In the sixth inning, bench coach Gary Varsho was involved in a boisterous discussion in the Pirates' dugout with right fielder Lastings Milledge and Crosby, this after a blown hit-and-run in which Milledge was thrown out at second and Crosby never swung. It was not clear who was at fault -- either player could have missed a sign -- but Varsho and Milledge became spirited enough that they had to be separated. - link
Senior team officials tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the Mets are not eager to include Angel Pagan in a trade. While it's true that Carlos Beltran will soon return from the disabled list, the Mets need Pagan as an insurance policy. Likewise, the Mets have no plans to part with Jon Niese or Ike Davis in a potential deal for Cliff Lee. They are, however, more flexible in regards to their other prospects, including Jenrry Mejia and Fernando Martinez. - link
Albuquerque outfielder Prentice Redman turns 31 at the end of August, and he quietly has assembled a quality Triple-A résumé. But following a 50-game suspension he incurred for testing positive for an amphetamine, Redman has attracted more notoriety than perhaps is comfortable.Like his brother Tike, Prentice graduated from the Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Academy. The Mets tabbed him in the 10th round of 1999 draft out of Bevill State (Ala.) CC, and he climbed steadily through the system, reaching the big leagues for 15 games in ’03. Granted minor league free agency for the first time following the ’05 season, Redman in the past five seasons has bounced from the Cardinals to the Nationals to the Mariners and, finally, to the Dodgers, with whom he signed last December - link
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said his priority remains pitching help. “I think our offense would be tougher to improve than our pitching,” Colletti said. “Even though we’ve struggled some lately, I think we have a real good offensive club, and we have some depth there. “Unless something drastic happens to an everyday player — or more than one — I think our focus will continue to be on our pitching staff.” That need not be via trade. Pedro Martinez is available as a free agent, and so is Jarrod Washburn. We caught Washburn on his cellphone the other day, as he was getting ready to coach a T-ball game. He hesitated to say whether he is retired. “I guess I am,” he said. However, he said he would consider offers to return this season and would not limit his interest to teams close to his Wisconsin home. “It’s not like I have a wish list,” he said. — LA Times - link
Baseball analyst Keith Hernandez of SNY has his own suggestion on how to speed up lengthy baseball telecasts. And it’s got nothing to do with instant replay. His proposal? MLB should get rid of four of 30 teams. That would send nearly 50 pitchers who don’t belong in the majors back to the minors. “They’ll never do it. … But we need to get rid of guys who should be in Triple-A and get more guys up here who can throw strikes,” says Hernandez, who shared the 1979 National League MVP award with Willie Stargell. The SNY crew, says Hernandez, know they’re in for a long night when pitch-count obsessed managers yank starting pitchers who’ve been cruising through the lineups of the opposing teams — and hand the ball to progressively wild relievers who stretch out the telecast. “Whenever they make a move to the bullpen, we roll our eyes. Because we know the last three inning are going to take an hour and a half,” says Hernandez, who joined the Mets’ cable network in 2006. “Because the guys who come in, don’t throw strikes. Not all of them. But enough of them. It can actually drive you insane.” - link
No comments:
Post a Comment