blinking because I was running." "I'm surprised at the reaction because Jay and I have been friends for a long time. I know we're frustrated because we've lost some games we should have won. I made a mistake in that situation and he wasn't able to swing." Payton said he and Mora patched things up in the clubhouse after the game. "We'll move past it," Payton said. "We didn't lose on a baserunning mistake. That's not why we lost the game. We lost the game as a team." The confrontation came one day after Baltimore gave up six runs in the ninth inning and lost 6-5 in Boston on Sunday.

Edgy DC May 17 2007 10:00 AM

Yusaku Iriki has signed with the Toronto organization and joined the Hamilton Fisher Cats, which I believe leaves only Michael Tucker as conttracted members of the 2006 Mets roster who haven't founda 2007 job.

Edgy DC May 18 2007 10:20 AM

Waitaminute, I think Jose Lima is on that list also. Meanwhile, Alex Ochoa has been released by the Pawtucket Paw Sox. Ouch. Ouchoa.

seawolf17 May 18 2007 12:01 PM

cooby May 18 2007 07:17 PM

Tonight Xavier Nady hit the first non solo home run for the Pirates thus far this season

Frayed Knot May 20 2007 09:58 AM

="Edgy DC"]Yusaku Iriki has signed with the Toronto organization and joined the Hamilton Fisher Cats, which I believe leaves only Michael Tucker as conttracted members of the 2006 Mets roster who haven't founda 2007 job. "Pawtucket Red Sox- Released OF Alex Ochoa ... Signed OF Michael Tucker

Edgy DC May 20 2007 10:48 AM

Lima is the last. There can be only one.

iramets May 20 2007 12:58 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Does calling something a stereotype mean it's false? It implies that the truth, the reality, is far more complex than the stereotype. But in this case, the "stereotype" is just reality, and by calling it a stereotype, Cliff implies that he's got contrary evidence. Think a moment: Why not start off his piece by saying that "Left-handed hitters have trouble against left-handed pitchers and don't get to play as much against them", instead of "There's a stereotype that left-handed hitters..."? The difference is that, with the second statement, you're saying that it's not true. If it were true, you could just as well make the statement in its simpler form. "Stereotype" is a pejorative, it characterizes the statement you're about to make as questionably oversimplified, and it implies that you have serious doubts about its accuracy.

Edgy DC May 20 2007 05:37 PM

I agree that it's pejorative. I agree that it's poorly written.

MFS62 May 21 2007 09:01 AM

(Found the right thread) Lenny DiNardo is 1-1 2.40 ERA for Oakland this year. And while we're at it, check out Victor Diaz: http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=429806 Later

Rockin' Doc May 21 2007 10:34 AM

Few here doubted that Victor Diaz could hit. The problem with Diaz was that he was a defensive liability at every position the Mets (and Dodgers previously) tried him at. He's off to a nice start in Texas, but he does only had 39 at bats, so it's a rather small sample size. It will be interesting to see what he looks like by the All-Star break.

Edgy DC May 23 2007 07:05 AM

Leading the minors in homeruns: Craig Brazell of your Omaha Royals.

Benjamin Grimm May 23 2007 07:13 AM

What an awful cap. Seven letters is way too many to be on the front of a baseball cap. I think the limit should be three. (I would have said two but I'm willing to put in a grandfather clause for the White Sox.)

Edgy DC May 23 2007 07:22 AM

Yeah, I had to include the photo. It's half the story. How hard must he be swinging to get promoted and get out of that hat? One other grandfather:

Edgy DC Jun 04 2007 10:12 PM

Kelly Stinnett, who did nothing in AAA this season and had gone home and retired, got called back out to join the defending world champ Cardinals. Sandy Alomar, whose solo homer was the difference in the Zephyrs' 2-1 victory today, must wonder what he has to do to make it back, cruising along at .326 / .344 / .465 // .810.

DocTee Jun 04 2007 10:21 PM

I like the color of that Omaha hat, though.

MFS62 Jun 05 2007 06:55 PM

Utility man Chris Basak was brought up by the Yankees today and catcher Raul Cassanova was brought up by Tampa Bay. Both were once Mets minor leaguers. Later

MFS62 Jun 06 2007 06:04 AM

Last night, ex-Met farmhand Lenny DiNardo threw 6 shutout (2H, 6BB, 0K) innings against the Red Sox for Oakland, winning the game over DiceK. It was a good night for "soft tossing lefties" to pitch effectively. Later

metirish Jun 07 2007 09:25 AM

Heath Bell helping to hoist Hoffman aloft after Trevor's 500th career save.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 08 2007 11:12 AM

I'd take this guy's numbers... ]Matsui getting in a groove 06/07/2007 4:21 PM ET By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com DENVER -- One word suffices to characterize the Rockies explosive offense with Kazuo Matsui in the lineup. "Unbelievable!" Matsui said. He was referring to a second-deck homer he hit to give the Rockies the lead against Houston on Wednesday night and spark a four-run rally to secure the victory. It was his first home run of the season, but the Rockies don't have him in the two-spot because of his untapped upper-deck power. "He's a big part of what we're trying to get accomplished here, offensively and defensively," manager Clint Hurdle said of his second baseman. "When he gets on the bases, the speed dynamic's special. And then he goes ahead and barrels a ball up, hits it in the second deck. He's been slashing up there. He's been putting balls in play, hard, gapping some balls. He's doing a lot of good things. He's got some skills that we're getting to see. He's playing with more comfort, more confidence." Confidence is not hard to come by with a .330 average (29-for-88) and 10 steals in his first 23 games of the season. Together with Willy Taveras, he has re-energized the top of the order, giving the heart of the lineup every opportunity to drive in runs. Lately, Matsui has taken the production into his own hands, plating two runs Wednesday night and lacing a big three-run triple in the eighth inning of Sunday's series clincher with the Reds, tying the game and scoring the winning run in the 10th. "He stored it up," Hurdle joked of Matsui's 418-foot blast. "The guys were beating on his bat. They wanted to X-ray it." Matsui is no stranger to the long ball, having amassed 150 round-trippers in Japan, including back-to-back seasons of 36 and 33 homers in the last two seasons before he came to the Majors. But he hasn't hit more than seven in his three seasons since then, including his last two injury-plagued seasons with the Mets and Rockies, when he totaled six homers in just 157 games combined. Clearly comfortable in the Colorado clubhouse, Matsui is experiencing his best season to date, with all aspects of his game thriving. Taking over the full-time job at second after Jamey Carroll's cream-of-the-crop quality performance in 2006, when he led all National League second baseman with a .995 fielding percentage, Matsui hasn't missed a step, handling 102 chances without an error this season. "He's a good second baseman," Hurdle said. "Is he Gold Glove caliber? Not many are. He's a good second baseman. He has tremendous range to his left. He's got a strong enough arm. He's good on slow rollers. His first-step quickness is very good. A lot of those balls up the middle, you see him rounding them off, getting in front of them. I like him defensively." The Rockies are 10-5 since Matsui returned from a trip to the disabled list with lower back spasms, giving his teammates in the dugout -- and his fans in the second deck -- an abundance of reasons to enjoy everything he has to offer.

metirish Jun 08 2007 11:21 AM

Great for Kaz,hope he can stay away from the DL.

Farmer Ted Jun 08 2007 12:29 PM

We should trade for him. Our 2B slot is a bit shaky.

Elster88 Jun 08 2007 03:39 PM

Just want to give another hearty thank you to all Met fans reading this who booed this shit out of him. It really helps when one of our player is playing 162 road games a season. Thanks a lot, assholes.

Edgy DC Jun 09 2007 12:16 PM

Cliff Floyd has been placed on bereavement leave while rushing home to see his ailing father. The Cubs 27-32 record flies in the face of a runs scored allowed ration of 278:247, so watch out for them.

iramets Jun 09 2007 12:30 PM

Elster88 wrote: Just want to give another hearty thank you to all Met fans reading this who booed this shit out of him. It really helps when one of our player is playing 162 road games a season. Thanks a lot, assholes. You're welcome, Elster.

Edgy DC Jun 13 2007 08:52 AM

Finally found Jose Lima, going 9-3, 4.04 Sapreros de Saltillo in the Mexican League. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jose%2520Lima&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=117769

Johnny Dickshot Jun 13 2007 09:11 AM

Brian Bannister, Ass-Kicker.. Below written before last night's 7 IP scorless win. ]Bannister feeling confident Pitcher has won his last two starts and has given up one run over 15 innings. By DAVID BOYCE The Kansas City Star Royals right-hander Brian Bannister probably doesn’t care whom he faces right now; he just wants to be on the mound. Bannister will start tonight and has every reason to feel confident. He’s won his last two starts and has given up only one run over 15 innings. “I want to build upon my past two starts,” Bannister said. “I’m just getting more comfortable at the major-league level. I know I’ve done it at the minor-league level.” The more Bannister pitches, the more other teams learn about what he likes to throw in different situations. Bannister recognizes this. “Every time I go out, I try to change something about my game,” Bannister said. “I try to have a different approach each time out. Obviously, everybody knows what every pitcher throws out there. You just don’t want to get in a pattern. I’ve made small adjustments in my pitching pattern every single start.”

sharpie Jun 13 2007 10:05 AM

Heath Bell: I coulda been a closer (and not a contender) http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070613/news_1s13padnotes.html

Johnny Dickshot Jun 13 2007 10:35 AM

That article was interesting for mentioning that the Pods are looking to sign Clark anmd that Omar had offered up Bell AND Perez for Scott Linebrink late last year but was rejected.

Edgy DC Jun 13 2007 10:46 AM

Right now is a bad time to take a snapshot of Omar's offseason.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 13 2007 10:59 AM

I think it might come to pass that the Great Omar Era actually came to an end with the Duaner Sanchez cab accident last July.

Edgy DC Jun 13 2007 11:01 AM

Well, the Nady-for-Hernandez/Perez deal is still flying, isn't it?

sharpie Jun 13 2007 11:02 AM

The Sosa and Easley signings are still looking pretty good.

seawolf17 Jun 13 2007 11:37 AM

And WHAM, just like that, Chan Ho Park is an [url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-06-12-177245969_x.htm]Astro[/url]. Good choice of guys to put on cards this year, Topps.

SteveJRogers Jun 13 2007 05:49 PM

="seawolf17"]And WHAM, just like that, Chan Ho Park is an [url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-06-12-177245969_x.htm]Astro[/url]. Good choice of guys to put on cards this year, Topps. I would venture that he might be one of the very few one game Mets to get a card as a Met that is not part of the "All Time Roster" set put out by The Wiz in 1991.

Edgy DC Jun 14 2007 01:28 PM

The Dodgers announced today that they've fired batting coach Eddie Murray. Their offense hasn't had a great year, but I wonder if there isn't more to it. The Dodgers just swept the Mets, dealing well with their formerly league-leading starting rotation, and especially with the Mets' bullpen. The Blues led the league in batting average and on-base percentage last year --- despite playing in a traditionally pitching-tipped park. It was Murray's first year and you might think that it would buy a Hall of Famer a longer grace period than the little more than a third of a seaosn that he got.

metirish Jun 14 2007 01:33 PM

WOW,tough deal for Murray,what must Rick Down be thinking.

Farmer Ted Jun 14 2007 01:44 PM

Wheeler Goes Zambrano on Sampson... HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston reliever Dan Wheeler blew a save, then shoved starter Chris Sampson in the dugout on Wednesday night, an ugly twist to the Astros' frustrating season. Wheeler left after giving up three runs in the eighth inning Wednesday night, and the Oakland Athletics got a rare home run from Jason Kendall in the sixth and rallied for a 7-3 victory. Sampson, who pitched seven strong innings, tried to console Wheeler when he came back to the dugout. Wheeler turned and shoved Sampson with both hands, then yelled at Sampson to go to the other end of the dugout. The shoving was reminiscent of the scuffle between the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett two weeks ago, though this one was over in an instant. Wheeler (0-4) was contrite after the game and told Sampson he wanted to talk to him after the media finished asking Sampson questions. "There's nothing going on," Wheeler said. "I love Chris. It was just frustration on my part. I'm a professional, I should be better than that. I take full responsibility."

Edgy DC Jun 14 2007 02:20 PM

Score that against the "Nobody's struggling like the Mets are" table. It also belongs in the BSotD files.

Edgy DC Jun 14 2007 03:26 PM

Bill Mueller is your new Dodgers batting coach, hired as special assistant to GM Colletti upon retirement, and somehow getting himself a swell (but not very stable) coaching appointment less than half a season in, with no coaching experience.

iramets Jun 14 2007 03:55 PM

Farmer Ted wrote: Wheeler said. "I love Chris." Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Farmer Ted Jun 28 2007 07:26 AM

This is some endorsement for the former Met: "It's his eighth save of more than one inning. He's like Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage." -- Reds manager Jerry Narron on Reds reliever David Weathers

metirish Jun 28 2007 07:31 AM

Farmer Ted wrote: This is some endorsement for the former Met: "It's his eighth save of more than one inning. He's like Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage." -- Reds manager Jerry Narron on Reds reliever David Weathers That's pretty cool thing to say,Weathers is certainly a gamer.

Edgy DC Jul 02 2007 01:28 PM

http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070702&content_id=2062147&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col 07/02/2007 12:55 PM ET Q&A with Kaz Matsui Fans elect infielder Player of the Homestand for July 2-8 By Thomas Harding / MLB.com DENVER -- Second baseman Kazuo Matsui has been a sparkplug for the Rockies since arriving in a trade with the Mets last season. After missing 33 games with a back injury early this season, Matsui returned and helped ignite the team during its hot streak in May and June. The surge was an example of why the Mets paid Matsui $20.1 million over three seasons to leave the Japanese Central League. Now healthy and playing second base rather than shortstop, his position in Japan, Matsui is beginning to make his mark in the Majors. But there's more to Matsui than hits, stolen bases and excellent defense. What few know is if Matsui didn't get a job that required him to use a batting helmet, he just might be wearing a hard hat. Here's more about Matsui, chosen by voting of the fans at www.coloradorockies.com as the Rockies Player of the Homestand for July 2-8. He spoke through his interpreter, Yoshita Ono. Who were your favorite players when you were growing up? I was a big fan of the Yomiuri Giants, a player Tatsunori Hara, he's the manager right now. He played third base. I watched him on TV when I was in, like, first grade and second grade. He was just so cool. I think he had a blue glove. Or maybe just part of the glove was blue, I'm not sure about that. Then I went out and got a Mizuno glove like that. My favorite player in Major League Baseball was Rey Ordonez. In 2000, the Cubs against the Mets, they came to Japan to play. I went to that game. He hadn't made an error in, like, 100 games. And in that game, he made an error. I saw the error. I did get to meet him once. It was either Spring Training or maybe when he came to Japan to play against the Seibu Lions, maybe one of those, we exchanged jerseys. You wore No. 7 in Japan, but it wasn't available when you came to the U.S. You wore 25 with the Mets and 16 with the Rockies last season -- in both cases, the digits added up to seven. Why No. 7? When I became a professional in Japan, I liked 1, 3, 5 and 7. But 1, 3 and 5 were unavailable. The No. 7 at that point, a guy, Darin Jackson, went back to the U.S., so I told them I wanted his No. 7. Is wearing your favorite number making you play better? I don't know about that. But I like No. 7. Have you thought about living in Denver during the offseason? It's [laughing] very cold. You do have a home in the Los Angeles area, and I understand you're recognized in public in the Japanese community. Is that much of a problem? They might know me, but they don't say much to me. I go to the Japanese grocery store every day, but I don't think anyone thinks much of it. I'm there all the time. Your daughter, is she an athlete? I want her to be in a sport. She's playing a little tennis right now. What other sports did you play? I played basketball, soccer, volleyball. If I didn't play baseball, I'd have tried to become a professional in basketball. I was not that good at it. In junior high and high school, when I was not in baseball season I'd join the basketball team, or maybe track. If you didn't become a professional athlete, what would be your profession? I'd work road construction. I haven't done that, but my friends, they got construction jobs. So probably, I would have done construction to work with my friends. What's the best part about being a member of the Rockies? I'm so lucky to be on this team. They let me play aggressively. They let me play baseball how I want to play it. You came over as a shortstop. Do you still dream of being a successful shortstop in the Majors? Right now I'm just trying to establish myself as a second baseman, since I got converted to second base from shortstop. I find things at second base enjoyable. And [having his interpreter shout in the direction of rookie Troy Tulowitzki], we've got a good shortstop on the team. Are you excited to open the homestand against the Mets? I played against the Mets last year, and it was real exciting because it was the first time. But this year it's the same as if I play another team. But playing against David Wright, Jose Reyes, that will be fun. Do you miss the large media contingent from New York, and will you be happy to see them this week? Well [smiling and shrugging his shoulders], I got used to how many media are going to come.

MFS62 Jul 03 2007 08:10 AM

From this weel's Baseball America hot sheet: ]Timo Perez, of, Triple-A Toledo (Tigers) Many will remember Perez from his playoff run with the 2000 Mets, during which he tied the NLCS record with eight runs scored. An IL all-star this season, the 32-year-old Perez has hit .314/.353/.492 this season with a league-leading 29 doubles. Along with sluggers like Mike Hessman, Chris Shelton and Ryan Raburn, Perez has made a Toledo three-peat a distinct possibility. Later

Edgy DC Jul 03 2007 02:04 PM

Ex-Met news coming from... The Cecil Whig! Bubba�s long road back Tuesday, July 3, 2007 9:48 AM EDT By Mike Phelps mphelps@chespub.com Out of professional baseball since 2004, veteran outfielder Bubba Trammell is attempting to make a comeback. The first step on the path back to the major leagues for Trammell was a stint with the Aberdeen IronBirds. Cecil Whig Photos By Matt Given Bubba Trammell has seen a lot of cities and a lot of games in his professional baseball career. From the small town of Jamestown, N.Y., to the bright lights of New York City, the 35 year old has played in more than 1,000 combined major and minor league games and called at least 10 cities home. Thirteen years after his pro career began in Jamestown with the Jammers, Trammell came back in the New York-Penn League, this time with the Aberdeen IronBirds, trying to make the jump to the big leagues yet again. The former University of Tennessee Volunteer last played in the major leagues in 2003 with the New York Yankees and in the minors with Triple-A Durham in 2004 before problems at home forced him to put his career on hold. Trammell�s mother and sister had both been diagnosed with cancer and on top of that, he was going through a divorce with his wife. �I�ve always loved the game � but family came first,� he said. �It was tough mentally, but I�ve always been taught that family�s first and then your career and that�s the way I did it. �Now everything�s fine at home so I wanted to go back to my first love, and that�s baseball.� But not without yet another bump in the road. Trammell was supposed to begin his season in Double-A Bowie, but tore his meniscus during spring training. His rehab assignment from the Baysox led him to Ripken Stadium, where the veteran is literally a man amongst boys. Trammell is the team�s elder statesman by 11 years, but that hasn�t kept him from enjoying the experience. �Actually, that�s kept me going because I enjoy talking to these guys,� Trammell said. �They�ve taken me right in and acted like I�m just one of them. I tell them anything I see or if I can help out at any time, they ask me and I tell them what I think. It�s kind of nice to be able to do that.� The helpful advice has been well received by the crowd of 20-somethings, many of them in their first season of pro ball, and all of them, like Trammell, striving for the ultimate goal. �It�s awesome,� IronBirds outfielder and 2007 12th-round draft pick Wally Crancer said. �To be your first season and play in the outfield with a former big leaguer, you learn a lot. He�s been everywhere, so anything he says you kind of pick his brain and listen to what he has to say. He�s not just any old guy, he�s been through everything.� Everything, for Trammell, includes an appearance in the 2000 World Series with the New York Mets. He appeared in four of the series� five games, went 2-for-5, walked once, scored a run and knocked in three. Trammell had his most productive regular season in 2001, when he played in 142 games, hit 25 home runs and tallied 92 RBIs with the San Diego Padres. Now, he just wants to make it back and contribute in any way possible. �I�m pretty educated about the game,� Trammell said. �I�d probably be in a left-handed platoon type situation, power threat off the bench, something like that. Obviously, I�d be grateful of any opportunity to show them that I can still hit. You never know once you get there what�s going to happen.� Trammell�s stay in Aberdeen began with a bang, as he notched a two-run single in his first at-bat in the IronBirds� season-opener. He didn�t exactly light the scoreboard on fire after that, hitting just .143 with three RBIs and nine strikeouts in 28 at-bats before being reassigned to the Class-A Advanced Carolina League�s Frederick Keys on Sunday, but that hasn�t suppressed his spirits just yet. �As far as my hitting, I feel like I�m starting from scratch right now,� Trammell said. �I�ve always been a hitter, so once you can hit, you can hit. �I have some timing issues. I haven�t had many at-bats yet. Trying to pick up the curve ball and stuff like that. It�s kind of like spring training all over again right now. I still feel like I have a quick bat and as long as I can hit the fastball I definitely think I can go back to seeing curveballs.� That sort of determination seems to have spilled over into the remainder of the Aberdeen clubhouse. �A lot of people have a lot of talent but you have to have the drive,� Crancer said. �You have to want to be out there every day and he�s shown that. He could have hung it up and had a great career, but he still thinks he can play and a lot of other people think he can too. �He�s going out there and whoever doesn�t think he can, he�ll prove them wrong and he�s going to keep playing.� Trammell said that while his goal is to make it to Baltimore this season, he hopes to play for at least another three years, regardless of how this one turns out. �That�s my goal, but I don�t know what�s going to happen,� he said. �It would mean a lot to me to get back, especially with what I�ve gone through. It was a tough time for me. To get back would be something very special and very rewarding and I would be very proud of myself to get there.�

Johnny Dickshot Jul 03 2007 02:17 PM

It's too bad there were no Ironbirds when I worked there. Technically though they must be a bigger boost for our "competitors" here: I covered a lot of little league games.

Edgy DC Jul 10 2007 08:16 AM

Victor Zambrano, cut loose like a deuce by the Blue Jays.

SteveJRogers Jul 10 2007 02:54 PM

="Edgy DC"]Ex-Met news coming from... The Cecil Whig! Bubba�s long road back Tuesday, July 3, 2007 9:48 AM EDT By Mike Phelps mphelps@chespub.com... Saw Bubba and Aberdeen when they played in Staten Island recently I tried to get a better shot but I was too high up for a profile or anything.

Edgy DC Aug 13 2007 10:00 AM

Cornelius Clifford Floyd Sr.: 1950 - 2007 Dad of Cubs outfielder also quite a ballplayer By Mary Owen Tribune staff reporter August 13, 2007 For those who saw a young Cornelius Clifford Floyd Sr. play baseball around the West Side housing development where he grew up, it's no surprise that his son became a professional baseball player. "I'd like to think that his son was genetically predisposed to playing baseball," said Charles Crooms, Mr. Floyd's brother-in-law and friend. "He was a hell of a baseball player." Mr. Floyd, 57, the father of Chicago Cubs outfielder Cliff Floyd, died Sunday, Aug. 12, at the University of Chicago Medical Center after suffering a stroke a few days ago. The Hazel Crest resident battled kidney problems for about two decades and recently had open-heart surgery, Crooms said. Early Sunday, Cliff Floyd returned to Chicago from Colorado, where the Cubs faced the Rockies, after he had gotten word that his father's health was declining. Upon his eldest son's arrival, Mr. Floyd was removed from life support, Crooms said. Mr. Floyd made an emotional visit to Wrigley Field on June 29, his final opportunity to watch his son play. A Chicago native, Mr. Floyd's family moved to the Henry Horner Homes housing development when he was 8, Crooms said. Crooms, who lived in the housing development with his family, said the two played baseball with Little League, PONY League and Connie Mack teams. They both also served in the Vietnam War. But before enlisting in the Marines, Mr. Floyd -- known in the neighborhood as Big Flood -- married a neighborhood girl named Olivia Crooms, who was Crooms' sister. After the military, Mr. Floyd worked in an iron factory in Chicago Heights, then as a delivery truck driver. But his kidney problems forced him into early retirement and an eventual kidney transplant, Crooms said. The couple had two other children. Shanta died of breast cancer about 18 months ago. Julius was on his honeymoon when his father died and was on his way home, Crooms said. Mr. Floyd was a sports fan with an encyclopedic grasp of players' stats, Crooms said. ESPN was always on his TV, and he devoured sports magazines. "He knew their batting average from this season and the previous season and where they came from and what they did there," Crooms said. "He was really good at that." But he kept the closest watch on his son's sports accomplishments, filling his south suburban home with memorabilia, including newspaper clippings dating to when Cliff Floyd played basketball at Thornwood High School in South Holland. Crooms said Mr. Floyd was proud that his son had advanced to a higher level of baseball than he had reached as a power-hitting outfielder. Cliff Floyd was drafted out of high school by the Montreal Expos. He also played for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets before returning to Chicago for the 2007 season. "We'd sit up and talk about baseball, and he'd say if we had the opportunities, we could have played too," Crooms said. In addition to his wife and sons, Mr. Floyd is survived by two grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending. ----------- mowen@tribune.com

Edgy DC Aug 13 2007 10:14 AM

Rockin' Doc Aug 13 2007 12:12 PM

My thoughts and prayers go out ot Cliff Floyd and his family on the loss of his father. Cliff was always a favorite of mine during his tenure with the Mets. I find myself still pulling for him whenever I tune in to WGN to get a baseball fix.

metirish Aug 28 2007 08:43 AM

] Catching up with Piazza Frustrating season calls for reflection By Nick Cafardo | August 26, 2007 Mike Piazza has amassed Hall of Fame numbers: a .308 career average, 424 homers (including a record 399 as a catcher), 1,324 RBIs, a .377 on-base percentage. But he has had a trying year with the Oakland A's, missing 10 weeks with a sprained right shoulder that has relegated him to DHing. Having passed through waivers, Piazza could be dealt before the playoff-roster deadline (Aug. 31). The Angels have expressed the most interest. Here are a few questions for Piazza, who turns 39 a week from Tuesday: How frustrating has this season been for you? MP: "It's been a little frustrating, obviously, getting hurt. At this point in my career, I'm definitely an optimist. I just haven't been able to come along throwing-wise. I was hoping to get back behind the plate. I was very receptive to catching some and DHing some, but then once I wasn't able to do it physically, it was frustrating because I really wanted to catch. When I got back from the injury [July 20], they were very willing to accommodate my personal situation, put Jack [Cust] in the outfield a little bit. The injury bug on this team this year is like nothing I've ever seen before." Would you like to be traded into a pennant race? MP: "I've always considered myself a good soldier. Back when it was being discussed at the deadline, I've never been one to rock the boat either way. If they want me to finish here, I'll do it. If they wanted to trade me, I would have listened and been as accommodating as possible. We never really discussed it, so I never really brought it up. I didn't come here to expect to be traded. I thought about being here the whole year." Pop-up Coming down the stretch In a perfect world, how much would you have DH'd and caught? MP: "It would be based, I think, on how it flowed with the team. We had this unique situation in San Diego last year where we had this -- the announcers joked about it -- a three-headed monster. Catching-wise, we led the major leagues in average, home runs, and RBIs as a trio. 'The Three Stooges' I called us. Had I been 100 percent physically, it would have been interesting to catch 50 games or so, but that obviously wasn't in the cards. I'm just going to try to finish the year rehabbing and getting as healthy as possible and take it into the offseason and see what comes up in the offseason." Have you thought about next year at all? MP: "I don't feel at this point in my career I'm going to make a decision this soon. I just hope to finish strong, healthy, and see if there's any option next year. My wife and I have a baby now, seven months old, so that's something I need to consider. There's potential off-the-field stuff. I've dabbled in some broadcasting and I've gotten some pretty good objective reviews. When you're a catcher, I think you have a unique perspective that some other players don't have. I love guys like Rex Hudler and guys who have fun broadcasting. Jerry Remy is another one who has a lot of fun." You know what I'm going to ask. You and Roger Clemens. Hitting you in the head in 2000. Throwing the splintered bat at you in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series. Did you guys ever patch that up? MP: "We're just different people, I guess. I don't carry a resentment or anything like that. Someone made a comment to me the other day in Canada that, 'With all your accomplishments, you're going to be remembered for that.' Are you that shallow that you only remember me for that? If that's true, then you're too stupid and I can't help you. I don't look back in any sort of regret. He's who he is, I am who I am, we're two different people, but we're both very competitive and strong-willed. He does his own thing and he's had a very successful career. I'm sure we can coexist in the future in some way, shape, or form." What would enshrinement into the Hall of Fame mean to you? MP: "I've been up there in Cooperstown a couple of times, and just talking to the people . . . it's so much more than just a personal thing. It's a fraternity thing, which in this game is pretty unique. Being able to associate with the greats of the game, the reminiscing . . . Being enshrined is a tremendous honor, but from a personal perspective, it's going to be fun to just go to the events and hang out with the greatest players, and if I make it, feel like, 'Wow, you were one of the best.' " Any regrets about anything? MP: "That's a good question. I really don't. I've had a unique career. Getting traded from LA to Florida when Fox bought the Dodgers and that contemptuous sort of [contract] standoff we had was tough. Looking back, it built a lot of character for me. Your life sometimes is like muddy water and you have to wait for things to settle so you can see clear. Looking back, I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. I remember Jim Leyland took me into his office and he said, 'Let me tell you. You're going through a tough time now but you're going to get paid. You earned it. You worked hard for it. It's obviously not going to be here. Just keep yourself in shape. We're going to get you somewhere where you need to go.' That was an experience I wouldn't trade in." Feel you can still hit at a high level? MP: "Yeah, I do [Note: after our interview, Piazza went 4 for 5 with two doubles and a home run vs. Tampa Bay Thursday night]. At this advanced age, I have to be 100 percent healthy. That for me has been tough this year. This game has a way of telling you when it's time to go. You have to kind of know it and feel it. It's a decision you really can't make unless you feel you're at a good place. I've enjoyed it in Oakland. The young guys have been very respectful and inquisitive and asked me questions, so that part is fun for me. I still have fun playing the game."

Edgy DC Sep 18 2007 08:41 AM

Wow, Jorge F. Velandia rides again. Velandia Making His Presence Felt By MARC LANCASTER The Tampa Tribune Published: Sep 18, 2007 ANAHEIM, CALIF. - Jorge Velandia had grown accustomed to the routine. As a reliable pro who was handy with the glove at various infield positions but not quite big-league ready at the plate, he would shuttle back and forth between Triple-A and the majors, always right there on the fringe. Six times in seven seasons from 1997 to 2003, Velandia spent at least some time in the majors - including spending an entire (albeit injury-shortened) 1999 campaign on Oakland's big-league roster. At the end of his September call-up with the Mets in 2003, he had no reason to believe he would slog through almost four full seasons before breaking free of Triple-A again. But he spent a year in Richmond without seeing Atlanta, then Indianapolis without a call to Pittsburgh and Charlotte without a summons to Chicago. And at age 32, with a wife and daughter at home in Illinois, he had no qualms about reporting to Durham when he didn't make the Devil Rays' roster this spring. "I never thought about hanging it up, but I always thought, 'Am I going to get a second chance? Am I going to get another break?'" Velandia said. "Sometimes early in my career, you took it for granted whenever you got called up, and they'd send you down, and then you'd get called up. But this one was really special for me." The Rays' players and coaches got to know Velandia a bit during spring training, but he already has made a significant impression in his first week with the team. Everyone seems to love having him in the clubhouse, and he has performed when given an opportunity - reaching base eight times in 12 plate appearances over three starts while playing flawless defense. That last part isn't a surprise, as Velandia's glove has been major-league caliber for at least a decade. "My thing is that I've never been able to hit in the big leagues," he said. "That's one of the reasons I always go down to Triple-A." Velandia had played in 150 big-league games entering this season and was carrying a .151 batting average - the lowest by a non-pitcher in major-league history with at least that many appearances. "He's everything you want in a player and a friend," said reliever Jeff Ridgway, who spent all season with Velandia in Durham before joining the Rays on Monday. "He's always going to be there no matter what. He's just a fluid guy in the field, doesn't make errors, and the presence in the clubhouse is always positive. He's a guy you can go to with any question you have - just a real class act." Rays manager Joe Maddon raves about Velandia's presence, praising him as a "steady, relaxed professional." The production that has gone along with it already has earned Velandia more playing time than expected, and he figures to get a few more starts before the season ends. Velandia will use any chance he gets to try to open the eyes of the Rays and any other organizations that might be paying attention, looking to position himself as well as he can heading into another spring training fraught with uncertainty. "You always see nice stories with different guys around the league, and you always think to yourself, 'Is that going to happen to me?'" Velandia said. "You play with a guy for a long time and he's in Triple-A for three or four years, and then you see him on TV doing it [in the majors] and you're like, 'Why not?'" Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

Edgy DC Dec 07 2007 09:31 AM

Park Chan-Ho, returning to the Dodgers.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 07 2007 12:06 PM

75 million yen sounds like more than $670,000 US dollars doesn't it? ]3 foreign players to join Yokohama YOKOHAMA, Dec. 7 (19:40) Kyodo The Yokohama BayStars announced Friday the acquisition of three foreign players, including left-hander Dave Williams who played for the New York Mets in the 2007 season. Yokohama and Williams have agreed on a one-year, 75 million yen contract. Outfielder Larry Bigbie and right-hander Travis Hughes have also reached agreements on one-year deals worth 65 million yen and 60 million yen, respectively. Williams, 28, has a 22-31 record in 82 games in his major league career, which also includes stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. Bigbie, 30, has appeared in 392 major league games, including 139 with the Baltimore Orioles in 2004, with a .267 average, 31 homers and 137 RBIs. Hughes, 29, posted 24 saves for the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate this year.

Valadius Dec 07 2007 03:16 PM

Timo Perez was sent outright to AAA Toledo by the Tigers.

Edgy DC Dec 07 2007 09:36 PM

The Phils have gone nuts and announced 13 signings of minor-league free agents, including sex-Met Jason Anderson, and Juan Tejeda, a firstbaseman who spent half of 2006 with Norfolk.

seawolf17 Dec 14 2007 10:34 AM

Cliff Floyd, [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3152188]Ray[/url]. Edgardo Alfonzo, [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3154773]Ranger[/url].

Fman99 Dec 17 2007 06:55 AM

According to the [url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/12/16/Rays/Report_costly__not_va.shtml]St. Petersburg Times,[/url] Jae Seo has signed a 1.5 million dollar deal to return to pitching in his native S. Korea.

Edgy DC Dec 17 2007 09:36 PM

The Dodgers have signed ephemeral Met Gary Bennett, perhaps the first to sign after being outed by Senator George Mitchell.

Edgy DC Dec 21 2007 01:41 PM

Matt Ginter, minor league deal with the Indians.