Sporting News staff reports
Padres closer Heath Bell continues to harbor ill will toward his former team, the Mets, almost four years after New York traded him to San Diego.
Bell told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Monday that Mets management wasn’t always honest with him, in particular in 2006 when it was shuttling him between the majors and Triple-A Norfolk.
The topic came up because a.) the Mets are in San Diego this week and b.) the Padres just sent reliever Adam Russell to the minors because of a need elsewhere on the pitching staff.
"For me, it was 11 times in ’06, but only nine of them counted," Bell told the Union-Tribune.
"There were a few where I got called up, took batting practice and was told, ‘Oh wait, we’re not activating you.’ Or you get the phone call after you get off the plane and they’re telling you ‘Just wait there.’
"Then there are the times when they told me, ‘Go to the hotel, but we’re not sure you’ll be activated.’ So you go to the bar and there are, like, three of us. There’d be two pitchers and a position player, all three of us waiting to find out if we’re going to be activated.
"One time, (the Mets) had me take batting practice because they weren’t sure another (late addition) was going to show up, then he showed up and they had me clear out my locker for him before he got there."
"That’s why I have a lot of hostility toward my ex-team."
"I got told things I found out weren’t true. I wasn’t always hearing the whole story."
Sporting News staff reports
Padres closer Heath Bell continues to harbor ill will toward his former team, the Mets, almost four years after New York traded him to San Diego.
Bell told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Monday that Mets management wasn’t always honest with him, in particular in 2006 when it was shuttling him between the majors and Triple-A Norfolk.
The topic came up because a.) the Mets are in San Diego this week and b.) the Padres just sent reliever Adam Russell to the minors because of a need elsewhere on the pitching staff.
"For me, it was 11 times in ’06, but only nine of them counted," Bell told the Union-Tribune.
"There were a few where I got called up, took batting practice and was told, ‘Oh wait, we’re not activating you.’ Or you get the phone call after you get off the plane and they’re telling you ‘Just wait there.’
"Then there are the times when they told me, ‘Go to the hotel, but we’re not sure you’ll be activated.’ So you go to the bar and there are, like, three of us. There’d be two pitchers and a position player, all three of us waiting to find out if we’re going to be activated.
"One time, (the Mets) had me take batting practice because they weren’t sure another (late addition) was going to show up, then he showed up and they had me clear out my locker for him before he got there."
"That’s why I have a lot of hostility toward my ex-team."
"I got told things I found out weren’t true. I wasn’t always hearing the whole story."
Sporting News staff reports
Two anonymous Mets players say they are tired of left-hander Oliver Perez’s continued struggles (0-3, 6.25 ERA, 32 walks in 26 innings) and hope the club either demotes him to Triple-A or releases him. Perez is in the second year of a three-year, $36 million contract and has the right to refuse a minor-league assignment.
Player A told the Post: "You tell him you go to Triple-A or that’s it, you are finished."
Player B told the Post: "At some point you have to cut bait. You owe him a lot of money, but for what?"
Manager Jerry Manuel pulled Perez from the rotation two weeks ago but doesn’t have the confidence to use him in any role but mop-up duty. Perez allowed three runs in two innings his last appearance, in relief Saturday.
Sporting News staff reports
Two anonymous Mets players say they are tired of left-hander Oliver Perez’s continued struggles (0-3, 6.25 ERA, 32 walks in 26 innings) and hope the club either demotes him to Triple-A or releases him. Perez is in the second year of a three-year, $36 million contract and has the right to refuse a minor-league assignment.
Player A told the Post: "You tell him you go to Triple-A or that’s it, you are finished."
Player B told the Post: "At some point you have to cut bait. You owe him a lot of money, but for what?"
Manager Jerry Manuel pulled Perez from the rotation two weeks ago but doesn’t have the confidence to use him in any role but mop-up duty. Perez allowed three runs in two innings his last appearance, in relief Saturday.
Sporting News staff reports
The Angels hope 1B Kendry Morales, who broke his left leg celebrating a game-winning grand slam Saturday, can return by September if everything goes well with his surgery and rehab. Morales will have surgery once the swelling subsides and then spend four to six weeks on crutches. After that, it’ll be a matter of regaining leg strength and baseball timing.
In the interim, manager Mike Scioscia said he would use catcher Mike Napoli and reserve infielder Robb Quinlan at the position (backup outfielder Michael Ryan also has gotten a start). But GM Tony Reagins said he is interested in making a trade for a first baseman to make a run at the injury-riddled, up-for-grabs AL West.
According to ESPN, the most likely viable trade targets are the Diamondbacks’ Adam LaRoche, the Astros’ Lance Berkman, the White Sox’s Paul Konerko, the Indians’ Russell Branyan and the Brewers’ Prince Fielder.
Comcast Sports reported that Red Sox infielder Mike Lowell is available, although Boston radio station WEEI reported the Angels have not expressed interest in him.
Sporting News staff reports
The Angels hope 1B Kendry Morales, who broke his left leg celebrating a game-winning grand slam Saturday, can return by September if everything goes well with his surgery and rehab. Morales will have surgery once the swelling subsides and then spend four to six weeks on crutches. After that, it’ll be a matter of regaining leg strength and baseball timing.
In the interim, manager Mike Scioscia said he would use catcher Mike Napoli and reserve infielder Robb Quinlan at the position (backup outfielder Michael Ryan also has gotten a start). But GM Tony Reagins said he is interested in making a trade for a first baseman to make a run at the injury-riddled, up-for-grabs AL West.
According to ESPN, the most likely viable trade targets are the Diamondbacks’ Adam LaRoche, the Astros’ Lance Berkman, the White Sox’s Paul Konerko, the Indians’ Russell Branyan and the Brewers’ Prince Fielder.
Comcast Sports reported that Red Sox infielder Mike Lowell is available, although Boston radio station WEEI reported the Angels have not expressed interest in him.
The Braves entered May with the memory of a nine-game losing skid still very fresh in their minds. They enter June with a much different taste in their mouths.
They have recent winning streaks of four games, five games and five games. They’ve gone from battling to stay out of the NL East cellar to battling for first place, a combination of their vastly improved play and the Phillies’ newfound and befuddling inability to score.
How will they enter July? Good question. On to the poll …
Evan Longoria already has a career high in stolen bases.
1. Rays (1). Evan Longoria, apparently, has added "base-stealer" to his resume. Tampa Bay’s third baseman is one of only two players in the bigs to enter the week with double-digit home runs and stolen bases. He’s already set a career-high with his 10 stolen bases, to go with his .325 average, 10 homers, 42 RBIs and .968 OPS.
2. Twins (3). Same story as always in Minnesota: starting pitching is pretty consistent, Mauer and Morneau are excellent, Twins are in first place.
3. Yankees (4). Robinson Cano is enjoying his finest season, and that’s saying something. After a "slump" that dropped his average all the way down to .322, Cano enters the week riding a 13-game hitting streak that includes eight multi-hit games. He’s hitting .455 in the streak and .362 overall.
4. Padres (5). David Eckstein has 14 extra-base hits and just five strikeouts on the season. The only player who is even close to that ratio is Houston’s Jeff Keppinger, who has 16 extra-base hits and nine strikeouts.
5. Reds (10). Cincinnati’s two catchers, Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan, went 12-for-24 as the Reds took five of seven from the Pirates and Astros during last week’s homestand.
6. Cardinals (6). All nine of the runs the Cardinals scored Sunday against the Cubs crossed the plate with two outs. For the year, the Cardinals have 97 RBIs with two outs, good enough for sixth in the majors. They’re also hitting .283 (fourth in MLB) and have an .836 OPS (third) with two outs.
7. Blue Jays (9). Starting with Monday’s game against Tampa Bay, the Blue Jays play 24 consecutive games against teams that enter this week over .500—vs. Rays (3), vs. Yankees (3), at Rays (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3), vs. Giants (3), vs. Cardinals (3), vs. Phillies (3).
8. Braves (13). Entering this week, only one NL player has an OPS better than 1.000. Yep, the rookie Jason Heyward, who checks in at 1.017.
9. Red Sox (11). In 15 combined starts since April 23, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz—who were born just seven months apart—are 12-1 with a 2.02 ERA.
10. Phillies (2). This drop in the poll certainly is temporary, and the Phillies’ offense will be just fine in the long run. But getting shut out five times in eight games is impressive.
11. Dodgers (8). Matt Kemp, the NL leader with 41 runs scored, might never find a permanent spot in Joe Torre’s lineup—he’s hit fourth 18 times, third 12 times, second 18 times and fifth twice this year. This, after hitting in six different spots in the order at least 14 times last season.
Buster Posey’s bat is living up to the hype.
12. Giants (14). Stephen Strasburg’s much-anticipated call-up will generate more headlines, but catcher Buster Posey’s arrival in San Francisco likely will have more of an impact in the playoff race. In his first two games after arriving from Class AAA Fresno—where he was hitting .349—Posey went 6-for-9 with four RBIs for the parent club.
13. A’s (16). This was a good week for the A’s. Not only did they climb back into first place in the AL West, but they got Brett Anderson back in the rotation. In his first start since April 24, the 22-year-old lefty allowed just three baserunners in 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Tigers on Saturday.
14. Tigers (7). Speaking of the Tigers, they had a similar experience on Sunday—young fireballer Max Scherzer came back from the minors to strike out 14 A’s in 5 2/3 shutout innings.
15. Rangers (12). This was a horrible week for the Rangers. Not only did they fall out of first place in the AL West, but they had to put slugger Nelson Cruz on the disabled list, and young lefty Derek Holland had to leave his start Sunday in the second inning with a sore shoulder.
16. Rockies (18). Troy Tulowitzki has five homers and 10 RBIs in his past 10 games after just one homer and 16 RBIs in his first 38. Not coincidentally, the Rockies are 7-3 in that stretch.
17. Mets (19). The Mets have more wins at home (19) than any team in baseball. Of course, only one team (the Orioles) has fewer road wins than the Mets, who have just seven victories away from home.
18. Marlins (15). Time for a minor-league update. Mike Stanton, the best Marlins prospect since Miguel Cabrera, is crushing the ball for Class AA Jacksonville as a 20-year-old—the 6-foot-5 outfielder has 18 homers and a 1.143 OPS. Yikes.
19. Nationals (17). Here’s a bit of a surprise. Entering the week, Josh Willingham leads the National League with his .429 on-base percentage. His previous career high is .367.
20. Angels (20). The Kendry Morales injury could be devastating. The switch-hitting slugger leads the Angels in homers, RBIs and batting average.
21. Cubs (22). Alfonso Soriano’s slugging percentage (.585) is higher than Aramis Ramirez’s OPS (.508)
22. Royals (25). Billy Butler enters the week with a .348 batting average, which puts him 20 points behind Justin Morneau, the AL leader. It also puts him 23 points ahead of Martin Prado, the NL leader.
23. White Sox (24). Remember the Longoria tidbit? Rios is the other guy with double-digit steals and homers, and he bests Longoria in both categories. Rios has 11 homers and 16 stolen bases to go with his .312 average and .958 OPS.
Corey Hart has put on a surprising power display.
24. Brewers (26). Prince Fielder has played every game and Ryan Braun has missed just two. But, Corey Hart leads the team in home runs (12) and Casey McGehee leads the Brewers in RBIs (41). Though, to be fair, McGehee’s total leads the NL and Hart is tied for first in the league.
25. Pirates (23). Impressive work thus far from reliever Evan Meek, who has a 0.92 ERA and a 0.955 WHIP through 29 1/3 innings.
26. Diamondbacks (21). Ian Kennedy was the Diamondbacks’ best starter—by far—this April, posting a 2.54 ERA in his six starts.
27. Indians (27). Another minor-league update: He’s no Mike Stanton, but catcher Carlos Santana is crushing the ball for Class AAA Columbus—10 homers and a 1.013 OPS.
28. Mariners (28). Yes, it’s still early, but that 14-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio Cliff Lee is sporting is pretty impressive.
29. Astros (29). Fifteen Astros position players have at least 22 at-bats this season, and 11 of them are hitting .242 or worse.
30. Orioles (30). Brian Matusz is going to have a long, successful major league career, but he’s dealing with consistency issue at the moment. In his past four starts, he’s given up 6, 0, 7 and 6 earned runs.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
The Braves entered May with the memory of a nine-game losing skid still very fresh in their minds. They enter June with a much different taste in their mouths.
They have recent winning streaks of four games, five games and five games. They’ve gone from battling to stay out of the NL East cellar to battling for first place, a combination of their vastly improved play and the Phillies’ newfound and befuddling inability to score.
How will they enter July? Good question. On to the poll …
Evan Longoria already has a career high in stolen bases.
1. Rays (1). Evan Longoria, apparently, has added "base-stealer" to his resume. Tampa Bay’s third baseman is one of only two players in the bigs to enter the week with double-digit home runs and stolen bases. He’s already set a career-high with his 10 stolen bases, to go with his .325 average, 10 homers, 42 RBIs and .968 OPS.
2. Twins (3). Same story as always in Minnesota: starting pitching is pretty consistent, Mauer and Morneau are excellent, Twins are in first place.
3. Yankees (4). Robinson Cano is enjoying his finest season, and that’s saying something. After a "slump" that dropped his average all the way down to .322, Cano enters the week riding a 13-game hitting streak that includes eight multi-hit games. He’s hitting .455 in the streak and .362 overall.
4. Padres (5). David Eckstein has 14 extra-base hits and just five strikeouts on the season. The only player who is even close to that ratio is Houston’s Jeff Keppinger, who has 16 extra-base hits and nine strikeouts.
5. Reds (10). Cincinnati’s two catchers, Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan, went 12-for-24 as the Reds took five of seven from the Pirates and Astros during last week’s homestand.
6. Cardinals (6). All nine of the runs the Cardinals scored Sunday against the Cubs crossed the plate with two outs. For the year, the Cardinals have 97 RBIs with two outs, good enough for sixth in the majors. They’re also hitting .283 (fourth in MLB) and have an .836 OPS (third) with two outs.
7. Blue Jays (9). Starting with Monday’s game against Tampa Bay, the Blue Jays play 24 consecutive games against teams that enter this week over .500—vs. Rays (3), vs. Yankees (3), at Rays (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3), vs. Giants (3), vs. Cardinals (3), vs. Phillies (3).
8. Braves (13). Entering this week, only one NL player has an OPS better than 1.000. Yep, the rookie Jason Heyward, who checks in at 1.017.
9. Red Sox (11). In 15 combined starts since April 23, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz—who were born just seven months apart—are 12-1 with a 2.02 ERA.
10. Phillies (2). This drop in the poll certainly is temporary, and the Phillies’ offense will be just fine in the long run. But getting shut out five times in eight games is impressive.
11. Dodgers (8). Matt Kemp, the NL leader with 41 runs scored, might never find a permanent spot in Joe Torre’s lineup—he’s hit fourth 18 times, third 12 times, second 18 times and fifth twice this year. This, after hitting in six different spots in the order at least 14 times last season.
Buster Posey’s bat is living up to the hype.
12. Giants (14). Stephen Strasburg’s much-anticipated call-up will generate more headlines, but catcher Buster Posey’s arrival in San Francisco likely will have more of an impact in the playoff race. In his first two games after arriving from Class AAA Fresno—where he was hitting .349—Posey went 6-for-9 with four RBIs for the parent club.
13. A’s (16). This was a good week for the A’s. Not only did they climb back into first place in the AL West, but they got Brett Anderson back in the rotation. In his first start since April 24, the 22-year-old lefty allowed just three baserunners in 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Tigers on Saturday.
14. Tigers (7). Speaking of the Tigers, they had a similar experience on Sunday—young fireballer Max Scherzer came back from the minors to strike out 14 A’s in 5 2/3 shutout innings.
15. Rangers (12). This was a horrible week for the Rangers. Not only did they fall out of first place in the AL West, but they had to put slugger Nelson Cruz on the disabled list, and young lefty Derek Holland had to leave his start Sunday in the second inning with a sore shoulder.
16. Rockies (18). Troy Tulowitzki has five homers and 10 RBIs in his past 10 games after just one homer and 16 RBIs in his first 38. Not coincidentally, the Rockies are 7-3 in that stretch.
17. Mets (19). The Mets have more wins at home (19) than any team in baseball. Of course, only one team (the Orioles) has fewer road wins than the Mets, who have just seven victories away from home.
18. Marlins (15). Time for a minor-league update. Mike Stanton, the best Marlins prospect since Miguel Cabrera, is crushing the ball for Class AA Jacksonville as a 20-year-old—the 6-foot-5 outfielder has 18 homers and a 1.143 OPS. Yikes.
19. Nationals (17). Here’s a bit of a surprise. Entering the week, Josh Willingham leads the National League with his .429 on-base percentage. His previous career high is .367.
20. Angels (20). The Kendry Morales injury could be devastating. The switch-hitting slugger leads the Angels in homers, RBIs and batting average.
21. Cubs (22). Alfonso Soriano’s slugging percentage (.585) is higher than Aramis Ramirez’s OPS (.508)
22. Royals (25). Billy Butler enters the week with a .348 batting average, which puts him 20 points behind Justin Morneau, the AL leader. It also puts him 23 points ahead of Martin Prado, the NL leader.
23. White Sox (24). Remember the Longoria tidbit? Rios is the other guy with double-digit steals and homers, and he bests Longoria in both categories. Rios has 11 homers and 16 stolen bases to go with his .312 average and .958 OPS.
Corey Hart has put on a surprising power display.
24. Brewers (26). Prince Fielder has played every game and Ryan Braun has missed just two. But, Corey Hart leads the team in home runs (12) and Casey McGehee leads the Brewers in RBIs (41). Though, to be fair, McGehee’s total leads the NL and Hart is tied for first in the league.
25. Pirates (23). Impressive work thus far from reliever Evan Meek, who has a 0.92 ERA and a 0.955 WHIP through 29 1/3 innings.
26. Diamondbacks (21). Ian Kennedy was the Diamondbacks’ best starter—by far—this April, posting a 2.54 ERA in his six starts.
27. Indians (27). Another minor-league update: He’s no Mike Stanton, but catcher Carlos Santana is crushing the ball for Class AAA Columbus—10 homers and a 1.013 OPS.
28. Mariners (28). Yes, it’s still early, but that 14-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio Cliff Lee is sporting is pretty impressive.
29. Astros (29). Fifteen Astros position players have at least 22 at-bats this season, and 11 of them are hitting .242 or worse.
30. Orioles (30). Brian Matusz is going to have a long, successful major league career, but he’s dealing with consistency issue at the moment. In his past four starts, he’s given up 6, 0, 7 and 6 earned runs.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
Albert Pujols’ next contract will not be affected by Ryan Howard’s big pay day.
One of the biggest flaws in baseball’s economic system is that some contracts affect others. When a big deal gets done, it can have a domino effect. Ryan Howard’s five-year, $125 million extension is an example of why they shouldn’t.
Immediately after Howard re-upped, the media began to speculate about how his deal would affect Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, both of whom are eligible for free agency after the 2011 season. That kind of speculation should anger players and teams. Howard isn’t Fielder, Fielder isn’t Howard, and nobody is Pujols.
Why Howard’s deal won’t serve as the floor in Fielder’s or Pujols’ extension negotiations:
Fielder: Because of different revenue situations, Milwaukee money doesn’t equally convert to Philadelphia money. The Brewers can’t — and shouldn’t — pay Fielder as much as the Phillies can pay Howard, and that will be an obstacle in negotiations. Fielder and Howard both play first base, hit cleanup and are the most feared hitters in their respective lineups. But Fielder doesn’t have a World Series ring or an MVP award. If it gave Fielder a Howard-like deal, Milwaukee wouldn’t be able to afford to put quality players around him. And, really, who cares how much money you make if you can’t win?
Pujols: The idea that Howard’s deal will affect Pujols’ next contract is even crazier than thinking that it will affect Fielder’s. Pujols has no peer. What the Cardinals must ask themselves: Is Pujols the best player/person in baseball? Is he an ambassador for the game? Does he project what we try to teach our young players about how to play the game? Does he affect our financial bottom line? Is he durable and consistent? Would every other team in baseball pursue him if they could afford him? Did we save money on his current deal (seven years, $100 million)? The answer to all of those questions is yes. So, St. Louis should give Pujols whatever he wants, never once worrying about Howard’s price.
As for Howard, he could have made more money if he had waited until he reached free agency to sign a deal, but his new contract is guaranteed. Similarly, the Phillies didn’t have an urgent need to hammer out a deal, and they took a risk by signing Howard through his age-36 season. It basically is an unmovable contract, so, for better or worse, Howard isn’t going anywhere. Because he is comfortable in Philadelphia, that’s probably fine with Howard — and the team. The Phillies recognized that Howard is exactly what they wanted at this particular time, and they swallowed hard and signed him.
Todd Jones, a former major league closer, is a regular contributor to Sporting News.
Albert Pujols’ next contract will not be affected by Ryan Howard’s big pay day.
One of the biggest flaws in baseball’s economic system is that some contracts affect others. When a big deal gets done, it can have a domino effect. Ryan Howard’s five-year, $125 million extension is an example of why they shouldn’t.
Immediately after Howard re-upped, the media began to speculate about how his deal would affect Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, both of whom are eligible for free agency after the 2011 season. That kind of speculation should anger players and teams. Howard isn’t Fielder, Fielder isn’t Howard, and nobody is Pujols.
Why Howard’s deal won’t serve as the floor in Fielder’s or Pujols’ extension negotiations:
Fielder: Because of different revenue situations, Milwaukee money doesn’t equally convert to Philadelphia money. The Brewers can’t — and shouldn’t — pay Fielder as much as the Phillies can pay Howard, and that will be an obstacle in negotiations. Fielder and Howard both play first base, hit cleanup and are the most feared hitters in their respective lineups. But Fielder doesn’t have a World Series ring or an MVP award. If it gave Fielder a Howard-like deal, Milwaukee wouldn’t be able to afford to put quality players around him. And, really, who cares how much money you make if you can’t win?
Pujols: The idea that Howard’s deal will affect Pujols’ next contract is even crazier than thinking that it will affect Fielder’s. Pujols has no peer. What the Cardinals must ask themselves: Is Pujols the best player/person in baseball? Is he an ambassador for the game? Does he project what we try to teach our young players about how to play the game? Does he affect our financial bottom line? Is he durable and consistent? Would every other team in baseball pursue him if they could afford him? Did we save money on his current deal (seven years, $100 million)? The answer to all of those questions is yes. So, St. Louis should give Pujols whatever he wants, never once worrying about Howard’s price.
As for Howard, he could have made more money if he had waited until he reached free agency to sign a deal, but his new contract is guaranteed. Similarly, the Phillies didn’t have an urgent need to hammer out a deal, and they took a risk by signing Howard through his age-36 season. It basically is an unmovable contract, so, for better or worse, Howard isn’t going anywhere. Because he is comfortable in Philadelphia, that’s probably fine with Howard — and the team. The Phillies recognized that Howard is exactly what they wanted at this particular time, and they swallowed hard and signed him.
Todd Jones, a former major league closer, is a regular contributor to Sporting News.
Sporting News staff reports
Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran, still progressing slowly from offseason knee surgery, might not be ready to return to the lineup until mid-July.
General manager Omar Minaya told the New York Daily News that Beltran still hasn’t been cleared to resume "full baseball activities" and will need 4-6 weeks from the point when he is cleared to do so until the time he can make his 2010 Mets debut.
Beltran is doing some running and taking some swings but isn’t doing any sprinting.
Beltran hit .325 with 10 homers and 48 RBIs last season, but he was limited to 81 games.
Sporting News staff reports
Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran, still progressing slowly from offseason knee surgery, might not be ready to return to the lineup until mid-July.
General manager Omar Minaya told the New York Daily News that Beltran still hasn’t been cleared to resume "full baseball activities" and will need 4-6 weeks from the point when he is cleared to do so until the time he can make his 2010 Mets debut.
Beltran is doing some running and taking some swings but isn’t doing any sprinting.
Beltran hit .325 with 10 homers and 48 RBIs last season, but he was limited to 81 games.
Sporting News staff reports
Cardinals righthander Kyle Lohse likely will need surgery to repair a rare forearm condition, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
A specialist diagnosed Lohse as having extreme compartment syndrome, a condition in which the sheath covering a muscle in the pitcher’s forearm fails to allow it to expand.
No other major league pitcher is known to have suffered from the condition, which usually is associated with distance runners and motocross riders. In those cases, the recovering time from surgery is usually around seven weeks. However, the surgery could sideline Lohse anywhere from two months to the rest of the season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Lohse’s alternative would be to convert to a reliever so he would be required to throw fewer pitches.
The newspaper speculated that the Cardinals will explore trade and free-agent options to replace Lohse in the rotation.
Lohse, whose forearm problems date back to last May, is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA in nine starts this season.
Sporting News staff reports
Cardinals righthander Kyle Lohse likely will need surgery to repair a rare forearm condition, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
A specialist diagnosed Lohse as having extreme compartment syndrome, a condition in which the sheath covering a muscle in the pitcher’s forearm fails to allow it to expand.
No other major league pitcher is known to have suffered from the condition, which usually is associated with distance runners and motocross riders. In those cases, the recovering time from surgery is usually around seven weeks. However, the surgery could sideline Lohse anywhere from two months to the rest of the season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Lohse’s alternative would be to convert to a reliever so he would be required to throw fewer pitches.
The newspaper speculated that the Cardinals will explore trade and free-agent options to replace Lohse in the rotation.
Lohse, whose forearm problems date back to last May, is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA in nine starts this season.
MLB: All of Atlanta, it seems, is in love with Jason Heyward. But a youth outreach program is not in love with a private entrepreneur selling T-shirts with the "J-Hey" nickname, which the L.E.A.D. youth program says it holds rights to. Unlike most of these cases, the T-shirt maker is fighting back, saying he invented "J-Hey".
Golf: Part of the divorce "package?" Ecorazzi (that’s environmentally correct paparazzi, y’all) is reporting that Tiger Woods bought Elin Nordegren a shiny, new, charcoal gray Tesla roadster. The $100,000 electric sports car is super sexy and way green. So is that $749,900,000 that Tiger owes Elin now?
NFL: Good to see that Chiefs rookie Eric Berry is getting acclimated to Kansas City. He already knows that you can’t go wrong going to Gates for lip-smacking barbecue.
Media: Buzz Bissinger is using Twitter to go on the offensive. He tells Jim Rome why he’s been attacking his own Twitter followers. But we’re still wondering why he’s going off on Joe Torre and Phil Jackson. Among the gems Bissinger has posted in the past 24 hours: "Jackson just tries too hard to be something he isn’t — interesting. He needs to get rid of his Kung Fu 8 tracks. Man up and watch CSI…" And this disgusting coupling of words: "Torre and Phil Jackson. Total Douche Juice twins separated at birth. Be honest — anybody understand one word Jackson has ever said?" Hey, Buzz, how is this is more informative and salient than what’s written by any of the bloggers you deride?
MLB: All of Atlanta, it seems, is in love with Jason Heyward. But a youth outreach program is not in love with a private entrepreneur selling T-shirts with the "J-Hey" nickname, which the L.E.A.D. youth program says it holds rights to. Unlike most of these cases, the T-shirt maker is fighting back, saying he invented "J-Hey".
Golf: Part of the divorce "package?" Ecorazzi (that’s environmentally correct paparazzi, y’all) is reporting that Tiger Woods bought Elin Nordegren a shiny, new, charcoal gray Tesla roadster. The $100,000 electric sports car is super sexy and way green. So is that $749,900,000 that Tiger owes Elin now?
NFL: Good to see that Chiefs rookie Eric Berry is getting acclimated to Kansas City. He already knows that you can’t go wrong going to Gates for lip-smacking barbecue.
Media: Buzz Bissinger is using Twitter to go on the offensive. He tells Jim Rome why he’s been attacking his own Twitter followers. But we’re still wondering why he’s going off on Joe Torre and Phil Jackson. Among the gems Bissinger has posted in the past 24 hours: "Jackson just tries too hard to be something he isn’t — interesting. He needs to get rid of his Kung Fu 8 tracks. Man up and watch CSI…" And this disgusting coupling of words: "Torre and Phil Jackson. Total Douche Juice twins separated at birth. Be honest — anybody understand one word Jackson has ever said?" Hey, Buzz, how is this is more informative and salient than what’s written by any of the bloggers you deride?
Sporting News staff reports
The Dodgers have reportedly inquired about two of the top starting pitchers that could be available in this summer’s trade market. The L.A. Times is reporting that the Dodgers have contacted the Seattle Mariners about Cliff Lee and the Houston Astros about Roy Oswalt.
According to the report, both teams said they aren’t ready to deal their aces, but will keep the Dodgers in mind if they make a move. Both teams are in last place in their respective divisions. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said he would consider adding to the payroll on a case-by-case basis. The franchise’s finances are in flux while McCourt goes through divorce proceedings.
Lee, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2010 season, would be the cheaper option dollar-wise than Oswalt, who is under contract through 2011 and has a club option for 2012. Lee was acquired by the Mariners from Philadelphia in the offseason. Oswalt has spent his entire 10-year career in Houston, but recently asked management to trade him to a contender.
Sporting News staff reports
The Dodgers have reportedly inquired about two of the top starting pitchers that could be available in this summer’s trade market. The L.A. Times is reporting that the Dodgers have contacted the Seattle Mariners about Cliff Lee and the Houston Astros about Roy Oswalt.
According to the report, both teams said they aren’t ready to deal their aces, but will keep the Dodgers in mind if they make a move. Both teams are in last place in their respective divisions. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said he would consider adding to the payroll on a case-by-case basis. The franchise’s finances are in flux while McCourt goes through divorce proceedings.
Lee, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2010 season, would be the cheaper option dollar-wise than Oswalt, who is under contract through 2011 and has a club option for 2012. Lee was acquired by the Mariners from Philadelphia in the offseason. Oswalt has spent his entire 10-year career in Houston, but recently asked management to trade him to a contender.
