Since U.S. Bankruptcy Judge D. Michael Lynn said Wednesday’s auction willproceed as planned, the higher bid from a group led by Hall of Fame pitcherNolan Ryan and Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg is now off the table. Thatmeans the starting bid at the auction will still be $306.7 million, which is thecash portion of Greenberg-Ryan’s $575 million bid.

The court-appointed restructuring officer, William Snyder, had asked thejudge to forgo an auction. He said the Greenberg-Ryan group had substantiallyincreased its offer and removed “stinky” side deals that creditors saidbenefitted team owner Tom Hicks.

The new bid was filed under seal, but an attorney for the team, RonitBerkovich, indicated in court that it was $40 million higher.

Lynn said Friday that he did not believe creditors’ claims that Snyder wastrying to make “an end run” to sell the team to Greenberg-Ryan’s group, whichwas chosen as the buyer after the team’s original bidding process last year.

Creditors who have blocked that deal, saying the group’s bid was not thehighest, urged the judge Friday to proceed with the auction.

Lynn made his decision after lawyers for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cubanand Houston businessman Jim Crane said their clients were preparing to bid atthe auction.

Cuban is reviewing documents, but the auction date and bidding proceduresare not a problem for him, said his lawyer, Clifton Jessup.

Now, the initial Greenberg-Ryan bid—which includes legal costs and damagesif Hicks is sued after the sale, an office building lease and $9 million inadviser fees—will be submitted at the auction. The Greenberg-Ryan group hasbeen under fire from creditors because those items were transferred to theRangers from Hicks’ other companies that are not part of the bankruptcy case.

The bid also includes the Rangers Ballpark lease, which JP Morgan Chase, acreditor, is trying to sever from the team’s sale. The judge will not decidethat issue until next year.

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Friday’s move was made retroactive to July 26, the day after the end of aseries at Dodger Stadium in which Bay was injured.

Bay got hurt Friday night when he crashed into the bullpen gate whilecatching Jamey Carroll’s(notes) drive. Bay then played Saturday and Sunday, going 2 for9 with four strikeouts.

New York said Bay had been bothered by headaches. To fill his roster spot,the Mets recalled outfielder Jesus Feliciano(notes) from Triple-A Buffalo of theInternational League.

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The 25-year-old Severino takes the roster spot of closer Matt Capps(notes), who wastraded to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.

Severino was 4-2 with one save and a 3.55 ERA in 40 relief appearances forSyracuse. He was unscored upon in 30 of those outings, and held right-handedhitters to a .205 batting average.

He is 26-13 with 21 saves and a 2.97 ERA in 169 minor league games,including 20 starts. Severino has never pitched in the majors and will beavailable when the Nationals open a three-game weekend series at home againstPhiladelphia on Friday night.

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Guzman’s name was initially in the lineup batting second and playing secondbase for Washington’s game against Philadelphia on Friday night. But his namewas whited out, and Adam Kennedy(notes) took over Guzman’s spot in the batting orderand in the field.

The Nationals’ clubhouse opened before the game and Guzman was not there.His locker had been cleaned out.

Texas was a possible destination for the infielder.

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Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was taken into custody immediatelyafter Family Court Judge Kevin Dougherty imposed the sentence, and severalfamily members burst into sobs as he was handcuffed.

The spectator Clemmens vomited on and punched, Michael Vangelo, of Easton,said his daughter Mikayla is still traumatized.

“What really bothers me about the incident is that Mikayla refuses to talkabout it,” he testified.

The family has received offers from the team and complete strangers fortickets to future games, but “she does not want to go,” said Vangelo, anEaston police captain. He said he also has not returned to Citizens Bank Parksince the assault.

Clemmens pleaded guilty in May to charges of assault, harassment anddisorderly conduct. He admitted he stuck his fingers down his throat and vomitedon Vangelo and Mikayla at a Phillies-Nationals game on April 14.

Clemmens was sentenced to one to three months in jail, two years ofprobation and 50 hours of community service, which Dougherty suggested be servedat Citizens Bank Park. The maximum penalty was two years in jail. Publicdefender Richard Hark asked for probation.

Clemmens sobbed as he read from a statement expressing remorse for hisactions.

“I’m working every day to clear this black mark from me and my family,”Clemmens said. “Give me the opportunity to show you who I am and not who I wasthat one afternoon.”

His parents, acquaintances and grandfather—who took a 27-hour train ridefrom Florida to attend the sentencing—testified that he was a good person whovolunteers in his community and made one uncharacteristically bad mistake.

Dougherty said he believed the defendant’s apology was “feigned.”

“Superficially you present yourself one way, but outside of the home youpresent yourself another way,” Dougherty said, calling Clemmens a“mean-spirited and vulgar” young man who humiliated his family and tarnishedthe city’s reputation.

Clemmens and his friend were cursing and heckling the Vangelo family fromthe first inning. Vangelo’s 15-year-old daughter asked them to stop theprofanity around her younger sister, prompting more heckling and cursing. Thefamily was doused with beer when they rose to cheer a Phillies home run, andVangelo eventually complained to security that Clemmens’ friend was spitting,which hit his younger daughter’s jacket and seat.

After the friend was ejected, Clemmens was sitting alone when he answeredhis cell phone and said: “I need to do what I need to do. I’m going to getsick,” prosecutors said.

He then put his fingers down his throat and “projectile vomited,” Vangelosaid. He also punched Vangelo several times, causing his ear to bleed, beforebeing tackled by other spectators and arrested.

Salvatore DeAngelis, manager of Phillies ballpark security, testified theteam received thousands of calls, e-mails and letters from people asking “howsomething like this could happen.”

“Initially there was some concern that it was an unsafe place to attend agame,” he said.

Dougherty also ordered Clemmens to pay Vangelo $315, the cost of the fivetickets for him and his family to attend the game. Vangelo said he intended todonate the money to the Easton Police Athletic League.

Neither Clemmens’ family nor Vangelo would comment after the hearing. Hisdaughters were not in court. District Attorney Patrick Doyle said the victimswere satisfied with the sentence.

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An All-Star in 2009, Jackson is 6-10 with a 5.16 ERA in 21 starts thisseason, including the second no-hitter in team history on June 25 against TampaBay. The Diamondbacks also traded three-time All-Star Dan Haren(notes) to the Angelsfor Joe Saunders(notes) and three other players last week.

Hudson, one of Chicago’s top prospects, was 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA in threestarts in the majors this season. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 7.34 ERA innine games with the big-league club over the past two seasons.

Holmberg, a 19-year-old left-hander, has spent two seasons in the lowerlevels of the White Sox’s organization.

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Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., pleaded guilty in May to charges ofassault, harassment and disorderly conduct.

A Family Court judge on Friday sentenced him to one to three months in jail,two years of probation and 50 hours of community service. The maximum penaltywas two years in jail.

Clemmens admitted he stuck his fingers down his throat and vomited onMichael Vangelo, an off-duty Easton police captain, and Vangelo’s daughter at aPhillies-Nationals game on April 14 at Citizens Bank Park.

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The Twins say they will also receive cash from the Nationals.

Capps got his 26th save in 30 opportunities earlier Thursday in theNationals’ win over the Atlanta Braves. He will help bolster a bullpen that wasmissing its closer, Joe Nathan(notes), since the beginning of the season.

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Tejada was scratched from the Orioles’ lineup before their game Thursdaynight at Kansas City. The trade was announced a short time later.

Tejada is hitting .269 with seven homers and 39 RBIs. The former AL MVP canplay shortstop and third base. He has appeared in 93 games in the field thisseason, all at third base, after having played shortstop in each of his previous1,846 games.

Pelzer was San Diego’s ninth-round pick in the 2007 amateur draft. He was6-9 with a 4.20 ERA at San Antonio this season, and has gone 26-23 with a 3.83ERA in parts of three seasons.

The Padres went into Thursday’s schedule with a three-game lead over the SanFrancisco Giants.

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Cantu got two hits, scored twice and made an error in the Marlins’ 5-0 winat San Francisco. The trade was completed right after the game ended.

“I’m going,” Cantu said.

Texas acquired pitcher Cliff Lee(notes) from the Seattle Mariners earlier thismonth.

Cantu hit .262 with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs for Florida. The Rangersalready have All-Star Michael Young(notes) at third base—Cantu said in recent days hewas prepared to switch back to his former spot at first base, a position of needfor the Rangers.

The Rangers sent Double-A right-handers Evan Reed and Omar Poveda(notes) toFlorida.

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