Ben Maller's MLB rumors
by FOXSports.com
Rockies Barmes and Taveras to Tampa?
The Phillies' acquisition of Oakland right- hander Joe Blanton for three prospects means it's unlikely the Phillies have enough trade material left to deal for Rockies closer Brian Fuentes. Tampa Bay and both New York teams remain interested. The Rays also have shown interest in shortstop Clint Barmes, according to a major-league source, and center fielder Willy Taveras, whom the Rockies are trying to trade. -- Denver Post
M's dealing Washburn Ibanez and Bedard
Mariners who have drawn the most interest this month are Raul Ibanez, left-hander Jarrod Washburn and oft-injured starter Erik Bedard. Unfortunately for Seattle, what interests most teams about Bedard is what has happened to him this season, and whether he has the intensity to pitch in a pennant race - something he's never done. Nearly as troublesome, most teams want to see him pitch, something he hasn't done in two weeks. On the disabled list, Bedard is tentatively scheduled to pitch for Seattle next Tuesday. "That's tentative because we're not sure he'll be ready to go," manager Jim Riggleman said. If he's not, moving him before the July 31 deadline gets considerably dicier. And because Bedard is not a free agent next season, it might well be in the Mariners' best interest to keep him until such time as his trading value increases. -- Tacoma News Tribune
Sabathia, not Sheets, a better long-term investment for Brewers
If it's a choice between CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets on which free agent to pursue at the end of the season, Milwaukee should go for the guy who's starting Friday night in San Francisco and not the one who started the All-Star Game for the National League Tuesday. Sabathia is a hard-to-find left-hander, he's almost two years younger than Sheets, is more durable (one disabled list visit vs. six), is a more prolific hitter (.289 career average vs. .077) and has a better track record for giving his team chance to win (a 135-104 record in his starts vs. 103-105). Sabathia reportedly wants to sign somewhere in the NL -- because he likes to hit -- and he'll have a better sense of the Brewers and their makeup after spending four months with them. If Sabathia's track record holds up -- he's 42-18 with a 3.26 ERA from August through October in his career -- that time together will be spent in the heat of a pennant race. So if owner Milwaukee owner Mark Attanasio wants to pursue Sabathia, he'll have first dibs and both sides should have good data to analyze. Sabathia might want to end up closer to his roots in San Francisco. There also is the possibility that the Brewers have others plans for their rotation in 2009. But right now, if there's a choice to be made between aces, it's Sabathia. -- Madison State Journal
Yankee official: Barry Bonds rumors are 'nonsense'
When Internet reports about the Yankees negotiating with Barry Bonds kicked in Thursday, phones buzzed in the Yankees' corridors of power. But there's no truth to a pinstriped pursuit of Bonds, according to a Yankee official, who said, "It's all nonsense." The rumors even made their way down to Wall Street, the official said. The official had calls from friends who work there. One Web site, citing a "confidential clubhouse source," wrote Thursday that Bonds and the Yankees were negotiating and "a consummation of the deal is anticipated forthwith." The Yankees need help for their lineup even before they get a report from doctors today on Hideki Matsui's ailing left knee, which may need surgery. But they are not in the Bonds market. -- NY Daily News
Rockies haven't placed Holliday on trade market
One potential foil in the Xavier Nady equation would be if Colorado's superstar outfielder, Matt Holliday, were to be thrust full-bore into the market. For now, the Rockies are simply not hanging up on callers and want to be blown away, according to someone intimately familiar with their dealings. If that changes, Holliday's value would dwarf that of Nady or even Bay. -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Braves GM won't comment on possible Teixeira trade
Braves GM Frank Wren asked about the possibility of trading 1B Mark Teixeira before his impending free agency: "I don't want to get into a Teixeira trade conversation because we're just not there yet. It's obvious to everybody, his situation and our situation, and we'll just see how things play out." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Royals trading DeJesus?
Except for his disappointing 2007 season, David DeJesus has been a remarkably consistent big-league player. There are only two differences between his borderline All-Star performance this season and his 2004 to 2006 seasons. First, he's hitting more home runs. Second, he's hitting an incredible .460 with runners in scoring position. Is this the best season DeJesus is ever going to have? That's the core question about DeJesus. He's going to be a big-league ballplayer for a long time to come, but his value is never going to be higher than it is right now. At the same time, the fundamental paradox about DeJesus still exists. He's not the dynamic defensive center fielder the Royals need at Kauffman Stadium, and he's not the kind of power bat a contending team needs at a corner outfield position. Moving DeJesus, packaged with a pitcher (or two), is the Royals' best chance at bringing in an impact young talent. -- KC Star
M's might deal Lopez, Betancourt or Beltre?
Today, Ichiro remains on the Mariners hands-off list. And while Pelekoudas could probably move Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Betancourt and even Adrian Beltre - if he wanted to eat much of his 2009 salary - the Mariners wouldn't get what they want in return. -- Tacoma News Tribune
Pirates asking for the moon for Nady and Marte?
One popular notion making the Major League Baseball rounds in the past week is that the Pirates are overvaluing their trade pieces to the extent they might not make a deal. The New York Post quoted a baseball executive as calling the Pirates' asking price as "exorbitant." General manager Neal Huntington, following standard policy, declined to comment on that report or any other. "I do not feel the need to address others' concerns with our process to date," Huntington said last night. But one team official was adamant in describing the Pirates' requests as "reasonable," particularly when considering that the primary pieces on the block -- outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte -- probably are the best available at their respective positions on the market. Calls also continue to come on outfielder Jason Bay, though he is not being shopped, and his value would be even greater than Nady or Marte. The Pirates are known to be seeking two quality prospects in any Nady or Marte deal, with a leaning toward pitching. The price for Bay would be higher. -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
KC's Grudz to Brewers?
What market is there for Mark Grudzielanek, who is in the final season of his contract? Probably not much. Among contenders, the Yankees have gotten a dismal season from Robinson Cano but certainly aren't likely to give up on him. The Brewers may be ready to upgrade from the disappointing Rickie Weeks. Nevertheless, anything you can get for Grudzielanek would be better than what you'll have after his contract expires: nothing. -- KC Star
Phils could still add Rockies Fuentes?
One scout pointed out that by not giving up any high-level prospects in this deal, Philadelphia can still use its top talent to go after more pitching, such as Colorado's Brian Fuentes. -- SF Chronicle
Five MLB management people on hot seat
- Mets general manager Omar Minaya. Manager Willie Randolph took the initial hit for the Mets' failings the last two seasons. If the Mets don't make a division-winning push, look for Minaya to be called on the carpet.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has been allowed to spend as much money as anyone not on the East Coast, but has been haunted by deals that backfired. With the National League West a mess, a title is expected, and manager Joe Torre won't be the fall guy for failure.
- Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is on his fourth manager - Cito Gaston - and word is the decision to bring back Gaston was not welcomed by Ricciardi, who can't micromanage Gaston like he did the predecessors. General managers can survive one or two managerial firings, but rarely do they hang on long after a third.
- Washington GM Jim Bowden was linked in published reports to baseball's investigation into officials skimming money from their operations in the Dominican Republic. Bowden has denied the accusations, but the caution sign is flashing.
- Houston manager Cecil Cooper. The team is dysfunctional. Ed Wade is the third GM in four years, so ownership won't make him the scapegoat - yet. That puts Cooper on the ledge. -- Rocky Mountain News
Inland makes bid for Wrigley Field
A leading Chicago-area real estate firm has submitted an offer to buy Wrigley Field, betting that lease payments from the Chicago Cubs and eventual improvements to the ballpark will make it a decent investment. Sources said Thursday that Inland Real Estate Group of Companies Inc., based in Oak Brook, has turned in the offer to Cubs owner Tribune Co. The amount of the offer couldn't be learned, but it is believed to be close to $300 million, the sum Tribune Chairman Sam Zell wants out of Wrigley if he sells the team and the property separately. -- Chicago Sun-Times
Royals could package Meche
I get the feeling that the Royals are invested in Gil Meche and not just in terms of dollars. His contract, which seemed outlandish when it was signed, doesn't seem too bad considering the current going rate for starting pitchers. Meche is a solid league-average or above pitcher but is not an ace. As such, if you could move him in a DeJesus package for a true impact prospect, you'd have to do it. Besides the talent influx, you'd be freeing up a lot of dollars to boot. -- KC Star
Yankees try to avoid scandal involving Melky Cabrera
It was a decidedly different atmosphere from three days earlier, and Mata said he hopes he put to rest a controversy involving Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera. Last week, the Dominican newspaper El Caribe reported that Cabrera had not received his entire $175,000 bonus for signing with the Bombers as an amateur free agent in 2001 and that they say he has been a victim of the skimming and kickback scam that the FBI and Major League Baseball authorities are currently investigating in the Dominican. Mata and Carlos Rios were the scouts who signed Cabrera. -- NY Daily News
Mariners may not get time to showcase Erik Bedard for trade
Among the notable absences from a Mariners workout on Thursday was the left-handed starting pitcher some teams had hoped to see showcased for a trade. But there was no Erik Bedard to be seen at Safeco Field, with his absence blamed on bad weather said to have delayed his flight from Canada. Arthur Rhodes was also delayed in getting back to Seattle, though unlike Bedard, the left-handed relief pitcher -- also the subject of trade rumors -- will be available to pitch when the Mariners play tonight against the Cleveland Indians. In Bedard's case, no one knows when he'll pitch again. And the chances of it happening before the July 31 trade deadline appear to be getting slimmer. -- Seattle Times
Alcohol intoxication contributed to Marzano's death
Former TV/radio personality and big-league catcher John Marzano was known by many in Major League Baseball for his infectious laugh and the unbridled passion he brought to the game as a ballplayer and later as a postgame analyst. But Marzano's life was cut tragically short in what the city's medical examiner's office ruled an accidental death. Yesterday, Jeff Moran, spokesman for the medical examiner's office, said the 45-year-old died from postural asphyxia, or suffocation. Contributing conditions that lead to his death were blunt trauma and ethanol - or alcohol - intoxication, Moran said. The news came 3 months after Marzano was found dead in his Passyunk Avenue home, on April 19. After a 10-year career, news of his death sent shockwaves throughout the Major League Baseball community. -- Philadelphia Daily News
Rays Crawford has taken huge step backwards
It is easy to build a case for Carl Crawford as the greatest player in the franchise's first decade. When there was little else to cheer about in Tampa Bay, Crawford was always worth the price of admission. Speed, defense, hitting: He had it all. And for five seasons, he got better and better. Yet now that the Rays are finally contenders, Crawford has taken a huge step backward. Almost across the board, his offensive numbers are stacking up to be his lowest since his first full season in 2003. It's not just the batting average that has dipped, but the pop in his bat. Crawford averaged 57 extra-base hits in each of the past four seasons yet is on pace for 36 in 2008. -- St. Petersburg Times
Royals Greinke passes Meche as No. 1 starter
Royals starter Zack Greinke must now be considered the club's top pitcher instead of Gil Meche. "We've got him pitching No. 1 after the All-Star break," manager Trey Hillman agreed. "I think, throughout the course of the season, he has been the starter who has been the most consistent for us." Greinke has been the club's best starter at 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 19 starts. Meche has won three of his last four decisions but is 6-9 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 starts. Meche will pitch Saturday's game. "It made the most sense for me," Hillman said, "because it allows our most effective starter to pitch against two different teams in our own division." -- KC Star
M's could draw interest for Morrow, Ichiro and Hernandez?
If the Mariners wanted to move, say, Brandon Morrow, Ichiro Suzuki or Felix Hernandez, bidders would be lining up. As it is, the Mariners will move the players they can and begin retooling a team on pace to lose 100 games. -- Tacoma News Tribune
O's Trembley Irked by Short Rosters in All-Star Game
Orioles Manager Dave Trembley said he understood why the AL team needed to use George Sherrill but called it "absolutely ludicrous" that position players were almost forced to pitch because of short rosters in a game that decides home-field advantage in the World Series. "I think these situations are pretty self-evident of why George had to go, you know, longer than he [should have]," Trembley said before Thursday night's game against the Detroit Tigers. "That's why I say Major League Baseball will learn from it. Maybe they'll expand the rosters, do something so they don't get caught again. Because they got caught, it's plain and simple." -- Washington Post
Kazmir's next Rays start delayed
Winning the All-Star Game cost Scott Kazmir a day or two until his next start. Kazmir said he felt fine after throwing 14 pitches in the 15th inning Tuesday night (well, Wednesday morning), but the Rays wanted to be careful because he threw 104 on Sunday. "It's just to err on the side of caution," executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. So instead of starting Saturday against fellow All-Star Roy Halladay, Kazmir will pitch Sunday or Monday. A decision will be made today after a light bullpen session. Matt Garza will start on Saturday. -- St. Petersburg Times
Beane defends A's dealing pitching
Speaking by cellphone from a dog park in Alamo, Calif., where his border collie, Taggert, was dashing about, Billy Beane speculated about what could happen if he was not aggressive. Oakland was 76-86 last year. "The problem with a small-market team is when you get to the bottom, you hit with a thud," Beane said. "And, when you get there, it might take you four or five years to get out."-- NY Times
Phils could release Eaton?
It is unclear where the move leaves Adam Eaton, who is 3-8 with a 5.71 ERA this season, although the bullpen is a possibility. If the team decided to release him, it would still owe him the remainder of the 3-year, $24.5 million contract he signed in November of 2006. -- Philadelphia Daily News
Cards Mulder gets more opinions
Mark Mulder met with a specialist in Delaware on Thursday morning, and the lefthander will meet with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., today. The results of the opinions of the two doctors and the Cardinals' team doctors will be pooled later today to determine a plan to address problems with his left shoulder. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
No timetable for Mets Church to return
Mets OF Ryan Church did not travel with the team as he continued his recovery from postconcussion syndrome. Although Church will be eligible to come off the disabled list Monday, Jerry Manuel said there was no timetable for his return. "His situation is still kind of ticklish for us," Manuel said. "He's feeling real good, he wants to do things, but we're being very cautious with him and rightfully so. He's champing at the bit to play." Church said last week that he felt better than he had since May 20, when he sustained his second concussion in three months. But Church was held out of action on three previous occasions. Each time he returned, so did the symptoms. -- NY Times
Dodgers' Takashi Saito says surgery is still a possibility
Dodgers closer Takashi Saito said that when team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache diagnosed him with a sprained ligament in his right elbow on Tuesday, the option of undergoing surgery was presented to him. Saito refused. "There is still a possibility of that happening," Saito said, "but I want to try to rehabilitate over the next six weeks and pitch again this season." The plan laid out to him by ElAttrache and trainer Stan Conte calls for a six-week rehabilitation, after which he will be reexamined. Saito said he hadn't been told when he could resume throwing. Because he is 38 and was hurt frequently over his 14 seasons with the Yokohama Bay- Stars of Japan, Saito has often said his career could end at any moment. -- LA Times
Zach Miner likely to become Tigers' new fifth starter
Jim Leyland said that right-hander Zach Miner likely will start for the Tigers on Monday night in Kansas City. "That's not etched in stone, but it looks like it will be Miner," he said. Leyland added that he expects Miner to remain in the rotation. Miner would come up from Triple-A Toledo to replace Eddie Bonine, who had faltered in his last two starts. -- Detroit Free Press
Conor Jackson takes over LF for D-Backs
The move also makes Conor Jackson the primary left fielder for the rest of the season, as the D-Backs do not appear likely to make any major moves before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, general manager Josh Byrnes said. "We need to get better offensively, but there is still no obvious spot to take at-bats away," Byrnes said. "If we can do it by building up our bench, that might be a way." -- East Valley Tribune
MLB cable channel will blow away NFL and NBA TV
More than five months from its Jan. 1 debut, Major League Baseball's new cable channel already is assured of being seen in more than 50 million of the nation's 113 million TV households, according to the channel's CEO, Tony Petitti. Major operators Comcast, Cablevision and Time-Warner will offer the network on a digital basic package. DirecTV also will offer it on basic. By comparison, NFL Network (which launched in 2003) is in 40 million homes, and NBA TV (which launched in 1999) is in 15 million. -- Miami Herald
Judge dismisses much of Miami megaplan suit
Auto magnate Norman Braman's attempt to derail the Florida Marlins' Little Havana ballpark was nearly crippled Thursday when a judge dismissed all but two counts, with one crucial issue hanging by a thread -- a push for a public vote on the stadium's financing. No longer at issue is Braman's claim that Miami-Dade County commissioners had no authority to reallocate $50 million in voted-on bond money to the stadium. Also gone: Braman's position that those who bought construction bonds for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts were misled when county leaders crafted the new, $3 billion megaplan. Still, the biggest decision of all looms Friday, when Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen is expected to rule on Braman's quest for a public vote on the $515 million construction plan for the ballpark. In many ways, the issue is the centerpiece of Braman's fight. -- Miami Herald
Padres CEO Alderson concedes projections mean little when games start
As the last-place Padres emerged from the All-Star break on pace to lose 99 games, CEO Sandy Alderson yesterday acknowledged "missed" evaluations by the front office and revisited the club's in-house projection of nearly 90 wins and a first-place finish in the National League West. "I have been with several teams over the years which have fallen short of my expectations," he said. "Ultimately, that was probably true of the Padres in 2006 and 2007. But another team that stands out in my memory is the 1991 A's. After appearing in the World Series three years in a row, we fell back unexpectedly in '91. But we won the division again in 1992. If you're an optimist, you are quite often disappointed. "As for the projection of 90 wins this season," he said, "that was based on a compilation of over a half-dozen publicly available analyses. This demonstrates once again why we play the games." -- San Diego Union-Tribune
Giants Lincecum recovered from All-Star illness
Tim Lincecum joined the Giants' workout at AT&T Park on Thursday about halfway through the two-hour session. He threw on the side and later said he's set to make his start against the Brewers on Sunday. He seemed in much better health and spirits than he had been two days earlier in New York. The 24-year-old right-hander missed the All-Star Game after getting hospitalized because of flu-like symptoms. On Thursday, Lincecum acknowledged he had to be taken on a stretcher from his hotel room to an ambulance. "The last time I ever felt that bad with my nausea was probably when I had a concussion in '05 when I got hit in the head with a line drive in the Cape Cod League," Lincecum said. Understandably, Lincecum had this initial reaction to the symptoms: "I was kind of panicked. I was trying to figure out what was going on." After getting treatment in the hospital, Lincecum felt a little better, but not good enough to go to Yankee Stadium or even watch the game on TV. "I was pretty bummed about that," he said. Lincecum felt markedly better Wednesday. -- SF Chronicle
D-Backs Haren cherishes his All-Star moment
Dan Haren packed a special souvenir from the last All-Star game to be played at the original Yankee Stadium -- his dirty, dusty cleats. Haren purposely did not clean his spikes after his two-inning appearance Tuesday, preferring to package and store them as a keepsake, as he did with his game shoes from his 2007 All-Star start in San Francisco. Haren also took numerous pictures with his wife and seven-month-old son. "One of the memories we're going to have is to be able to tell my son we played the last All-Star game on that field," Haren said. -- East Valley Tribune
Nats Zimmermann Stars At AA Harrisburg
Earlier this week, when a 22-year-old pitcher named Jordan Zimmermann finished his seventh and final inning in a game against the Bowie Baysox, the specifics of what just happened spread from a few witnesses to many followers. The information gained a charge, that of something vital and speculative -- a sport's answer to stock analysis -- zipping from a scouting director's BlackBerry to a general manager's inbox, all of it aimed to help answer one question: Is Zimmermann, now with Class AA Harrisburg, ready to pitch for the Washington Nationals? -- Washington Post
After leaving Mexico, Marlins' Jorge Cantu blessed with second family
When the Dolphin Stadium ushers see the family coming, they call out to one another, "Here come the Cantus!" The ushers, who escort the couple to their seats behind home plate, are convinced that these fans are the Marlins' talisman this season. The couple aren't sure which seats belong to them - they think they are Nos. 1 and 3 in Row 25 - because the stadium staff aligns them like lucky stars regardless of what their ticket stubs say. The couple, who are expected back tonight to watch third baseman Jorge Cantu when the Marlins open a three-game series with a game against Philadelphia, might chuckle if you called them Mr. and Mrs. Cantu away from the ballpark. But the mistake would be understandable. Robert and Ellen Delson, in their 60s and retired in West Palm Beach, have been the U.S. family to Cantu for 10 years. His father and mother still live in Reynosa, Mexico, where Cantu grew up. But it was the Delsons who cared for him when he came to the United States at 16 to play minor-league baseball. "I call her Mom. I call him Dad, and they treat me like their son," Cantu said. Every off-season, he returns home to Mexico, where his parents, Jorge Sr. and Adriana, cattle ranchers living in a border town, eagerly await. They, too, appreciate what Cantu's second family does for him in the States. "I feel relieved because I know Jorge is not alone," Adriana said in Spanish. "He has someone who cares for him, who loves him and will always watch over him." -- Palm Beach Post
Yanks Jeter gets restaurant to reopen its kitchen
Derek Jeter plays the field outside the stadium, too. The hunky Yankee, recently seen playing tonsil hockey with Minka Kelly, knocked on the door of Geisha on East 61st Street at midnight Sunday with an "absolutely drop-dead gorgeous brunette who was definitely not Minka," a spy told Page Six. "He asked if they could get a quick meal even though the kitchen was closed. They wanted pasta and salad, so the chef next door at Serafina made it and brought it over." The two "were all over each other, holding hands and kissing." -- NY Post
Cards Carpenter set for rehab start
The Cardinals have decided pitcher Chris Carpenter is past the point of getting his arm healthy and is set to begin getting it ready. Carpenter, who hasn't made a major-league start since opening day 2007, will begin a rehab assignment Sunday, and that starts the countdown for his return to the Cardinals' rotation in early August. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A's Cust keeps bat on shoulder
Jack Cust has hit 18 home runs this year, putting the A's designated hitter/left fielder in a tie for eighth place in the American League. No one in the league has been more prolific at not hitting the ball. He leads the AL in walks (67) and strikeouts (114) by considerable margins. Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton is second in free passes with 61 and Minnesota's Carlos Gomez is second in whiffs with 96. The last man to finish a season as the AL's walk and strikeout leader was the Yankees' Jason Giambi (129 walks, 140 strikeouts) in 2003. Cust topped the AL in strikeouts in 2007 with 164. He could become the first player to lead the AL in strikeouts in consecutive seasons since Seattle's Jay Buhner (159 in 1996, 175 in '97). Though he has a .229 batting average, Cust leads the A's in on-base percentage at .374 -- SF Chronicle
Pirates McLouth has parents take photos
Pirates CF Nate McLouth had his parents take photos of him on the field Tuesday during the mega-star-studded opening ceremony for the All-Star Game, just to be sure the memory was capture. Of sharing a diamond with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and so many others, McLouth said: "Unbelievable. I'll never forget it." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
White House dinner caps Jim Leyland's All-Star break
One night after the Tigers' manager served as a coach for the victorious American League in the All-Star Game, he and his wife went to the White House on Wednesday night for a large baseball dinner hosted by President George W. Bush. "It was unbelievable," Leyland said. "I'll never forget it. My wife actually sat at President Bush's table. ... She said halfway through there was a little lull, and he said across the table, 'How about them Tigers?' " "It was unbelievable," Leyland said. "I'll never forget it. My wife actually sat at President Bush's table. ... She said halfway through there was a little lull, and he said across the table, 'How about them Tigers?' " -- Detroit Free Press
Kenny Chesney wants to play for the BoSox
With the trade deadline looming, the BoSox may have found a bat off the bench. Country crooner Kenny Chesney tells People magazine he harbors a deep desire to trade his guitar for a baseball glove. "Deep down I would love to play second base for the Red Sox," said the 40-year-old singer while in New York for the All-Star Game. A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Chesney didn't have a local team to root for, so became a Sox fan. "I loved watching baseball on Saturdays and they played a lot of Yankees-Red Sox games [on TV]," said Chesney. Thanks but no thanks, Kenny. Dustin Pedroia plays second. -- Boston Globe
Who Knew?
Seven players who were leading the majors in home runs have been left off an All-Star team, including Ryan Howard of Philadelphia this season, according to baseball info guru Bill Arnold. Howard had 28 home runs at the break. The other six leaders at the break who weren't an All-Star: Mickey Tettleton, Detroit, 24 homers, 1993; Jose Canseco, Oakland, 21, 1991; Dave Kingman, Oakland, 23, 1984; Frank Howard, Washington, 24, 1967; Al Rosen, Cleveland, 25, 1950; Hank Greenberg, Detroit, 25, 1935. -- Rocky Mountain News
Did You Know?
The Yankees awful with runners in scoring position - 26th in baseball with a .713 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) with RISP. The four teams below them on that list are San Diego, Seattle, Toronto and Washington. Toronto entered the break one game under .500, but the others are the three worst clubs in baseball. The major-league average OPS-with-RISP is .756. -- NY Daily News
Son of former Padres OF makes U.S. Olympic soccer team
Poway High alum Marvell Wynne II, the son of the former Padres outfielder by the same name, was selected to the U.S. men's soccer team for the Beijing Olympics, it was announced yesterday. -- San Diego Union-Tribune
Who Knew?
Currently drawing 15,029 fans per game, the Marlins are on pace to average fewer than 18,000 fans for the eighth time in the past 10 years. They're pulling in more than 4,000 fewer fans per game than the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have baseball's second-lowest home attendance. -- Miami Herald
Did You Know?
Florida second baseman Dan Uggla on Tuesday became the first big-leaguer to commit three errors, strike out three times and hit into a double play in a regular-season, All-Star or postseason game since 1940. -- Rocky Mountain News
Who Knew?
Second baseman Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, a former UCLA and Long Beach Poly High star, is stalking a baseball immortal. ... Utley, listed as the 4-1 favorite by bodoglife.com, could become the first former UCLA player to win the National League most valuable player award since 1949, when Jackie Robinson won it with the Brooklyn Dodgers. -- LA Times
Former Giants anti-mascot returns in the form of a souvenir bobblehead
Baseball owners wanted family environments with moon-walking mascots like the San Diego Chicken, even if that meant no-talent mimes like Mr. Met or Mr. Red in New York or Cincinnati. It was a trend loathed especially by Giants fans. Hardened by Candlestick's cold weather and an awful team, 75 percent of fans polled in 1984 said they'd boo any mascot. As a result, Crazy Crab, the anti-mascot, was born. Invented and voiced by adman John Crawford and approved by Giants executive Pat Gallagher and team owner Bob Lurie, the campy, skinny-legged crustacean taunted fans and players on talk radio, trashed players' lockers and did interviews with Los Angeles broadcasters about the Giants' "classless organization." Tonight, the first 20,000 fans to the Giants-Brewers game will receive a Crazy Crab bobblehead - a greater number of fans than the average of 12,000 who actually saw Crazy work the 'Stick in 1984. The backlash to Crazy was fierce. Giants manager Frank Robinson had to be restrained by the grounds crew from attacking it, and fans booed and chucked beer bottles and batteries when it sauntered onto the field. One rough night, Dale Kaetzel, the official crab handler in those days, had to assure the actor inside the crab suit, Wayne Doba, that no one in the crowd had a gun. -- SF Chronicle
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