Category: MLB (Page 52 of 448)

      Saturday Morning Headlines: LeBron, Tiger & a lot of penalty minutes

      February 12, 2011 /

      – Tiger Woods battled some rough conditions to shoot an even-par 72 in Dubai. (Golf.com)

      – The labor agreement delay may cancel any free agency movement in the NFL and force free agents to stay with their current teams. (SI.com)

      – Packers give general manager Ted Thompson a well-deserved contract extension. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

      – Is Matt Holliday willing to take a paycut to help the Cardinals re-sign Albert Pujols? (St. Louis Post Dispatch)

      – LeBron James gets into it with a fan after said fan mentioned LeBron’s momma. (ESPN)

      – Hey, the Cavs finally won a game! (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

      – The Penguins and Islanders racked up 351 penalty minutes in one game last night. Yikes. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

      External Sports, General Sports, Golf, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL

      Bonds’ indictment charges cut from 11 counts to five

      February 11, 2011 /

      According to ESPN.com, Barry Bonds will have to be arraigned and enter a plea next month for the third time since he was initially charged in 2007 with lying to a federal grand jury about his steroid use.

      U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Friday ordered Bonds to enter his new plea after prosecutors revised the charges against him, cutting his indictment from 11 counts to five. Bonds is expected to plead not guilty for the third time at a hearing March 1. His trial is scheduled to begin March 21.

      Illston said she will rule later on Bonds’ demands to exclude from trial a recorded conversation between Bonds’ former business partner, Stevie Hoskins, and Bonds’ personal trainer, Greg Anderson. The hearing to exclude the evidence began Thursday morning in San Francisco federal court.

      The recording was made by Hoskins in March 2003. Anderson can be heard discussing an undetectable substance he appears to have given Bonds. Prosecutors allege Anderson is talking about a designer steroid they say showed up in a Bonds urine test.

      Bonds’ attorneys want to exclude the recording from the trial because of Anderson’s refusal to testify at the trial. They argue the tape can’t be authenticated without Anderson’s testimony.

      The thing that has always got me about Bonds is that he didn’t need roids to be great because he was already great. You talk about a naturally gifted baseball player, that was Barry Lamar Bonds. As the legend goes, the guy once sat in the dugout during spring training and correctly predicted, in order and out loud to his teammates, what pitch the pitcher would throw for nearly three batters. That’s how in-tune to the game Bonds was.

      But his own ego got him in the end. He wanted to be remembered as the greatest player to have ever lived, so he used steroids to extend his career so that he could become the home run king*. He didn’t need steroids to be great – he needed them to extend his career.

      And steroids are what he’ll be remembered for, which is kind of ironic if you ask me.

      External Sports, MLB

      Strasburg starts light throwing, may return in September

      February 11, 2011 /
      Washington Nationals’ pitcher Stephen Strasburg pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Nationals Park on August 15, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, Stephen Strasburg has begun some light throwing, which is the first positive sign in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

      Strasburg made the short tosses in Southern California, where he is rehabbing from ligament-replacement surgery, which he underwent Sept. 3. Making his first light throws now, a week before spring training, means Strasburg remains on schedule on his 12- to 18-month road back to the majors.

      While recovery time varies from pitcher to pitcher, Zimmermann’s experience sheds some light on when Strasburg may make his next major league appearance. The Nationals treated Zimmermann with extreme caution, and he made his first post-surgery appearance in the majors Aug. 26 last year, about 121/2 months following his August 2009 surgery. Since Strasburg underwent his surgery Sept. 3, he could feasibly return in the middle of September, at the very end of this season.

      I’ve read the comments sections of various media outlets and some fans are predicting that Strasburg is the next Kerry Wood or Mark Prior. They say he’s over-hyped and won’t ever fully recover from the surgery.

      To those people I would say this: If you’re a true baseball fan, then knock it off. You have the right to your opinion but let’s hope that this kid makes a full recovery because he’s great for the game. Sports need young stars like Strasburg to shine and it’s unfortunate that he’s suffered a bad fate early on. Hey, maybe he is the next Kerry Wood but let’s not wish it.

      Thanks to the steroid era, baseball was ruined for almost a decade. Now that it has climbed out of the wreckage, the sport needs its young pitching stars to stay healthy. Baseball got a new lease on life and let’s hope that last season wasn’t just an anomaly.

      Here’s hoping Strasburg makes a full and speedy recovery.

      External Sports, MLB

      Report: Cardinals, Pujols have no chance to sign deal before deadline

      February 10, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols stands as members of the team assemble for the team photo shoot before a game against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 17, 2010. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      Jon Heyman decided to ruin Cardinals fans’ day with this little nugget of information via his Twitter:

      word is, albert pujols and #cardinals are so far apart there is virtually no chance for a deal by his feb. 16 deadline

      This isn’t surprising news. The Cardinals are clearly dragging their feet in hopes that Pujols will slip, fall, hit his head and wake up wanting to take less than $275 million over 10 years. But Pujols’ camp has already stated that his previous contract was at a discounted rate and now the slugger wants to get paaaaaid.

      Pujols wants contract talks to halt once he shows up for spring training on February 16, so this is shaping up to be the distraction of the season. He won’t want to talk about becoming a free agent in 2012, but the media will be relentless with their questioning throughout the season. Are you still talking to the Cardinals about a contract extension? Do you want to play in St. Louis? Have you given any thought to where you’d like to play next season? Will you become a Yankee?

      Ugh. I’m already dizzy just thinking about it.

      Of course, the bottom line is that the Cardinals do have him under contract for one more year. So his deadline of February 16 is rather moot. Things could change rather quickly and if the Cards and Pujols can come to some sort of a comprise during the year, then great. Just because the Feb. 16 deadline comes and goes doesn’t mean that the slugger is destined to become a free agent at the end of the year. Granted, things don’t look good now but you never know what will happen three months from now.

      External Sports, MLB

      Rockies won’t pursue trade for Young

      February 9, 2011 /

      D.J. Short of Hardball Talk writes that the Rockies are no longer interested in Rangers’ DH Michael Young (or at least not at his current price). Colorado had been a potential destination for Young since the winter meetings and when he formally requested a trade earlier this week, the Rockies seemed like a logical fit.

      Or not.

      Texas Rangers’ Michael Young talks to the media as the Rangers prepare to take on the New York Yankees in the ALCS at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas on October 14, 2010. Game one of the best of seven series will be on October 15, 2010 in Arlington. UPI/Ian Halperin

      A major league source tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that the Rockies are out on Young.

      Young’s remaining salary and the Rangers’ demands are two significant reasons why talks have broken down. According to Renck, the Rangers’ demands changed once Vladimir Guerrero agreed to sign with the Orioles. The Rangers are reluctant to simply give Young away, because they feel they don’t have an adequate replacement for him in the lineup. At least that’s what they are saying. It’s still possible that talks could be revived, but a deal between the two teams appears doubtful right now.

      Young has been the ultimate Ranger throughout his career but his declining defensive skills and contract are going to make it tough to move him. If Texas hopes to deal him, it may have to eat a lot of his salary. And if that’s the case, why wouldn’t the Rangers just keep him and make him the DH?

      Of course, there’s that little problem of Young being upset with the franchise. He’s made it clear that he wants out and the Rangers may not have much choice but to take less for him in a trade? Short also mentions the Dodgers as a possible landing spot, but they too are leery of his defense and salary. The situation doesn’t seem like it’ll be resolved easily.

      External Sports, MLB

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