Category: MLB (Page 140 of 448)

      Miguel Tejada signs with Orioles

      January 23, 2010 /

      Miguel Tejada is headed back to Baltimore after signing a one-year deal with the Orioles worth $6 million. He has agreed to play third base since the club wants to keep Cesar Izturis at shortstop.

      From Yahoo! Sports:

      Tejada made more than $14 million with the Houston Astros in 2009, the final season of a six-year, $72 million contract he signed with the Orioles. Tejada played shortstop with the Orioles from 2004-07 before being traded to Houston for five players: outfielder Luke Scott(notes), pitchers Troy Patton(notes), Matt Albers(notes) and Dennis Sarfate(notes), and third baseman Mike Costanzo.

      Cesar Izturis(notes) played deftly in the field at shortstop with Baltimore last year and is expected to retain his starting position in 2010. Tejada will be asked to play third base, a position that became vacant when the Orioles decided against bringing back Melvin Mora(notes).

      “I’ll play in third base, which means a change in my career,” he said. “It’s like the beginning of a new career, but I’ll continue doing my same workout routine to be able continue my career.”

      This was a wise pickup by the Orioles as they’ve now completed their infield. Tejada did well for the Houston Astros last season, hitting .313 with 14 home runs and 86 RBIs in 158 games. He might be a disaster at the hot corner, but the Orioles will benefit from his bat.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Dealer claims McGwire used to get bigger

      January 23, 2010 /

      Curtis Wenzlaff, a former trainer convicted of dealing steroids and who says he supplied Mark McGwire with performance-enhancing drugs in the late 80s, told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that Big Mac’s goal was to get “bigger, faster, stronger” from taking roids.

      Wenzlaff also delivered the quote of the week when speaking on the subject:

      “Will it help you hit a baseball?” Wenzlaff said. “Let me put it to you this way. If Paris Hilton was to take that array, she could run over Dick Butkus.”

      When asked for his reaction to McGwire’s claim that he only took steroids to stay healthy enough to play, Wenzlaff said: “I chuckled. If excelling and kicking ass on the field is the end result I guess that’s a healthy, good feeling. But for health, there are other things you can take for health that are anabolic, but it wouldn’t be that type of combination.”

      When asked about McGwire’s goal for taking the array of steroids he recommended and provided to McGwire, Wenzlaff said, “As anybody — bigger, faster, stronger.”

      Shocking.

      See, this is my problem with McGwire. He came “clean,” yet he still lied while doing so. He must honestly think that the general public is incredibly stupid and naïve. I would have had more respect for him if he came out and said:

      “I’m ashamed – I took steroids and I want to come clean.”

      “Why did you take steroids, Mr. McGwire?”

      “Because they gave me big muscles and I wanted to hit as many home runs before my career was finished.”

      He’d still be a cheater, but at least people could have respected him more for telling the truth. Now he just looks like a cheater and an idiot for thinking that he could get away with telling everyone he used drugs for health reasons. I’m not suggesting that everyone should buy into what Wenzlaff is saying, but it’s a joke to think that McGwire didn’t use riods to bulk up and smash 550-foot moonshots out of Busch Stadium.

      MLB

      Angels rid themselves of Gary Matthews Jr.

      January 22, 2010 /

      The Angels traded outfielder Gay Matthews Jr. to the Mets in exchange for right-hander Brian Stokes. As part of the deal, the Angels will eat $21.5 million on the two years and $23.5 million that still remain on Matthew’s contract.

      Since signing a five-year, $50 million offer with the Angels in 2006, he has hit .248 and had just 316 at-bats last season. With Carlos Beltran expected to be out until at least May following knee surgery, Matthews will add some insurance to the Mets’ outfield.

      But general manager Omar Minaya following the trade, Matthews isn’t guaranteed playing time. Angel Pagan hit .306 with six home runs in 88 games last season and will have the opportunity to earn more playing time in spring training. If Matthews wants to play, he better hit in the spring.

      Even though they acquired Stokes, this trade was largely about the Halos ridding themselves of Matthews, who turned out to be a massive free agent bust. Stokes, 30, isn’t expected to make much of an impact in L.A. this season after posting a 1.56 WHIP last season for the Mets.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Does anybody want Johnny Damon?

      January 20, 2010 /

      Johnny Damon is reportedly considering retirement after badly miscalculating the MLB free-agent market reports the Bergen Record.

      Remember back in November, when Damon refused to give the Bombers a hometown discount? Remember when he said that unless Brian Cashman was ready to pay $13 million a year, don’t bother making an offer? Damon should’ve been careful for what he wished.

      No one has called, no one has that kind of money anymore and no one, least of all Damon and his agent Scott Boras, has any hope of this ending well.

      With only a month to go until spring training, Damon has two options: He can call the Yankees and admit he has nowhere to go. The Yankees, who will listen politely, will tell Damon he can play for $2 million for one season, not a penny or a day more.

      Option 2, practically unthinkable after the World Series, would be retirement. A friend of Damon’s recently said, “Johnny is completely in the family mode right now” and has considered that option. It’s still hard to believe that, in the wake of a 24-home run campaign in 2009, and hitting .364 against the Phillies in the Series, Damon actually would quit.

      This is a classic example of an athlete overestimating his worth. Damon can still hit and he can also run a little, but he’s a brutal outfielder and therefore he’s only suited to be a DH. Teams don’t want to spend $13 million on an aging, one-dimensional player that may or may not hit outside of that wind tunnel the Yankees call a stadium.

      Whether it was Boras or Damon himself, somebody in that camp made a huge mistake setting the price tag at $13 million and now he’ll have to take whatever he can get if he wants to play next season.

      MLB

      McGwire briefly faces fans and press in St. Louis

      January 17, 2010 /

      At Mark McGwire’s first public appearance since admitting to steroids he received a standing ovation from fans but evaded hard-hitting questions from reporters.

      From ESPN.com:

      His scheduled news conference, however, was shifted to an overcrowded hallway at the last minute, and McGwire evaded questions about the criticism he’s received from ex-players. The former home run king emphasized repeatedly he was ready to move on.

      Dressed in jeans, a sweater and running shoes, the 46-year-old McGwire walked on stage to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, the hard-rock song played before his at-bats with the Cardinals.

      He was cheered by fans who secured seats as much as 3½ hours earlier.

      This is already playing out poorly. While McGwire’s confession was admirable, his claims that steroids didn’t increase his hitting power are ridiculous. Reporters are going to continue hammering him with embarrassing questions until he states the obvious.

      MLB

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