Phillies LHP Moyer admitted to hospital
November 25, 2009
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer(notes) has been hospitalized due torecurring symptoms from groin surgery in September.
The team announced Wednesday that Moyer has been admitted to ThomasJefferson University Hospital but did not give any more information about hiscondition.
ChiSox get Andruw Jones for 1 yr., $500K
November 25, 2009
CHICAGO (AP)—Andruw Jones(notes) agreed Wednesday to a $500,000, one-year contractwith the Chicago White Sox.
Jones hit .214 with 17 homers and 43 RBIs in 82 games with Texas this yearwhile making 53 starts as the designated hitter, 12 in left field, five in rightfield and four at first base.
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A five-time All-Star who has slumped in recent years, Jones was released bythe Los Angeles Dodgers in January and signed with the Rangers the followingmonth.
He agreed to a $36.2 million, two-year contract with Los Angeles in December2007. Now 32, he can make an additional $1 million in performance bonuses underhis agreement with the White Sox.
“This is an opportunity to add a power bat to the roster while improvingour outfield depth,” White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said. “With theaddition of Andruw, Mark Kotsay(notes) and Omar Vizquel(notes), we feel our bench is takingshape to be a strong asset heading into the 2010 season.”
Vizquel, a 42-year-old infielder, agreed Monday to a one-year deal. Earlier,the White Sox re-signed Kotsay, another utility player who can play the infieldand outfield.
Jones is a career .257 hitter with 388 homers and 1,174 RBIs. He earned GoldGloves in his final 10 seasons with Atlanta while playing for the Braves from1996-07 and has seven seasons of at least 30 homers, including a career-high 51in 2005. He has also had five 100-RBI seasons.
White Sox, Andruw Jones agree to deal
November 25, 2009
CHICAGO (AP)—Andruw Jones(notes) agreed Wednesday to a $500,000, one-year contractwith the Chicago White Sox.
Jones hit .214 with 17 homers and 43 RBIs in 82 games with Texas this yearwhile making 53 starts as the designated hitter, 12 in left field, five in rightfield and four at first base.
A five-time All-Star who has slumped in recent years, Jones was released bythe Los Angeles Dodgers in January and signed with the Rangers the followingmonth.
He agreed to a $36.2 million, two-year contract with Los Angeles in December2007. Now 32, he can make an additional $1 million in performance bonuses underhis agreement with the White Sox.
“This is an opportunity to add a power bat to the roster while improvingour outfield depth,” White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said. “With theaddition of Andruw, Mark Kotsay(notes) and Omar Vizquel(notes), we feel our bench is takingshape to be a strong asset heading into the 2010 season.”
Vizquel, a 42-year-old infielder, agreed Monday to a one-year deal. Earlier,the White Sox re-signed Kotsay, another utility player who can play the infieldand outfield.
Jones is a career .257 hitter with 388 homers and 1,174 RBIs. He earned GoldGloves in his final 10 seasons with Atlanta while playing for the Braves from1996-07 and has seven seasons of at least 30 homers, including a career-high 51in 2005. He has also had five 100-RBI seasons.
No timetable for McGwire’s media session
November 24, 2009
ST. LOUIS (AP)—It’s been a month since the St. Louis Cardinals hired MarkMcGwire as batting coach and the former home run king’s initial media sessionhas yet to be scheduled.
General manager John Mozeliak, who said on the day McGwire was hired that anews conference would be held “sooner rather than later,” was tightlippedTuesday about the team’s plans. In an interview with The Associated Press,Mozeliak said he didn’t know of a timetable.
McGwire’s news conference has been highly anticipated. He has failed to gainelection to the Hall of Fame in three chances despite hitting a then-record 70home runs in 1998 and retiring with 583 homers in 2001. He famously refused toanswer questions about steroids use during a March 2005 congressional hearing.
Mets switch uniforms to honor 1969 team
November 24, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—The Mets are switching their home pinstriped uniforms to a retrodesign with a natural color similar to what they wore when they won the 1969World Series.
The team said Tuesday it will continue to also wear white uniforms at homeand use black jerseys as an alternate.
Fans criticized the team last year, saying Citi Field honored the Mets’history too little. The team said last weekend it will rename the first base VIPentrance after former manager Gil Hodges.
It also will rename the third base VIP entrance after Hall of Fame pitcherTom Seaver and will call an area behind right field the Shea Bridge afterWilliam Shea, the lawyer who helped bring National League ball back to New Yorkafter the Dodgers and Giants left.
Mets switch uniforms, hire Jauss, Hale
November 24, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—The Mets will have a different look next season—both in thedugout and on the field.
Dave Jauss is the team’s new bench coach and Chip Hale will take over asthird base coach on manager Jerry Manuel’s staff. Razor Shines, who coachedthird base this year, shifts over to first.
New York retained hitting coach Howard Johnson, pitching coach Dan Warthenand bullpen coach Randy Niemann after finishing 70-92 in 2009. Former majorleague manager Terry Collins was added as the club’s minor league fieldcoordinator.
The Mets also announced Tuesday that they are switching their homepinstriped uniforms to a retro design with a natural color similar to what theywore when they won the 1969 World Series.
Feds seek rehearing of drug list ruling
November 24, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Federal officials are asking for a rehearing of an appealscourt decision that said the government illegally seized drug-testing samplesand records of baseball players who allegedly tested positive for steroids.
Officials say their investigations have been hampered by the ruling, whichestablished new rules for computer searches by federal agents.
In a court filing Monday, the government asked the 9th U.S. Court of Appealsto take the unprecedented step of having all 27 of its judges reconsider thecase.
A panel of 11 9th Circuit judges ruled in August that investigators trampledon protections against unreasonable searches when they seized the records andsamples of 104 players who allegedly tested positive during baseball’s 2003survey.
Investigators initially obtained warrants for only the test results of 10players.
Pujols wins second straight NL MVP
November 24, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—Albert Pujols(notes) was unanimously voted the National League’s mostvaluable player on Tuesday, becoming the first player to repeat since BarryBonds(notes) won four in a row from 2001-04.
Pujols received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in ballotingannounced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It was the third MVP award for the St. Louis Cardinals star, who also won in2005. He became the first unanimous MVP since Bonds in 2002.
Pujols led the majors in home runs (47), runs (124), slugging percentage(.658) and intentional walks (44), and topped the NL in on-base percentage(.443). He was second in the league in doubles (45) and third in batting average(.327) and RBIs (135).
He was especially dangerous with the bases loaded, going 10 for 17 with fivegrand slams, three doubles and 35 RBIs.
Florida’s Hanley Ramirez(notes), the NL batting champion, was second with 233points, followed by Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard(notes) (217) and Milwaukee’s PrinceFielder(notes) (203), who tied Howard for the big league lead in RBIs.
Pujols, who turns 30 in January, joined Hall of Famer Al Simmons (11) as theonly players with 100 or more RBIs in each of their first nine seasons. He alsoset a big league record for assists by a first baseman with 185.
Pujols became just the fourth player to win the NL MVP three times. Bondswon seven in the 1990s and 2000s. Stan Musial (1940s), Roy Campanella (1950s)and Mike Schmidt (1980s) each won three.
Five players have won three AL MVPs: Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra,Mickey Mantle and Alex Rodriguez(notes).
In addition to Pujols and Bonds, the only unanimous NL winners were OrlandoCepeda (1967), Schmidt (1980), Jeff Bagwell(notes) (1994) and Ken Caminiti (1996).Unanimous AL winners have been Hank Greenberg (1935), Al Rosen (1953), Mantle(1956), Frank Robinson (1966), Denny McLain (1968), Reggie Jackson (1973), JoseCanseco (1988), Frank Thomas(notes) (1993) and Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) (1997).
St. Louis players have won 17 MVPs, second in the majors behind 20 for theYankees. Pujols has been voted among the top 10 in nine consecutive years,finishing second in 2002, 2003 and 2006; third in 2004; fourth in 2001; andninth in 2007.
Pujols receives a $200,000 bonus for winning the award. He is signed fornext season at $16 million, and the Cardinals hold a $16 million option for2011, so the sides may soon turn their attention to a contract extension.
Joe Mauer(notes) of the Minnesota Twins was voted the AL MVP on Monday, receiving27 of 28 first-place votes.
Yanks attend World Series film premiere
November 24, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman stood a few feet from each otheron the red carpet near the World Series trophy, wearing blue jeans and sportsjackets without ties. They were dressed for success, if not for a gala.
While an elegantly attired crowd assembled across the street on a similarcarpet for the International Emmy Awards, the Yankees manager and generalmanager attended Monday night’s premiere of this year’s World Series film.
“Someone asked me what I was wearing. I had no idea what it meant,” saidGirardi, uncomfortable with the camera flashes.
With free-agent signing season already open, the Yankees quickly are puttingbehind their first Series title since 2000 and turning their attention to 2010.Andy Pettitte(notes), Hideki Matsui(notes) and Johnny Damon(notes) became free agents, and New Yorkmust decide whether it wants to re-sign the trio, all 35 and up.
“I’ll talk to our guys first, and after I have my conversations with ourguys then I’ll be full-blown into the marketplace,” Cashman said. “I’m tryingto be very careful and respectful to our players first and try to make surethey’re aware of where they are in the process.”
Cashman has finished his internal scouting meetings and is discussing budgetwith the Steinbrenner family. While no names of free agents have been mentioned,Girardi gave a hint the Yankees may be interested in adding John Lackey(notes), the topavailable free-agent pitcher, to a rotation that includes CC Sabathia(notes) and A.J.Burnett(notes).
“I think the first thing you have to address is our rotation,” Girardisaid.
New York already has met with Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, a 21-year-oldleft-hander who throws 100 mph. Chapman, who also has talked with the Red Soxand Mets, fired agent Edwin Mejia last week and hired brothers Randy and AlanHendricks.
With a core that includes shortstop Derek Jeter(notes) (35), third baseman AlexRodriguez(notes) (34), catcher Jorge Posada(notes) (38) and closer Mariano Rivera(notes) (40 on Nov.29), the Yankees are a relatively old team.
“I’m thankful that we won with a lot of older guys that stayed healthy,”Cashman said. “Outside (Chien-Ming) Wang and (Xavier) Nady, almost everythingthat we touched this year worked out for us in our favor, and that’s why we’rehere today, you know, in New York City, showing the World Series video.”
Girardi was looking forward to the movie, primarily because he knew theending.
“That’s why it’s probably a little bit more relaxing this time,” he said.
A’s sign McPherson to minor league deal
November 23, 2009
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Athletics have signed free-agent thirdbaseman Dallas McPherson(notes) to a minor league contract and invited him to springtraining.
McPherson is expected to compete for a starting job, and he provides Oaklandwith insurance at third base. Six-time Gold Glove winner Eric Chavez(notes) might notbe able to return to that position after recovering from a second back surgerythat cost him most of this season.
The 29-year-old McPherson, who missed the 2007 and ’09 seasons with backtrouble, is a career .245 hitter with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs in parts of fourmajor league seasons with the Angels and Marlins.
Chavez had his second back operation, the same microdiscectomy surgery in adifferent spot, to correct a herniated disk on June 23. He appeared in justeight games and batted .100. He played in only 23 games in 2008, and 90 in ’07.
