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MLB News - Sports News | Archive September 15, 2009
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MLB announces master 2010 schedule — Opening of Twins' new Target Field one of many highlights
By Mark Newman
September 15, 2009
Major League Baseball announced its master 2010 regular-season schedule for all 30 clubs on Tuesday, meaning you can start dreaming ahead now.
You just might see Stephen Strasburg on the mound for the Nationals, Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run, Manny Ramirez playing for the Dodgers at Fenway Park or Roy Oswalt start another six-pitcher, June 11 no-hitter at Yankee Stadium for the Astros.
You just might see the Twins' first outdoor home game since 1981, thanks to new Target Field; the rival Yankees and Red Sox start and finish a regular season against each other at Fenway Park for the first time since 1950; or one of those American or National League parks you've always wanted to cross off your list but haven't made yet.
You just might see a no-hitter, a perfect game, a walk-off homer, a clinching celebration, an inside-the-park homer, a magical milestone, a slugfest, a foul ball hit your way, your favorite player sign your baseball, a day or night to remember.
Best of all, you just might see a World Series parade. While the drama of this season plays out, let's take a month-by-month look at highlights on the tentative 2010 calendar:
April
This month begins with a census in the U.S. -- a vital procedure that happens at the start of every decade. A few days later, our favorite statistical compiling officially begins with the first national broadcast of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball -- formally opening the season. That is the only matchup on the master schedule listed as TBA at this point.
Traditional Opening Day games in 2010 will be on Monday, April 5. Wherever you go, there will be pageantry and the anticipation of that One Dream Season. There also will be new players in new uniforms, all depending on how the Hot Stove season shakes out. Some of the eligible free agents after this season include Hank Blalock, Chone Figgins, Hideki Matsui, Vlad Guerrero, Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Carlos Delgado, Mark DeRosa, Bengie Molina, John Lackey, Andy Pettitte, Rich Harden and Trevor Hoffman.
The last season of Twins outdoor baseball was back in 1981, in the first year of Ronald Reagan's presidency and the last year of old Metropolitan Stadium. Now, almost three decades later, it will happen again. Beautiful Target Field will officially open on April 12, when the Twins host the Red Sox. The Twins are accepting season-ticket deposits at just $100 per deposit -- a way to guarantee that you can see some history in the making in Minnesota. Or plan to start a long road trip with some extra meaning there.
May
On the 21st of this month, the popular tradition of Interleague Play begins its first stretch. On that day, you could see series openers for Tigers at Dodgers, Red Sox at Phillies or Angels at Cardinals. Who knows? Any of those three could be a rematch of the 2009 World Series. It also is the beginning of those delicious regional rivalry series including Yankees at Mets or Reds at Indians.
The 2010 rotation for Interleague Play is NL East vs. AL Central, NL Central vs. AL West, and NL West vs. AL East. If that Dodgers-Yankees '09 World Series doesn't materialize as so many of those teams' fans have hoped aloud this season, then hold that thought, because the Bronx Bombers are at Dodger Stadium next June 25-27.
PETCO Park ranks high on the lists of many fans' favorite new ballparks, and May 28-30 could be an especially desirable window of opportunity to be there. Washington is at San Diego for that series, and it could mean Stephen Strasburg starting in front of his hometown people. The former San Diego State pitcher was drafted No. 1 overall in June by the Nationals, and he is seen as a major figure in the future direction of that franchise.
June
This month means lots of weddings, the First-Year Player Draft (June 7-9), the second Interleague stretch (June 11-27), heavy All-Star voting and kids everywhere getting out of school. For many fans, that summer vacation will mean ballpark road trips.
Now that the master schedule has been announced, start planning those trips way ahead of time. For example, you might be planning a Southeast swing built around a trip to Disney World. Consider starting with a date from the Royals-Braves series June 18-20 at Turner Field, where you might see 2009 AL Cy Young Award contender Zack Greinke start. There are only three games scheduled on the first official day of summer, June 21, so maybe Orlando's amusement parks beckon a visit that day. Then head downstate to see the Padres at Florida on June 25, and go over to Tampa Bay and see the Rays host to the D-backs a night later.
Here are just a few more of the many Interleague matchups we can't wait to see:
• June 11 marks the seventh anniversary of the night when six Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Yankees in The Bronx. Houston opens a series at new Yankee Stadium on this same day. Roy Oswalt is the one who started that game (throwing one scoreless inning!), and don't be surprised to see him start in New York again.
• Indians at Phillies on June 22-24. Cleveland might be facing its former Cy Young-winning ace, Cliff Lee.
• f you are in Chicago this month, pick a side and watch White Sox at Cubs on June 11-13 or Cubs at White Sox on June 25-27.
• The Dodgers visit the Red Sox on June 18-20 -- their first appearance at Fenway since 2004. It will be a particularly intriguing matchup if Manny Ramirez is still with the Dodgers. The star slugger hasn't been back to Fenway since his unceremonious exit from the team on July 31, 2008.
July
How are you going to spend the Fourth of July? Here are the 15 clubs that have home games that day -- usually meaning fireworks on the field and then overhead: D-backs; Braves; Red Sox; Cubs; Indians; Rockies; Tigers; Cardinals; Angels; Twins; Yankees; Pirates; Padres; Rangers and Nationals.
On that date in 1900, about 1,000 people in the crowd of 10,000 fans attending the game at West Side grounds in Chicago celebrated Independence Day by firing pistols into the air. Chicago beat Philadelphia in 12 innings, 5-4.
The last games of the first half will be on Sunday, July 11 -- and then baseball heads for Anaheim. The 81st All-Star Game is scheduled for July 13 at Angel Stadium. Will that be the end of a winless streak dating back to 1996 for the NL?
The bigger question is how fans can join in those festivities, and it's never too early to start thinking about it. Ticket information, availability and prices for the 2010 All-Star Week events, including FanFest, All-Star Sunday, the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, has not yet been released.
August
The month of August begins with the finale of Dodgers at Giants, and no matter what, that will be a meaningful series because of its stature as one of the game's two most-storied rivalries. But having said that, here's the best thing about looking ahead at the next year's matchups: It doesn't really matter. It's Major League Baseball.
The pennant races will be serious by this point, and there also is a good chance you will be watching live with your yearly or monthly subscription to MLB.TV over the computer or on a mobile device. Given the advances in baseball technology in 2009, one only can wonder what August 2010 will bring. It was in August 2002 that MLB pioneered the first use of live streaming video for its regular-season games, the invention of MLB.TV. We not only look forward to what games will be played on the upcoming schedule, but we also look forward to how we will consume them.
Haven't been to the Twins' new park yet? This is a good month to do just that, and schedule a visit to Miller Park in Milwaukee as part of the trip. Pending this offseason's free-agent signings and trades, those are two clubs that should each be contending at this point.
September-October
For the first time since 1950, the rival Yankees and Red Sox will start and finish the regular season playing each other at Fenway Park. The closeout is on Oct. 1-3 -- the weekend after they face each other at Yankee Stadium -- and one only can wonder if they both will play on after that, as they have been wont to do so often lately.
Anything is possible next fall, as it is with this one. Consider this from Braves reporter Mark Bowman: "The final week of the 2010 regular season could prove to be interesting. The Braves will host the Marlins Sept. 27-29 and then welcome the Phillies for a season-ending three-game set (Oct. 1-3)." Could be. Or all three of those teams could finish at the bottom of the NL East, and it could be a showdown between a healthier Mets club and those Strasburg-led Nationals.
There certainly have been worst-to-first finishes before. Just ask fans of the 2008 Rays. Maybe Strasburg will be a tad more ordinary than the stratospheric buzz about him, but maybe he will be as special as advertised, capable of injecting new blood into the club in America's capitol.
What will it be like for that final regular-season series at Houston's Minute Maid Park? The Cubs are at the Astros from Oct. 1-3, and Lou Piniella has intimated that 2010 might be his last season as Chicago's manager. Will that be a critical NL Central showdown at that point? Will the Cubs have bounced back from a drop-off '09 season, and will next year be "the year" after waiting 102 years for another World Series title?
Eight teams will survive that long chase, and then we're into the 2010 postseason. It is a chase we are in now, as eight clinching celebrations loom just up ahead. You can watch it all unfold, and now you also can be dreaming ahead to '10.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL UPDATES
By Charles Rich
September 15, 2009
Gregg Zaun (St. Francis High, 1989) Tampa Bay Rays catcher: Things have been going well for Zaun since he was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 7. The Glendale native has slugged a pair of home runs since joining Tampa Bay, which won the American League championship last season.
His latest came in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays in a pinch-hitting role. He hit a grand slam to give the host Rays a 5-1 lead. Tampa Bay would go on to earn a 5-2 win. It marked the fifth time that Zaun has hit a grand slam in his career. His previous one came on Sept. 6, 2008 against Tampa Bay, while playing for Toronto.
Zaun had earlier joked with his new teammates about the possibility of coming to the plate with the bases loaded.
“The funny thing is we were talking about it,” Zaun told the Associated Press. “I don’t know who said it, but somebody said ‘Do that stuff for us.’ I said, ‘All right, I’ll do my best.’ Sure enough, today.”
Zaun had his six-game hitting streak snapped Thursday night in an 8-7 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles. He grounded out in the eighth with a runner aboard.
Since coming to Tampa Bay, Zaun is eight for 25 (.320) with two home runs, three doubles and five runs batted in.
Overall, Zaun is batting .254 (49 for 192) with six home runs and 18 runs batted in.
The Rays are 66-55 and in third place in the American League’s East Division behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Freddy Sanchez (Glendale Community College, 1998) infielder, San Francisco Giants: Sanchez, a three-time All-Star and the 2006 National League batting champion, hasn’t played since Monday against the host New York Mets. Sanchez missed the three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds, which ended Thursday, because of a sore left shoulder he encountered while taking indoor batting practice.
It wasn’t clear when Sanchez might return to the Giants, who will begin a key three-game series today against the host Colorado Rockies, though he might return today.
“That’s the plan,” Sanchez told mlb.com. “Finally, on that last day in New York, it was just too much.
“I felt like I couldn’t swing too well and it was affecting not only me, but the team. Obviously it’s very frustrating. I’ve played through a lot of injuries and a lot of pain, but when it starts to affect your performance, it’s tough to go out there and not be where you need to be to help the guys.”
San Francisco (66-55) entered today’s action in third place in the National League’s West Division behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado.
On Monday, Sanchez had a pair of hits and scored one run to help San Francisco pick up a 10-1 win against the Mets. Since joining the Giants in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 29, Sanchez is batting .304 (17 for 56) with one home run and five runs batted in. He has recorded at least one hit in 11 of his 13 contests with San Francisco.
Overall, Sanchez is batting .297 (122 for 411) with seven home runs and 39 runs batted in. He’s recorded 29 doubles and scored 53 runs.
Mark Loretta (St. Francis High, 1989) Los Angeles Dodgers infielder: Loretta, a two time All-Star, last appeared Tuesday as a defensive replacement at first base in Los Angeles’ 7-3 win against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Through Thursday, Loretta is batting .226 (33 for 146) with 22 runs batted in for the Dodgers (72-50), who are in first place in the National League’s West Division.
Juan Castro (Glendale resident) Los Angeles Dodgers infielder: Castro hasn’t played since Sunday, when he started, had a hit and scored a run in Los Angeles’ 9-3 road win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Entering today’s game against the Chicago Cubs, Castro is batting .304 (28 for 92) with one home run and nine runs batted in.
Brandon McCarthy (former Glendale resident) Texas Rangers starting pitcher: The right-hander would like to rejoin the Rangers, who are in second place in the American League’s West Division behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
McCarthy has been out with a stress fracture in his right shoulder for nearly two months. He went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 5, and he was transferred to the 60-day disabled list July 7. Before suffering his injury, McCarthy was 5-2 with a 4.92 earned-run average. In 11 starts, McCarthy struck out 44 and walked 26 in 64 innings.
He began a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City Redhawks of the Pacific Coast League on Aug. 8. In his last start with Oklahoma on Monday, McCarthy received a no-decision in Oklahoma’s 2-1 home win against the Salt Lake City Bees. He went 4 2/3 innings, striking out five and allowing four hits in a 73-pitch effort.
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Folksy Tracy just what the Rockies needed
By Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports
September 15, 2009
The Clint Hurdle era had been over for a month when Jim Tracy wandered through his team’s clubhouse, all smiles.
The Colorado Rockies had hardly lost under him. The pitching staff was throwing strikes. Relievers Huston Street and Manny Corpas had gotten their roles straightened out. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was a player again, and so were a lot of guys who’d seemingly lost their way, their stroke, their something. Clint Barmes was the regular second baseman, Ian Stewart was at third, the team was winning.
Nobody was thinking about Matt Holliday anymore. Nobody was wondering what happened to that World Series team, because they’d long before left that behind.
So Tracy disappeared into the tiny manager’s office and a veteran player nodded after him.
“Man,” he said, “did we need that guy.”
Jobs in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh had ended poorly, as these jobs often do. He’d signed up in Colorado to be the man standing there if – all right, when – Hurdle stumbled. And when the Rockies went out 18-28, when they looked dead, smelled dead, played dead, along came the folksy Trace.
As invisible as Hurdle was intrusive, Tracy asked them for effort and professionalism and, wouldn’t you know it, they delivered.
The Rockies pitched with everyone in the league from June on. Down an ace (the injured Jeff Francis(, they had Ubaldo Jimenez grow up. Lacking depth, they had Jorge de la Rosa and Jason Hammel figure it out. Jason Marquis improbably became an All-Star.
And, until recently, they hit. Tulowitzki, in particular, seemed inspired by the change. Since, he’s one of the 10 best hitters in the National League, as is Todd Helton.
Maybe it is pathetic that a locker room filled with professional ballplayers would need to be reminded that baseball at this level is a results-oriented business, that they were running out of time, and that the organization would soon be out of people to fire.
The truth is, all over the league managers are talking ballplayers into playing ball, or trying to, and having mixed results.
Here, in Colorado, Jim Tracy talked them into playing ball. He talked them into winning the game they were playing and worrying about tomorrow when it arrived. He showed them they could trust him.
In 99 games, they are 64-35. For that, Tracy ought to be the National League manager of the year. Yeah, they needed him.
Tony La Russa, Cardinals: For a manager with such a distaste for developing (or trying to develop) players in the major leagues, La Russa has had a clubhouse full of projects over the past couple seasons. A year after having 14 players make their major league debut, the Cardinals had eight more in 2009, and they turned their fourth-place NL Central finish of ’08 into a runaway division title. Among the areas that have gone well for La Russa and the Cards: Brendan Ryan at shortstop, Skip Schumaker at second base, Colby Rasmus in the outfield, Ryan Franklin (from the roots of Chris Perez and Jason Motte in the ninth inning. Beyond that, the Cards have a nice organizational vibe going for them, and that begins with the man in the sunglasses.
Bruce Bochy, Giants: As always, Bochy has shown a nice touch with his pitching staff, though one could hardly go wrong with the likes of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. However, Cain’s growth can be traced to a come-to-Jesus with Bochy in the middle of last season, where the manager challenged his young pitcher to become fitter and tougher, and here he is. Also, Bochy milked Barry Zito (as if he had any choice) back to respectability. As a result, with hardly any change in the offense over last season, the Giants could push 90 wins. They won 72 last year. Bochy, like his coaches and GM Brian Sabean, is in the final year of his contract.
Charlie Manuel, Phillies: Ol’ Cholly had his hands full again, only this time there’d be no need to run down the Mets. Yeah, it was the pitching again, and the nightly guess as to which end would struggle – the starter or the closer. Or both. The Phillies scored plenty of runs, in spite of Raul Ibanez’s injury (and poor second half) and yet another year of decline for Jimmy Rollins since his MVP season. They won a lot of road games, tightened up the pitching staff in the second half (hello, Cliff Lee, rode Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, and managed to survive their share of ninth innings. What you can say about Charlie: His players play for him, and that’s high praise.
Fredi Gonzalez, Marlins: Maybe he has the one player in the league everybody is dying for (Hanley Ramirez, and maybe he has the best pitcher hardly anyone has heard of (Josh Johnson, and maybe he has the NL Rookie of the Year in left field (Chris Coghlan, but Gonzalez also has the one thing no other manager wants: a $35 million payroll. Still on the edge of contention, the Marlins consistently get more than they paid for. For that they can thank Gonzalez.
NL Manager of the Year predictions
Gordon Edes
1. Tony La Russa Cardinals Master orchestrates an unexpected runaway.
2. Jim Tracy Rockies Best job over three-quarters of a season.
3. Charlie Manuel Phillies Steady hand during a bumpy ride.
Jeff Passan
1. Tony La Russa Cardinals Love him or hate him, he’s good at what he does.
2. Jim Tracy Rockies Found the right tenor to awaken a talented team.
3. Charlie Manuel Phillies No World Series hangover despite Rollins’ misery.
Tim Brown
1. Jim Tracy Rockies What he was selling, Rockies were buying.
2. Tony La Russa Cardinals Patched it together for long enough, then reinforcements arrived.
3. Bruce Bochy Giants Won a lot of games for a team with no O.
Steve Henson
1. Jim Tracy Rockies The clear catalyst of the Rockies’ dramatic turnaround.
2. Charlie Manuel Phillies Can he be runner-up for the award three years in a row?
3. Joe Torre Dodgers Sizzling first half without a rotation ace or, essentially, Manny.
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Matsuzaka’s surprising return to form
By Gordon Edes, Yahoo! Sports
September 15, 2009
BOSTON — Afterward, Daisuke Matsuzaka(notes) wore an enormous silver watch on his left wrist, a dazzling piece of bling that looked straight out of the David Ortiz collection. So big it looked like it could have measured time not in hours and minutes, but in the weeks and months that Matsuzaka had been absent from the Red Sox.
With only days left in what for him has been a lost season, Matsuzaka knew what was at stake Tuesday night, when he triumphantly returned with six scoreless innings in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
“On the road back I’ve been a burden on my teammates more than anything and I feel that I owe them,” Matsuzaka said through interpreter Masa Hoshino. “There’s not much time left in the season, but in the limited time, the limited opportunity I do have, I want to show my appreciation to my teammates and the fans by contributing as much as I can."
When Matsuzaka walked Chone Figgins, the first batter of the game, there was a sense that perhaps little had changed, even though the pitcher on the mound appeared to be 15 to 20 pounds lighter than he’d been when placed on the disabled list June 20. But Figgins didn’t advance beyond first, the Angels would not have a hit until Kendry Morales’ leadoff single in the fifth, and there would be only two more walks, including the one to Morales that opened the seventh and prompted Boston manager Terry Francona to go to his bullpen.
There was little trickery involved for Matsuzaka, who came billed as a Japanese magician with at least six pitches when he first arrived in Boston before the 2007 season. He relied primarily on his fastball and cutter, and was at his best when the Angels had two on and one out in the fifth, striking out Jeff Mathis and Figgins to strand runners on second and third.
The drastic measures taken by the Red Sox, stung by the disruptive effect the World Baseball Classic had on both Matsuzaka’s shoulder and overall conditioning, appear at first blush to have paid off. Matsuzaka, made to essentially repeat spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., gave every indication he will factor into Boston’s postseason pitching plans.
“I’ve never had to take time in the middle of a season to try to get myself back, to try to build up strength,” Matsuzaka said. “Even though I got a win, when I was doing my training, I was not sure I would ever come back, even though I tried to believe I would come back.
“I think the pitcher you saw today was completely different from the pitcher you saw at the beginning of the season. … I’ve never struggled as much as I have this year, so in that sense, [Tuesday night’s win] was a little special, but I’ll probably forget about it.”
Clearly, the experience has been humbling for Matsuzaka, a two-time MVP in the WBC, the first Japanese pitcher to start and win a World Series game, and an 18-game winner last season. But if the Red Sox salvage operation is successful, the best guess is that he could start a potential Game 4 for the Red Sox in Fenway Park in a first-round matchup with the Angels, which took on an air of inevitability when the Texas Rangers lost again to Oakland to drop 51⁄2 games behind the Red Sox with 19 left.
Matsuzaka’s next start is tentatively scheduled for Sunday in Baltimore. If he continues to progress, he figures to have the edge over the hobbled Tim Wakefield for the fourth spot in the postseason rotation.
“I thought he was terrific,” Francona said. “He stayed in his delivery the entire night.
“He went down to Florida, we thought there were some things that needed to be taken care of. He came back in very good shape. His shoulder was stronger. Long-term, obviously, this was very important, but in the short term, it was a shot in the arm, too.”
Brave beginnings: How does Braves rookie Tommy Hanson compare to the illustrious arms that preceded him in Atlanta’s rich pitching history? Well, Greg Maddux was 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA as a rookie (with the Cubs), John Smoltz was 2-7 with a 5.48 ERA, Tom Glavine was 7-17 with a 4.56 ERA, and Steve Avery was 3-11 with a 5.64 ERA.
After beating the New York Mets 6-0 Tuesday night, Hanson is 10-3 in 18 starts, and has thrust himself into serious consideration for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. His 10 wins have drawn him even with Phillies lefty J.A. Happ and Cubs surprise Randy Wells for most wins by an NL rookie. He gave up six runs in his big league debut, but allowed three or more earned runs just four more times in his next 17 starts. He held the Astros scoreless over eight innings in his last start before facing the Mets, then tacked on another seven zeroes on just three hits Tuesday night.
His earned run average dropped to 2.65, lower than that of Happ or Wells.
“It just makes it that much more humbling a little bit, growing up with those guys, now wearing the same uniform,” Hanson said of any comparisons to Maddox, et. al.
But did he emulate anyone?
“Never,” he said. “I never tried to act like a certain player, be like a certain player. I’ve always done my own thing. My whole thing growing up was just going out there and having fun.”
Foot off the pedal: Bob Gibson posed the proposition himself in his running conversation with Reggie Jackson that comprises the book “Sixty Feet, Six Inches,” a lively and enlightening look at the game by a Hall of Fame pitcher and hitter, written with Lonnie Wheeler.
“You have your choice tonight: Give up five miles an hour of velocity or three inches of control, I think I’d hold onto my speed,” Gibson says. “Don’t get me wrong: I believe in spotting the ball, but throwing 95 [mph] is a gift. You can’t teach somebody to do that, and there’s no substitute for it. I’ll take my chances at 95, if I miss my location. That doesn’t mean you can miss your spots all night long, but it means you might get away with it, if you don’t push your luck.”
Red Sox ace Josh Beckett, like Gibson, a hard thrower, was offered the same proposition, and took the opposite tack.
“I’d give up the five miles of velocity,” Beckett said. “I think spotting the ball is also a gift, and so important, especially nowadays. Hitters may have been a little different then. Velocity is huge, but there isn’t anybody in the big leagues who has been here two months who can’t hit a 95 mph fastball.”
Short and sweet: In breaking the record for consecutive 200-hit seasons held by Wee Willie Keeler, set in the twilight of the 19th century, Ichiro Suzuki, very much a 21st-century creation, demonstrated a mastery of an art that worked for the wee one then and the slender Japanese star today. Suzuki is far and away the major league leader this season in infield hits, according to a study by Ari Kaplan, the Cal Tech-trained statistical analyst and webmaster of ariball.com.
Utilizing spray charts he keeps on every hitter, Kaplan said that entering the week Ichiro had 54 infield hits, more than 25 percent of his 200 hits total. Luis Castillo of the Mets was second with 39, with Michael Bourn(notes) of the Astros third with 38. Denard Span of the Twins (34), Emilio Bonifacio of the Marlins (32) and Scott Podsednik of the White Sox (31) rounded out the top six.
Of his infield hits, Kaplan calculated that Ichiro had eight bunt singles. Bourn and Bonifacio each had 15.
Ichiro, who has had 200-plus hits in each of his nine major league seasons, is one season away from tying Pete Rose for most 200-hit seasons. Rose’s 10 did not come consecutively.
Folks are busting with pride in Japan.
“Only Ichiro can break a 100-year-old major league record,” Shigeo Nagashima, who ranks with Sadaharu Oh as Japan’s most revered players, told Kyodo News. “He respects the game and has strengthened mentally and physically. I hope he continues to improve and brings more dreams to children – future baseball players.”
Fungo hitting: On the same day Cliff Lee was pitching his first shutout for the Phillies to run his record to 7-2 since his trade from the Indians, 19-year-old pitcher Jason Knapp, the central player in the package that went back to Cleveland, was having arthroscopic surgery to remove what was described as loose bodies in his right shoulder. Knapp was on the DL with biceps tendinitis when the trade was made, but the Phillies had not taken an MRI and the Indians were unaware of the loose tissue in the shoulder. Cleveland medical officials said the loose tissue caused the tendinitis, but the Indians say they have no intention of filing a grievance. … Circle the date: Mannypalooza is scheduled for the weekend of June 18-20 next season, when the Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to visit Boston to play Manny Ramirez’s former team, the Red Sox, in interleague play. The expectation is that Manny won’t spoil the occasion by tweaking his hamstring, but he is expected to exercise his player’s option for $20 million and remain with the Dodgers. … The Minnesota Twins are scheduled to play their first game in their new park, Target Field, on April 12, against Boston. Target Field is an open-air facility; average temperatures in Minneapolis for that date are a high of 55 degrees and a low of 35. Exhibitions against the Cardinals are scheduled for April 2 and 3; parkas are optional. … And congratulations to Hal McCoy, the eminent baseball writer who will be honored by the Cincinnati Reds in pregame ceremonies Wednesday night. McCoy is “retiring” after 37 years, to employ the euphemism that sadly appears too often in the newspaper business these days.
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