Archives › 2010 › February

The Chicago Tribune’s Dan McNeil is no fan of Carlos Zambrano. After railing against his contract and going on about how he’s no Ted Lilly, McNeil predicts a Big-Z meltdown: Put me down for the first week in May for not-so-Big Z’s first implosion. Not sure if it will be getting tossed for undressing an…

If you look at only one photo archive today with pictures of Walter O’Malley at Dodgertown playing cards with his shirt off, Stan Musial doing pushups, and Pee Wee Reese on the ground wrestling with a shirtless guy, make it this photo archive, highlighted today by lar at Wezen-Ball. True story: In 1973, Commissioner Bowie…

The Dodgers have come to terms with former closer Eric Gagne on a minor league contract, the Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez reports. Gagne was also offered a minor league deal by the Rockies. Coming back from a shoulder injury, he pitched in the independent Can-Am League last year and went 6-6 with a 4.65…

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reports that the Marlins and Mike MacDougal have agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. MacDougal, 32, had to a take a minor league deal despite saving 20 games in 21 chances for the Nationals last season. He had a 3.60 ERA in 50 innings…

This is part of a 30-article series looking at each team’s depth chart headed into spring training. Minnesota Twins Rotation 1. Scott Baker 2. Nick Blackburn 3. Kevin Slowey 4. Carl Pavano 5. Francisco Liriano 6. Glen Perkins 7. Brian Duensing 8. Anthony Swarzak 9. Jeff Manship 10. Mike Maroth 11. Tyler Robertson 12. Carlos…

Over the next several days, I’ll be dipping into my 2010 projections and presenting some leaderboards. 1. Joe Mauer – 958 2. Brian McCann – 847 3. Victor Martinez – 845 4. Matt Wieters – 836 5. Mike Napoli – 832 6. Jorge Posada – 824 7. Chris Iannetta – 816 8. Buster Posey –…

Left-hander Ross Detwiler, who was expected to compete for a spot in Washington’s rotation this spring, is out 10-12 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. Detwiler, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, made his major league debut last season and went 1-6 with a 5.00 ERA…

As I’ve said several times in the past, there should be a law that says all teams should have their city or state name on their road jerseys. The Brewers have been one of the primary offenders of this shadow law, but they’re at least trying to come back into compliance: The Brewers today unveiled…

Apparently baseball players throw too many fastballs.  It will take smarter people than I am to figure out if this Means Something or it’s merely interesting.  It’s been a long day, however, and at this point interesting is enough for me: In the case of baseball, we observe every pitch thrown in the major leagues…

With Mark Shapiro being bumped upstairs by the Indians, here’s a look at his best and worst moves in his nine seasons at the helm in Cleveland: Hits June 27, 2002 – Indians acquired SS Brandon Phillips, LHP Cliff Lee, OF Grady Sizemore and 1B Lee Stevens from the Expos for RHP Bartolo Colon and…

Recent controversy and this morning’s rumor notwithstanding, there is some good news to report on the Mets’ injury front: they’re trying new things to prevent more of them from happening: When Mets players walked into the major-league clubhouse here for the first time Thursday, there were large signs posted in the clubhouse that read: “Prevention…

Mo Vaughn used to spend his offseasons here in Columbus, Ohio.  Our paths crossed in a very, very vague way about seven or eight years ago as one of his investments — a bar he opened called “Flo Nitelife” — crashed and burned almost as soon as it opened. I represented a creditor, there ended…

Ted Lilly was already taking things easy coming back from November shoulder surgery and now he also has a knee injury to deal with. Lilly had cartilage removed from his left knee in July, but this time the right knee gave him problems after playing catch from flat ground this week and he’s scheduled to…

The Diamondbacks are thinking long term: Their arbitration-eligible players all taken care of thanks to the Valentine’s Day signing of right-hander Edwin Jackson, the D-backs front office will turn its attention to signing players with less than three years of big league service. That typically involves one-year deals, but in the case of third baseman…

Erick Aybar and the Angels have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.05 million contract with an additional $100,000 in potential incentives based on reaching 575 and 625 plate appearances. Aybar was asking for $2.75 million via arbitration while the Angels filed at $1.85 million, so even reaching the maximum incentives would mean that…

UPDATE:  Orioles’ beat writer Brittany Ghiroli says that Buster was wrong, and that Roberts doesn’t have kidney stones. Rather, he has back spasms. How one can mistake those two things given the, um, geography involved is an open question, but we just pass along what we hear. 2:16 P.M.: Buster Olney writes: Heard this: Orioles…

Cliff Lee gave Mariners fans a scare earlier this month by undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his left foot, but it looks like reports of the operation being “minor” will prove accurate. Lee is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session of the spring next Wednesday, which would actually put him slightly ahead…

I rip reporters when I think they go off track on the steroids business, most recently with Mark McGwire, so it’s only fair that I point out when someone stone-cold nails it, as Buster Olney did with what he wrote today regarding McGwire (and Tiger Woods): Why would Tiger Woods need to say he’s sorry…

Todd Helton said yesterday that he plans to take more days off this season because he “had nothing left at the end of the year.” Here’s more from the 36-year-old first baseman: That was partly my fault. I should have kept myself in a little better shape. You just get worn down from playing so…

UPDATE:  Adam Rubin of the Daily News tweets: Johan Santana played catch with him all week and said Escobar having trouble gripping a baseball would be untrue. Santana’s not a doctor of course and a playing catch grip is different than a pitching-at-full-speed grip, but this, at the very least, undercuts my earlier report.  Obviously…

David Lennon of Newsday tweets from Mets’ spring training: When Johan was asked to name best pitcher in NL East, he replied, “Santana.” Hear that Halladay? I may be a Braves fan, but I can think of nothing I’m looking forward to more this season than watching Johan Santana and Roy Halladay battling to figure…

Traded to Pittsburgh along with Lastings Milledge in late June, Joel Hanrahan tossed 31.1 innings with a 1.71 ERA down the stretch and was slated to be the Pirates’ primary setup man this year. Unfortunately the team announced today that he’s expected to begin the season on the disabled list with a strained elbow. He’s…

Alyson Footer tweets that the Astros have won the Wandy Rodriguez arbitration. Rodriguez will earn $5 million in 2010. He had asked for $7 million. He made $2.6 million last year. No one but the participants knows for sure what went down in that hearing room, but I’m rather surprised that Rodriguez lost.  Sure, people…

The White Sox and Tigers are getting down to brass tacks with Johnny Damon, and the lobbying has begun. The White Sox sent A.J. Pierzynski and Ken “Hawk” Harrelson out golfing with Damon yesterday. Despite the fact that most mortals probably couldn’t stand playing one hole of putt-putt with those two characters, multiple reports came…

UPDATE: OK, so it wasn’t Manny Acta’s hat. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting – albeit a bit speculatively — that the presser is to announce that Indians’ assistant GM Chris Antonetti is going to replace Mark Shapiro as GM, who will get kicked upstairs to be the team’s president.  The change, however, would not…