Scores
Recaps:
Grapefruit
Cactus
Player Movement:
Devil Rays – reassigned RHP Shinji Mori and RHP Doug Waechter to minor league camp…
Giants – Optioned 1B Travis Ishikawa to Triple-A, reassigned OF Eddy Martinez-Esteve to Minor League camp…
Pirates – Optioned RHP Bryan Bullington and RHP John Van Benschoten to Triple-A, RHP Yoslan Herrera to Double-A, reassigned RHP Brad Lincoln, LHP Michael Tejera to Minor League camp…
White Sox – reassigned OF Kenny Kelly, RHP Eduardo Sierra, INF Kenny Perez and to minor league camp…
Around the Web:
Jay Buhner at Mariners Camp.
Q&A with prospect Michael Bowden (Red Sox).
Glavine talks pressure in New York.
Player Journal: Shane Funk
Prospect of the Day:
Michael Bourn, OF, Phillies
Source and scouting report: Top Prospect Alert
Rumors:
Source: BenMaller.com
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield has written a new book about fixing baseball. Called Dropping The Ball, the book examines the problems within baseball. Winfield gives a prescription on how every person, organization or entity associated with the game can do their part in trying to fix some of its ills, to change its image, to make teens want to still play and enjoy baseball, to keep it an important part of American culture. Winfield even makes a case for a career in Major League Baseball compared to those in the NBA or the NFL…
It was a 35-pitch bullpen workout, all fastballs, seemingly routine stuff, but to Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher, it was much more. Bartolo Colon threw off a mound Tuesday for the first time since July 26, when his 2006 season ended because of a rotator-cuff tear, and while the right-hander wasn’t near peak form, he looked comfortable and strong, his delivery effortless…Even if he has not failed a drug test, Angels center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. could be suspended for up to 80 games for his alleged involvement in the purchase of human growth hormone. In addition to a 50-game penalty for a first positive test, baseball’s drug policy mandates a suspension from 60 to 80 games following a first conviction for “possession or use of any prohibited substance.” The clause is triggered when a player is convicted or pleads guilty or no contest. However, Matthews could receive immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony in a possible trial. “If he has immunity, he’s out of the woods on that clause,” said Brian Hennigan, a former federal prosecutor now with the Los Angeles law firm Irell & Manella…Angels GM Bill Stoneman says the club is exerting all the pressure it can to resolve the issue of center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. and allegations that he acquired human growth hormone from an Internet pharmacy in 2004. “What we’ve made clear to him, what we’ve encouraged him to do, is come out and get the facts out, get his side of the story out,” Stoneman said. “Tell his story, whatever it is.” Matthews, who has been advised by attorneys not to discuss an ongoing investigation, has said he will talk at the appropriate time…
A’s coach Brad Fischer, 50, is entering his 29th year in the A’s organization, dating to the days of Charlie Finley, shoestring budgets and Coliseum crowds of 653. He lasted one year as an A’s minor-league catcher and shortly thereafter took a job as a 23-year-old manager in rookie ball in Medford, Ore. It was 1980, and Finley was selling the A’s, so he was in no mood to allot a few bucks to a low-level farm team. “It was me, a 67-year-old trainer and a 1947 Greyhound (bus),” Fischer said. The team bus often broke down, and the players who rode it didn’t fare much better. Fischer’s first team went 22-48 and finished eighth in the Northwest League…
Toronto ace Roy Halladay began practicing throwing his curveball just last week. He plans to start throwing the cutter from a bullpen mound tomorrow. It’s not clear when he plans to debut either pitch in a game setting. “I still have a long ways to go before adding the curveball and the cutter,” Halladay said, declining to offer up exact dates for obvious reasons. For equally obvious reasons, the Jays ace was being closely watched in the dugout across the way. Unless something unexpected happens, it will be Halladay who opens Toronto’s season in Detroit on April 2…For now, the Blue Jays will continue to monitor the progress made by Brandon League, who posted a 2.53 ERA in 33 games last season for Toronto. Arnsberg said he was surprised at how well the young pitcher threw in his recent bullpen session. “He looked at lot like the kid I saw last year,” Arnsberg said. “That gives you a little easier chance of setting a timetable for him. Again, he’s got so much we’ve got to do with him still”…Victor Zambrano, 31, had the elbow-ligament replacement operation last May, but he could be ready by Opening Day, especially if the Blue Jays utilized him as a reliever. He is 11-6 with a 4.82 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 115 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in his career. Gibbons shied away from questions about possibly using Zambrano in that role, though. “I really can’t comment on that,” Gibbons said. “We can’t start handing out jobs. It’s too early for that. We’re pleasantly surprised with where he’s at, but we don’t want to get carried away, either — just yet”…
Brewers closer Francisco Cordero, who is being brought along slowly to avoid arm troubles in camp, pitched in a simulated game before the morning workout. Cordero is scheduled to make his 2007 spring debut Friday against Kansas City…The Milwaukee Brewers aren’t trying to kill Vinny Rottino. It only seems that way. “Vinny’s going to be the first player in the history of the game to get 500 spring training at-bats,” manager Ned Yost said Tuesday. Yost was exaggerating, of course, but Rottino quickly has become the workhorse of the Brewers’ camp. The Racine native already had the reputation as a jack of all trades and Yost has taken advantage of that versatility to cover for injured players. … The confluence of events led to an increased opportunity for Rottino, who has played in every game possible (the Brewers had split-squad games last Friday) and leads the club with 20 at-bats (.200, one homer, one RBI). The last person to complain would be Rottino, who makes most workaholics look like slackers…
Cards reliever Josh Kinney had an MRI exam Tuesday after notifying team personnel Monday night that his right elbow “locked up” after a second consecutive difficult outing. “It’s definitely enough that you have to be concerned about it,” manager Tony La Russa said before the Cardinals played the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-2 tie. “He told the trainers he was having some discomfort, so he’s going to have it checked out”…
Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano told a Caracas, Venezuela, newspaper that negotiations have resumed on a possible five-year contract extension with the team…Cubs President John McDonough on whether the team will be sold in the next two years: “I really don’t know. That’s a process that if you are potentially the sellee, you’re not really involved in it. …I haven’t been privy to those discussions, nor do I think I should be”…The Cubs expect Cliff Floyd to make his debut Sunday or Monday. Floyd is ready to play, but the team is being conservative because he’s coming off Achilles’ surgery…The Cubs have remodeled their Wrigley Field clubhouse this off-season. “It’s going to be brighter, more vibrant,” club President John McDonough said. McDonough also said the media interview room was expanded by 30 percent, and the playing field may be redone “down the road”…
Spring training is the time for experiments, and Rays manager Joe Maddon began tinkering a bit Tuesday. Maddon flip-flopped Carl Crawford and Delmon Young in the batting order, moving Crawford up behind leadoff man Rocco Baldelli. “Taking it for a test drive and see how it looks,” said Maddon. “Last year I was just really concerned about getting Delmon involved in the big leagues in a big way. We’ll see if we can utilize Carl as a table-setter for Delmon. “The biggest thing is Carl getting on base, obviously, which I believe he’s going to. Part of the interaction’s going to be that Delmon’s patient enough to let [Crawford] run on occasion. I do believe that Delmon has a knack for RBIs. Not that Carl doesn’t, but I think Delmon’s one of those guys that’s going to be a real high-end RBI guy”…
What do the Dodgers do with Brad Penny? Trade him, if they’re smart. According to sources around the club, Penny tends to be at his finest when it doesn’t really matter. He tends to question and berate teammates in full view of the public. With Derek Lowe, Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf considered the most valued starters on the staff, and the team crying out for a power hitter, general manager Ned Colletti has an obvious move to make — if he can find the right deal…Dodgers left-hander Mark Hendrickson thrust himself into the middle of the competition for the final spot in the rotation with a solid effort against the Twins, striking out three in two innings. That followed a shaky performance in his first spring game last week when he gave up seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. “Today it was nice. My command was a lot better,” said Hendrickson, who did not walk a batter in a 33-pitch outing. “I was finishing pitches a lot better. I take a lot of positives out of this.” The Dodgers have at least six pitchers vying for the fifth spot in the rotation, including veterans Brett Tomko and Joe Mays, right-hander Chad Billingsley, left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo and rookie Eric Stults, who pitches tonight against the Florida Marlins…
SS Omar Vizquel said his agent, Adam Katz, will visit Scottsdale today and meet with Giants officials. They are expected to discuss a contract extension for the shortstop, whose three-year deal expires after the season. Vizquel wants to play two more seasons after 2007…Giants slugger Barry Bonds said he is not sure that his Canadian bat maker, Sam Holman, will be able to supply him this season. Holman reportedly has stopped production temporarily for business reasons, which is why Bonds is experimenting with several different models of maple bats…
Indians pitcher Adam Miller was asked what’s the most fun you have facing a hitter? “Striking a guy out” is what the Indians’ right-hander said with no hesitation. “If you strike a guy out with a fastball, it’s even better. A slider is OK, but it’s not quite the same thing.” What makes a strikeout on a fastball more satisfying? “It’s a power-type thing,” Miller said. “You can swing and miss a slider, but missing a fastball is better. Or even catching a guy looking if it’s a fastball.” Miller knows about fastballs. He might be the Tribe’s No. 1 prospect. He’s a lanky 22-year-old who has been a high-definition minor-leaguer since his first pro season, in 2003…
M’s manager Mike Hargrove’s father, Dudley Hargrove, 80, took a spill coming out of the dugout and required three stitches on his chin…
Colby Lewis was the latest Washington starter to suffer through a poor outing, allowing four runs in his two innings. His assessment: “It was one of those days that could have gone either way.” Lewis, a former top prospect with the Texas Rangers who underwent shoulder surgery in 2004, said it was most important for him to feel healthy. But with the way some of the contenders have pitched lately — Lewis, Tim Redding and Jerome Williams combined for an ERA of 24.75 in their first outings — Manager Manny Acta wants to make sure they know what’s at stake, even this early…Nationals President Stan Kasten, the man who took over the Braves back in the late 1980s, is of a mind that what happens over the next couple of seasons on the major league field matters less than what happens below the surface. Thus, he believes, the current version of the Nationals is somewhat akin to the Atlanta teams before the 1990s began…
During negotiations that will soon end, the Baltimore Orioles offered Brian Roberts the parameters of a contract that would keep the second baseman with the team beyond his first year of free agency. Roberts was intrigued by such job security, but turned it down in favor of a two-year deal that will extend his contract through 2009, a pivotal season for the Orioles. Roberts’s reasoning was simple: The Orioles could be a dramatically different team by then. When the two-year extension is finalized — which should be very soon — 10 of the core members of the projected 25-man roster will become free agents after the 2009 season…O’s manager Sam Perlozzo said bench coach Tom Trebelhorn, who went home to Arizona to tend to his ailing wife, Elizabeth Black, is scheduled to rejoin the team on Saturday. Black suffered a brain aneurysm several weeks ago and is still in serious condition “That’s just kind of a day-to-day thing with him,” Perlozzo said. “I can’t give you a set thing. He was going to come back five or six days ago and there was a setback. We’re going to keep hoping for the best.” Perlozzo said the team had begun to discuss alternatives with bullpen coach Dave Trembley should Trebelhorn not be able to return full time this season…
David Wells isn’t sugarcoating the Padres’ playoff exit last October. “There’s no reason we should have lost to St. Louis,†he said. “I felt that we had a better team than theirs”…
Phils OF Pat Burrell is not making road trips this spring because of a week-old back problem. “It’s stiff in the morning,” Burrell said. “Scotty doesn’t want me going, getting out of my routine. You can do that on these trips.” That would be trainer Scott Sheridan, who also prescribed that Burrell should play in the field instead of being the designated hitter, Burrell said. That way, Burrell stays active for the entire game. Burrell missed 2 months as a junior at Miami, but, he said, “That was 10 years ago. This is totally different.” There is no timetable for Burrell to begin taking the team’s bus trips. Nor is there a timetable, or any commitment, for him to begin wearing contact lenses…Tom Gordon, the Phillies’ all-star closer who missed some time last season with a strained right shoulder, is an equally important story this spring. The Phillies desperately need Gordon, 39, to stay healthy. They’re making plans to help that happen. The Phillies plan to use Gordon for only one inning, particularly early in the season. That means fewer or no four-out or five-out save opportunities. They also don’t plan to pitch him more than two consecutive days. He pitched three straight days once last April, and four straight days in early May. “He can go three probably when things fall right for us,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “We want to have him all year rather than half a year or two-thirds of a year. Somewhere along the line, he’s going to have to be given some rest”…The Phillies had a special guest waiting for them yesterday when they arrived at McKechnie Field to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hall of Famer Lou Brock was there to interview Ryan Howard for a book he is cowriting about Jackie Robinson’s impact on the game and America. The Pitch, due out around opening day 2008, gets its title from Robinson’s first major-league at-bat, against Johnny Sain in 1947. “That pitch itself changed history,” Brock said before the Phillies’ 11-10 victory in 10 innings. “It opened doors for people like Lou Brock and Ryan Howard.” In a time when some players protested Robinson’s entering the majors, Brock praised Sain’s acceptance of the former Brooklyn Dodger. “He could have released a missile,” Brock said, meaning a beanball. “But he released a baseball”…
The current thinking seems to be that Brad Eldred might not make the Pirates’ roster no matter how he hits this spring. All he has played professionally — but for that one game — is first base, and that now belongs to Adam LaRoche. And bringing Eldred off the bench might be difficult, too, if he is limited to one position. Some might doubt whether such a big man — 6 feet 5, 275 pounds — could pull off outfield duty. But the Cincinnati Reds’ Adam Dunn — 6-6, 275 pounds — plays there adequately enough to keep his big bat in the lineup every day. Eldred in the outfield? Sounds fine by him. “Yeah, I can play there,” he replied yesterday after hitting his fourth home run in as many games played — and only 12 plate appearances — this spring. “I know I can”…Should a player that valuable, with Freddy Sanchez’s history of injury, be getting moved from third base to second? Pirate management’s official stance on whether the move will be made remains noncommittal, but it has escaped no one’s attention that Sanchez has worked at second from the first drill of the spring through his first three Grapefruit League games. Just as obvious, Jose Castillo and Jose Bautista, the players dueling for the only infield vacancy, have worked solely at third. Is the team still open-minded? “Absolutely,” Tracy said. “We have a bunch of infielders who can play defense. If you put a glove on their hand, wherever you put them, they’re going to do a nice job.” The Pirates are not discussing internal debate about the infield, of course, but be sure they are facing a difficult decision where Sanchez is concerned…Cuban defector Yoslan Herrera was among eight players the Pirates reassigned yesterday to minor-league camp with their first cuts of the spring. Herrera, a starter, was charged with four earned runs in one-plus inning in his only Grapefruit League appearance. He was optioned to Class AA Altoona, where the Pirates’ goal is to build up his stamina to make up for two years of inactivity. “This is someone who just needs to pitch,” manager Jim Tracy said…
Red Sox owner John Henry said yesterday there is “a probability perhaps†that the Red Sox will open their season in Japan by 2009. There has been talk that the Red Sox could open their regular season with a series in Japan as soon as next year but Henry indicated that may not be in the cards. “I don’t know how it’s looking (for 2008) – I know it’s a possibility but I don’t believe at this point it’s a probability,†said Henry before yesterday’s 14-6 Red Sox victory over the Marlins. “I think it’s a probability perhaps by the season after next. There are a lot of issues associated with it. We’d like to play there. We’d love to play there”…
Ken Griffey Jr. continues to work at his own speed, taking daily batting practice and working on a back field with conditioning coordinator Matt Krause. “He swung some Monday and said it (left wrist) is still sore and he is still day-to-day,” said manager Jerry Narron. “I don’t know when he might play, I really don’t. I told him, ‘When you feel like you are ready to go, we’ll get you in there.’ ” Nobody is in a hurry to speed up Griffey’s return, especially General Manager Wayne Krivsky.
The only concession to Brian Lawrence’s shoulder surgery is that he is pitching on every fifth day, rather than on four days like the Rockies’ other starters. He expects to use his cutter and changeup more in Saturday’s game…
The Royals are optimistic that Mark Grudzielanek will miss no more than two weeks of the regular season. In his absence, Esteban German will be the primary second baseman. Once Grudzielanek and his Gold Glove return, German will go back to being the quintessential utility player. German’s most comfortable spot on the diamond is in the batter’s box. His .422 on-base percentage last season topped the Royals…
Tigers pitcher Mike Maroth has fully recovered from last year’s surgery on his left elbow– in his opinion. But he’s fully recovered in his manager’s opinion, as well. Maroth was sharp in a three-inning effort Tuesday, shutting out the Blue Jays on one hit and a walk. “He looked good,” Jim Leyland said. “He’s had absolutely no problems. I don’t think there’s any question that he’s healthy. It’s just a matter of arm strength now. “Barring anything unforeseen, he’ll be in our rotation — and he should be”…
Word is the Twins want a club option on a final year, much as they have with Torii Hunter’s contract, if they are to do a multiyear deal with first baseman Justin Morneau. That year, if it’s a five-year contract, would be expected to be in the $14 million range…The Pioneer Press reports it will be a shock if pitcher Sidney Ponson isn’t released by the Twins…It wouldn’t be surprising if Jake Mauer, who coaches in the minor leagues for the Twins, someday manages his brother Joe in the major leagues…
White Sox GM Ken Williams spoke with popular left-hander Mark Buehrle shortly after Vazquez’s deal was finalized and said he would listen to any offers until Opening Day. “Congrats to Javy,” Buehrle said. “I don’t think it has any effect on my outlook.” Buehrle said he spoke with agent Jeff Berry and discussed the idea of submitting a proposal. “We talked about all the possibilities, the good and bad,” Buehrle said. “But there’s really nothing solid at this time”…The White Sox also fortified their pitching depth over the winter by acquiring Gavin Floyd, Andrew Sisco, Nick Masset, John Danks and Gio Gonzalez, all of whom have one year or less of service time in the majors. The development of any of the above could enable the Sox to trade one of their starters to address another need. However, part of Javier Vazquez’s extension includes a no-trade clause to any of the nine teams in the National League West and American League West…Scott Podsednik’s rehabilitation has progressed to the point where he has set a target date of March 21 to return to live games. But that would leave the White Sox’s leadoff hitter only 1- weeks to get ready for the regular season and would increase the possibility he’d start the season on the 15-day disabled list…White Sox OF Darin Erstad is running well and showing no effects from off-season surgery on his right ankle. “This guy is a workaholic,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “He’s the first guy on the field, in the training room and the weight room. I played against him. People should play the game the way he plays the game. Everyone has a different style, I understand that. But this guy is fun to watch”…
The Yankees have a pretty good idea who their starting pitcher will be Opening Day, but manager Joe Torre isn’t ready to reveal it. The obvious choice would be Chien-Ming Wang, who was runner-up for the Cy Young Award last year and started yesterday as the Yankees lost, 6-5, to the Cleveland Indians at Chain of Lakes Park. But Andy Pettitte or Mike Mussina could also get the nod for the April 2 opener against Tampa Bay. Torre said he doesn’t need to make a decision for a couple of weeks, at which time the Yankees can juggle the schedule for the final days of spring training to line up pitchers…
