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David Ortiz has swung his bat in anger numerous times during his career with the Red Sox.
But seldom has Ortiz been angrier than he was on Monday night before he was scheduled to continue his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in a game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
His anger was directed at the two explosions that occurred near the finish of the Boston Marathon.
"I'm kind of angry," Ortiz said before he was a late scratch because of a sore left heel. "Whoever did this is insane. People are trying to raise money to get people healthy. This isn't a day to pick to do things like that. This is a big day for Boston and the nation in general.
"It's horrible when you see things like this happen. I'm watching the news, and I can't believe it. I can't believe it."
The explosions occurred near Fenway Park, where the Red Sox played their annual Patriots' Day game against Tampa Bay, which started at 11 a.m. ET.
"When we play the 11-in-the-morning game and we stay at home, I go to the restaurants around the area right after the game, because pretty much the marathon is over." Ortiz said. "People are just hanging out and having fun."
Not surprisingly, Ortiz received enough text messages to fill his cellphone.
"I had people from my country [the Dominican Republic] texting me asking, 'Am I OK … am I OK, am I OK?' because that's right around the corner from Fenway," Ortiz said. "'How is the family? We're watching the news and everything's going crazy.'
"It's a bad day, man."
Ortiz, who's sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, was scheduled to bat third and DH before he was scratched before the first pitch. But before the game, he was riding a stationary bike in Pawtucket's clubhouse and also jogged in the outfield.
Pawtucket has three games remaining on its homestand (Ortiz was scratched Sunday because of an illness), including Tuesday's noon game against Lehigh Valley.
According to PawSox manager Gary DiSarcina, Ortiz's chances of playing Tuesday are problematic, at best.
"I was handing out the lineup card, I turned around and he was out in left field trying to get loose," DiSarcina said. "When I can back, the trainer [Jon Jochim] said [Ortiz] had left mild heel pain. He was removed for precautionary reasons.
"He's be re-examined [Tuesday]. But it's soreness in his left heel. We're not going to run him out there if he has any soreness. He'll be re-examined [Tuesday], and they'll make a decision on it."
Depending on how many games he's unable to play with Boston could have an impact on Ortiz's base salary for next season.
If Ortiz spends more than 20 days on the disabled list, his salary would be reduced from $15 million to $13 million.
Because Ortiz was placed on the DL on March 31, he would have to return to Boston by April 21 or risk losing $2 million.
Rehabbing David Ortiz shares thoughts on tragedy | MLB-com: News
But seldom has Ortiz been angrier than he was on Monday night before he was scheduled to continue his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in a game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
His anger was directed at the two explosions that occurred near the finish of the Boston Marathon.
"I'm kind of angry," Ortiz said before he was a late scratch because of a sore left heel. "Whoever did this is insane. People are trying to raise money to get people healthy. This isn't a day to pick to do things like that. This is a big day for Boston and the nation in general.
"It's horrible when you see things like this happen. I'm watching the news, and I can't believe it. I can't believe it."
The explosions occurred near Fenway Park, where the Red Sox played their annual Patriots' Day game against Tampa Bay, which started at 11 a.m. ET.
"When we play the 11-in-the-morning game and we stay at home, I go to the restaurants around the area right after the game, because pretty much the marathon is over." Ortiz said. "People are just hanging out and having fun."
Not surprisingly, Ortiz received enough text messages to fill his cellphone.
"I had people from my country [the Dominican Republic] texting me asking, 'Am I OK … am I OK, am I OK?' because that's right around the corner from Fenway," Ortiz said. "'How is the family? We're watching the news and everything's going crazy.'
"It's a bad day, man."
Ortiz, who's sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, was scheduled to bat third and DH before he was scratched before the first pitch. But before the game, he was riding a stationary bike in Pawtucket's clubhouse and also jogged in the outfield.
Pawtucket has three games remaining on its homestand (Ortiz was scratched Sunday because of an illness), including Tuesday's noon game against Lehigh Valley.
According to PawSox manager Gary DiSarcina, Ortiz's chances of playing Tuesday are problematic, at best.
"I was handing out the lineup card, I turned around and he was out in left field trying to get loose," DiSarcina said. "When I can back, the trainer [Jon Jochim] said [Ortiz] had left mild heel pain. He was removed for precautionary reasons.
"He's be re-examined [Tuesday]. But it's soreness in his left heel. We're not going to run him out there if he has any soreness. He'll be re-examined [Tuesday], and they'll make a decision on it."
Depending on how many games he's unable to play with Boston could have an impact on Ortiz's base salary for next season.
If Ortiz spends more than 20 days on the disabled list, his salary would be reduced from $15 million to $13 million.
Because Ortiz was placed on the DL on March 31, he would have to return to Boston by April 21 or risk losing $2 million.
Rehabbing David Ortiz shares thoughts on tragedy | MLB-com: News
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The Indians wanted to let everyone back in Boston know that the Cleveland community is keeping them in their thoughts.
Shortly before the start of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" played through the speakers around Progressive Field. The song has become a Fenway Park tradition and hearing it instantly brings Boston to mind.
"It caught me off guard," said Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, who used to play for the Red Sox. "That was a nice gesture for Boston. That song more or less defines the Red Sox."
Playing the song was one of many gestures that paid tribute to those killed or wounded in Monday's tragic bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Before the Indians hosted the Red Sox, who picked up a 7-2 victory, both teams lined up along the infield lines and took part in a moment of silence.
That was a moment that stuck with Indians manager Terry Francona, who managed the Red Sox from 2004-11.
"I'm not sure how to describe the feelings," Francona said. "You're sad and you think of a lot of things. We get so wrapped up in a baseball game, because it's so important to us, and then you look up and you realize why you're having a moment of silence. If you need perspective, it gives it to you in a hurry."
The teams also wore black arm bands in honor of Monday's events in Boston.
Other teams around the league, including the Yankees, also played "Sweet Caroline" during their games. At Yankee Stadium, the words "United We Stand" were displayed atop the ballpark with the logos for the Yankees and Red Sox side by side.
"I think it's a touch of class by, not only Cleveland, but every Major League city around baseball," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "I saw the sign on the front of the facade at Yankee Stadium and I think the fact that they played 'Sweet Caroline' in the third inning there, I think it's a touch of class by all of Major League Baseball to acknowledge this."
Fenway Park tradition played in honor of bombing victims | MLB-com: News
Shortly before the start of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" played through the speakers around Progressive Field. The song has become a Fenway Park tradition and hearing it instantly brings Boston to mind.
"It caught me off guard," said Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, who used to play for the Red Sox. "That was a nice gesture for Boston. That song more or less defines the Red Sox."
Playing the song was one of many gestures that paid tribute to those killed or wounded in Monday's tragic bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Before the Indians hosted the Red Sox, who picked up a 7-2 victory, both teams lined up along the infield lines and took part in a moment of silence.
That was a moment that stuck with Indians manager Terry Francona, who managed the Red Sox from 2004-11.
"I'm not sure how to describe the feelings," Francona said. "You're sad and you think of a lot of things. We get so wrapped up in a baseball game, because it's so important to us, and then you look up and you realize why you're having a moment of silence. If you need perspective, it gives it to you in a hurry."
The teams also wore black arm bands in honor of Monday's events in Boston.
Other teams around the league, including the Yankees, also played "Sweet Caroline" during their games. At Yankee Stadium, the words "United We Stand" were displayed atop the ballpark with the logos for the Yankees and Red Sox side by side.
"I think it's a touch of class by, not only Cleveland, but every Major League city around baseball," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "I saw the sign on the front of the facade at Yankee Stadium and I think the fact that they played 'Sweet Caroline' in the third inning there, I think it's a touch of class by all of Major League Baseball to acknowledge this."
Fenway Park tradition played in honor of bombing victims | MLB-com: News
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The Angels weren’t scheduled to return to Target Field this year. But they are now.
Exactly when isn’t clear yet, but a makeup game will be required later this season after Wednesday night’s game was postponed by rain, the second consecutive home series to have its finale rescheduled by weather.
“Everyone wanted to figure out a way to play this, but it’s just not conducive,” manager Ron Gardenhire said after consulting with Angels manager Mike Scioscia, the Twins grounds crew and weather forecaster, and the umpires. “It’s not going to be a good situation for either team, because they’re going to have to fly back here, but that’s just the way it is.”
A heavy mist began falling shortly after 6 p.m., and temperatures dipped into the 30s. Radar showed precipitation would only increase as the night went on, “and with the field getting [slick] like it is, it’s not good,” Gardenhire said. “The field’s just not going to take it.”
Baseball’s new schedule, which includes interleague games all season long, makes postponements more difficult, because only division foes return to a city more than once. “That’s one of the reasons we played [in 30-degree temperatures last Friday] — we can’t afford not to play games,” General Manager Terry Ryan said. A week ago in Kansas City, Ryan said, “we played in bad conditions. But they got out there, they played, and we don’t have to worry about backing up doubleheaders.”
Or one-game makeup trips, which sacrifice scheduled off days. The Angels will have to make one now, after Wednesday became the seventh postponement in Target Field history and second in four days.
“Definitely we would like to get the game in so you don’t have to do that later in the season,” Gardenhire said. “But let’s be smart about it, too. If you risk injuries, it’s scary. If the weather is horrendous, it’s not fair to anybody — fans, players.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s game will be valid for the makeup date, when it’s announced, or can be exchanged for a voucher good for any other game. Tickets must be redeemed at least 48 hours before the game for which you wish to exchange the tickets.
Rotation revision
The rainout will simply push the Twins rotation back by a day, Gardenhire said, with Vance Worley now scheduled to start Friday in Chicago against the White Sox. Scott Diamond will pitch Saturday and Kevin Correia on Sunday.
The bigger worry, Gardenhire said, is relief pitchers who are getting so little work; with Thursday off, the Twins will have been idle three days out of five. “We’ve got a lot of relievers who haven’t thrown for a while. [Brian] Duensing was already up to six days without being on the mound,” Gardenhire said. “Those are the things you have to guard against.”
Etc.
• The Twins are part of a Major League Baseball collaboration with Qualcomm to increase wireless connectivity in the ballpark, including Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G networks. The projects calls for assessing Target Field’s needs for ensuring that fans can use mobile devices with fewer interruptions, outages or slowdowns, then implementing new equipment over the next year.
• Righthander Cole De Vries had no issues with his forearm after a bullpen session Wednesday, and he will throw again Friday. Should that go well, he will go to Fort Myers to begin a rehab assignment, either with the Twins’ extended spring training team or with Class A Fort Myers.
• Pitching coach Rick Anderson was not with the team Wednesday, but Gardenhire said he expects him to rejoin the Twins in Chicago.
Makeup games pose problems in MLB schedules | StarTribune-com
Exactly when isn’t clear yet, but a makeup game will be required later this season after Wednesday night’s game was postponed by rain, the second consecutive home series to have its finale rescheduled by weather.
“Everyone wanted to figure out a way to play this, but it’s just not conducive,” manager Ron Gardenhire said after consulting with Angels manager Mike Scioscia, the Twins grounds crew and weather forecaster, and the umpires. “It’s not going to be a good situation for either team, because they’re going to have to fly back here, but that’s just the way it is.”
A heavy mist began falling shortly after 6 p.m., and temperatures dipped into the 30s. Radar showed precipitation would only increase as the night went on, “and with the field getting [slick] like it is, it’s not good,” Gardenhire said. “The field’s just not going to take it.”
Baseball’s new schedule, which includes interleague games all season long, makes postponements more difficult, because only division foes return to a city more than once. “That’s one of the reasons we played [in 30-degree temperatures last Friday] — we can’t afford not to play games,” General Manager Terry Ryan said. A week ago in Kansas City, Ryan said, “we played in bad conditions. But they got out there, they played, and we don’t have to worry about backing up doubleheaders.”
Or one-game makeup trips, which sacrifice scheduled off days. The Angels will have to make one now, after Wednesday became the seventh postponement in Target Field history and second in four days.
“Definitely we would like to get the game in so you don’t have to do that later in the season,” Gardenhire said. “But let’s be smart about it, too. If you risk injuries, it’s scary. If the weather is horrendous, it’s not fair to anybody — fans, players.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s game will be valid for the makeup date, when it’s announced, or can be exchanged for a voucher good for any other game. Tickets must be redeemed at least 48 hours before the game for which you wish to exchange the tickets.
Rotation revision
The rainout will simply push the Twins rotation back by a day, Gardenhire said, with Vance Worley now scheduled to start Friday in Chicago against the White Sox. Scott Diamond will pitch Saturday and Kevin Correia on Sunday.
The bigger worry, Gardenhire said, is relief pitchers who are getting so little work; with Thursday off, the Twins will have been idle three days out of five. “We’ve got a lot of relievers who haven’t thrown for a while. [Brian] Duensing was already up to six days without being on the mound,” Gardenhire said. “Those are the things you have to guard against.”
Etc.
• The Twins are part of a Major League Baseball collaboration with Qualcomm to increase wireless connectivity in the ballpark, including Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G networks. The projects calls for assessing Target Field’s needs for ensuring that fans can use mobile devices with fewer interruptions, outages or slowdowns, then implementing new equipment over the next year.
• Righthander Cole De Vries had no issues with his forearm after a bullpen session Wednesday, and he will throw again Friday. Should that go well, he will go to Fort Myers to begin a rehab assignment, either with the Twins’ extended spring training team or with Class A Fort Myers.
• Pitching coach Rick Anderson was not with the team Wednesday, but Gardenhire said he expects him to rejoin the Twins in Chicago.
Makeup games pose problems in MLB schedules | StarTribune-com
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There was some controversy surrounding the Orioles' 10-6 victory over the Rays in 10 innings Thursday night.
With Manny Machado on first and Nick Markakis on second, Adam Jones hit a long single to right field. The runners appeared to be rounding the bases but were held up by third-base coach Bobby Dickerson. As the runners retreated, it appeared Jones did not retouch second on the way back to first, as required.
Rays manager Joe Maddon appealed but was overruled by the umpires. Matt Wieters then hit a walk-off grand slam.
"I made sure they knew who I was appealing so there was no confusion," Maddon said. "I told the home plate umpire it was going to be Jones. I wanted to make sure Jerry at second base knew we were appealing Jones, and he said [Jones] was OK. I saw that. I thought he had missed the bag coming back, and wanted to appeal it."
Maddon said if Jones had been called out, it might have made a difference in the game.
"The whole world changes at that moment." Maddon said. "When you have a base open, the pitcher can pitch in a different manner. Second and third with one out would have been a different mindset than the bases loaded with no outs."
As for Jones, he said he did not remember the play and was just happy to get the win.
"I wish you could take a picture of me shrugging my shoulders," Jones said when asked whether he touched second. "I don't remember, to be honest with you. I'm glad it worked out for us."
Orioles manager Buck Showalter also didn't see a problem with the play.
"I didn't see it as controversial at all," Showalter said. "Adam made a good baserunning play. I don't think he even got to the bag, but I would have appealed it, too, looking for an out somewhere."
Adam Jones' baserunning reviewed before Matt Wieters' walk-off | MLB-com: News
With Manny Machado on first and Nick Markakis on second, Adam Jones hit a long single to right field. The runners appeared to be rounding the bases but were held up by third-base coach Bobby Dickerson. As the runners retreated, it appeared Jones did not retouch second on the way back to first, as required.
Rays manager Joe Maddon appealed but was overruled by the umpires. Matt Wieters then hit a walk-off grand slam.
"I made sure they knew who I was appealing so there was no confusion," Maddon said. "I told the home plate umpire it was going to be Jones. I wanted to make sure Jerry at second base knew we were appealing Jones, and he said [Jones] was OK. I saw that. I thought he had missed the bag coming back, and wanted to appeal it."
Maddon said if Jones had been called out, it might have made a difference in the game.
"The whole world changes at that moment." Maddon said. "When you have a base open, the pitcher can pitch in a different manner. Second and third with one out would have been a different mindset than the bases loaded with no outs."
As for Jones, he said he did not remember the play and was just happy to get the win.
"I wish you could take a picture of me shrugging my shoulders," Jones said when asked whether he touched second. "I don't remember, to be honest with you. I'm glad it worked out for us."
Orioles manager Buck Showalter also didn't see a problem with the play.
"I didn't see it as controversial at all," Showalter said. "Adam made a good baserunning play. I don't think he even got to the bag, but I would have appealed it, too, looking for an out somewhere."
Adam Jones' baserunning reviewed before Matt Wieters' walk-off | MLB-com: News
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When Terry Collins heard chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" fill Citi Field on Friday -- with Mets third baseman and World Baseball Classic Team USA star David Wright not at the plate -- the manager knew something significant had happened.
Major League Baseball's teams and fans expressed relief in ballparks across the country Friday night, when it was learned the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings had been captured.
Law enforcement caught 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and he was taken to a local hospital after exchanging gunfire for about an hour in Watertown, Mass. He was in serious condition.
"Obviously it's not just a big night for us. There are bigger things going on in the world," Collins said after the Mets' win 7-1 win over the Nationals. "We were all pretty excited in the dugout that we knew that they finally caught that guy. It was great."
Fan reaction and messages on videoboards is how many players found out about the news.
In Tampa Bay, the Rays put up a message informing the Tropicana Field crowd of 15,115 fans of Tsarnaev's capture. The crowd immediately responded with a loud cheer and a standing ovation, and some of the players and coaches in both dugouts applauded as well.
During the eighth inning of the Reds' game against the Marlins, the Great American Ball Park videoboard posted, "The suspect is alive and in custody," as cheers immediately erupted from 26,112 fans in attendance. A camera then panned to the American flag.
The Astros also briefly showed video of a news channel's coverage on the their big screen as the crowd cheered.
Several Pirates, including Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones, said they became aware of the happenings while they were on the bench and heard people in the stands breaking into impromptu shouts of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"
Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay said after Friday's 8-2 win in seven innings over the Cardinals that this week's events brought perspective.
"We all realize how lucky we are to not only live in this country, but to have the freedoms that we have and do the things that we get to do, and when things like that happen, it's disappointing and it's heartbreaking," Halladay said. "But to see how we overcome things is very gratifying. We always seem to become stronger from things like this. I'm glad to be a part of a country that takes things like this and takes bad moments and can turn them into good moments and things that will make our country stronger."
Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, 26 -- who was killed earlier Friday while attempting to escape police -- are the two suspects in the bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 180.
Prior to learning of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's capture, Indians third-base coach Brad Mills -- a former Red Sox coach -- said Boston was in everyone's heart.
"You almost feel like you're right there," Mills said. "Spending six years there, they start talking about street names, that brings everything home. Our hearts are definitely with those people now."
Current Indians and former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona agreed.
"It doesn't matter if you're familiar [with Boston] or not. It kind of gets personal," Francona said. "It makes you sad. I'm not smart enough to know how things like that work. I hope there are people smart enough to figure it out, so things like that don't happen again."
Word spread once Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured, and those spending Friday night watching MLB expressed relief.
"We've been following it all night, me and my wife," said Rockies hitting coach Dante Bichette, who finished his playing career with the Red Sox in 2001. "Our hearts go out to the people in Boston, that is a town with a lot of passion, we know they are hurting, but our prayers go out for them."
The Rangers played "Sweet Caroline," in the fourth inning of their game against the Mariners, while the Angels joined in on the West Coast, playing the song during the seventh-inning stretch of their game against the Tigers. The Pirates announced they will play the song during Saturday night's game.
"I think it's a nice gesture for all of baseball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Even though this game goes on, they are dealing with a tragedy there in Boston, as our whole country is. We are all in this together."
Across MLB, teams, fans stand with Boston | MLB-com: News
Major League Baseball's teams and fans expressed relief in ballparks across the country Friday night, when it was learned the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings had been captured.
Law enforcement caught 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and he was taken to a local hospital after exchanging gunfire for about an hour in Watertown, Mass. He was in serious condition.
"Obviously it's not just a big night for us. There are bigger things going on in the world," Collins said after the Mets' win 7-1 win over the Nationals. "We were all pretty excited in the dugout that we knew that they finally caught that guy. It was great."
Fan reaction and messages on videoboards is how many players found out about the news.
In Tampa Bay, the Rays put up a message informing the Tropicana Field crowd of 15,115 fans of Tsarnaev's capture. The crowd immediately responded with a loud cheer and a standing ovation, and some of the players and coaches in both dugouts applauded as well.
During the eighth inning of the Reds' game against the Marlins, the Great American Ball Park videoboard posted, "The suspect is alive and in custody," as cheers immediately erupted from 26,112 fans in attendance. A camera then panned to the American flag.
The Astros also briefly showed video of a news channel's coverage on the their big screen as the crowd cheered.
Several Pirates, including Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones, said they became aware of the happenings while they were on the bench and heard people in the stands breaking into impromptu shouts of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"
Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay said after Friday's 8-2 win in seven innings over the Cardinals that this week's events brought perspective.
"We all realize how lucky we are to not only live in this country, but to have the freedoms that we have and do the things that we get to do, and when things like that happen, it's disappointing and it's heartbreaking," Halladay said. "But to see how we overcome things is very gratifying. We always seem to become stronger from things like this. I'm glad to be a part of a country that takes things like this and takes bad moments and can turn them into good moments and things that will make our country stronger."
Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, 26 -- who was killed earlier Friday while attempting to escape police -- are the two suspects in the bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 180.
Prior to learning of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's capture, Indians third-base coach Brad Mills -- a former Red Sox coach -- said Boston was in everyone's heart.
"You almost feel like you're right there," Mills said. "Spending six years there, they start talking about street names, that brings everything home. Our hearts are definitely with those people now."
Current Indians and former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona agreed.
"It doesn't matter if you're familiar [with Boston] or not. It kind of gets personal," Francona said. "It makes you sad. I'm not smart enough to know how things like that work. I hope there are people smart enough to figure it out, so things like that don't happen again."
Word spread once Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured, and those spending Friday night watching MLB expressed relief.
"We've been following it all night, me and my wife," said Rockies hitting coach Dante Bichette, who finished his playing career with the Red Sox in 2001. "Our hearts go out to the people in Boston, that is a town with a lot of passion, we know they are hurting, but our prayers go out for them."
The Rangers played "Sweet Caroline," in the fourth inning of their game against the Mariners, while the Angels joined in on the West Coast, playing the song during the seventh-inning stretch of their game against the Tigers. The Pirates announced they will play the song during Saturday night's game.
"I think it's a nice gesture for all of baseball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Even though this game goes on, they are dealing with a tragedy there in Boston, as our whole country is. We are all in this together."
Across MLB, teams, fans stand with Boston | MLB-com: News
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The Fenway Park video screen had just finished playing the tribute video for the Boston Marathon bombing victims, the crowd had just finished singing the national anthem, and everyone involved with the pregame ceremonies on Saturday began to exit the field.
Except David Ortiz.
On the day he was making his triumphant return from the 15-day disabled list, Ortiz grabbed the microphone.
"All right," he said. "All right, Boston."
The crowd erupted, but Ortiz had more.
"This jersey that we wear today," he said, "it doesn't say Red Sox. It says Boston. We want to thank you Mayor [Tom] Menino, Gov. [Deval] Patrick, the whole police department for the great job they did this past week.
"This is our f------ city and nobody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong."
The fans laughed and roared as Ortiz walked toward the dugout and smacked the hands of a club employee with the microphone.
"It just came out," Ortiz explained after the Red Sox beat the Royals, 4-3. "It just came out, man. It just came out. If I offended anybody, I apologize, but I feel like this town needs to be pumped."
A little after 1 p.m. ET, a tribute to the Boston Marathon victims was displayed on the video scoreboard at Fenway. With the song "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley playing over the loudspeaker, the tribute scrolled through photos of happy Marathon runners at first. Cheers erupted.
Then came the photos everyone has seen all too much of over the last week, with the image of the first explosion coming first, then the instantly famous shot, featured on the front of Sports Illustrated this week, of three Boston Police officers standing in front of the chaos as a runner lay on the ground.
After a display of the Watertown sign caused another eruption in cheer, photos from Friday's manhunt and eventual capture of the second bombing suspect wrapped up the video tribute.
"That video was pretty moving," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "When you consider all that has transpired, from a celebration of someone finishing a marathon to the devastation that followed that, to all the video if you watched TV the last 36 hours, it was all captured in that five-minute video."
Saturday starter Clay Buchholz, who was warming up in the bullpen during the video, kept stopping his motion and looking up, but that didn't stop him from throwing eight innings of two-run ball and improving to 4-0.
"It was different in the bullpen because of how the ceremony was going," Buchholz said. "I don't think it would be right for me to keep throwing through the ceremony, so I had to stop a couple of times."
Victims of Monday's bombing were brought on the field to throw ceremonial first pitches alongside members of the Boston Police and Watertown Police departments, Patrick and police commissioner Ed Davis.
"It was a very emotional day here," Ortiz said. "Just looking at those guys that were injured by this bomb going off and watching the news pretty much every day about the whole situation, it's painful. It's painful."
A Green Monster-sized American flag was draped over the left-field wall and the national anthem was sung by the crowd.
Finally, it was time for baseball.
"It was tough," Dustin Pedroia said of trying to play a game immediately after such a powerful ceremony. "I think around like the fifth or sixth, I was beat. I mean, we were tired. You're drained, you know? Yeah, it was different. Different day."
Andrew Bailey pulled out another surprise before the ninth inning, when he entered to the song, "I'm Shipping Up To Boston," by the Dropkick Murphys. It was the theme song played when former Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon entered to shut the door in the ninth.
"That was something [catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia] and I discussed this morning," Bailey said. "I said, 'Let's do it.' That ninth inning was a part of the game the fans really enjoyed for a long time. It was just something we decided to do and the way they erupted was unbelievable. It was just a good day."
Ortiz shared the sentiment.
"Today I could see people just opening their chests and just letting it go," he said. "We all know that it's going to take some time to heal up, but it's step by step, and this is one of the steps we take as a positive and we can move forward."
Boston stronger: Sox pay tribute to victims | MLB-com: News
Except David Ortiz.
On the day he was making his triumphant return from the 15-day disabled list, Ortiz grabbed the microphone.
"All right," he said. "All right, Boston."
The crowd erupted, but Ortiz had more.
"This jersey that we wear today," he said, "it doesn't say Red Sox. It says Boston. We want to thank you Mayor [Tom] Menino, Gov. [Deval] Patrick, the whole police department for the great job they did this past week.
"This is our f------ city and nobody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong."
The fans laughed and roared as Ortiz walked toward the dugout and smacked the hands of a club employee with the microphone.
"It just came out," Ortiz explained after the Red Sox beat the Royals, 4-3. "It just came out, man. It just came out. If I offended anybody, I apologize, but I feel like this town needs to be pumped."
A little after 1 p.m. ET, a tribute to the Boston Marathon victims was displayed on the video scoreboard at Fenway. With the song "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley playing over the loudspeaker, the tribute scrolled through photos of happy Marathon runners at first. Cheers erupted.
Then came the photos everyone has seen all too much of over the last week, with the image of the first explosion coming first, then the instantly famous shot, featured on the front of Sports Illustrated this week, of three Boston Police officers standing in front of the chaos as a runner lay on the ground.
After a display of the Watertown sign caused another eruption in cheer, photos from Friday's manhunt and eventual capture of the second bombing suspect wrapped up the video tribute.
"That video was pretty moving," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "When you consider all that has transpired, from a celebration of someone finishing a marathon to the devastation that followed that, to all the video if you watched TV the last 36 hours, it was all captured in that five-minute video."
Saturday starter Clay Buchholz, who was warming up in the bullpen during the video, kept stopping his motion and looking up, but that didn't stop him from throwing eight innings of two-run ball and improving to 4-0.
"It was different in the bullpen because of how the ceremony was going," Buchholz said. "I don't think it would be right for me to keep throwing through the ceremony, so I had to stop a couple of times."
Victims of Monday's bombing were brought on the field to throw ceremonial first pitches alongside members of the Boston Police and Watertown Police departments, Patrick and police commissioner Ed Davis.
"It was a very emotional day here," Ortiz said. "Just looking at those guys that were injured by this bomb going off and watching the news pretty much every day about the whole situation, it's painful. It's painful."
A Green Monster-sized American flag was draped over the left-field wall and the national anthem was sung by the crowd.
Finally, it was time for baseball.
"It was tough," Dustin Pedroia said of trying to play a game immediately after such a powerful ceremony. "I think around like the fifth or sixth, I was beat. I mean, we were tired. You're drained, you know? Yeah, it was different. Different day."
Andrew Bailey pulled out another surprise before the ninth inning, when he entered to the song, "I'm Shipping Up To Boston," by the Dropkick Murphys. It was the theme song played when former Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon entered to shut the door in the ninth.
"That was something [catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia] and I discussed this morning," Bailey said. "I said, 'Let's do it.' That ninth inning was a part of the game the fans really enjoyed for a long time. It was just something we decided to do and the way they erupted was unbelievable. It was just a good day."
Ortiz shared the sentiment.
"Today I could see people just opening their chests and just letting it go," he said. "We all know that it's going to take some time to heal up, but it's step by step, and this is one of the steps we take as a positive and we can move forward."
Boston stronger: Sox pay tribute to victims | MLB-com: News
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Baseball is rarely an afterthought here, especially to the Red Sox owners. But over the past week, it has been.
Team president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino was sitting on a couch inside a Fenway Park suite Sunday night, yelling at the television as his club suffered through a doubleheader sweep against the Royals.
With every sound of the bat, his eyes grew wider. But suddenly, Lucchino grew even more serious, turning and yelling across the room.
"Can you turn that up?" he said.
Mayor Thomas Menino, a longtime friend of Lucchino's, was on NESN, talking about The One Fund Boston, a non-profit organization set up by Menino and governor Deval Patrick to help the people most affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon last Monday.
As soon as the dust settled, Lucchino said he, Tom Werner and John Henry -- the three Red Sox owners -- called Commissioner Bud Selig to figure out a way to help.
The victims needed support, and the answer was a $646,500 donation.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association chipped in $500,000. The Red Sox added $100,000, and the Red Sox Foundation, with help from fans donating at Fenway Park this past weekend, contributed $46,500. All the money was presented to The One Fund Boston on Sunday.
"For us, it was important," Lucchino said. "We always understood we had an obligation and an opportunity to give back to the community. We all need to unite and come together in this."
In addition to the donation, the Red Sox teamed with 47 Brand to sell specially-designed hats at Red Sox team stores and YawkeyWayStore-com. The stone-washed blue hats have the B-Strong logo on the front and sell for $20, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to The One Fund Boston.
As of Sunday night, $300,000 had already been raised via hat sales.
The uniforms that the Red Sox wore Saturday will be auctioned off within the next couple of days to keep the donations flowing, Lucchino said.
"As far as we know, that's the first time in the 113-year history of the Red Sox they've worn white uniforms that say Boston on the front," he said. "They have been signed and will be auctioned off.
"This will be a continuing effort on the part of not just the Red Sox Foundation, but other local institutions too."
Menino, who has been a vocal leader in the raising of funds for victims, said, "It's about Boston coming together. That's what we look to this fund for. Everyone is coming together and helping each other out at a very difficult time."
First responders to Monday's tragedy were honored again during Sunday's games, and Lucchino said it will be a continuing theme over the course of the season.
Major League Baseball, MLBPA join Red Sox for donation to One Fund Boston | MLB-com: News
Team president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino was sitting on a couch inside a Fenway Park suite Sunday night, yelling at the television as his club suffered through a doubleheader sweep against the Royals.
With every sound of the bat, his eyes grew wider. But suddenly, Lucchino grew even more serious, turning and yelling across the room.
"Can you turn that up?" he said.
Mayor Thomas Menino, a longtime friend of Lucchino's, was on NESN, talking about The One Fund Boston, a non-profit organization set up by Menino and governor Deval Patrick to help the people most affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon last Monday.
As soon as the dust settled, Lucchino said he, Tom Werner and John Henry -- the three Red Sox owners -- called Commissioner Bud Selig to figure out a way to help.
The victims needed support, and the answer was a $646,500 donation.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association chipped in $500,000. The Red Sox added $100,000, and the Red Sox Foundation, with help from fans donating at Fenway Park this past weekend, contributed $46,500. All the money was presented to The One Fund Boston on Sunday.
"For us, it was important," Lucchino said. "We always understood we had an obligation and an opportunity to give back to the community. We all need to unite and come together in this."
In addition to the donation, the Red Sox teamed with 47 Brand to sell specially-designed hats at Red Sox team stores and YawkeyWayStore-com. The stone-washed blue hats have the B-Strong logo on the front and sell for $20, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to The One Fund Boston.
As of Sunday night, $300,000 had already been raised via hat sales.
The uniforms that the Red Sox wore Saturday will be auctioned off within the next couple of days to keep the donations flowing, Lucchino said.
"As far as we know, that's the first time in the 113-year history of the Red Sox they've worn white uniforms that say Boston on the front," he said. "They have been signed and will be auctioned off.
"This will be a continuing effort on the part of not just the Red Sox Foundation, but other local institutions too."
Menino, who has been a vocal leader in the raising of funds for victims, said, "It's about Boston coming together. That's what we look to this fund for. Everyone is coming together and helping each other out at a very difficult time."
First responders to Monday's tragedy were honored again during Sunday's games, and Lucchino said it will be a continuing theme over the course of the season.
Major League Baseball, MLBPA join Red Sox for donation to One Fund Boston | MLB-com: News
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The seedy world of baseball memorabilia has officially collided with the seedy world of Anthony Bosch.
The detailed documents linking dozens of Major League Baseball players to Bosch and performance-enhancing drugs that are floating around the back alleys of South Florida have landed in the hands of at least one consigner looking to peddle what he described as “the kind of stuff that keeps someone out of the Hall of Fame.”
The consigner recently contacted a prominent memorabilia dealer with an offer to sell what he said were “original documents” from Bosch’s clinic for which he said he had already rejected a $50,000 offer from a different bidder.
He added that he had already sold “copies of them to a fool.”
The documents offered for sale include detailed information about the purchases of performance-enhancing drugs — and possibly player signatures.
The memorabilia dealer, who requested anonymity because of the controversial nature of the documents and the evidence they might contain, declined the offer. The seller, who did not identify himself, asked the dealer to pass along the information to any clients who might be interested.
An interested party then contacted the seller, who told the person the documents from Bosch’s now-defunct Biogenesis anti-aging clinic are “black and white. It’s all there.
You’ve read about it, the list of names. It’s serious stuff. Kick it around, kick it around. You might have a direct line to some of these guys, I don’t know.”
The seller seemed to be referring to collectors looking to acquire scandal-stained material involving the game’s biggest stars.
“This stuff should go in the Hall of Fame,” the seller said. “If you show what it is, maybe they’ll stop doing it. It’s leaking down to 13- and 14-year-old kids now.”
Several parties have already purchased documents from Bosch’s clinic, or have been given access to them, including:
The Miami New Times, which published a story in January based on notes and records obtained from a former employee of the clinic that listed some of baseball’s biggest names — Alex Rodriguez, former Yankee and current Blue Jay Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers, former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon and Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez — as having allegedly procured performance-enhancing drugs, from human growth hormone to testosterone to anabolic steroids, from Bosch.
- Yahoo! Sports, which reported that Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun’s name had appeared in a list reflecting money owed to Bosch but not reflecting drugs purchased.
According to Braun’s representatives, his lawyers retained Bosch as a consultant during his 2012 successful appeal of a positive drug test during the 2011 postseason.
- ESPN, which named five more players listed on documents from the clinic.
- A-Rod, who the Daily News and the New York Times reported had obtained his own set of documents, possibly to destroy them or to keep them out of the hands of MLB investigators.
- And MLB itself, which purchased copies of documents for several thousands of dollars but is believed to still be seeking more information.
As for the sellers of the documents, it is unclear how some of them obtained the Biogenesis records. The Daily News reported earlier this month that disgruntled investors in Bosch’s businesses and former employees have worked through middlemen to sell some of the documents.
“I know they are stealing from each other,” said one source familiar with the transactions. “These are not nice folks.
According to the seller, he’s in possession of “thousands of pages. Thousands. The meat’s probably 100 pages. To be honest, I haven’t been through them all. I know what the whole story is. But I looked at a little of it and it was enough.
“I’m thinking, what if these were numbered and framed. People love and hate this game. I’d work with you on something like that.
“But if you got somewhere where you can put it.”
Read more: Biogenesis records that link MLB players to PEDs are for sale to highest bidder - NY Daily News
The detailed documents linking dozens of Major League Baseball players to Bosch and performance-enhancing drugs that are floating around the back alleys of South Florida have landed in the hands of at least one consigner looking to peddle what he described as “the kind of stuff that keeps someone out of the Hall of Fame.”
The consigner recently contacted a prominent memorabilia dealer with an offer to sell what he said were “original documents” from Bosch’s clinic for which he said he had already rejected a $50,000 offer from a different bidder.
He added that he had already sold “copies of them to a fool.”
The documents offered for sale include detailed information about the purchases of performance-enhancing drugs — and possibly player signatures.
The memorabilia dealer, who requested anonymity because of the controversial nature of the documents and the evidence they might contain, declined the offer. The seller, who did not identify himself, asked the dealer to pass along the information to any clients who might be interested.
An interested party then contacted the seller, who told the person the documents from Bosch’s now-defunct Biogenesis anti-aging clinic are “black and white. It’s all there.
You’ve read about it, the list of names. It’s serious stuff. Kick it around, kick it around. You might have a direct line to some of these guys, I don’t know.”
The seller seemed to be referring to collectors looking to acquire scandal-stained material involving the game’s biggest stars.
“This stuff should go in the Hall of Fame,” the seller said. “If you show what it is, maybe they’ll stop doing it. It’s leaking down to 13- and 14-year-old kids now.”
Several parties have already purchased documents from Bosch’s clinic, or have been given access to them, including:
The Miami New Times, which published a story in January based on notes and records obtained from a former employee of the clinic that listed some of baseball’s biggest names — Alex Rodriguez, former Yankee and current Blue Jay Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers, former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon and Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez — as having allegedly procured performance-enhancing drugs, from human growth hormone to testosterone to anabolic steroids, from Bosch.
- Yahoo! Sports, which reported that Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun’s name had appeared in a list reflecting money owed to Bosch but not reflecting drugs purchased.
According to Braun’s representatives, his lawyers retained Bosch as a consultant during his 2012 successful appeal of a positive drug test during the 2011 postseason.
- ESPN, which named five more players listed on documents from the clinic.
- A-Rod, who the Daily News and the New York Times reported had obtained his own set of documents, possibly to destroy them or to keep them out of the hands of MLB investigators.
- And MLB itself, which purchased copies of documents for several thousands of dollars but is believed to still be seeking more information.
As for the sellers of the documents, it is unclear how some of them obtained the Biogenesis records. The Daily News reported earlier this month that disgruntled investors in Bosch’s businesses and former employees have worked through middlemen to sell some of the documents.
“I know they are stealing from each other,” said one source familiar with the transactions. “These are not nice folks.
According to the seller, he’s in possession of “thousands of pages. Thousands. The meat’s probably 100 pages. To be honest, I haven’t been through them all. I know what the whole story is. But I looked at a little of it and it was enough.
“I’m thinking, what if these were numbered and framed. People love and hate this game. I’d work with you on something like that.
“But if you got somewhere where you can put it.”
Read more: Biogenesis records that link MLB players to PEDs are for sale to highest bidder - NY Daily News
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In the moment, the injury looked worse than it was. Mets left-hander Jon Niese left Tuesday's game against the Dodgers in the third inning after taking a comebacker off his right leg, but X-rays were negative and Niese expects to make his next start.
"What are the odds that ball hits my ankle?" Niese said. "It's one of those things where I'm glad it's not as bad as what it could have been. I'll just move on, shake it off and get ready for my next start."
Niese appeared to be in severe pain after Mark Ellis' comebacker struck him on the lower half of his right leg, hopping to foul territory and sitting there for several moments without attempting to stand. Following a discussion with Mets trainer Ray Ramirez, Niese walked off the field under his own power. The Mets later diagnosed a bruise between the ankle bone and Achilles tendon in his right leg.
"I didn't know what it hit at first," Niese said after Tuesday's 7-2 loss. "I think it was more of a stinger than anything; it kind of made my whole foot numb a little bit. But it feels good now. I've got feeling in it. It's just a good bruise right now."
Still, it gave the Mets quite a scare. Niese had been the Mets' best starting pitcher outside of Matt Harvey through his first four turns of the rotation, going 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA. Were he not so sure about making his next start, the Mets -- who have already endured rotation injuries to Johan Santana and Shaun Marcum -- would be looking at calling up one of Collin McHugh, D.J. Mitchell, Rafael Montero or Zack Wheeler to take his place.
Instead they should turn again to Niese, who gave up one run in 2 1/3 innings prior to his injury.
"There's no question when it happened, your first worry is that something serious is there, and how are we going to fill it?" manager Terry Collins said. "But there's no reason to panic."
Mets pitcher Jon Niese exits game with right leg bruise | MLB-com: News
"What are the odds that ball hits my ankle?" Niese said. "It's one of those things where I'm glad it's not as bad as what it could have been. I'll just move on, shake it off and get ready for my next start."
Niese appeared to be in severe pain after Mark Ellis' comebacker struck him on the lower half of his right leg, hopping to foul territory and sitting there for several moments without attempting to stand. Following a discussion with Mets trainer Ray Ramirez, Niese walked off the field under his own power. The Mets later diagnosed a bruise between the ankle bone and Achilles tendon in his right leg.
"I didn't know what it hit at first," Niese said after Tuesday's 7-2 loss. "I think it was more of a stinger than anything; it kind of made my whole foot numb a little bit. But it feels good now. I've got feeling in it. It's just a good bruise right now."
Still, it gave the Mets quite a scare. Niese had been the Mets' best starting pitcher outside of Matt Harvey through his first four turns of the rotation, going 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA. Were he not so sure about making his next start, the Mets -- who have already endured rotation injuries to Johan Santana and Shaun Marcum -- would be looking at calling up one of Collin McHugh, D.J. Mitchell, Rafael Montero or Zack Wheeler to take his place.
Instead they should turn again to Niese, who gave up one run in 2 1/3 innings prior to his injury.
"There's no question when it happened, your first worry is that something serious is there, and how are we going to fill it?" manager Terry Collins said. "But there's no reason to panic."
Mets pitcher Jon Niese exits game with right leg bruise | MLB-com: News
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There will be plenty of baseball going on this afternoon: Eight games are on tap, assuming all the games get played. The Cubs and Reds are already in a rain delay, with cold weather expected in Colorado, Detroit, and Chicago.
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds 12:35 PM EDT – Great American Ball Park
Nothing like afternoon games in April, but they do run the risk of rain delays. That is the case in today’s Cubs/Reds game. Game time temps are expected to be around 48° F, with cloudy conditions. The humidity will be 69%. There is a 20% chance of precipitation. The total for the game is 7, down from the opening 7.5 line. Jeff Samardzija and Mat Latos will be the starting pitchers.
St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals 1:05 PM EDT – Nationals Park
Forecasts are calling for 76° F temperatures with winds blowing out to center field at 14 mph. The humidity will be around 43%. No rain is expected in this game. The over/under number is 7 for the game.
Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies 1:10 PM MDT – Coors Field
Temperatures are expected to be around 46° F at game time tonight, dipping down to 48°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 0.33, with the wind blowing in from left field at 6 mph. No rain is expected in this game. 10 is the total tonight.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants 12:45 PM PDT – AT&T Park
It should be a great day of afternoon baseball in San Francisco. Game time temps are expected to be around 66° F, with partly cloudy conditions and the wind blowing out to centerfield at 8 mph. The humidity will be 50%. No rain is expected in this game. The total is the game is 6.5.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies 7:05 PM EDT – Citizens Bank Park
Forecasts are calling for 68°F temperatures with winds blowing out to left field at 14 mph. The humidity will be around 56%.. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. The over/under number is 7 for the game.
Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets 7:10 PM EDT – Citi Field
Temperatures are expected to be around 61°F at game time tonight, dipping down to 58°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 62% with the wind blowing out to center field at 14 mph. There is a 20% chance of precipitation. 7 is the total tonight.
Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres 10:10 PM EDT – Petco Park
Game time temps are expected to be around 59°F, with mostly cloudy conditions. The humidity will be 69%. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. The total is 7.5.
Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles 12:35 PM EDT – Camden Yards
Forecasts are calling for 76° F temperatures with winds blowing out to center field at 14 mph. The humidity will be around 45%. No rain is expected in this game. The over/under number is 8.5 for the game.
Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros 1:10 PM CDT – Minute Maid Park
(Note: retractable roof may be closed depending on conditions)
Temperatures are expected to be around 62° F at gametime tonight, dipping down to 65°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 56%, with the wind blowing in from right field at at 14 mph. No rain is expected in this game. 8 is the total tonight.
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox 2:10 PM EDT – U.S. Cellular Field
Game time temps are expected to be around 45° F, with partly cloudy conditions. The wind will be blowing out to centerfield at 12-14 mph. The humidity will be 54%. No rain is expected in this game. The total is the game is 7.5.
Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox 4:05 PM EDT – Fenway Park
Forecasts are calling for 65°F temperatures with winds blowing out to center at 9 mph. The humidity will be around 48%. No rain is expected in this game. The over/under number is 8.5 for the game.
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers 7:05 PM EDT – Comerica Park
The Royals and Tigers were rained out yesterday but look like they should be able to get this one in. Temperatures are expected to be around 45°F at gametime tonight, dipping down to 41°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 0.56, with the wind blowing out to left field at 10 mph. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. 7.5 is the total tonight.
Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels 7:05 PM PDT – Angel Stadium
Game time temps are expected to be around 61°F, with partly cloudy conditions. The humidity will be 78%. No rain is expected in this game. The total is the game is 7.5.
Baseball Betting: MLB Weather Report | Online Gambling News Baseball Betting: MLB Weather Report | Rouletters-com
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds 12:35 PM EDT – Great American Ball Park
Nothing like afternoon games in April, but they do run the risk of rain delays. That is the case in today’s Cubs/Reds game. Game time temps are expected to be around 48° F, with cloudy conditions. The humidity will be 69%. There is a 20% chance of precipitation. The total for the game is 7, down from the opening 7.5 line. Jeff Samardzija and Mat Latos will be the starting pitchers.
St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals 1:05 PM EDT – Nationals Park
Forecasts are calling for 76° F temperatures with winds blowing out to center field at 14 mph. The humidity will be around 43%. No rain is expected in this game. The over/under number is 7 for the game.
Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies 1:10 PM MDT – Coors Field
Temperatures are expected to be around 46° F at game time tonight, dipping down to 48°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 0.33, with the wind blowing in from left field at 6 mph. No rain is expected in this game. 10 is the total tonight.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants 12:45 PM PDT – AT&T Park
It should be a great day of afternoon baseball in San Francisco. Game time temps are expected to be around 66° F, with partly cloudy conditions and the wind blowing out to centerfield at 8 mph. The humidity will be 50%. No rain is expected in this game. The total is the game is 6.5.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies 7:05 PM EDT – Citizens Bank Park
Forecasts are calling for 68°F temperatures with winds blowing out to left field at 14 mph. The humidity will be around 56%.. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. The over/under number is 7 for the game.
Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets 7:10 PM EDT – Citi Field
Temperatures are expected to be around 61°F at game time tonight, dipping down to 58°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 62% with the wind blowing out to center field at 14 mph. There is a 20% chance of precipitation. 7 is the total tonight.
Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres 10:10 PM EDT – Petco Park
Game time temps are expected to be around 59°F, with mostly cloudy conditions. The humidity will be 69%. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. The total is 7.5.
Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles 12:35 PM EDT – Camden Yards
Forecasts are calling for 76° F temperatures with winds blowing out to center field at 14 mph. The humidity will be around 45%. No rain is expected in this game. The over/under number is 8.5 for the game.
Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros 1:10 PM CDT – Minute Maid Park
(Note: retractable roof may be closed depending on conditions)
Temperatures are expected to be around 62° F at gametime tonight, dipping down to 65°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 56%, with the wind blowing in from right field at at 14 mph. No rain is expected in this game. 8 is the total tonight.
Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox 2:10 PM EDT – U.S. Cellular Field
Game time temps are expected to be around 45° F, with partly cloudy conditions. The wind will be blowing out to centerfield at 12-14 mph. The humidity will be 54%. No rain is expected in this game. The total is the game is 7.5.
Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox 4:05 PM EDT – Fenway Park
Forecasts are calling for 65°F temperatures with winds blowing out to center at 9 mph. The humidity will be around 48%. No rain is expected in this game. The over/under number is 8.5 for the game.
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers 7:05 PM EDT – Comerica Park
The Royals and Tigers were rained out yesterday but look like they should be able to get this one in. Temperatures are expected to be around 45°F at gametime tonight, dipping down to 41°F by the time the game is over. Humidity will be at 0.56, with the wind blowing out to left field at 10 mph. There is a 10% chance of precipitation. 7.5 is the total tonight.
Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels 7:05 PM PDT – Angel Stadium
Game time temps are expected to be around 61°F, with partly cloudy conditions. The humidity will be 78%. No rain is expected in this game. The total is the game is 7.5.
Baseball Betting: MLB Weather Report | Online Gambling News Baseball Betting: MLB Weather Report | Rouletters-com
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Major League Baseball won't change its schedule to boost the sport's chances of getting back into the Olympics.
Baseball was an Olympic medal sport from 1992-2008, then was dropped for last year's London Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge says baseball should make its top athletes available, as they are in basketball and hockey.
"Look, we can't stop our season in August. We just can't," baseball Commissioner Bud Selig told the Associated Press Sports Editors on Thursday. "You can't say to your fans: 'We'll see you in the next period of time. Your club loses some players but yours doesn't.'"
The IOC board meets next month to select one or more sports for consideration by September's IOC general assembly. In an effort to boost the chance of readmission for 2020, the international baseball and softball federations are merging.
Some have suggested major leaguers could play in the Olympics during an extended All-Star break. Selig was clear that MLB's schedule will not be interrupted, and that weather made an earlier start or later ending impossible.
"Do I wish I could? Yes," he said. "But is it practical? No." The sport launched its own international event in 2006, the World Baseball Classic. The first two tournaments were won by Japan, and the Dominican Republic took this year's title last month.
Many top American pitchers didn't play for their national team, including David Price, Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, Clayton Kershaw and Matt Cain. Some clubs were reluctant to have their players participate.
"They just didn't want to take a chance," Selig said. "And frankly, if I were running a club, I wouldn't either."
He does hope to add another international competition.
"My ultimate goal, I hope I live long enough to see it, is a true World Series," he said. "We have a ways to go."
On another international matter, Selig would like to institute a worldwide amateur draft for 2014. Under baseball's labor contract, MLB must notify the players' association by June 1 of its intent to start an international draft for next year, and the union would have until June 15 to veto it.
"We met with the players' association last week, had extended conversations on the topic," said Rob Manfred, an MLB executive vice president. "It's within the realm of the possible that we will have an agreement by June 1."
Union head Michael Weiner responded in an email to The Associated Press: "We have begun discussion, but I wouldn't prejudge the results."
MLB won't interrupt season for Olympics | Sports, News, The Philippine Star | philstar-com
Baseball was an Olympic medal sport from 1992-2008, then was dropped for last year's London Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge says baseball should make its top athletes available, as they are in basketball and hockey.
"Look, we can't stop our season in August. We just can't," baseball Commissioner Bud Selig told the Associated Press Sports Editors on Thursday. "You can't say to your fans: 'We'll see you in the next period of time. Your club loses some players but yours doesn't.'"
The IOC board meets next month to select one or more sports for consideration by September's IOC general assembly. In an effort to boost the chance of readmission for 2020, the international baseball and softball federations are merging.
Some have suggested major leaguers could play in the Olympics during an extended All-Star break. Selig was clear that MLB's schedule will not be interrupted, and that weather made an earlier start or later ending impossible.
"Do I wish I could? Yes," he said. "But is it practical? No." The sport launched its own international event in 2006, the World Baseball Classic. The first two tournaments were won by Japan, and the Dominican Republic took this year's title last month.
Many top American pitchers didn't play for their national team, including David Price, Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, Clayton Kershaw and Matt Cain. Some clubs were reluctant to have their players participate.
"They just didn't want to take a chance," Selig said. "And frankly, if I were running a club, I wouldn't either."
He does hope to add another international competition.
"My ultimate goal, I hope I live long enough to see it, is a true World Series," he said. "We have a ways to go."
On another international matter, Selig would like to institute a worldwide amateur draft for 2014. Under baseball's labor contract, MLB must notify the players' association by June 1 of its intent to start an international draft for next year, and the union would have until June 15 to veto it.
"We met with the players' association last week, had extended conversations on the topic," said Rob Manfred, an MLB executive vice president. "It's within the realm of the possible that we will have an agreement by June 1."
Union head Michael Weiner responded in an email to The Associated Press: "We have begun discussion, but I wouldn't prejudge the results."
MLB won't interrupt season for Olympics | Sports, News, The Philippine Star | philstar-com
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An hour or so before first pitch, Brayan Pena was nervously preparing to catch Anibal Sanchez for the first time Friday night, going over the Tigers' game plan for a Braves offense that leads the Majors in home runs and has hit Sanchez hard in the past, when Sanchez tried to calm him down.
"When we went over the game plan," Pena recalled, "he said, 'I just want you to relax, I just want you to smile, and I just want you to be happy. And I just want you to be you, because you're going to have a lot of fun tonight.'"
Sanchez didn't have history on his mind when he said it.
"Yeah, that's what I said: 'Just relax, man, and have fun,'" Sanchez said after the Tigers' 10-0 win over the Braves. "That's what I always say to the catcher there. Even if we have a bad game, all the time I say, 'Relax, have fun,' because I'm aware how blessed we are on the field, especially with this team. You have to do what you have to do. Just have fun, get relaxed and play ball."
So when Pena was on his way back to the dugout in the eighth inning, having caught the breaking ball that sent down Dan Uggla swinging once again for Sanchez's 17th strikeout of the game, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He couldn't help but tell Sanchez how proud he was.
"Man, I did," Pena said, shaking his head. "I did have a lot of fun."
The Detroit Tigers have over a century of history, and a lot of pitching greats are a part of it, from Hall of Famers Hal Newhouser and Jim Bunning to Hall of Fame hopeful Jack Morris to 30-game winner Denny McLain. They have two pitchers who threw multiple no-hitters, Justin Verlander and Virgil Trucks, and two pitchers who have won pitching Triple Crowns, Verlander and Newhouser.
None of them struck out 17 batters in a game. When Sanchez fanned Uggla for the fourth time on his 121st pitch of the night, he took the single-game franchise record from the great Mickey Lolich. No Tigers right-hander had struck out more than 15 in a game.
Lolich's mark stood for 44 years. It survived Morris, Verlander and Max Scherzer. It couldn't hold up against what Sanchez threw at the Braves on Friday night.
"Amazing," Sanchez said. "It's amazing that I can do that for this team. Over 100 years, it's amazing."
Over the recent years, on a team that had the American League's strikeout leader and runner-up last year with Verlander and Scherzer, it's equally impressive.
"Anibal is No. 1 [on the staff]," Scherzer said. "I'm No. 2, and Ver is, well, just average."
It's amazing what Sanchez has done for this team in how little time. Friday was Sanchez's 20th start as a Tiger, including three last postseason. He already had a place in franchise lore for helping pitch Detroit to the World Series, and he has a shutout from their playoff drive last September.
Now, he has a place in the record books.
"All those great pitchers that have worn the Detroit Tigers uniform," Pena said, "and for him to come out tonight the way he did, it was unbelievable."
Torii Hunter can't dig back that far into Tigers lore, but he can dig into 17 years of Major League experience. He has a hard time topping this.
"I have to tip my cap," Hunter said. "That's probably one of the best performances I've seen from a pitcher. He made history."
All Hunter could do was watch. None of Detroit's outfielders had a putout. The only time Hunter touched the ball all evening was to field Andrelton Simmons' line-drive single with two outs in the eighth and Sanchez sitting at 16 strikeouts.
When asked how it was to watch, Hunter smiled.
"It was boring," Hunter said. "Standing out there was boring. But at the same time, it was awesome. The later he stayed out there, the more intense it got. We were pulling for him out there, all the players. And when he got that last strikeout from Uggla, I thought that was pretty impressive."
Hunter was in the outfield as a Minnesota Twin when Johan Santana struck out 17 Texas Rangers on Aug. 19, 2007. Only one pitcher in the Majors, Toronto's Brandon Morrow, had fanned that many in a game since then. Morrow did it against Tampa Bay on Aug. 8, 2010.
Sanchez's performance ties him with the great Santana for the most strikeouts in a game by a Venezuelan-born pitcher. It also ties him with Santana and Randy Johnson for the second-highest strikeout total in a game by a pitcher tossing eight innings or fewer, according to STATS. Only Johnson's 18 strikeouts over eight innings against Texas in 1992 tops that in a game since 1921.
It would be great to say he had nights like this in mind when he re-signed with the Tigers in December, agreeing to a five-year contract. Truth is, Sanchez wasn't even focusing on it Friday. Strikeouts, he insists, weren't part of the game plan.
"It's not something I'm aware [of while pitching]," he said. "I'm more aware to get quick outs. But yeah, it surprised me, a lot of strikeouts."
By the time he realized it, he had history.
Anibal enters Tigers lore with 17-K performance | MLB-com: News
"When we went over the game plan," Pena recalled, "he said, 'I just want you to relax, I just want you to smile, and I just want you to be happy. And I just want you to be you, because you're going to have a lot of fun tonight.'"
Sanchez didn't have history on his mind when he said it.
"Yeah, that's what I said: 'Just relax, man, and have fun,'" Sanchez said after the Tigers' 10-0 win over the Braves. "That's what I always say to the catcher there. Even if we have a bad game, all the time I say, 'Relax, have fun,' because I'm aware how blessed we are on the field, especially with this team. You have to do what you have to do. Just have fun, get relaxed and play ball."
So when Pena was on his way back to the dugout in the eighth inning, having caught the breaking ball that sent down Dan Uggla swinging once again for Sanchez's 17th strikeout of the game, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He couldn't help but tell Sanchez how proud he was.
"Man, I did," Pena said, shaking his head. "I did have a lot of fun."
The Detroit Tigers have over a century of history, and a lot of pitching greats are a part of it, from Hall of Famers Hal Newhouser and Jim Bunning to Hall of Fame hopeful Jack Morris to 30-game winner Denny McLain. They have two pitchers who threw multiple no-hitters, Justin Verlander and Virgil Trucks, and two pitchers who have won pitching Triple Crowns, Verlander and Newhouser.
None of them struck out 17 batters in a game. When Sanchez fanned Uggla for the fourth time on his 121st pitch of the night, he took the single-game franchise record from the great Mickey Lolich. No Tigers right-hander had struck out more than 15 in a game.
Lolich's mark stood for 44 years. It survived Morris, Verlander and Max Scherzer. It couldn't hold up against what Sanchez threw at the Braves on Friday night.
"Amazing," Sanchez said. "It's amazing that I can do that for this team. Over 100 years, it's amazing."
Over the recent years, on a team that had the American League's strikeout leader and runner-up last year with Verlander and Scherzer, it's equally impressive.
"Anibal is No. 1 [on the staff]," Scherzer said. "I'm No. 2, and Ver is, well, just average."
It's amazing what Sanchez has done for this team in how little time. Friday was Sanchez's 20th start as a Tiger, including three last postseason. He already had a place in franchise lore for helping pitch Detroit to the World Series, and he has a shutout from their playoff drive last September.
Now, he has a place in the record books.
"All those great pitchers that have worn the Detroit Tigers uniform," Pena said, "and for him to come out tonight the way he did, it was unbelievable."
Torii Hunter can't dig back that far into Tigers lore, but he can dig into 17 years of Major League experience. He has a hard time topping this.
"I have to tip my cap," Hunter said. "That's probably one of the best performances I've seen from a pitcher. He made history."
All Hunter could do was watch. None of Detroit's outfielders had a putout. The only time Hunter touched the ball all evening was to field Andrelton Simmons' line-drive single with two outs in the eighth and Sanchez sitting at 16 strikeouts.
When asked how it was to watch, Hunter smiled.
"It was boring," Hunter said. "Standing out there was boring. But at the same time, it was awesome. The later he stayed out there, the more intense it got. We were pulling for him out there, all the players. And when he got that last strikeout from Uggla, I thought that was pretty impressive."
Hunter was in the outfield as a Minnesota Twin when Johan Santana struck out 17 Texas Rangers on Aug. 19, 2007. Only one pitcher in the Majors, Toronto's Brandon Morrow, had fanned that many in a game since then. Morrow did it against Tampa Bay on Aug. 8, 2010.
Sanchez's performance ties him with the great Santana for the most strikeouts in a game by a Venezuelan-born pitcher. It also ties him with Santana and Randy Johnson for the second-highest strikeout total in a game by a pitcher tossing eight innings or fewer, according to STATS. Only Johnson's 18 strikeouts over eight innings against Texas in 1992 tops that in a game since 1921.
It would be great to say he had nights like this in mind when he re-signed with the Tigers in December, agreeing to a five-year contract. Truth is, Sanchez wasn't even focusing on it Friday. Strikeouts, he insists, weren't part of the game plan.
"It's not something I'm aware [of while pitching]," he said. "I'm more aware to get quick outs. But yeah, it surprised me, a lot of strikeouts."
By the time he realized it, he had history.
Anibal enters Tigers lore with 17-K performance | MLB-com: News
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How's this for rubbing salt into the wound.
After failing to record an out and getting ejected four batters into Friday’s start, Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Jonathan Sanchez was suspended six games and fined an undisclosed amount Saturday for plunking St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig.
After giving up back-to-back home runs to Matt Carpenter and Carlos Beltran and a single to Matt Holliday, Sanchez hit Craig up high and was immediately thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Tim Timmons.
Timmons told Sanchez his intent “was obvious,” according to MLB-com
Sanchez will appeal the penalty.
So far this season, Sanchez has given up 16 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings and sports an 0-3 record with a 12.71 ERA.
ONE UP, ONE DOWN
The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost the services of their second baseman but could regain their starting shortstop in the near future.
Mark Ellis suffered a quad strain in Friday’s win against the Milwaukee Brewers as he tried to leg out an infield single, according to MLB-com
“He kind of seemed to be optimistic, but we’ll just have to see,” manager Don Mattingly said after the game. “Usually guys don't come out of the game like that and it not be something. I want to be optimistic, but usually you see a guy come out and kind of pull up like that, it’s usually something that’s not going to be a day or two.”
Meanwhile, Hanley Ramirez is on the verge of a comeback.
Ramirez, who tore a ligament in his right thumb during the World Baseball Classic, is targeting Tuesday for his return to action, according to ESPN.
Tuesday also happens to be Hanley Ramirez bobblehead day at Dodger Stadium.
SCARY MOMENT
Both starting pitchers in Friday night’s tilt between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies had experienced first-hand what was happening in front of them.
D-backs right-hander Brandon McCarthy (skull fracture) and Rockies righty Juan Nicasio (fractured C-1 vertebrae) have both suffered major head injuries after being struck by comebackers.
This time, they had to watch as a scary scene unfolded as Arizona shortstop Didi Gregorious was on the ground writhing in pain after taking a 93-mph fastball to the head from Nicasio.
Gregorious stayed down for several minutes as he was attended to by D-backs staff.
The rookie was originally listed as day-to-day with a right temple contusion but he could land on the disabled list if a CT scan shows he suffered a concussion, MLB-com reports.
At the very least, D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said Grigorious underwent a written concussion test when he left the game and passed it “with flying colours.”
“That shows he has no neurological problems,” Gibson said.
BRIEFLY
The Pirates could be without second baseman Neil Walker for a while after suffering a deep cut to his right hand, according to MLB-com. Walker tried to break up a double play and had his hand stepped on by Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma. The injury required six stitches ... The New York Yankees placed catcher Francisco Cervelli on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right hand and also put pitcher Ivan Nova on the DL with a right triceps inflammation.
MLB notes: Jonathan Sanchez suspended for plunking Allen Craig | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun
After failing to record an out and getting ejected four batters into Friday’s start, Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Jonathan Sanchez was suspended six games and fined an undisclosed amount Saturday for plunking St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig.
After giving up back-to-back home runs to Matt Carpenter and Carlos Beltran and a single to Matt Holliday, Sanchez hit Craig up high and was immediately thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Tim Timmons.
Timmons told Sanchez his intent “was obvious,” according to MLB-com
Sanchez will appeal the penalty.
So far this season, Sanchez has given up 16 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings and sports an 0-3 record with a 12.71 ERA.
ONE UP, ONE DOWN
The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost the services of their second baseman but could regain their starting shortstop in the near future.
Mark Ellis suffered a quad strain in Friday’s win against the Milwaukee Brewers as he tried to leg out an infield single, according to MLB-com
“He kind of seemed to be optimistic, but we’ll just have to see,” manager Don Mattingly said after the game. “Usually guys don't come out of the game like that and it not be something. I want to be optimistic, but usually you see a guy come out and kind of pull up like that, it’s usually something that’s not going to be a day or two.”
Meanwhile, Hanley Ramirez is on the verge of a comeback.
Ramirez, who tore a ligament in his right thumb during the World Baseball Classic, is targeting Tuesday for his return to action, according to ESPN.
Tuesday also happens to be Hanley Ramirez bobblehead day at Dodger Stadium.
SCARY MOMENT
Both starting pitchers in Friday night’s tilt between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies had experienced first-hand what was happening in front of them.
D-backs right-hander Brandon McCarthy (skull fracture) and Rockies righty Juan Nicasio (fractured C-1 vertebrae) have both suffered major head injuries after being struck by comebackers.
This time, they had to watch as a scary scene unfolded as Arizona shortstop Didi Gregorious was on the ground writhing in pain after taking a 93-mph fastball to the head from Nicasio.
Gregorious stayed down for several minutes as he was attended to by D-backs staff.
The rookie was originally listed as day-to-day with a right temple contusion but he could land on the disabled list if a CT scan shows he suffered a concussion, MLB-com reports.
At the very least, D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said Grigorious underwent a written concussion test when he left the game and passed it “with flying colours.”
“That shows he has no neurological problems,” Gibson said.
BRIEFLY
The Pirates could be without second baseman Neil Walker for a while after suffering a deep cut to his right hand, according to MLB-com. Walker tried to break up a double play and had his hand stepped on by Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma. The injury required six stitches ... The New York Yankees placed catcher Francisco Cervelli on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right hand and also put pitcher Ivan Nova on the DL with a right triceps inflammation.
MLB notes: Jonathan Sanchez suspended for plunking Allen Craig | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun
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Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig was arrested Sunday morning and charged with speeding, reckless driving and driving without proof of insurance.
Puig was arrested by police in Chattanooga, Tenn., and spent a short time in the Hamilton County jail before he was released. Puig has a hearing in Hamilton County court scheduled for May 14.
"We're aware of it ... we take it seriously," said Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. "We'll be handling discipline internally."
Puig, the organization's top prospect, signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Dodgers last June. The outfielder hit .517 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 27 games during Spring Training, but the Dodgers assigned him to Double-A Chattanooga because management believed he needed seasoning in the subtle parts of the game and wanted him to play every day.
Puig is hitting .333 with three homers and nine RBIs in 13 games with Chattanooga. He went on the seven-day disabled list on April 20 with a sprained left thumb and has not played since April 18.
Top Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig arrested in Tennessee | MLB-com: News
Puig was arrested by police in Chattanooga, Tenn., and spent a short time in the Hamilton County jail before he was released. Puig has a hearing in Hamilton County court scheduled for May 14.
"We're aware of it ... we take it seriously," said Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. "We'll be handling discipline internally."
Puig, the organization's top prospect, signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Dodgers last June. The outfielder hit .517 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 27 games during Spring Training, but the Dodgers assigned him to Double-A Chattanooga because management believed he needed seasoning in the subtle parts of the game and wanted him to play every day.
Puig is hitting .333 with three homers and nine RBIs in 13 games with Chattanooga. He went on the seven-day disabled list on April 20 with a sprained left thumb and has not played since April 18.
Top Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig arrested in Tennessee | MLB-com: News
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NBA center Jason Collins became the first active player in a major American team sport to announce that he's gay, detailing his story in a piece for Sports Illustrated on Monday.
The reaction across the baseball world was almost universal: Collins should be applauded for his courage in making such an announcement while he's still playing, for finally breaking a barrier in a sports culture that doesn't often encourage it.
"I'm happy for him. I can't imagine what it's like to live your whole professional life basically in secrecy," Reds right fielder Jay Bruce said. "I don't think anyone should let society pigeonhole them into thinking something is right or wrong. ... I'm happy he did it for himself. I am sure it's a pretty big weight lifted off of his shoulders now."
But Collins' words also prompted a question: Is Major League Baseball ready for an openly gay player?
The response from most was a resounding yes.
"Of course. Hopefully, this allows individuals to express themselves," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "I don't pass any judgment on anybody except for coming out here and playing on a team and playing winning baseball. If you can do that, a teammate's a teammate."
"I think it's great," added Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. "For all of us as athletes, we should all be tolerant. Not only tolerant, but accepting. I think it's a great thing. I think everybody should be encouraged to be comfortable and confident in who they are, and I think hopefully it's the first step in the right direction for anybody that's going through some of the same things that he went through. It's definitely a step in a positive direction I think for all athletes, and hopefully for society in general."
Of course, Braun pointed out, it will be a challenge for whichever player becomes baseball's version of Collins. There will be a great deal of attention from the media. Yankees lefty CC Sabathia said it would be "tough" to "be the first guy," but he hoped it would be easier after Collins' announcement.
"I think anytime anything happens for the first time, it's a little bit of a shock no matter what it is in our world," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Anytime it happens for the first time, it's a little bit of a shock. I believe baseball will handle it well."
"I think you have to admire his courage for coming out," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "I think people are much more tolerant than they were in the past and much more accepting. I can't speak for 25 men -- I haven't asked them. But I would assume that day's coming in baseball."
Some have wondered whether an openly gay player would be treated differently in a baseball clubhouse than in other locker rooms. While most players said Monday they would be fine with a gay teammate, baseball has often been considered, as Cleveland's Jason Giambi put it, "a good ol' boys game."
"That's probably been weighing on his soul for a long time. I'm happy that he's happy, because life's tough enough. If that's what makes him happy, I'm excited for it," Giambi said. "I definitely think times have changed, there's no doubt. There's a place for a gay baseball player, or an alternative lifestyle, however you want to put it. There's room. ... It's definitely changed. Society has changed. People have opened themselves up more to it."
"I absolutely think he'd be accepted," Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. "I think it'd be a tough go. That just seems to be society's thing, especially in sports. It definitely would be interesting, for sure. But he'd definitely be accepted. I think if it were someone on our team, we'd treat him the same."
As many players and managers across baseball argued, a player's sexual orientation should never be a primary concern in the clubhouse or on the field. They're brought in to do a job and to entertain fans, which has everything to do with their ability as baseball players and little to do with their lives away from the ballpark.
"If I had a gay teammate, the only thing I'd worry about is can he hit, if he's a position player. Or does he get outs, if he's a pitcher. That's the only thing that matters to me," Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano said. "What somebody does in their own personal life is their business. It's not going to affect me. That's just how I feel about it."
Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins echoed that sentiment. Hawkins said he read Collins' story twice and called it "phenomenal" for his way of thinking and his method of articulating his feelings in one article.
"Everybody knows somebody who's gay. If you can't deal with it in 2013, you need to go somewhere and hide in a cave," Hawkins said. "It's there. Whether you like it or not, it doesn't affect you. So why judge it?"
Only time will tell when Major League Baseball will see its first openly gay player make an announcement like the one Collins shared Monday, and only then will we know for sure how the baseball world will handle that situation. But people throughout baseball are confident that the sport is ready for that day.
"You know what? I think it comes down to common sense," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Be nice and be respectful of other people. That's kind of the most sensible answer."
Announcement by NBA's Jason Collins applauded across baseball | MLB-com: News
The reaction across the baseball world was almost universal: Collins should be applauded for his courage in making such an announcement while he's still playing, for finally breaking a barrier in a sports culture that doesn't often encourage it.
"I'm happy for him. I can't imagine what it's like to live your whole professional life basically in secrecy," Reds right fielder Jay Bruce said. "I don't think anyone should let society pigeonhole them into thinking something is right or wrong. ... I'm happy he did it for himself. I am sure it's a pretty big weight lifted off of his shoulders now."
But Collins' words also prompted a question: Is Major League Baseball ready for an openly gay player?
The response from most was a resounding yes.
"Of course. Hopefully, this allows individuals to express themselves," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "I don't pass any judgment on anybody except for coming out here and playing on a team and playing winning baseball. If you can do that, a teammate's a teammate."
"I think it's great," added Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. "For all of us as athletes, we should all be tolerant. Not only tolerant, but accepting. I think it's a great thing. I think everybody should be encouraged to be comfortable and confident in who they are, and I think hopefully it's the first step in the right direction for anybody that's going through some of the same things that he went through. It's definitely a step in a positive direction I think for all athletes, and hopefully for society in general."
Of course, Braun pointed out, it will be a challenge for whichever player becomes baseball's version of Collins. There will be a great deal of attention from the media. Yankees lefty CC Sabathia said it would be "tough" to "be the first guy," but he hoped it would be easier after Collins' announcement.
"I think anytime anything happens for the first time, it's a little bit of a shock no matter what it is in our world," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Anytime it happens for the first time, it's a little bit of a shock. I believe baseball will handle it well."
"I think you have to admire his courage for coming out," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "I think people are much more tolerant than they were in the past and much more accepting. I can't speak for 25 men -- I haven't asked them. But I would assume that day's coming in baseball."
Some have wondered whether an openly gay player would be treated differently in a baseball clubhouse than in other locker rooms. While most players said Monday they would be fine with a gay teammate, baseball has often been considered, as Cleveland's Jason Giambi put it, "a good ol' boys game."
"That's probably been weighing on his soul for a long time. I'm happy that he's happy, because life's tough enough. If that's what makes him happy, I'm excited for it," Giambi said. "I definitely think times have changed, there's no doubt. There's a place for a gay baseball player, or an alternative lifestyle, however you want to put it. There's room. ... It's definitely changed. Society has changed. People have opened themselves up more to it."
"I absolutely think he'd be accepted," Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. "I think it'd be a tough go. That just seems to be society's thing, especially in sports. It definitely would be interesting, for sure. But he'd definitely be accepted. I think if it were someone on our team, we'd treat him the same."
As many players and managers across baseball argued, a player's sexual orientation should never be a primary concern in the clubhouse or on the field. They're brought in to do a job and to entertain fans, which has everything to do with their ability as baseball players and little to do with their lives away from the ballpark.
"If I had a gay teammate, the only thing I'd worry about is can he hit, if he's a position player. Or does he get outs, if he's a pitcher. That's the only thing that matters to me," Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano said. "What somebody does in their own personal life is their business. It's not going to affect me. That's just how I feel about it."
Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins echoed that sentiment. Hawkins said he read Collins' story twice and called it "phenomenal" for his way of thinking and his method of articulating his feelings in one article.
"Everybody knows somebody who's gay. If you can't deal with it in 2013, you need to go somewhere and hide in a cave," Hawkins said. "It's there. Whether you like it or not, it doesn't affect you. So why judge it?"
Only time will tell when Major League Baseball will see its first openly gay player make an announcement like the one Collins shared Monday, and only then will we know for sure how the baseball world will handle that situation. But people throughout baseball are confident that the sport is ready for that day.
"You know what? I think it comes down to common sense," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Be nice and be respectful of other people. That's kind of the most sensible answer."
Announcement by NBA's Jason Collins applauded across baseball | MLB-com: News
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If a baseball season were any more fragile it’d be delivered in a velvet pouch swathed in bubble wrap sprinkled with foam peanuts in a corrugated box and presented by a skittish guy with lip sweat and a slight hand tremor.
“Here,” he’d say and practically faint from the relief. You break it, you bought it. Except you already bought it. So, you break it, you live with it, every stinkin’ day for six months. And just for kicks you invite tens of thousands of people in to see it every day, and if it breaks then, tens of hundreds might show up not for support but to sharpen the humiliation.
The daily delivery of the product has changed so that, as New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman once said, teams are no longer judged by the baseball they play over a summer, or a month, or even a week, but over “162 one-game seasons.”
Which means stuff breaks. A lot. And then comes the expectation that it be fixed, you know, right this instant, because there’s another game, like, tomorrow.
So, May arrives. For some, the calendar page flutters by, turned by the breath of angels. Not those Angels. For others, it's heaved like blocks of sandstone by ancient Egyptian laborers. Like those Angels. In fact, April closed none too soon for four teams whose reputations – and offseasons – promised better. Much better. Whose seasons began at fragile, like they all do, and ended the month teetering very close to, “Damn, what happened here?”
You’d have gotten reasonable odds that by now the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals would have established themselves as possibly dominant teams. Or would at least be at or near the top of their divisions. Yet, none has so much as a winning record. The Angels and Blue Jays, in fact, already are testing the patience of their fan bases, certainly their managers, and presumably their owners. They’re also soon to be relying on the good nature of the rest of their divisions, to stick around while they get their acts together, before it all gets too fragile and there’s no hope at all to fix their pitching staffs.
First in starting pitching – number of starters used, that is – the Dodgers through Monday night had the much more quantifiable issue of having outscored only the Miami Marlins in the National League, a league for which the Marlins barely qualify. Yet, after a month in which they had so little go right, they activated Hanley Ramirez just in time to hand out his bobblehead at the door, and in his second at-bat he homered over the left-field fence.
For whatever reason, an offense with Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and a reborn Carl Crawford wasn’t enough to be capable over a month, primarily because the Dodgers hit .202 with runners in scoring position, which was only slightly better than the Chicago Cubs, who are worst in the league at it and truly understand the definition of fragile. Ramirez damaged his thumb during the final innings of the World Baseball Classic and underwent surgery 10 days before the season began. Outfitted with a flexible splint on his right wrist and thumb, he started at shortstop Monday night. His first throw to first base – in the fourth inning – he guided rather than snapped off, but it was effective enough, and now the Dodgers’ lineup becomes slightly deeper. In the bottom of the fourth, he lashed a double into the right-field corner.
These are the events – some subtle, some not so much – that can rescue seasons before they go too soft. The Angels expect Jered Weaver, Ryan Madson and Alberto Callaspo to help soon, and on Monday had Erick Aybar back at shortstop. The Blue Jays practically had Jose Reyes and Brett Lawrie pass each other on the way onto and off of the disabled list, Josh Johnson has missed a start and R.A. Dickey may, too. The Nationals haven’t had third baseman Ryan Zimmerman for two weeks, and now apparently can resume their annual fretting over Stephen Strasburg. It’s tough out there. There’s probably no winning or losing a division in April, but you certainly could shrink the room for error into the size of a broom closet. By late September last year the Angels were freely admitting they’d lost too much ground in April, when they went out 8-15 and nine games out of first place in the AL West. At the conclusion of 19 innings Tuesday morning, they were 9-16 and seven games out.
So, the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly, while busy browsing through their starting pitching depth chart and wondering when the offense might come, also were thankful that they’d hung close to .500 – nothing great, but nothing damaging either.
“So, we’re hanging in there at this point, kind of jostling in the pack, you know?” Mattingly said. “But, we’re in the pack.
“I mean, you’d like to get out of the gate and be 20-8 or so."
So, they survive April.
“It feels like that a little,” Mattingly said, “but still with the expectation we’re going to put up wins.”
So, they wait on a more consistent game. They wait on Zack Greinke. They wait on clutch hits, and the rhythm of a season that for a month found the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks instead, and the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees instead, that left a lot of favorites behind. All but a few have problems, some bigger than others, and they wait on their problems to get manageable.
And they try not to think about how fragile it can be, and how quickly it can become so.
Y! SPORTS
“Here,” he’d say and practically faint from the relief. You break it, you bought it. Except you already bought it. So, you break it, you live with it, every stinkin’ day for six months. And just for kicks you invite tens of thousands of people in to see it every day, and if it breaks then, tens of hundreds might show up not for support but to sharpen the humiliation.
The daily delivery of the product has changed so that, as New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman once said, teams are no longer judged by the baseball they play over a summer, or a month, or even a week, but over “162 one-game seasons.”
Which means stuff breaks. A lot. And then comes the expectation that it be fixed, you know, right this instant, because there’s another game, like, tomorrow.
So, May arrives. For some, the calendar page flutters by, turned by the breath of angels. Not those Angels. For others, it's heaved like blocks of sandstone by ancient Egyptian laborers. Like those Angels. In fact, April closed none too soon for four teams whose reputations – and offseasons – promised better. Much better. Whose seasons began at fragile, like they all do, and ended the month teetering very close to, “Damn, what happened here?”
You’d have gotten reasonable odds that by now the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals would have established themselves as possibly dominant teams. Or would at least be at or near the top of their divisions. Yet, none has so much as a winning record. The Angels and Blue Jays, in fact, already are testing the patience of their fan bases, certainly their managers, and presumably their owners. They’re also soon to be relying on the good nature of the rest of their divisions, to stick around while they get their acts together, before it all gets too fragile and there’s no hope at all to fix their pitching staffs.
First in starting pitching – number of starters used, that is – the Dodgers through Monday night had the much more quantifiable issue of having outscored only the Miami Marlins in the National League, a league for which the Marlins barely qualify. Yet, after a month in which they had so little go right, they activated Hanley Ramirez just in time to hand out his bobblehead at the door, and in his second at-bat he homered over the left-field fence.
For whatever reason, an offense with Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and a reborn Carl Crawford wasn’t enough to be capable over a month, primarily because the Dodgers hit .202 with runners in scoring position, which was only slightly better than the Chicago Cubs, who are worst in the league at it and truly understand the definition of fragile. Ramirez damaged his thumb during the final innings of the World Baseball Classic and underwent surgery 10 days before the season began. Outfitted with a flexible splint on his right wrist and thumb, he started at shortstop Monday night. His first throw to first base – in the fourth inning – he guided rather than snapped off, but it was effective enough, and now the Dodgers’ lineup becomes slightly deeper. In the bottom of the fourth, he lashed a double into the right-field corner.
These are the events – some subtle, some not so much – that can rescue seasons before they go too soft. The Angels expect Jered Weaver, Ryan Madson and Alberto Callaspo to help soon, and on Monday had Erick Aybar back at shortstop. The Blue Jays practically had Jose Reyes and Brett Lawrie pass each other on the way onto and off of the disabled list, Josh Johnson has missed a start and R.A. Dickey may, too. The Nationals haven’t had third baseman Ryan Zimmerman for two weeks, and now apparently can resume their annual fretting over Stephen Strasburg. It’s tough out there. There’s probably no winning or losing a division in April, but you certainly could shrink the room for error into the size of a broom closet. By late September last year the Angels were freely admitting they’d lost too much ground in April, when they went out 8-15 and nine games out of first place in the AL West. At the conclusion of 19 innings Tuesday morning, they were 9-16 and seven games out.
So, the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly, while busy browsing through their starting pitching depth chart and wondering when the offense might come, also were thankful that they’d hung close to .500 – nothing great, but nothing damaging either.
“So, we’re hanging in there at this point, kind of jostling in the pack, you know?” Mattingly said. “But, we’re in the pack.
“I mean, you’d like to get out of the gate and be 20-8 or so."
So, they survive April.
“It feels like that a little,” Mattingly said, “but still with the expectation we’re going to put up wins.”
So, they wait on a more consistent game. They wait on Zack Greinke. They wait on clutch hits, and the rhythm of a season that for a month found the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks instead, and the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees instead, that left a lot of favorites behind. All but a few have problems, some bigger than others, and they wait on their problems to get manageable.
And they try not to think about how fragile it can be, and how quickly it can become so.
Y! SPORTS
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The month may be new, but the Nationals' luck with injuries doesn't appear to have changed.
Outfielder Bryce Harper left Wednesday night's game, a 2-0 win over the Braves, while dealing with the remnants of a bruise.
Leading off the sixth inning, Harper tried to check his swing on an 0-1 pitch from starter Paul Maholm. Though he winced following the swing, he would finish the at-bat, hitting a smash to first baseman Freddie Freeman on Maholm's next offering.
"The check swing, having all the force going toward the ball then just stopping, immediately it just got me a little bit," said Harper, who went 0-for-2 but drew an important leadoff walk in the fourth inning. "It got me to the point where I couldn't breathe and I had to catch my breath. It didn't feel very good."
Roger Bernadina took over in right to start the bottom of the sixth.
"He didn't want to come out of the ballgame, but I saw him grimace, and I was a little concerned about him playing," said manager Davey Johnson.
The site of the injury was vulnerable long before the sixth. The area under Harper's left shoulder blade was bruised on Tuesday night when he ran into the fenced scoreboard in right field trying to pull in a home run by Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson.
"We couldn't take a chance on it," said Johnson. "You worry about it, because it's a really bad contusion in there. With all the blood in there, it could cause some other problems. We'll take it day by day and check him tomorrow."
Harper, who went into Wednesday's game leading the National League in multihit games (12), was playing in right field due to injuries to regular right fielder Jayson Werth.
How he feels as Thursday's series finale draws nearer will be the big issue, but Harper -- who described the area as "a little tight" following ice and other treatment -- is optimistic.
"Hopefully, I can come in tomorrow, feel like a million bucks and play," Harper said. "If I can play tomorrow, I'm going to play. I can play with pain. I can tolerate pain. There's hopefully nothing that can keep me out of that lineup tomorrow."
Painful bruise prompts Harper's early exit | MLB-com: News
Outfielder Bryce Harper left Wednesday night's game, a 2-0 win over the Braves, while dealing with the remnants of a bruise.
Leading off the sixth inning, Harper tried to check his swing on an 0-1 pitch from starter Paul Maholm. Though he winced following the swing, he would finish the at-bat, hitting a smash to first baseman Freddie Freeman on Maholm's next offering.
"The check swing, having all the force going toward the ball then just stopping, immediately it just got me a little bit," said Harper, who went 0-for-2 but drew an important leadoff walk in the fourth inning. "It got me to the point where I couldn't breathe and I had to catch my breath. It didn't feel very good."
Roger Bernadina took over in right to start the bottom of the sixth.
"He didn't want to come out of the ballgame, but I saw him grimace, and I was a little concerned about him playing," said manager Davey Johnson.
The site of the injury was vulnerable long before the sixth. The area under Harper's left shoulder blade was bruised on Tuesday night when he ran into the fenced scoreboard in right field trying to pull in a home run by Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson.
"We couldn't take a chance on it," said Johnson. "You worry about it, because it's a really bad contusion in there. With all the blood in there, it could cause some other problems. We'll take it day by day and check him tomorrow."
Harper, who went into Wednesday's game leading the National League in multihit games (12), was playing in right field due to injuries to regular right fielder Jayson Werth.
How he feels as Thursday's series finale draws nearer will be the big issue, but Harper -- who described the area as "a little tight" following ice and other treatment -- is optimistic.
"Hopefully, I can come in tomorrow, feel like a million bucks and play," Harper said. "If I can play tomorrow, I'm going to play. I can play with pain. I can tolerate pain. There's hopefully nothing that can keep me out of that lineup tomorrow."
Painful bruise prompts Harper's early exit | MLB-com: News
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Clay Buchholz was not the only Red Sox pitcher accused of using foreign substances by Rogers Sportsnet's analysts during Boston's road series against the Blue Jays.
On the radio and TV home of the Blue Jays, color commentators Dirk Hayhurst and Jack Morris accused Buchholz of applying something illegal on his forearm and doctoring the ball in his start Wednesday, then the same critical comments were made about reliever Junichi Tazawa on Thursday.
"Well, it looks to me like he's got a little something on his forearm, also," Morris said during the telecast of Boston's 3-1 victory. "I don't know as though that's anything in the slippery point. It might be some tacky stuff to get a feel, but it's obvious that he has gone to his forearm, too. Who knows? That might just be deception, too. A lot of time you have perspiration you're going to go to that just to mess with hitters."
In an interview with ESPN-com, Morris alleged Buchholz was throwing a spitball in Boston's 10-1 victory Wednesday night.
"I found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," Morris said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is."
Another accusation made against Tazawa came from Blue Jays radio broadcaster Mike Wilner, who tweeted that he saw something on Tazawa's arm during the game that he thought appeared fishy. Tazawa declined to comment, but at least one Red Sox player was not pleased to hear that the accusations continued into Thursday night.
"I saw [J.A.] Happ all night going to his forearm. Is he doing something?" Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said about Toronto's starter. "For them to point out one guy or two guys, I don't think that's right."
Red Sox manager John Farrell was visibly upset when first talking about the alleged doctoring before Thursday's game. When asked about the new revelations postgame, the skipper brushed aside the remarks.
"Really no response," Farrell said. "If comments are going to be made because pitchers pitch well, then we'll take it as a compliment."
His pregame comments to reporters, however, were much more pointed.
"It bothers me immensely," Farrell said. "When someone is going to make an accusation, and in this case, on cheating because of something they have seen on TV -- he has rosin on his arm," Farrell said. "I think rosin was designed to get a grip. The fact is that he has rosin on his arm.
"I've seen some people that have brought photographs to me, they are false. The fact is the guy is 6-0, he has pitched his tail off and people are going to point to him cheating? Unfounded."
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons did not see anything suspicious during the three-game set in Toronto and didn't appear to be overly concerned about it, either. Neither was third baseman Brett Lawrie, who said, "I'm not really watching that. I can't really comment on that. It's not my position to."
Even if there was cheating taking place, Gibbons said, Buchholz and Tazawa wouldn't be the first pitchers to do so.
"No, and if he was, that's not why we lost the game," Gibbons said when asked if he noticed anything. "That has been going on in baseball probably since the game started. You get caught, you get caught. ... I don't think it's anything unusual, but that didn't have any effect on tonight's game. Whether he was doing it or not, I don't know." Hayhurst, a former Major League pitcher, put out a series of tweets accusing the right-hander of applying a foreign substance to his arm and in his hair during the game. He then reiterated those comments on Thursday during his morning radio show "Baseball Central," which airs on The Fan 590.
Buchholz, who is 6-0 with 1.01 ERA, said he applies rosin to his arm and didn't appear bothered by the allegations, stressing that they are blatantly false. He responded to the accusations on Thursday after being named the American League Pitcher of the Month.
"I put a little bit of water on my hip just to get it a little moist, because sometimes the balls they throw to you feel like cue balls off a pool table," said Buchholz, who allowed Toronto just two hits and fanned eight batters over seven shutout frames on Wednesday night. "You have to find a way to get grip. Definitely no foreign objects or substances on my arm.
"I'm not doing anything wrong, so if I have to answer questions about it, that's the world we live in."
Saltalamacchia said rosin is the only thing he has ever seen Buchholz put on his arm and that many pitchers do the same thing to help with grip and control.
"It's not like the guys are out there with a nail file, cutting the ball and then throwing it," Saltalamacchia said. "If that's what they want to worry about, that's fine. That's not our focus."
The 28-year-old Buchholz added that anything in his hair was either sweat or water and said he has never been accused of cheating before. Buchholz went on to say that he usually pours a bottle of water on his head after every inning.
Buchholz laughed it off and said if he had thrown two innings, opposed to the seven scoreless frames of two-hit ball he hurled, that this probably wouldn't be a story.
"That's water. You can look at as much video as you want," Buchholz said.
David Ross, who caught Buchholz on Wednesday, said the righty is "clean as a whistle."
"No," Ross said when asked if Buchholz was using any illegal substances. "Clay throws out a lot of balls that get scuffed and stuff. He threw out I think three last night on choppers that were hit. They had big scuffs on 'em. If you want a little extra movement, I don't think that's what -- people always look for, somebody has success, they want to blame something."
[url=mlb-mlb-com/news/article-jsp?ymd=20130502&content_id=46446816&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb]Blue Jays broadcasters accuse Red Sox pitchers of cheating | MLB
On the radio and TV home of the Blue Jays, color commentators Dirk Hayhurst and Jack Morris accused Buchholz of applying something illegal on his forearm and doctoring the ball in his start Wednesday, then the same critical comments were made about reliever Junichi Tazawa on Thursday.
"Well, it looks to me like he's got a little something on his forearm, also," Morris said during the telecast of Boston's 3-1 victory. "I don't know as though that's anything in the slippery point. It might be some tacky stuff to get a feel, but it's obvious that he has gone to his forearm, too. Who knows? That might just be deception, too. A lot of time you have perspiration you're going to go to that just to mess with hitters."
In an interview with ESPN-com, Morris alleged Buchholz was throwing a spitball in Boston's 10-1 victory Wednesday night.
"I found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," Morris said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is."
Another accusation made against Tazawa came from Blue Jays radio broadcaster Mike Wilner, who tweeted that he saw something on Tazawa's arm during the game that he thought appeared fishy. Tazawa declined to comment, but at least one Red Sox player was not pleased to hear that the accusations continued into Thursday night.
"I saw [J.A.] Happ all night going to his forearm. Is he doing something?" Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said about Toronto's starter. "For them to point out one guy or two guys, I don't think that's right."
Red Sox manager John Farrell was visibly upset when first talking about the alleged doctoring before Thursday's game. When asked about the new revelations postgame, the skipper brushed aside the remarks.
"Really no response," Farrell said. "If comments are going to be made because pitchers pitch well, then we'll take it as a compliment."
His pregame comments to reporters, however, were much more pointed.
"It bothers me immensely," Farrell said. "When someone is going to make an accusation, and in this case, on cheating because of something they have seen on TV -- he has rosin on his arm," Farrell said. "I think rosin was designed to get a grip. The fact is that he has rosin on his arm.
"I've seen some people that have brought photographs to me, they are false. The fact is the guy is 6-0, he has pitched his tail off and people are going to point to him cheating? Unfounded."
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons did not see anything suspicious during the three-game set in Toronto and didn't appear to be overly concerned about it, either. Neither was third baseman Brett Lawrie, who said, "I'm not really watching that. I can't really comment on that. It's not my position to."
Even if there was cheating taking place, Gibbons said, Buchholz and Tazawa wouldn't be the first pitchers to do so.
"No, and if he was, that's not why we lost the game," Gibbons said when asked if he noticed anything. "That has been going on in baseball probably since the game started. You get caught, you get caught. ... I don't think it's anything unusual, but that didn't have any effect on tonight's game. Whether he was doing it or not, I don't know." Hayhurst, a former Major League pitcher, put out a series of tweets accusing the right-hander of applying a foreign substance to his arm and in his hair during the game. He then reiterated those comments on Thursday during his morning radio show "Baseball Central," which airs on The Fan 590.
Buchholz, who is 6-0 with 1.01 ERA, said he applies rosin to his arm and didn't appear bothered by the allegations, stressing that they are blatantly false. He responded to the accusations on Thursday after being named the American League Pitcher of the Month.
"I put a little bit of water on my hip just to get it a little moist, because sometimes the balls they throw to you feel like cue balls off a pool table," said Buchholz, who allowed Toronto just two hits and fanned eight batters over seven shutout frames on Wednesday night. "You have to find a way to get grip. Definitely no foreign objects or substances on my arm.
"I'm not doing anything wrong, so if I have to answer questions about it, that's the world we live in."
Saltalamacchia said rosin is the only thing he has ever seen Buchholz put on his arm and that many pitchers do the same thing to help with grip and control.
"It's not like the guys are out there with a nail file, cutting the ball and then throwing it," Saltalamacchia said. "If that's what they want to worry about, that's fine. That's not our focus."
The 28-year-old Buchholz added that anything in his hair was either sweat or water and said he has never been accused of cheating before. Buchholz went on to say that he usually pours a bottle of water on his head after every inning.
Buchholz laughed it off and said if he had thrown two innings, opposed to the seven scoreless frames of two-hit ball he hurled, that this probably wouldn't be a story.
"That's water. You can look at as much video as you want," Buchholz said.
David Ross, who caught Buchholz on Wednesday, said the righty is "clean as a whistle."
"No," Ross said when asked if Buchholz was using any illegal substances. "Clay throws out a lot of balls that get scuffed and stuff. He threw out I think three last night on choppers that were hit. They had big scuffs on 'em. If you want a little extra movement, I don't think that's what -- people always look for, somebody has success, they want to blame something."
[url=mlb-mlb-com/news/article-jsp?ymd=20130502&content_id=46446816&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb]Blue Jays broadcasters accuse Red Sox pitchers of cheating | MLB
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It took Giants All-Star catcher Buster Posey nearly four years to get his first career game-ending home run. Guillermo Quiroz did it in his first season with the defending World Series champs.
Of course, it helped facing a pitcher Quiroz was very familiar with.
One day after Posey's milestone hit in the series opener against the Dodgers, Quiroz matched him with a home run off Dodgers closer and former teammate Brandon League with one out in the 10th inning, lifting San Francisco to a 10-9 win over Los Angeles on Saturday night. "He hung a split-finger fastball," said Quiroz, who played with League in Toronto and Seattle. "I know him pretty well. ... So I kind of knew what kind of pitch he was trying to get me out with."
The Giants blew a 5-0 lead and wasted a bases-loaded opportunity in the ninth before Quiroz hit an 0-2 pitch from League (0-1) into the left field stands. Quiroz pumped his fist as soon as he left the batter's box and scurried around the bases with his first career game-ending hit.
He is 4 for 6 this season as a pinch hitter after making the club as a bit of a long shot in spring training.
"I wasn't expecting a home run off a tough closer like that," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "For [Quiroz] to do that is impressive. Good for him. That's the ending of a wild game. They did a good job of coming back but so did we."
Santiago Casilla (3-2) pitched two innings for the victory.
The two teams used 12 pitchers and combined for 19 runs, 30 hits and stranded 24 runners in a game that lasted 4 hours, 11 minutes.
San Francisco needed every bit of it to record its 11th comeback victory of the season - tops in the majors.
A.J. Ellis homered and was one of six Dodgers with two hits as Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in seven games.
"Tonight, in a sense, is encouraging," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "It was as good as you can feel about a loss as you can."
Both teams had a chance to win it in the ninth.
Los Angeles got a one-out single from Dee Gordon but failed to advance him past second, while the Giants loaded the bases before Posey hit into an inning-ending double play.
The Dodgers haven't had a good time at all in the first two games of this series.
One day after left-hander Ted Lilly went on the disabled list, Los Angeles lost shortstop Hanley Ramirez to a hamstring injury less than a week after his return from an offseason thumb injury. Then first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was a late scratch with neck pain.
San Francisco, on the other hand, won its fifth straight.
Gordon put the Dodgers up 9-8 in the seventh when he drew a leadoff walk against Javy Lopez and was sacrificed to second. Gordon stole third and scored on a headfirst slide into home to beat the throw from San Francisco second baseman Marco Scutaro following Carl Crawford's infield grounder.
Pablo Sandoval's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh tied it at 9-all.
The Giants batted around in the first inning and led 5-0 after two to chase Dodgers starter Matt Magill. Posey had a two-run double to help the defending World Series champs take their early lead.
Ellis homered off San Francisco starter Ryan Vogelsong with one out in the fourth before Los Angeles sent 12 men to the plate and took the lead in the fifth.
Matt Kemp had a two-run double while Gordon tripled in two runs when his hit bounced past sliding right fielder Hunter Pence. Gordon later scored on Nick Punto's single.
After Andres Torres ended an 0-for-14 slump with a solo home run off reliever Javy Guerra in the fifth to pull the Giants within 8-7 and Posey scored the tying run on a wild pitch by Paco Rodriguez in the sixth.
The two teams traded runs in the seventh, setting the stage for the finish.
Notes
Giants CF Angel Pagan left the game after the fifth inning with a right hamstring strain.
San Francisco's starting pitchers haven't recorded a win since April 21, the team's longest drought since a 14-game stretch in 2010.
Magill threw 43 pitches in the first inning.
Injured Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke threw a 60-pitch bullpen session in his latest step back from a broken left clavicle. "He felt like he had a lot more left, so that was good," Mattingly said.
LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1), who starts the series finale for Los Angeles, is coming off a 12-strikeout performance against Colorado. He'll oppose San Francisco RHP Matt Cain (0-2), who is seeking his first win of the season.
MLB Recap - Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants - May 04, 2013 - CBSSports-com
Of course, it helped facing a pitcher Quiroz was very familiar with.
One day after Posey's milestone hit in the series opener against the Dodgers, Quiroz matched him with a home run off Dodgers closer and former teammate Brandon League with one out in the 10th inning, lifting San Francisco to a 10-9 win over Los Angeles on Saturday night. "He hung a split-finger fastball," said Quiroz, who played with League in Toronto and Seattle. "I know him pretty well. ... So I kind of knew what kind of pitch he was trying to get me out with."
The Giants blew a 5-0 lead and wasted a bases-loaded opportunity in the ninth before Quiroz hit an 0-2 pitch from League (0-1) into the left field stands. Quiroz pumped his fist as soon as he left the batter's box and scurried around the bases with his first career game-ending hit.
He is 4 for 6 this season as a pinch hitter after making the club as a bit of a long shot in spring training.
"I wasn't expecting a home run off a tough closer like that," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "For [Quiroz] to do that is impressive. Good for him. That's the ending of a wild game. They did a good job of coming back but so did we."
Santiago Casilla (3-2) pitched two innings for the victory.
The two teams used 12 pitchers and combined for 19 runs, 30 hits and stranded 24 runners in a game that lasted 4 hours, 11 minutes.
San Francisco needed every bit of it to record its 11th comeback victory of the season - tops in the majors.
A.J. Ellis homered and was one of six Dodgers with two hits as Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in seven games.
"Tonight, in a sense, is encouraging," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "It was as good as you can feel about a loss as you can."
Both teams had a chance to win it in the ninth.
Los Angeles got a one-out single from Dee Gordon but failed to advance him past second, while the Giants loaded the bases before Posey hit into an inning-ending double play.
The Dodgers haven't had a good time at all in the first two games of this series.
One day after left-hander Ted Lilly went on the disabled list, Los Angeles lost shortstop Hanley Ramirez to a hamstring injury less than a week after his return from an offseason thumb injury. Then first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was a late scratch with neck pain.
San Francisco, on the other hand, won its fifth straight.
Gordon put the Dodgers up 9-8 in the seventh when he drew a leadoff walk against Javy Lopez and was sacrificed to second. Gordon stole third and scored on a headfirst slide into home to beat the throw from San Francisco second baseman Marco Scutaro following Carl Crawford's infield grounder.
Pablo Sandoval's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh tied it at 9-all.
The Giants batted around in the first inning and led 5-0 after two to chase Dodgers starter Matt Magill. Posey had a two-run double to help the defending World Series champs take their early lead.
Ellis homered off San Francisco starter Ryan Vogelsong with one out in the fourth before Los Angeles sent 12 men to the plate and took the lead in the fifth.
Matt Kemp had a two-run double while Gordon tripled in two runs when his hit bounced past sliding right fielder Hunter Pence. Gordon later scored on Nick Punto's single.
After Andres Torres ended an 0-for-14 slump with a solo home run off reliever Javy Guerra in the fifth to pull the Giants within 8-7 and Posey scored the tying run on a wild pitch by Paco Rodriguez in the sixth.
The two teams traded runs in the seventh, setting the stage for the finish.
Notes
Giants CF Angel Pagan left the game after the fifth inning with a right hamstring strain.
San Francisco's starting pitchers haven't recorded a win since April 21, the team's longest drought since a 14-game stretch in 2010.
Magill threw 43 pitches in the first inning.
Injured Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke threw a 60-pitch bullpen session in his latest step back from a broken left clavicle. "He felt like he had a lot more left, so that was good," Mattingly said.
LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1), who starts the series finale for Los Angeles, is coming off a 12-strikeout performance against Colorado. He'll oppose San Francisco RHP Matt Cain (0-2), who is seeking his first win of the season.
MLB Recap - Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants - May 04, 2013 - CBSSports-com
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The 32-year-old complained of an elevated heart rate when he arrived at Marlins Park on Sunday morning, and he was sent to the hospital for further evaluation.
"He's resting well," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "But they're going to keep him overnight. I think they're still doing some tests on him. It looks like everything is fine for now. We'll probably know more tomorrow."
Initially, Kearns was in the Marlins starting lineup for Sunday's series finale, which was won 2-1 by the Phillies.
Shortly after arriving at the ballpark, Kearns did not feel right. He was checked out by the Marlins' trainers, who quickly sent him to the hospital.
In his second season with Miami, Kearns is popular with his teammates.
Reliever Jon Rauch was also a teammate of Kearns a few years ago in Washington.
"Obviously, he's a leader in the clubhouse," Rauch said. "You guys saw what he was able to do last year, and having a veteran around like that. Plus, he's just a standup guy and a good teammate. I played with him in D.C., and I've known him a long time. I played against him in college. You never want to see anything like that happen. You wish him the best for a speedy recovery."
Just two weeks into the season, the Marlins are dealing with plenty of adversity.
The loss on Sunday dropped their record to 2-10, and the team is having a tough time keeping players healthy.
"Immediately, when he left, we started trying to figure out when we could go see him," said Kevin Slowey, Miami's starting pitcher Sunday. "Austin is the kind of guy, he's a great player, but he's a much better friend. I think everybody in this clubhouse feels that way about Austin. He's a good man.
"Normally, he's one of the first guys to greet you. He greets everybody, and he's always aware of what's going on in your life. To guys in this clubhouse, in this moment, our season may not be how we want it to be, as we look at it right now. I think we have some bigger things to worry about."
Miami's outfield Sunday was without Kearns and All-Star Giancarlo Stanton, who missed his third straight game with a bruised left shoulder.
Justin Ruggiano was scratched from the lineup Saturday because of a tight right groin. The plan was to give Ruggiano Sunday off, but he was called upon to start in right field in place of Kearns.
Kearns started in right field in Saturday's 2-1 win.
Injuries have been piling up since the end of Spring Training. The day before the season started, starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez were placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. And two games into the season, first baseman Casey Kotchman strained his left hamstring and was placed on the DL.
"Obviously, we've had a lot of stuff starting from the last week of Spring Training, losing two starters," Redmond said. "And losing your first baseman. Stanton is out. Kearns is out. Ruggiano has a tight groin. My first two weeks of managing in the Major Leagues has definitely been an adventure."
Marlins' Austin Kearns sent to hospital with irregular heartbeat | MLB-com: News