Notifications
Clear all

MLB News and Notes August - 9

9 Posts
1 Users
0 Reactions
1,347 Views
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Notes from Wednesday's AL games
August 8, 2007

TAMPA BAY: The Devil Rays called up LHP John Switzer from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday to fill LHP Casey Fossum's spot in the bullpen. Fossum (5-8, 7.70 ERA) was designated for assignment after Tuesday's 9-6 loss at Detroit. Switzer appeared in three games for Tampa Bay during an 11-game stint in mid-July. ... RHP Tim Corcoran (right elbow strain) was activated from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday and optioned to Double-A Montgomery. ... Switzer is the fifth new member of the pitching staff in the last three weeks. ... RHP Jay Witasick (right elbow strain), out since July 22, will make two one-inning rehab appearances at Class A Vero Beach this week.

DETROIT: DH Gary Sheffield was back in the lineup Wednesday after missing five games with a slight right shoulder separation. ... Saturday's game against visiting Oakland, originally scheduled to be one of Fox's afternoon national telecasts, will start at 7:05 p.m. ... OF Marcus Thames (hamstring) went 1-for-4 on Tuesday with an RBI in his first rehab game at Triple-A Toledo. He's been on the 15-day disabled list since July 19. ... 3B Brandon Inge could leave the team as early as Thursday to be with his wife, who is due to deliver the couple's second child.

SEATTLE: OF Ben Broussard returned to the team Wednesday after missing Tuesday's game to be his wife, who gave birth on Monday. Broussard was not in the starting lineup. ... The Mariners' 10-3 win Tuesday was their 34th comeback victory, most in the majors. ... OF Ichiro Suzuki entered Wednesday with a career .392 average at Camden Yards, his highest in any AL ballpark. He upped that mark with a leadoff single. ... DH Jose Vidro extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning homer Wednesday.

BALTIMORE: Orioles manager Dave Trembley canceled batting practice Wednesday because of the heat. Game-time temperature was announced at 101 degrees. ... RHP Chris Ray remains unable to participate in baseball-related activities. He's been on the 15-day disabled list since July 25 because of a sore elbow. ... Baltimore relievers had allowed 28 earned runs in 26 innings entering Wednesday's game, but Trembley said, ``I think the bullpen for the most part has been tremendous. The guys have stepped up and filled in in a variety of roles, especially since Chris got hurt.''

NEW YORK: 3B Alex Rodriguez was held out of the starting lineup for just the second time this season Wednesday, still suffering from a sore right calf. Rodriguez was hit by a pitch from Toronto's Josh Towers Tuesday, sparking a pair of bench-clearing incidents. Wilson Betemit started at third base and batted eighth. ... C Jorge Posada leads the American League with a .355 road batting average this season. ... Yankees manager Joe Torre said the closed roof at Toronto's Rogers Centre trapped the humidity inside the building, creating a steamy atmosphere for Tuesday's game. ``(Joba) Chamberlain came in after pitching two innings and looked like he'd been dropped in a tub somewhere,'' Torre said. The roof was open for Wednesday's series finale.

TORONTO: OF Matt Stairs batted leadoff Wednesday, just the second time this season he's hit at the top of the order. OF Reed Johnson got the night off. ... Toronto pitchers lead the American League with a 3.69 ERA and five shutouts since July 1. ... 1B Lyle Overbay snapped an 0-for-13 slump with a single in the first inning Wednesday. Overbay came into the game batting just .216 (16-for-74) since returning from the disabled list on July 12. He'd been out with a broken hand.

MINNESOTA: Rookie infielder Brian Buscher was flown back to Minneapolis on Wednesday and may be hospitalized with a rapidly growing leg infection. The infection apparently stems from when Buscher fouled a ball off his right leg ``five or six days ago,'' manager Ron Gardenhire said. He said Buscher would be placed on the disabled list and the contract of infielder Tommy Watkins would be purchased from Triple-A Rochester. Buscher was scheduled for an MRI exam Wednesday night. ... After Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to Kansas City, the Twins had scored fewer than six runs in 16 straight games, their longest such streak since a 20-game stretch Aug. 18-Sept. 7, 1992 when they went 20 games in a row without scoring at least five.

KANSAS CITY: DH Mike Sweeney may be back in about two weeks. He went on the DL because of right knee inflammation on June 19 and had arthroscopic surgery. He's begun hitting and working out and appears to have a bounce in his step. ``But Sweeney always has a bounce in his step,'' said manager Buddy Bell. ``He's coming along fine.'' ... Oppressive heat nearing 100 degrees forced the Twins and Royals to shorten batting practice on Wednesday. It was 91 at game time. ... The Royals still have not signed California high school infielder Mike Moustakas, the overall No. 2 pick in the June free agent draft. General manager Dayton Moore refused to discuss details but said he remained optimistic a deal could get done by the Aug. 15 deadline.

CLEVELAND: C Victor Martinez is batting .239 (26-for-109) since July 1 and allowed the tying run to reach base after he missed a called third strike in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 2-1 win over Chicago. However, Indians Manager Eric Wedge doesn't believe Martinez needs any time off. ``I think he's OK,'' Wedge said. ``He does such a good job taking care of himself. I think he's cooled off a little bit but I also see some things that indicate that he's headed the other direction in a positive way.'' Wedge added that Martinez should benefit from three off days over the next two weeks. ... INF Asdrubal Cabrera made his major league debut Wednesday and started at second base. Cabrera was called up from Triple-A Akron on Tuesday and is expected to fill an infield utility role. ``Lets see how things go,'' Wedge said. ``But I think we'll probably see him get in there a little more.''

CHICAGO: Rookie lefty John Danks will be skipped one turn in the rotation Sunday as the White Sox try to protect him from throwing too many innings this season. Danks (6-9) pitched six strong innings Tuesday night and has thrown 118 this season. ``It's just to slow him down,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said, adding Danks is not being shut down. Guillen said Gavin Floyd would get another start on Saturday against Seattle, and that struggling Jose Contreras, who'd been bumped from the rotation for a start, would go Sunday. Danks is scheduled to rejoin the rotation in Seattle, on the second stop of a road trip next week. Danks said he understood what the White Sox were doing and appreciated that they were looking after his future. ... Contreras allowed seven runs and eight hits in 2 2-3 innings in a 16-3 loss to the New York Yankees last week. He has lost his last seven starts and nine of his last 10. Guillen said the White Sox need to get the best out of the veteran right-hander, who has two years and about $20 million left on his contract. ``There is no doubt this kid is going to be with us right now. We're going to give him the best amount of days to get better.''

OAKLAND: To limit exposure to the triple-digit afternoon temperatures in North Texas, the A's took batting practice in the air-conditioned indoor cages for the second straight day. Manager Bob Geren had his team take BP and fielding on the field on Monday, the first day of the three-game series, to get acclimated to the playing conditions before moving indoors for pre-game the last two days. ... RHP Esteban Loaiza will have another minor league rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Las Vegas. Loaiza has missed the season with spasms in his right trapezius. ... OF Mark Kotsay missed his fourth straight start due to a sore back, but is expected to start the A's next game on Friday night.

TEXAS: OF/DH Sammy Sosa offered his congratulations to Barry Bonds for setting the all-time home run record. Sosa, who became the fifth player in major league history to reach 600 homers earlier this season and is second among active players behind Bonds, said he ``respects'' Bonds' achievement, calling it the product of ``hard work.''. ... C Adam Melhuse got his first start of the season for the Rangers at 3B as manager Ron Washington tries to get Melhuse some at bats. When the Rangers acquired Melhuse from the A's on June 9, the plan was for Melhuse to catch twice a week with Gerald Laird getting the other five games. Melhuse started 13 games behind the plate, but the acquisition of C-1B Jarrod Saltalamacchia from Atlanta on July 31 made Melhuse the third-string catcher, leaving him few opportunities. ``He can pinch hit, play first, catch in a blowout, and he can play third base,'' Washington said. ``I know he can play third. If they hit a ball down there, he can catch it and throw it.''

BOSTON: DH David Ortiz was not in the starting lineup for the finale of a three-game series against the Angels because of a problem with his left shoulder - the same one he injured trying to stretch a single into a double on July 20 against the White Sox at Fenway Park. ``I've been feeling pain the whole time since I injured it,'' said Ortiz, hitting .319 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs after leading the AL last season with a franchise-record 54 homers. ``When I swing and not make contact with a pitch, it hurts. I think this couple of days will be good for me.'' ... As expected, manager Terry Francona rested CF Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew made his first start in CF since July 3, 2005 - a day Drew won't soon forget. He was playing for the Dodgers that night, filling in for injured CF Milton Bradley, when a fastball from Brad Halsey of the Arizona Diamondbacks broke Drew's left wrist and ended his season. ... Crisp's fielding error in the sixth inning of Tuesday night's 10-4 loss ended his errorless streak at 153 games. ... Brandon Moss made his first big league start, playing RF. Wily Mo Pena, who cleared waivers on Tuesday according to published reports, started in LF field for the eighth time this season while Manny Ramirez was the DH.

LOS ANGELES: RHP Bartolo Colon, sidelined since July 23 because of soreness in his elbow, is scheduled to throw off a mound on Friday for the first time since the injury. ``It'll be more of a touch-and-feel thing, just to see how the ball comes out of his hand,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He still needs to step up with two or three bullpen sessions and test his arm aggressively with all of his pitches. If he turns the next one loose, full-gorilla, there's a possibility that he's ready for a (rehab) game, but we'll take it one step at a time.'' ... In a complete U-turn from Tuesday's downcast medical update on DH/LF Juan Rivera's comeback from a broken left leg he sustained while playing winter ball, Scioscia said Rivera was making good progress and that there was a possibility of getting him into some rehab games next week. ``He's definitely passed a hurdle - everything from the agility drills and baseball-related drills he's been in to his stamina,'' Scioscia said. ``His improvement has fueled our optimism. When you're rehabilitating, the last maybe 5-10 percent is usually the toughest to finish off. He's still got a ways to go.''

 
Posted : August 8, 2007 10:58 pm
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Notes from Wednesday's NL games
August 8, 2007

MILWAUKEE: Manager Ned Yost had nothing new to report on the condition of RHP Ben Sheets (sprained right index finger). ... 2B Tony Graffanino came up limping after making a leaping stab of a line drive hit by Brad Hawpe to end the first inning. ... RHP Yovani Gallardo allowed a career-high 11 runs in 2 2-3 innings. He hadn't given up more than four runs in his previous 10 appearances, 11 of them starts. ... The 19 runs allowed were the most by the team since giving up 19 runs to the New York Yankees on Sept. 25, 1996.

COLORADO: The Rockies placed C Edwin Bellorin (strained hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contract of C Alvin Colina from Colorado Springs. ``I feel badly for Edwin because he was only up for a short time,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ... OF Matt Holliday has a 10-game hitting streak. ... RHP Jason Hirsh will have his lower right leg re-evaluated Friday. Hirsh took a line drive to his leg in the first inning of Tuesday's game and X-rays revealed a fractured fibula. ``We'll wait and hope for the best,'' Hurdle said. ... 1B Todd Helton left the game with back spasms in the third inning. He is listed as day-to-day.

FLORIDA: CF Alejandro De Aza was activated from the disable list after missing nearly four months with an ankle injury. De Aza, a rookie, started on opening day and batted .303 in nine games before being injured. ... RHP Carlos Martinez was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. He had no record with a 13.50 ERA in two games. ... OF Joe Borchard was designated for assignment. He batted .196 in 85 games. ... RHP Logan Kensing was activated from the disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. He's coming back from elbow ligament replacement surgery a year ago.

PHILADELPHIA: 2B Chase Utley (broken hand) will see another specialist on Monday. ... Starting pitcher Kyle Lohse was one of eight players on the 25-man roster who was not with the Phillies on Opening Day. ... NL MVP Ryan Howard, who considers Barry Bonds his idol, was ecstatic that the Giants slugger set the new home run record. ``It's not too often you get to witness history like that,'' he said. ``With everything he's been through, everything he's going through, all the media, all the other stuff, the circus that's been surrounding him, it's been fun to watch.''

ATLANTA: CF Andruw Jones batted seventh for the second time this season. ... 3B Chipper Jones entered with a .358 batting average on the road, the best mark in the National League. ... RF Jeff Francoeur was hitting .384 since the All-Star break.

NEW YORK: CF Lastings Milledge made an excellent catch on Chipper Jones' drive in the fourth inning. Milledge crashed into the fence with his left shoulder and tumbled to the ground, but held onto the ball. Milledge is likely to keep getting playing time - at the corner outfield spots - when CF Carlos Beltran comes off the disabled list. ... The Mets hope to have reserve OF Endy Chavez (hamstring) back in two to three weeks. ... In honor of his 300th win, LHP Tom Glavine received the Key to the City from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall.

LOS ANGELES: For the second day in a row Wednesday, it was 97 degrees at the first pitch - the hottest temperature for a game in Great American Ball Park's five seasons. ... RHP Brett Tomko will start the final game of the series in Cincinnati on Thursday instead of RHP Derek Lowe, who has a sore left hip and will get two extra days of rest. His next start is scheduled for Saturday in St. Louis. Tomko will be making his 13th start of the season. He's 2-3 with a 6.22 ERA in nine start and three relief appearances against his former team. ... SS Rafael Furcal broke an 0-for-9 skid with a single in the fourth, the Dodgers' first hit off Aaron Harang.

CINCINNATI: OF Ryan Freel will miss the rest of the season after surgery Wednesday to clean out his right knee. He's expected to be ready for spring training. To fill his spot, the Reds claimed OF Jason Ellison off waivers from Seattle. ``He's a pesky little hitter,'' interim manager Pete Mackanin said. ``He's a lot like Ryan Freel, that type of a player. He's a high-energy player.'' ... Ellison is expected to join the Reds on Thursday. They will get rid of one of their 13 pitchers to create a roster spot for him. ... Ken Griffey Jr. extended his hitting streak to six games with an RBI single in the third.

CHICAGO: OF Felix Pie should expect immediate playing time after outfielder Angel Pagan was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Pie, recalled from Triple-A Iowa for the third time this season, has hit .360 with nine homers and 42 RBIs in 54 games in Iowa. He had a .407 on-base percentage and .559 slugging percentage. ``He says he's been hitting the ball well,'' said manager Lou Piniella. ``We'll get him some playing time.'' ... LHP Will Ohman had an MRI exam on his sore shoulder, the day after he was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Piniella said Ohman had inflammation in his AC (acromioclavicular) joint, but general manager Jim Hendry said the injury should heal within a few days. Ohman is 1-4 with a 5.06 ERA this season. ... 1B Daryle Ward was scheduled to rejoin the team in Denver on Thursday, when the Cubs open a four-game series against Colorado. Ward has been on the disabled list since July 20 with an injured right calf. Piniella said Ward, batting .333 in 63 at_bats this season, could be available by the end of the weekend.

HOUSTON: With 16 games left against the Cubs and Brewers, manager Phil Garner is still holding out hope that the Astros could make another late-season surge toward a playoff spot. The Astros came into Wednesday's game with a 50-63 record, nine games behind slumping Milwaukee in the NL Central. Houston hasn't been this close to first place since June 19. ``There's hope,'' Garner said. ``It's monumental, no question about it. But the truth is, if we've got it in us to do it, it's lined up to do it. It's not like we have to depend on everybody else.'' ... The Astros had an off day on Thursday and 2B Craig Biggio was hosting a golf tournament for his cancer charity, the Sunshine Kids. The annual golf tournament has raised more than $2 million and Biggio said he'll continue to run it after he retires at the end of this season. ... LHP Stephen Randolph was available to pitch after leaving Sunday's 6-5 loss to Florida with a fatigued biceps.

SAN DIEGO: LHP Wilfredo Ledezma will fill David Wells' spot in the rotation, although he'll be moved up a day. Ledezma will pitch on Friday and RHP Justin Germano, getting an extra day to recover from a minor thumb injury, will go on Saturday. RHP Clay Hensley will figure in the mix but can't be recalled from Triple-A Portland until Tuesday. Hensley is scheduled to start Thursday for Portland. ... RF Brian Giles, still recovering from an ankle injury, was taken out in the sixth inning the last two games due to swelling. ... OF Milton Bradley (hamstring) missed his fifth straight start. Bradley did some light running Wednesday and manager Bud Black said the Padres would try to avoid placing him on the DL. ``There's always a chance,'' Black said. ``We're trying not to.'' ... C Michael Barrett, who took a hard foul ball off his facemask on Sunday, was in the lineup after missing two games. Black said he was ``still a little foggy.''

ST. LOUIS: Scott Spiezio missed the last two games with what manager Tony La Russa described as a viral problem. ... OF Rick Ankiel, who quit as a pitcher a few years ago, had 32 home runs for Triple-A Memphis and could be called up soon. ``His season has caught everybody's attention,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``He's been lighting it up from the get-go, so he's building on a good impression.'' ... RHP Todd Wellemeyer (elbow) probably will come back as a reliever whenever he's ready to be activated from the DL, after getting eight starts earlier in the year. La Russa said Wellemeyer probably wouldn't have enough time to build up his pitch count. ... The Cardinals led the majors with 50 pinch hits. ... La Russa batted the pitcher eighth for the fifth straight game, with Kip Wells hitting ahead of ninth-place hitter Adam Kennedy. The Cardinals lost three of the first four using the unusual alignment.

PITTSBURGH: OF Xavier Nagy (sore hamstring) remains available to pinch-hit but still is unable to return to the regular lineup, manager Jim Tracy said. Nagy hasn't played in the field since he left a game on July 31. ... SS Jack Wilson, subject of repeated trade rumors, had a nine-game hitting streak entering Wednesday night's game. ... Tuesday's 8-3 victory over Arizona was the Pirates' second road victory since June 27.

ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin moved 19-year-old sensation Justin Upton to the No. 5 spot in the batting order for Wednesday's game. Had Upton singled in his last at bat Tuesday night, he would have been the youngest player in major league history to hit for the cycle. Since being called up from Double-A Mobile last week, Upton is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with a home run, triple, three doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored. ... Even though the Diamondbacks were coming off a triumphant 5-1 road trip through San Diego and Los Angeles to take a two-game lead in the NL West, Tuesday's crowd was just over 25,000.

WASHINGTON: LHP Mike Bacsik, who gave up Barry Bonds' 756th home run, was hoping to get a copy of the radio call of the famous moment as announcer Jon Miller recalled the connection between Bascik's father, Mike, and Hank Aaron during the proceedings. ``I soaked it all in,'' said Bacsik, who gave a number of interviews before Wednesday's game. ``There's nothing I can do about it now.'' ... The Nationals were told before Tuesday's game that there would be up to a 15-minute delay if Bonds hit it. Manager Manny Acta said he was prepared to replace Bacsik had the delay gone any longer. ``I'm proud of the way they do this every day,'' he said. ``I'm happy that people from outside are seeing we can handle things like this.'' ... The foul ball down the right field that Bonds hit before his historic home run was lost by both 1B Dmitri Young and first base umpire Wally Bell in a sea of flashbulbs.

SAN FRANCISCO: Manager Bruce Bochy doesn't foresee any changes in the way he'll use OF Barry Bonds the rest of the season. ``We'll keep going and stay with the same thing,'' he said. ``He'll probably get day games off. He's still our go-to guy, our main clog. He's still the guy teams fear, and walk or pitch around. When we get to the end of the year, he'll probably play in more games than I anticipated. He's still got a lot of life in that bat.'' ... With the attention off Bonds and more on the team, Bochy realizes there may be some criticism on the team's poor record. ``It's a different chapter now,'' Bochy said. ``These guys are going to deal with a little less attention. It will be a lot quieter now. It's up to us to earn the respect, not only of major league baseball but our fans, and there's time to do that. We'll see how we handle this.'' ... The attendance at games both at home and away may drop off now that Bonds reached the home run record. ``It's hard to say how much of a drop-off there will be,'' Bochy said. ``But these fans are as good as any in baseball. I saw that even as the visiting manager.''

 
Posted : August 8, 2007 11:02 pm
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Bonds adds to new HR record with blast
Associated Press

Barry Bonds wasted no time adding to his home run record: this time, with a two-run shot into the water for No. 757.

It helped Bruce Bochy to his 1,000th managerial victory, too.

Bonds hit a towering homer into McCovey Cove in the first inning of the San Francisco Giants' 5-0 win against Washington on Wednesday, one night after breaking Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record with his 756th.

"I'm pretty locked in right now," Bonds said, noting the atmosphere "is a lot easier today."

Do we really have to know every time he hits another HR 😛

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 11:14 am
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Phillies acquire Branyan from Indians
August 9, 2007

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -The Philadelphia Phillies acquired utilityman Russell Branyan from Cleveland for cash Thursday.

Branyan joins his sixth team since making his major league debut with the Indians in 1998. The 31-year-old, left-handed hitter began this season with San Diego, and hit .197 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 61 games.

He was released on July 28, signed with Cleveland on Monday and played one game at Triple-A Buffalo.

The Phillies will announce a roster move before their game against Florida to make room for Branyan.

In parts of 10 seasons in the majors, Branyan has a career average of .229 with 118 homers and 293 RBIs in 688 games. He's also played for Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.

Branyan's versatility could help the injury-depleted Phillies. He's played third base, first base and both corner outfield spots.

All-Star second baseman Chase Utley and outfielders Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn are among several players on the disabled list for Philadelphia, which entered the day four games behind the NL East-leading Mets and one back in the wild-card race.

Branyan twice hit more than 20 homers. He had 20 for Cleveland in 2001 and combined for 24 with the Indians and Reds in 2002.

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 11:23 am
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Reds option Coffey, Ellison joins club
August 9, 2007

CINCINNATI (AP) -The Cincinnati Reds optioned relief pitcher Todd Coffey to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday to make room for newly acquired outfielder Jason Ellison.

Ellison, who hit .283 in 63 games this season, was claimed Wednesday on waivers from Seattle. He arrived for the Reds' Thursday afternoon game with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 26-year-old Coffey has been hit hard since the All-Star break, and his ERA is 6.04. The right-hander was 2-1 in 48 games with the Reds, and had two earlier stints at Louisville this season.

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 11:24 am
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Tigers recall OF Thames, option IF Hessman to Toledo
August 9, 2007

DETROIT (AP) -The Detroit Tigers recalled outfielder Marcus Thames from Triple-A Toledo and activated him from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday.

The team also optioned infielder Mike Hessman to Toledo.

Thames played two games with the Mud Hens, hitting .375 with a home run and two RBIs. Out since July 19 with a pulled left hamstring, Thames was hitting .252 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 54 games for the Tigers.

Hessman appeared in nine games with Detroit after joining the Tigers on July 23. He hit .179 with a home run and six RBIs for the Tigers.

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 11:25 am
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Ankiel returns to Cardinals, with a different kind of power
August 9th, 2007

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel will make return to the club on Thursday, as the team purchased his contract from Triple-A Memphis.

The power-hitting outfielder is expected to be in uniform as the Cardinals take on the Padres in the finale of a four-game set at Busch Stadium.

Ankiel had been plagued by injuries and control problems since breaking into the majors as a pitcher in 1999. Over a four-year major-league career as a starter, he pitched in only 51 games, including 41 starts, compiling a 13-10 mark with a 3.90 ERA.

He was selected by St. Louis in the second round of the June 1997 Free Agent Draft and made his major league debut on August 23, 1999.

As a hard-throwing southpaw, Ankiel won 11 games and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2000. However, after starting six games in 2001, he was out of the majors for the entire 2002 season due to a left elbow sprain.

The 28-year-old spent the majority of the 2004 campaign on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery performed on his left elbow on July 16, 2003. He appeared in five games out of the bullpen late in the year for the Cardinals and posted a 1-0 mark with a 5.40 ERA. His victory over Milwaukee on October 1 was his first since April 8, 2001.

However, an inability to focus his control on the mound forced him to re- evaluate his career. Ankiel retired as a pitcher in March, 2005, and was reborn as a power-hitting outfielder. A further setback occurred the following season, when a left knee injury suffered in spring training derailed his comeback.

Hitting as a lefty this season, Ankiel is batting .267 with a Pacific Coast League-best 32 home runs in 102 games for the Memphis Redbirds, and he is also tied for second best in the PCL with 89 RBI.

The team will make a corresponding roster move prior to the game.

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 2:23 pm
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Mariners acquire Parrish from Orioles
August 9th, 2007

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners acquired pitcher John Parrish from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league outfielder Sebastien Boucher and a player to be named later.

The 30-year-old Parrish is 2-2 with a 5.40 earned run average in 45 games this season. In six seasons with the Orioles, Parrish is 12-12 with a 4.52 ERA.

To make room for Parrish on the roster, Seattle optioned pitcher Mark Lowe to Triple-A Tacoma.

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 3:32 pm
(@mvbski)
Posts: 43756
Illustrious Member
Topic starter
 

Indians claim Gomez off waivers from O's
August 9th, 2007

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Cleveland Indians claimed infielder Chris Gomez off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

In 73 games this season with the Orioles, the 36-year-old Gomez hit .302 with one home run and 16 runs batted in.

The well-traveled Gomez has played 15 seasons in the majors with Detroit, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Toronto and Baltimore, compiling a .261 batting average with 59 homers and 461 RBI.

Cleveland will add Gomez to the 25-man roster on Friday and a corresponding move will be made.

 
Posted : August 9, 2007 3:33 pm
Share: