 |
| Thursday, July 10 Updated: July 11, 5:12 PM ET Skipper heads to Safeco with youthful Devil Rays ESPN.com news services |
||||||||||
|
Piniella's departure after last season, though, was his real homecoming: He wanted to live in the Tampa area to spend more time with his family. "What do I miss the most about Seattle? Obviously, the winning," Piniella said with a chuckle. "It's a wonderful city. It's a great baseball town. You miss that environment. It's electric when you put the uniform on and play ball up there at Safeco with the support they get. "What do I not miss? The five-hour airplane trips five times a year," he said.
Foppert allowed eight runs in 2 2/3 innings in an 11-7 loss Wednesday night for his third loss in five starts. He had four straight rough outings before throwing 43 pitches in the first inning against the Rockies. Foppert was 5-8 with 5.49 ERA before being sent down. "We are doing this for him and for the team," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "We knew he couldn't pitch for us for another eight days, and we needed an arm." The Giants replaced Foppert with right-hander Kevin Correia, whose contract was purchased from Fresno. Correia lasted just one day in Fresno after being moved up from Double-A Norwich. "He must have been impressive," Alou said. "I like his arm. He has a sinking fastball, slider and changeup." Alou said he probably will juggle his rotation after the All-Star break and use Correia as a reliever.
To make room on the roster, the Blue Jays placed DH Josh Phelps on the 15-day disabled list with lower back spasms, designated left-hander Doug Davis for assignment and outrighted right-hander Jeff Tam to Syracuse. Thurman went 5-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 13 starts with Syracuse this season. Wasdin, acquired from Pittsburgh on Tuesday, is expected to start Friday against the New York Yankees. The 30-year-old went 8-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 18 starts for Triple-A Nashville. Reichert went 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA at Syracuse.
Young was released by the Pirates on June 28. It was the second time Young had been released by Pittsburgh. Young was in his final year of his $24 million, four-year contract. The Twins will only be responsible for a prorated portion of the $300,000 minimum salary if Young comes up to the majors. Young batted .202 with two homers and 7 RBI in 52 games for Pittsburgh this season. Young became the third player at his position to collect 100 runs, 40 doubles, 20 homers, 100 RBI and 20 stolen bases in the same season in 1999. He has a career batting average of .258 with 144 homers and 606 RBI in 1,205 games. Young will report to Triple-A Rochester. Terms were not disclosed.
Little was given an automatic suspension after Boston pitcher Hector Almonte was ejected in the ninth inning of the 25-8 rout of Florida on June 27. In the previous half inning, plate umpire Mark Carlson had warned both teams after David Ortiz of the Red Sox was hit by a pitch from Blaine Neal. Bench coach Jerry Narron managed the Red Sox on Thursday.
Fans attending Wednesday's game between the Colorado and the San Francisco Giants didn't seem to mind. "I'm not bothered at all and will ride the escalators again," Alan Michael of Greeley said, as he looked through the gate at the escalator that injured 32 fans as they left after a fireworks display July 2. "I don't think it will ever happen again." Witnesses said the escalator jolted, then suddenly sped up, hurling dozens of people into a pile at the bottom. "We don't come to games to ride the escalator,'' said David Nosker of Golden. "Am I concerned about safety? Sure. But I saw on the news that this kind of thing happens all the time and in a lot of places." The Rockies issued a release stating the future use of the escalators will be determined pending the outcome of the city's inspection report and a separate independent investigation and safety analysis commissioned by the Rockies.
He left the club after his win Wednesday to attend a memorial service in San Diego for his grandfather. Manager Joe Torre said Wells got permission from GM Brian Cashman to have an extended All-Star break. The Yankees will open at home against Cleveland after the break
Osuna (2-2) has a 2.00 ERA in 24 games with the Yankees this season. He threw two scoreless innings in a minor league rehabilitation start Thursday for Class-A Tampa. Osuna allowed one hit Thursday against the Dunedin Blue Jays. He struck out two during his 25-pitch outing.
Moss, a second baseman with the University of Texas, was the 85th player picked in the June draft.
"He is an exciting player with the tools and makeup to be a productive offensive second baseman at the major league level,'' Marti Wholaver, the Phillies' scouting director, said in a statement.
In 70 games this season, including the College World Series, Moss hit .319 with 18 doubles, nine triples, three home runs and 33 RBI.
To make room on the roster, the Mets sent right-hander Jason Roach to Triple-A Norfolk. Floyd has been out of the lineup since Monday with a sore right wrist. He hopes to play before the All-Star break but said he is "going to be smart about it." While there has been some improvement in his heavily taped wrist, Floyd hasn't taken batting practice since coming out of the lineup. He played soft toss before the Mets played Philadelphia on Thursday night and said he might try hitting in the indoor cages. Mets manager Art Howe said Floyd is day-to-day and will be held out of New York's lineup until after the All-Star break, which begins Monday, if necessary. Floyd has been hampered by a sore right Achilles' tendon all season but is still leading the Mets with 47 RBI. He is hitting .272 with 15 home runs in 276 at-bats this season. Duncan was batting .462 (18-for-39) in his last 11 games for Binghamton. In a brief stint with the Mets in May he went 2-for-5. He will be used primarily as a late-game replacement or as a pinch runner. Roach, called up to make a start for Leiter, is 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in two starts for New York.
"I feel we could come up with funding sources if they come up with the $100 million," Arriola told the Herald. "There's a lot of ways to come up with additional revenues. The luxury boxes could be bonded. A lot of the future income at a stadium could be bonded." Marlins president David Samson declined to confirm or deny the $100 million offer or to discuss the franchise's stadium efforts other than to tell the paper he is "confident our plans for securing the franchise will work."
Major League Baseball said Thursday that there will be no decision on a new home for the Expos by the All-Star break, the previously stated goal, according to reports in papers in the areas interested in acquiring the team. The delay was anticipated because none of the three leading candidates to land the Expos -- Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; and Northern Virginia -- has firm financing in place for a stadium. According to The Oregonian and The Washington Times, Levin would not say when baseball might make a decision. "There's never been a timetable," Levin said. "I think (MLB chief operating officer Bob) Dupuy said something about the All-Star Game, but by using that term, he was talking about sometime in the middle of the season." Although the Times story implied that the delay would mean the Expos couldn't relocate until 2005, a Washington Post story for Friday reported that an unnamed MLB official said the window of opportunity for 2004 wouldn't close until September. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. |
| |||||||||
