Orioles put rookie Bergesen on 15-day DL
July 31, 2009
BALTIMORE (AP)—Rookie pitcher Brad Bergesen(notes) has been placed on the 15-daydisabled list by the Baltimore Orioles, who activated right-hander Chris Ray(notes)from the DL and recalled reliever Kam Mickolio(notes) from Triple-A Norfolk.
Bergesen bruised his left leg when hit by a line drive Thursday againstKansas City. He is 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 19 starts.
Ray was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 6 with right bicepstendinitis. He pitched three scoreless innings in a three-game rehabilitationassignment with Double-A Bowie after going 0-1 with a 9.28 ERA in 23 games withBaltimore.
Mickolio did not allow a run in three games with the Orioles earlier thismonth.
Baltimore’s roster was at 24 players before Friday because closer GeorgeSherrill(notes) was traded Thursday to the Dodgers.
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Brewers reacquire Vargas from Dodgers
July 31, 2009
MILWAUKEE (AP)—The Milwaukee Brewers reacquired reliever Claudio Vargas(notes) fromthe Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
The Dodgers got minor league catcher Vinny Rottino(notes) in the trade betweenplayoff contenders. The deal was completed hours before baseball’s non-waiverdeadline.
The 31-year-old Vargas was 0-0 with a 1.64 ERA in eight games for the NLWest-leading Dodgers. The right-hander was on the disabled list for nearly threemonths because of elbow tendinitis, and was activated July 3.
Vargas went 11-6 with a 5.09 ERA for Milwaukee in 2007 and was releasedbefore the start of the 2008 season. He is expected to join the Brewers onSaturday in San Diego.
Milwaukee entered Friday tied for third in the NL Central, four games behindthe first-place Chicago Cubs.
It was the second deal in two days for the Dodgers, who upgraded theirbullpen Thursday by obtaining former All-Star closer George Sherrill(notes) fromBaltimore for two minor leaguers: third baseman Josh Bell and right-hander SteveJohnson, both of whom were at Double-A Chattanooga.
The 29-year-old Rottino has made brief appearances in the majors forMilwaukee each of the past three seasons. He is slated to report to Chattanooga.
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Twins pick up SS Cabrera from Athletics
July 31, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Shortstop Orlando Cabrera(notes) has been traded from the OaklandAthletics to the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins sent minor league infielder Tyler Ladendorf to the A’s for Cabreraand cash. Friday’s deal came a few hours before baseball’s non-waiver tradedeadline.
Minnesota entered the day two games behind Detroit in the AL Central. TheTwins need more production up the middle, with Nick Punto(notes) and Alexi Casilla(notes)struggling to hit this season.
Leading Twins players have also recently expressed their desire to see theteam make a move to upgrade the roster. The Twins have traditionally been quietat the deadline.
Cabrera was batting .280 with four homers, 41 RBIs and 11 steals forOakland. He was expected to be at the Metrodome for Saturday’s game against theAngels.
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Indians’ Carmona to start against Tigers
July 31, 2009
CLEVELAND (AP)—Fausto Carmona(notes) is back pitching for the Cleveland Indians.
Sent to the lower minor leagues earlier this season to work on hismechanics, Carmona, a 19-game winner in 2007, was recalled from Triple-AColumbus to start Friday’s series opener against the first-place Detroit Tigers.
The Indians also brought up outfielder Trevor Crowe(notes).
Carmona was optioned to the Arizona rookie league on June 5 and made sevenstarts at Cleveland’s three minor-league levels. He went a combined 3-3 with a2.73 ERA.
The Indians, who earlier this week dealt ace Cliff Lee(notes) to Philadelphia, arecounting on Carmona to get back to where he was two seasons ago.
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Mariners trade LHP Washburn to Tigers
July 31, 2009
SEATTLE (AP)—After days of debate, the Seattle Mariners traded left-handedpitcher Jarrod Washburn(notes) to the Detroit Tigers for two young pitchers, giving theTigers another veteran for their rotation as they try to hold on to the ALCentral lead.
With Washburn’s trade value at its highest, the Mariners sent the34-year-old to the Tigers for left-hander Luke French(notes) and minor leaguer MauricioRobles. The deal was announced just hours before the non-waiver trade deadlinearrived.
“Washburn is having a tremendous season and he has been a quality majorleague starter throughout his career,” Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowskisaid.
Washburn is 106-106 since making his big league debut for the Angels in1998.
He has turned around his career this season with a new, split-fingeredfastball. He was a combined 23-43 in his first three years with the Marinersentering 2009, a disappointing run he recently called “a tired act.”
Washburn is 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA in 20 starts this season. His ERA isthird-best in the AL, and he ranks second in holding opponents to a .223 battingaverage.
In his last five starts, Washburn has allowed just three earned runs and 20hits.
FILE — This is a July 8, 2009… AP – Jul 31, 12:01 pm EDT
Washburn is scheduled to start Tuesday night at Comerica Park againstBaltimore. The Tigers went into the weekend with a two-game division lead overMinnesota.
“We had an opportunity to acquire two starting left-handed pitchers underthe age of 23, including one with major league experience,” Seattle generalmanager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement. “As we continue to build theMariners organization, it is crucial that we acquire depth and quality.
“This deal is another step in that process.”
Washburn is in the final months of a $37.5 million, four-year contract. Hewas Seattle’s most attractive commodity: a veteran left-handed starter who haswon a World Series, in 2002 with Anaheim.
The debate on moving Washburn went right to the deadline because thesurprising Mariners stayed in the AL West and wild card races longer thanexpected. But after losing 7-1 on Thursday night in Texas, the Mariners stoodeight games back of the Angels in the division and 6 1/2 behind Boston in the wildcard race, and Zduriencik this week acknowledged “we’re a club that’s a littlebit on the outside, looking in.”
The 23-year-old French has pitched for both Detroit and Triple-A Toledo thisseason. He is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts for the Tigers. He limitedSeattle to a pair of earned runs in 5 1-3 innings on July 23 in Detroit.
At Toledo, French was 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 13 starts.
Robles, 20, started the season at West Michigan in the Midwest League. Hewas later promoted to Single-A Lakeland in the Florida State League in June andin his seven starts at Lakeland, Robles is 4-2 with a 3.60 ERA. He will beassigned to Class A High Desert.
French and Robles were not among the top 10 prospects in the Tigers’organization entering this season, according to Baseball America.
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Sandoval powers Giants past Phillies 7-2
July 31, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—It was a surprise to Pablo Sandoval(notes) that he had splashed asolo home run into McCovey Cove on the 50th anniversary of Hall of Famer WillieMcCovey’s debut with the Giants.
That made his drive in San Francisco’s 7-2 victory over the PhiladelphiaPhillies on Thursday night even more special. McCovey is a regular visitor inthe Giants’ clubhouse and he and Sandoval often speak.
“It’s special right now. I hit McCovey Cove and McCovey’s here,” Sandovalsaid, noting he had seen the former first baseman earlier. “He talks to meevery time he’s in the clubhouse.”
Jonathan Sanchez(notes) (4-9) struck out seven in 5 2-3 innings in theleft-hander’s first home start since throwing the team’s first no-hitter in 33years on July 10 against San Diego. Sandoval also hit a two-run double andEugenio Velez(notes) had a career-high three hits and drove in three runs in SanFrancisco’s fourth straight win.
Next up Friday is the highly anticipated Phillies debut of reigning AL CyYoung Award winner Cliff Lee(notes), acquired along with outfielder Ben Francisco(notes) fromCleveland on Wednesday.
Series at a Glance Philadelphia 2 San Francisco 7 Thu, Jul 30 – Final Philadelphia at San Francisco Fri, Jul 31 – 10:15 pm ET Philadelphia at San Francisco Sat, Aug 1 – 9:05 pm ET
New Giants first baseman Ryan Garko(notes) was a teammate of Lee’s until beingtraded to the Giants on Monday. San Francisco sought his insight during ameeting Thursday.
“He won the Cy Young for a reason,” Garko said. “I didn’t really want totell them what I’ve been seeing. He’s been tough. He’s going to be one of thebest you face.”
Francisco started in center field as All-Star Shane Victorino(notes) rested hisbruised left knee that forced him to leave Wednesday’s 4-0 loss at Arizona inthe seventh inning.
Ryan Howard(notes) doubled in a run in the first that put the Phillies ahead, butthey did little else against Sanchez until Chase Utley’s(notes) leadoff homer in thesixth.
Both benches were warned after former Giants pitcher Tyler Walker(notes) hit Garkoin the left shoulder in the seventh. That came after Sanchez sailed a pitch overUtley’s head in the sixth before his homer.
“I didn’t try to hit him,” Sanchez said. “I have nothing against him. Itwas supposed to be away and got out of my hand.”
San Francisco Giants' Pabl… AP – Jul 31, 1:16 am EDT
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel didn’t think Sanchez tried to get Utley.
“The score was 7-1. I don’t know why he would be trying to hit him,”Manuel said. “I give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Garko said he didn’t think Walker threw at him intentionally either. Whilehe was a little bit sore, Garko wasn’t concerned.
All four Giants’ runs in the fourth were unearned after third baseman andformer Giant Pedro Feliz(notes) made a wild throw to second for an error on JuanUribe’s(notes) grounder.
Sanchez left to a roaring standing ovation when replaced by Justin Miller(notes)following a two-out walk to Raul Ibanez(notes) in the sixth. Francisco followed withhis first hit with the Phillies, a double. It was the first decision for Sanchezin six career appearances against Philadelphia.
Phillies starter Rodrigo Lopez(notes) (3-1) was tagged for eight hits in fourinnings but only three of his seven runs were earned. Philadelphia had won allfour of his previous outings this year.
Philadelphia Phillies' Rod… AP – Jul 31, 12:11 am EDT
Sandoval’s home run to the water marked the 49th time it’s been done by theGiants and the second this year. Home run king and ex-San Francisco sluggerBarry Bonds(notes) hit 35 splash-hit homers here. Andres Torres(notes) had the other one thisseason, on June 15 against the Los Angeles Angels.
Torres left this game after the second with a strained left hamstring. Hewas to be re-evaluated Friday and have an MRI.
Newly acquired All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez(notes), who came over fromPittsburgh on Wednesday when they were in town, could make his Giants debutsometime this weekend after his inflamed left knee calms down. He’s notofficially on the roster as the Giants had 72 hours to add him.
NOTES: Garko is 1 for 10 since joining his new team. … Phillies RHP PedroMartinez(notes), on the DL with a shoulder strain, will make a rehab start for Triple-ALehigh Valley on Friday night. He will be on a pitch count of about 70-80. GMRuben Amaro Jr. said there’s no plan to bring Martinez back as a reliever.“That’s not something we’ve discussed with him,” he said. … Philliesreliever J.C. Romero(notes) (forearm) is scheduled to throw off a mound Sunday. ClayCondrey(notes), another injured reliever on the DL, won’t begin long toss for anotherfive or six days as he recovers from a strained side muscle. “We’re going to bereal cautious with him,” Amaro said. … Giants OF Randy Winn(notes) was a latearrival at the ballpark following the death of his father-in-law. He replacedTorres in CF in the top of the third. … San Francisco CF Aaron Rowand(notes), nursinga forearm injury, played catch from 120 feet and “felt much better,” accordingto manager Bruce Bochy. … Walker, the former Cal guy, plunked Garko, theformer Stanford guy.
ChiSox top Yanks on Wise’s single in 9th
July 31, 2009
CHICAGO (AP)—Last Thursday, DeWayne Wise(notes) impressed his teammates by making aspectacular catch against the wall to help secure Mark Buehrle’s(notes) perfect game. Aweek later, Wise did it from the plate to help beat the AL’s best team.
After White Sox reliever Matt Thornton(notes) allowed a game-tying home run to NickSwisher(notes) in the top of the ninth, Wise, who again entered as a defensivereplacement, hit a game-ending RBI single in the bottom half to give the ChicagoWhite Sox a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
“I can’t say enough about DeWayne and how he stepped in at the end of thegame and came up big for us again,” White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham(notes)said. “Nobody wanted to go to extra innings because we were pretty down afterthat home run, obviously, he pulled us out again. That’s a tribute to him as aplayer.”
Swisher tied it in the top half with a solo shot to left after the Yankeesfell behind 2-1 in the seventh thanks to some shoddy defense. With the Red Sox’svictory, New York’s lead in the AL East dropped to 2 1/2 games.
Series at a Glance NY Yankees 2 Chi White Sox 3 Thu, Jul 30 – Final NY Yankees at Chi White Sox Fri, Jul 31 – 8:11 pm ET NY Yankees at Chi White Sox Sat, Aug 1 – 4:10 pm ET
After a miserable 1-6 road trip, the White Sox also got an RBI double byBeckham in the third inning as Chicago won for just the second time in eightgames.
Jim Thome(notes) singled with one out in the ninth off Yankees reliever Phil Hughes(notes)(4-3), who had not given up a run in his last 16 appearances.
Paul Konerko(notes) followed with a single. Yankees reliever Phil Coke(notes) entered andretired A.J. Pierzynski(notes). Wise then hit a liner to center that scoredpinch-runner Scott Podsednik(notes) easily from second and ended Hughes’ scorelessstreak at 25 1-3 innings.
“I was just looking for something I could handle and tried to stay up themiddle. I got a cutter or a slider and I was able to stay back and hit a linedrive over the middle,” Wise said.
Wise missed a month earlier in the season with a separated left shoulder andhas struggled at times at the plate, but he has made a name for himself in thelast week.
“That’s why one of the reasons why we have him there. We think this kidcould play the role he’s been doing and everything has come out pretty nice forhim,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn declared Thursday Mark Buehrle day, in honor ofhis perfect game.
“I told Buehrle, today is Mark Buehrle day, hopefully we can keep thatgoing for awhile,” Wise said.
After striking out the first two batters in the ninth inning, Thornton (5-2)gave up the homer to Swisher, the former White Sox switch-hitter to tie it at 2.Swisher was traded in the offseason to New York after he feuded with Guillenover playing time late last season.
“You have a guy like Matt Thornton, it feels like he’s throwing about 120.I was just trying to get the barrel on it somehow,” Swisher said. “Maybe I gotlucky but I’ll take it.”
White Sox starter Gavin Floyd(notes), used a late-breaking curveball to get sevenof his 10 strikeouts on called strike 3s. He only allowed one run on four hitsand one walk in 7 2-3 innings.
“With a guy like Floyd nothing seemed like it was going straight,” Swishersaid.
The Yankees wasted a strong effort by Andy Pettitte(notes), who was hurt by twoerrors—one by the pitcher—in the seventh.
Thome hit a slow bouncer down the first basepath leading off and Pettitteslipped on the grass as he touched the ball in fair territory with his mitt. Theball rolled out of his reach allowing Thome make it to first on the error.
One out later, Pierzynski hit a hard grounder to third baseman AlexRodriguez(notes). The ball deflected off Rodriguez’s mitt as he was moving to his left.The play was originally scored as an error, but was changed minutes later to ahit.
With one out, Hughes relieved and got Carlos Quentin(notes) to hit a bouncer tothird, a potential double-play ball. But Pierzynski barreled into secondknocking second baseman Robinson Cano(notes) off-balance, resulting in an errant throwto first base. Thome scored for a 2-1 lead.
“He was right on top of me but I only got four fingers on the ball, that’swhy I didn’t make a good throw, Cano said. “If I had a good grip on the ball, Imight have hit him in the mouth.”
Pettitte allowed two runs—one earned—on five hits and did not allow awalk. He has only won once in his last seven starts.
NOTES: White Sox closer Bobby Jenks(notes) was not available because of kidneystones. … Despite very little rain, the start of game was delayed 64 minutes.Forecasts called for a storm, which never ensued. … White Sox SS AlexeiRamirez(notes) missed the game with a sprained right ankle. Ramirez injured his anklein Wednesday’s loss at Minnesota. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen doesn’t expectRamirez to play Friday and Saturday.
Dodgers end 4-game skid, top Cards in 10
July 31, 2009
ST. LOUIS (AP)—For three games, the Los Angeles Dodgers piled up hits and hadnothing to show for it. To end a season-worst four-game losing streak, they madea few count.
Matt Kemp(notes) and Casey Blake(notes) combined for seven hits and Kemp’s two-run singlein the 10th was the difference in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the St. LouisCardinals on Thursday night.
“We’ve been playing hard, we haven’t been driving in any runs,” Kemp said.“Our starting pitching has kept us in the ballgames and we’ve just got to getit done when we’ve got runners in scoring position.”
Blake had four hits and is 7 for 10 the last two games for Los Angeles,which avoided a four-game sweep and has not been swept all season. The Dodgerslead the NL in hitting and are second in scoring with an average of nearly fiveruns. They finally got rolling after totaling three runs on 33 hits the firstthree games.
“It was important to get yesterday’s game, so you can imagine what today’swas,” manager Joe Torre said. “To bounce back, it doesn’t surprise me.”
Series at a Glance LA Dodgers 1 St. Louis 6 Mon, Jul 27 – Final LA Dodgers 0 St. Louis 10 Tue, Jul 28 – Final LA Dodgers 2 St. Louis 3 Wed, Jul 29 – Final 15th LA Dodgers 5 St. Louis 3 Thu, Jul 30 – Final 10th
The Dodgers were 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for25 the first three games. James McDonald(notes) (3-2) worked a perfect ninth andJonathan Broxton(notes), one strike away from ending the Dodgers’ slump Wednesday,finished for his 24th save in 27 chances.
“We’re going to have some games where we give it up some,” Broxton said.“You’ve got to bounce back the next day and have fun.”
Albert Pujols(notes), who lined a game-winning single off Jeff Weaver(notes) in the 15thinning Wednesday night, tapped out to the mound for the final out. TheCardinals, who scored 19 runs the first three games, totaled only six hits.
“We made a fight out of it, but offensively we got shut down,” managerTony La Russa said. “They pitched us very well.”
Earlier in the day, the Dodgers added depth to their bullpen by acquiringformer All-Star closer George Sherrill(notes) from the Baltimore Orioles for twoDouble-A players.
Manny Ramirez(notes) was 3 for 18 in the series with no RBIs and he’s 4 for 26 inhis last six games with no RBIs. Boos rained down on him throughout the game,just as they did the first three games before the New York Times reportedThursday he had tested positive for steroids in 2003.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt … AP – Jul 31, 12:10 am EDT
Matt Holliday(notes) became the lone Cardinal to reach base safely two or moretimes in his first seven games, getting an RBI single and his first homer forhis new team in the first two at-bats. Holliday is batting .520 (13 for 25)since coming from the Athletics and is a career .396 hitter at 4-year-old BuschStadium with six homers and 10 RBIs.
Holliday is the first Cardinal since Bo Hart in 2003 to hit safely in hisfirst seven games.
Andre Ethier(notes) walked with one out against Dennys Reyes(notes) (0-2), Blake singledand the runners advanced on a wild pitch. With two outs, Kemp lined a single offTodd Wellemeyer(notes), moved to the bullpen after his last start and making only hissecond relief appearance of the season.
Consecutive intentional walks to Pujols and Holliday helped the Dodgersescape trouble in the eighth. The Cardinals left the bases loaded when Hong-ChiKuo struck out Rick Ankiel(notes) on three pitches.
Four straight Dodgers reached against Kyle McClellan(notes) with one out in theseventh. Pinch-hitter Juan Pierre(notes) had an infield hit and scored from first onRafael Furcal’s(notes) two-run double that put Los Angeles ahead 3-2.
Ankiel homered leading off the eighth, ending Guillermo Mota’s(notes) scorelessstreak at 20 1-3 innings and tying it at 3.
Both starters were pulled after six innings. Kyle Lohse(notes) allowed a run onfive hits in the best of four starts since missing a month with a forearm injuryfor St. Louis, departing with a one-run lead, while Hiroki Kuroda(notes) gave up tworuns on four hits for the Dodgers.
NOTES: Cardinals SS Brendan Ryan(notes) bruised his left ankle on a foul ball inthe second and was replaced by Julio Lugo(notes). X-rays were negative but he leftBusch Stadium on crutches. “It was kind of scary there for a second,” Ryansaid. “I’m glad to hear that nothing’s broken or anything like that.” …TheCardinals plan to recall RHP Mitchell Boggs(notes) from Triple-A Memphis Friday tostart the opener of a three-game series with Houston. Boggs replaces Wellemeyer.
Ortiz: Union confirmed I tested positive
July 31, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—David Ortiz(notes) spent the afternoon answering questions about drugs,not his big home run.
Manny Ramirez(notes) brushed off news that linked him to more cheating.
One by one, some of baseball’s biggest stars keep getting implicated in anever-growing drug scandal that won’t go away. Ortiz became the latest,acknowledging Thursday that the players’ union confirmed he tested positive in2003.
Shortly after hitting the go-ahead homer in Boston’s 8-5 victory overOakland, Ortiz responded to a story on The New York Times’ Web site that he andRamirez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs six years ago when theywere teammates with the Red Sox.
“I’ve just been told that the report is true,” Ortiz said in a statementafter contacting the union. “Based on the way I lived my life I’m surprised tolearn I tested positive.”
The popular Big Papi, who had never been linked to drugs, said he intendedto find out what was in his system and would tell the Red Sox and the public.
“You know me—I will not hide and I will not make excuses,” he said.
Alex Rodriguez(notes), Barry Bonds(notes), Roger Clemens(notes) and Sammy Sosa(notes) are among the manyAll-Stars tainted by the cloud of steroids and drugs, which has called intoquestion some of the sport’s greatest achievements over the last two decades.
Ortiz and Ramirez led the Red Sox to the World Series title in 2004—theirfirst in 86 years—and another championship in 2007.
Ramirez, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently served a 50-gamesuspension for violating baseball’s drug policy. Asked about this second allegeddoping violation, he told reporters in St. Louis: “You want more information,I’m pretty sure you guys got the phone number to the union. Call the union, andthey can explain that to you guys.”
“Me and David, we’re like two mountains,” he said. “We’re going to keepplaying the game, and we’re going to keep doing good. We’re trying to moveforward; that’s the key here.”
Ramirez went 0 for 5 with a strikeout as Los Angeles beat the Cardinals 5-3in 10 innings Thursday night.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who guided Boston to those two titles, saidthe news “blindsided everybody,” including Ortiz.
“Nobody condones the use of performance-enhancing drugs,” he said. “Thetesting procedure was confidential. I don’t know how you can go back on thatnow.”
Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon(notes) played with Ortiz and Ramirez on thosechampionship Red Sox teams. Will fans think those Boston clubs were full ofsteroid users?
“That probably is what’s being said, and that’s what makes guys like meupset,” Damon said.
In 2003, 104 major leaguers tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs;the results were supposed to be anonymous and are now under court seal.
“Precisely for that reason, the Players Association will not, indeedcannot, comment on whether the information is accurate,” union leader DonaldFehr said.
The Times’ story cited lawyers involved in pending litigation over thetesting results who spoke anonymously because the information is under seal. Thenewspaper did not say what the players tested positive for.
“Can somebody in baseball—we’re all begging, people—get that stupidlist out and move on,” Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “This isridiculous; this is embarrassing; this is a joke. Whoever is there is there, getthem out, and that’s it.”
There were no penalties for a positive test in 2003—the anonymous testswere conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drugtesting across the major leagues in 2004. But federal agents seized the resultsas part of the BALCO investigation. The union has argued the search was illegal,and the case is currently before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In the meantime, the names on the list keep coming out one by one.
In June, the Times reported Sosa also was on the 2003 list, and Rodriguezadmitted using performance-enhancing drugs after he was linked to the 2003 listearlier this year.
Major League Baseball declined to comment on the Times’ report, telling TheAssociated Press it didn’t have the list of players who tested positive in 2003.Red Sox owner John Henry did not immediately respond to an e-mail seekingcomment.
Try as it might, baseball has not been able to escape the drug stain.
“We’re just trying to move on and play the game, and play it clean,” Texaspitcher Kevin Millwood(notes) said. “And this cloud keeps looming over. And when thesenames keep leaking out, it just builds this whole thing back up again.”
The news revived an ongoing debate—should all 104 names be revealed?
“Coming out every couple months with a couple names here, a couple namesthere, it could go on for years and years and years. It reopens a wound we’retrying to close. I don’t know what can be done,” Seattle pitcher JarrodWashburn(notes) said.
Said Atlanta star Chipper Jones(notes): “It’s like somebody wants to keep this onthe tips of everybody’s tongues. And if that’s the case, I’d rather we just gotit over with.”
Ramirez was a long-established star in 2003. Ortiz, in contrast, had been apart-time player before that season.
Ortiz had never hit more than 20 homers with Minnesota early in his career.He came to Boston as a platoon player in 2003 and had four homers by July 1,then hit 27 the rest of the year.
Ortiz followed up with seasons of 41, 47 and 54 home runs as he stampedhimself as one of the game’s best sluggers. Last year he dipped to 23 homers,and his slump continued this season. He’s hitting only .228 with 14 home runs.
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Mets’ Minaya apologizes to beat reporter
July 31, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologized to a beat reporterfor questioning his motives and credibility during a bizarre news conference.The writer accepted, saying the GM’s “remorse was sincere.”
Minaya said Thursday he had a good meeting with New York Daily News reporterAdam Rubin a day earlier. But the GM didn’t retract his remarks when askedrepeatedly if he stood by his critical comments Monday while announcing thefiring of executive Tony Bernazard.
“Me and Adam had a conversation, we had a conversation that stays betweenus,” Minaya said in the Mets’ dugout before New York split a day-nightdoubleheader against Colorado. “I’m very comfortable that in the conversationand my apology to Adam, and, as I said before, those are comments that I shouldnot have made.”
In a statement posted on the Daily News’ Web site, Rubin said: “Iappreciated Omar traveling into Manhattan on Wednesday to meet with me inperson. His remorse was sincere. I’ve accepted his apology and I am ready tocontinue my job as Mets beat writer for the Daily News.”
Minaya’s job security has come into question in the wake of a series ofembarrassing articles written by Rubin about Bernazard, a top Minaya lieutenantand longtime friend.
After announcing Bernazard’s dismissal Monday, Minaya said Rubin had“lobbied” him and others in the front office, including Bernazard, for a jobin player development. Rubin denied he had asked Minaya for a job and insistedhe had merely sought career advice.
Minaya said Thursday he let his emotions get to him and felt bad about hisremarks.
“I should have never talked about those things that day,” he said. “Ishould’ve never said those things and that’s what I told Adam and I apologize.”
Asked whether he believes Rubin was trying to get a job with the Mets, hesaid: “My thoughts were what they were. For me to think those things, thosethoughts were wrong.”
Minaya also apologized to the club’s owners and fans, admitting thesituation had become a distraction. Chief operating officer Jeff Wilponacknowledged Tuesday that Minaya made a mistake by singling out Rubin. Wilponsaid Minaya would remain the GM but also put him on notice, saying “ownershipis not happy with the direction of the team.”
The front-office mess had cast a shadow over an encouraging week for theMets, who have won five of six heading into a four-game series against Arizona.New York also received a couple of encouraging reports about their injured starsover the past couple of days.
Center fielder Carlos Beltran(notes), on the disabled list since June 22 with abone bruise on his right knee, said Wednesday he hopes to return in two to threeweeks. Gary Sheffield(notes) (strained right hamstring) is expected to be ready whenhe’s eligible to come off the DL this weekend, and former closer Billy Wagner(notes)could start a rehab assignment Saturday after missing the entire seasonfollowing elbow surgery.
“I heard he was pitching awfully well,” manager Jerry Manuel said.
Noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews also confirmed the original diagnosis ofshoulder weakness for right-hander John Maine(notes), who will continue his rehabprogram at the club’s spring facility in Florida.
Manuel wasn’t anticipating any major moves ahead of Friday’s non-waivertrade deadline but Minaya said he was continuing to work the phones, even withthe controversy swirling around him.
“I’ve been calling around. We have some ideas,” he said. “The fact is itis a distraction but as far as on the baseball side for the past couple of daysI’ve been talking to teams.”
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