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CaptainP wrote:The Yankees have just signed Scott Erickson. The question is why.


Erickson, since 2000, is 12-28 with an ERA over 6.00.

He's married to Lisa Guerrero. Since the Mets traded Kris Benson the Yankees probably thought we needed another bimbo baseball wife in NY to take Anna Benson's place.

LIPH wrote:

CaptainP wrote:The Yankees have just signed Scott Erickson. The question is why.


Erickson, since 2000, is 12-28 with an ERA over 6.00.

He's married to Lisa Guerrero. Since the Mets traded Kris Benson the Yankees probably thought we needed another famous bimbo baseball wife in NY to take Anna Benson's place.

Fixed it for ya.

Manny won't report till March 1
Red Sox reach agreement with left fielder on later date
By Ian Browne / MLB.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Hold off on that Manny Ramirez watch, which had been scheduled for Thursday, when the Red Sox conduct their first full-squad workout of Spring Training.
The Red Sox and Ramirez took a preventive measure to avoid a media circus later this week, announcing a compromise that stated the following:

"With the permission of the Boston Red Sox, Manny Ramirez will report to Spring Training in Fort Myers on March 1, 2006. Manny is in Florida completing an extensive training regimen and is prepared to have an exceptional season."

According to the basic agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association, players aren't required to report to their club until Feb. 28.

There had been great uncertainty about when Ramirez would arrive, as it was well known that he had requested a trade following the 2005 season and that the Red Sox are having a hard time finding a deal that would make them a better team without one of the game's elite hitters.

But after Ramirez and manager Terry Francona spoke by telephone Monday night, the Red Sox came to an agreement with Ramirez.

"Manny called me last night, and we spoke about how I feel about things and how he feels about things," Francona said. "I've got to be honest with you, a lot of it is personal because it was a personal phone call. But we have had good communication between Manny and his agent and [general manager] Theo [Epstein] and me.

"I have to tell you, Manny was very honest, very forthright, very amicable. He assures us that he'll be here March 1, ready to go. I'm OK with that. I support him in this."

The question now is whether Ramirez will still play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. If that is the case, Ramirez would be with the Red Sox for just two days before reporting to Orlando to start training with the Dominican team.

Given that fact, logic seems to indicate that Ramirez might opt not to play in the Classic.

"I have to refer you to Major League Baseball on any questions about the World Baseball Classic, but Manny will be here on March 1, and he'll be ready for the season," Epstein said.

The Dominican Republic has not submitted its final 30-man roster yet, and it is not obligated to do so until March 2.

David Ortiz, Ramirez's Boston teammate and fellow Dominican basher, didn't have a feel for whether the left fielder would join him for the World Baseball Classic.

"I don't know what he's going to do with the [World] Baseball Classic," Ortiz said. "I have no idea."

Has Ramirez rescinded his long-standing trade request?

"That's between Manny and the club," said Epstein.

However, Francona elaborated a bit more, revealing that he thinks Ramirez will be fine wearing a Boston uniform in 2006.

In a way, this compromise was similar to the events that preceded the July 31 trade deadline. At that point, Ramirez also was disgruntled and open to changing uniforms. In an effort to clear his head, Francona gave Ramirez a couple of games off against the Twins. When Ramirez returned to the lineup for a game-winning pinch-hit on July 31, he seemed rejuvenated. He then had a monster finish to the season.

Perhaps this latest gesture by the Red Sox will pay similar dividends.

"Oh yeah, that's what I'm saying," Francona said. "I'm OK with this. In a perfect world, everybody shows up [Thursday] and nobody is a pound overweight and nobody does this. But it's not a perfect world. We're dealing with a lot of personalities, but it's going to work out by doing it this way. It's going to work out better."

"Sometimes in life, things aren't perfect, but we're OK with this resolution, given the conversations we've had," said Epstein.

The Red Sox did not present a concise answer on why Ramirez will report roughly a week later than his teammates.

"A lot of it is between Manny and the club, but after talking to him over the last several days, we're satisfied that it's in everybody's best interests that he finish his regimen in Florida and show up on March 1," Epstein said. "We're OK with this resolution."

Ramirez's teammates barely seemed to bat an eyelash when briefed on the news. Distraction? To the Red Sox, this appeared to hardly register in the concern department.

"Manny's a good teammate," said Red Sox captain Jason Varitek. "Different people have different things going on. He knows how to prepare himself. If he's not prepared and he's not able to do things, then you can question him."

As long as Ramirez continues to pile up gaudy numbers, his teammates will remain unconcerned about his itinerary.

"When Manny comes, Manny's going to rake," said Red Sox right-hander Bronson Arroyo. "That's all we can ask from him. Everybody understands Manny. He's a hard worker. He's in the gym every day in the offseason."

Arroyo also acknowledged with no bitterness that superstars sometimes march to their own beat.

"Obviously, everybody likes to see you around and get to know your new teammates," said Arroyo. "But everybody understands Manny's not on the same page with all of us. Just like Pedro [Martinez]. Pedro was used to doing his own thing, but you win 15 to 20 games every year, you've earned the respect of your teammates, and nobody is going to [complain] about it."

"I think he's earned special treatment," Arroyo continued. "It's like what we talk about out there [on the field]. Tito [Francona] stands in the meeting every single year and he says, 'The veterans around here are not going to be treated like the young guys. They're not going on [long] road trips. They're not going to go to Fort Lauderdale to sit in the bullpen and maybe not get an inning.' You've earned that right by being around here. I think Manny has earned the right to have probably more freedom than anybody we have around here right now."

From role players like Arroyo to fellow stars like ace Curt Schilling and slugger Ortiz, everyone seemed to agree.

"[Ramirez] will be here March 1, and he'll be ready to play," said Schilling. "Who do we play first, Texas? April 3. He'll be there April 3 and might hit two homers."

Despite Ramirez's outwardly goofy nature, his teammates all know how much pride he takes in his craft.

"One thing Manny always does is put his time and effort into getting ready," said Schilling. "I'm not worried about that. Once it's April 3 and he's healthy, we'll be fine. Manny's one of those guys who if he didn't show up for Spring Training, I'd still know he'd be ready for the season when the season started."

And when it does, Francona looks forward to once again putting Ramirez's name in the cleanup spot, right behind Ortiz.

"Again, I think the way I view it is, he's our player and we want to get the most out of him," said Francona. "Sometimes you make some adjustments along the way and you try to understand some people's thinking and you try to get to the same goal together, and I think that's what we're trying to do, and I think this is going to be just fine."

Rangers star Mark Teixeira knocked the cover off a ball during batting practice. "I've never done that before," he said. "I think the cover was probably defective. I'm not taking credit for that one." Nevertheless, he did put it away in his locker and said it might go in his trophy collection

Here's an interesting statistical breakdown.

I took a bunch of players, some players who are among the "poster children" for steroids, and some others as a "control group". (I'll keep the players unnamed.)

AVERAGE NUMBER OF HRs HIT:
2000: 43.86
2001: 51.29
2002: 41.71
2003: 40.43
2004: 30.86 (begining of drug testing)
2005: 14.14 (REAL drug testing)

AT-BATS PER HOME RUN HIT:
2000: 12.66 (these players hit 1 HR every 12.66 ABs)
2001: 10.82
2002: 12.57
2003: 13.31
2004: 15.24 (begining of drug testing)
2005: 20.30 (REAL drug testing)


But they weren't using steroids....

CaptainP wrote:Here's an interesting statistical breakdown.

I took a bunch of players, some players who are among the "poster children" for steroids, and some others as a "control group". (I'll keep the players unnamed.)

AVERAGE NUMBER OF HRs HIT:
2000: 43.86
2001: 51.29
2002: 41.71
2003: 40.43
2004: 30.86 (begining of drug testing)
2005: 14.14 (REAL drug testing)

AT-BATS PER HOME RUN HIT:
2000: 12.66 (these players hit 1 HR every 12.66 ABs)
2001: 10.82
2002: 12.57
2003: 13.31
2004: 15.24 (begining of drug testing)
2005: 20.30 (REAL drug testing)


But they weren't using steroids....

Muy interesante.

Notes: Ramirez pulls out of Classic
Wood feels good after throwing in Saturday's workout
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

MESA, Ariz. -- It's official. Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez will not be playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Ramirez talked to Stan Javier, the Dominican team's general manager, on Friday. The Cubs were concerned about Ramirez participating in the tournament because of past leg injuries. He missed the last month of the season with a strained left quad.

Ramirez showed up in Cubs camp in good shape, and has passed all the tests.

"I would like to represent my country but I don't think I'll be 100 percent to play in early March," Ramirez said. "I'm committed to [the Cubs], and I think I owe them."

The Dominican team opens Classic play on March 7 against Venezuela. The Cubs start the Cactus League season on March 2, and Ramirez said he'll be ready for that.

"I'll be able to start and play a few innings, but that's different," Ramirez said. "If you go down there [to the World Baseball Classic], you have to play 100 percent because everybody is going to play to win. It's a different game than here. To play here, it's just to try to get ready for the season."

Ramirez will still be rooting for his countrymen, who square off against his Venezuelan teammates, Carlos Zambrano and Henry Blanco.

"I'm rooting for my country," Ramirez said. "I'm disappointed because I'd like to represent my country."

Good Wood: Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, rehabbing from shoulder surgery, threw off the mound for the second day on Saturday and reported no problems.

"It felt good," Wood said Saturday. "I got off the mound a little [Friday] and threw 10 pitches. I got back up there again today and did a little more long toss and got really loose. I'm just working on the delivery and trying to stay smooth and have smooth arm action, so the ball was coming out pretty good today."

Wood's arm seems to respond better the second day.

"The more I throw, the better it feels and the looser it feels," Wood said. "You still want to take rest and you don't want to overdo it, but we're being pretty aggressive with it.

"I had surgery, and there are going to be days when it's a little more cranky," he said. "The more I throw, the better it feels and the looser it feels. The days when it doesn't feel as great seem to be a scar tissue issue. We'll just continue to progress."

Wood didn't look at Friday's session as being a big deal because it was his first time on the mound since undergoing the surgery in late August.

"I didn't put too much into it before I got up there," he said. "I don't want to be out there thinking, 'OK, is this going to hurt?' I came to work today just like any other day."

Wood, unfortunately, has had experience with rehab. He had elbow surgery in 1999 and missed the entire season.

" there are going to be days when it doesn't feel as good as it should, and there are going to be days when you wake up and feel like, 'Man, it feels awesome' and you think you turned the corner," Wood said. "Then, two days later, it's not as good as it was two days ago. That's the way rehab goes. You've [got] doctors' hands and instruments inside you, and people recover at different rates and different speeds. You take it as it comes and take advantage of your good days."

Cubs manager Dusty Baker said he's pleased at what he has seen so far.

"Right now, Wood is progressing like we want him to," Baker said. "We just don't want any setbacks, that's No. 1."

Quote of the day: "There is no pressure. You can't do anything about what's going on on the other side of town. You've got to give [the White Sox] their props because they are the world champions. You can't do anything about that. You have to concentrate on yourself and concentrate on your game. Basically, we play them six games and the rest of the time they're in their league and we're in our league. I know people are talking about it, but that really can't affect us at all." -- Baker, on whether the Cubs feel any pressure after the White Sox won the World Series

Extra bases: Among the pitchers who threw to hitters on Saturday were Roberto Novoa, Jerome Williams, Todd Wellemeyer, Michael Wuertz, Randy Wells, and Rich Hill. ... Saturday was WGN broadcaster Ron Santo's 66th birthday. Expect Santo to be guest conductor for the seventh inning stretch about 20 times this season. ... The Cubs will play an intrasquad game next Wednesday to tune up for the Cactus League opener March 2 against Oakland. ... Right-hander Brian Boehringer, who has pitched for the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and most recently Pittsburgh Pirates, signed a Minor League contract with the Cubs.


Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Pirates pitcher Wells diagnosed with blood clot




BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kip Wells has a blood clot close to his right arm, and his season is in jeopardy.

General manager Dave Littlefield described the clot as a "100 percent blockage" of an artery under the clavicle, the primary vessel that carries blood from the chest to the arms.

Wells, 28, told the team he still must determine whether he wants to get a second opinion before having surgery, a decision he is expected to make within two days. If Wells has surgery, he would likely miss five to eight months.

Wells' condition was first detected late last week at spring training and formally diagnosed Saturday in St. Louis by Dr. Robert Thompson, a vascular surgeon at Washington University. Thompson conducted an angiogram, a procedure that involves the insertion of a catheter in the groin, to confirm his initial tests.

Littlefield said Wells' case never reached an emergency level, as some blood clots do. But he added that the team acted swiftly once its doctors noticed Wells had dramatically different pulse readings in each arm.

"There's always a concern in regard to aneurysms, clots and things like that," Littlefield said. "But we moved on it very, very quickly."

Wells pitched a staff-high 182 innings last season and showed no signs of the ailment until this spring, Littlefield said. Wells complained of arm fatigue early in spring training, but didn't miss any of his three scheduled pitching sessions.

"Players work hard in the offseason and don't want to have setbacks," Littlefield said. "But I think he's anxious, too, to get it resolved."

The Pirates were expecting Wells to be one of the top two starters in their rotation. The right-hander is coming off a disappointing season -- he was 8-18, the most losses in the majors, with a 5.08 ERA. But he has performed far better in the past and had encouraging early results working with new pitching coach Jim Colborn.

Breaking News:

"Frank Thomas is and idiot"
-Kenny Williams


(duh)

Cubbie Bear wrote:Breaking News:

"Frank Thomas is and idiot"
-Kenny Williams


(duh)

For once I agree with Fox...

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5354492

Clemens is taking deep by his own son,

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5362648

Capt.Flock wrote:Clemens is taken deep by his own son,

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5362648

And he threw at him the next at-bat!!!
Classic!!!!!!

Cactus and Grapefruit League games start tomorrow!!!

RAGTOP wrote:For once I agree with Fox...

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5354492

Blinded by loyalty.

Sox will finish 3rd.

Breaking news: Barry Bonds is a cross-dresser:

FIRST SPRING TRAINING GAME TODAY!!!!

Rockies vs. White Sox, 2:05 eastern.

CaptainP wrote:FIRST SPRING TRAINING GAME TODAY!!!!

Rockies vs. White Sox, 2:05 eastern.

Thank god baseball is back! I become suicidal for the 6 weeks after football ends and baseball begins .

Manny showed up to camp this morning

CaptainP wrote:Breaking news: Barry Bonds is a cross-dresser:

Barry Bonds is my SECOND favortie ball player.

Everyone else is my first.

CACTUS LEAGUE RESULTS:

Rockies 6, White Sox 1