March 2014 - Baseball Wiretap

Edmonds Among Four To Enter Cards Hall Of Fame

Oct 31, 2014 3:44 PM

Four players have been selected for enshrinement in the recently-opened Cardinals Hall of Fame.

During an on-field ceremony Wednesday, the Cardinals announced that Willie McGee and Jim Edmonds would be the two modern inductees.

Marty Marion was chosen as the veteran inductee by a panel of team experts. Mike Shannon, who has been with the organization for 56 years as a player and broadcaster, was selected by the organization as the final member of the 2014 class.

The four of them will be officially inducted into the club's Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Aug. 16.

Jenifer Langosch/MLB

Tags: St. Louis Cardinals, Personal Award

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Profar Could Start Throwing Program Soon

Sep 28, 2014 3:14 AM

Jurickson Profar has been cleared to increase his "baseball activities" after an MRI exam on his shoulder revealed progress.

Profar has been sidelined with an injury to his teres major muscle.

The Texas Rangers infielder can begin swinging a bat right away, but he's still 7-10 days away from throwing a baseball.

Evan Grant/Dallas Morning News

Tags: Texas Rangers, Injury

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Vazquez Named MLBPA International Special Assistant

Sep 18, 2014 6:07 AM

The Major League Baseball Players Association has announced that Javier Vazquez has been hired to be a special assistant to executive director Tony Clark, specializing in the rights of international players.

The role will include the support of international players in the Union as well as working with Major League Baseball International to help grow the game.

Vazquez was involved with the Union while he was a player, serving as a player rep beginning in 2002.

MLB Trade Rumors

Tags: Misc Rumor

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Towers Hopes To Have Team's 'Continued Support'

May 1, 2014 1:22 AM

The Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled mightily to begin the season, seemingly putting several jobs in jeopardy.

Kevin Towers, the team's general manager, hopes to received continued support from his bosses.

"I feel we have their support, but I would imagine that they're evaluating things as we're evaluating things," Towers said. "Hopefully we have their continued support and they are patient enough with this club to where ... we turn it around."

Jack Magruder/FOX Sports

Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks

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Byrd Grateful To Mets For Opportunity

Sep 19, 2014 4:36 PM

Marlon Byrd is grateful to the New York Mets for helping him revive his career last season.

Byrd signed a Minor League deal with the Mets last offseason. He went on to hit .285 with 21 home runs in 425 at-bats. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates at midseason and signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies before this season.

"I needed a team to sign me, believe in me," Byrd said. "They let me go out there and play my game. They gave me a chance to make a team. When I made the team, and they needed me to run out there every single day starting right around June, I did and I put my game together. Hopefully I helped them out a little bit, me and Bucky bringing Vic Black back [in the trade] -- a strong arm, a closer for the future. Hopefully we helped each other out."

Byrd is hitting .277/.311/.426 with three home runs and 17 RBIs this season.

Adam Rubin/ESPN

Tags: New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies

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Rays Play 1,000th Game Since Name Change

Dec 4, 2014 3:57 AM

The Tampa Bay Rays played their 1,000th game since their name change on Tuesday night.

The Devil Rays became the Rays prior to the 2008 season.

"We're really proud," Joe Maddon said. "This is something that we envisioned when we first began in 2006. It was a lot more difficult to imagine at that time. ... Now it's up to us to sustain it and build upon it. Establish a tradition."

Maddon and the present ownership took over prior to the 2006 season, a time when the organization's culture had to be changed.

"We had to really confront the Yankees and the Red Sox in order to ascend in our division -- and actually, the confrontation was physical during that 2008 year," Maddon said. "It became physical. Nobody's going to give you anything, ever. You have to earn your respect, you have to earn your stripes, all of that.

"That's the part about this. If you're proud of one thing it's that you earned your right to be considered this right now. And it started that year. We played better, we had different personnel. But we fought for our turf, and I think when we did that there was a different perspective coming from [opposing dugouts]."

Bill Chastain/MLB

Tags: Tampa Bay Rays

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Pineda Pulls Himself From Simulated Game

Dec 17, 2014 12:31 PM

Michael Pineda, who is currently serving a 10-game suspension for using pine tar in a game against the Boston Red Sox, pulled himself from a simulated game on Tuesday because of back soreness.

Pineda, who pitched only one inning in Tampa, felt soreness in a back muscle on his right side.

Tests revealed that he has a Grade 1 strain of the teres major muscle in his back. Pineda probably won't pitch for three to four weeks.

The right-hander is 2-2 with a 1.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 19.2 innings this season.

Wallace Matthews/ESPN

Tags: New York Yankees, Injury

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Chris Davis Gets Platelet-Rich Injections

May 26, 2014 12:42 PM

In hopes of speeding up his return from an oblique injury, Chris Davis has had two platelet-rich injections into his left side.

"They drew my blood and injected the platelets from my blood into my oblique because it is supposed to speed up the healing process," Davis told The Baltimore Sun.

Davis was placed on the disabled list by the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend and is eligible to return on May 11.

He is hitting .250/.372/.382 with two home runs and 13 RBIs this season.

ESPN

Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Injury

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Fans Boo, Taunt Cano At Yankee Stadium

Sep 18, 2014 4:20 AM

The fans at Yankee Stadium welcomed back Robinson Cano as a member of the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

New York's famed "Bleacher Creatures" greeted Cano with a traditional roll call in the bottom of the first inning. However, when Cano acknowledged the gesture, they started shouting "You sold out! You sold out! You sold out!"

Cano went 1-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Seattle's 6-3 win.

"You're always going to hear more of the boos than the cheers," Cano said. "That's something that I can't control. Like I say, it's not a distraction to me."

Andrew Marchand/ESPN

Tags: New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners

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Pitchers Expected To Dominate 2014 Amateur Draft

Oct 31, 2014 3:43 PM

Pitching is the name of the game as June's First-Year Player Draft approaches.

In 2011, the first four picks were pitchers and seven-straight were taken after Matt Bush went No. 1 overall in 2004. Jim Callis writes that this year could set a new record for pitchers drafted in the first round. The current standard is 20, which came in 2001.

"There could be eight or nine pitchers taken in the top 10," a scouting director with an American League team said. "How many can go in the top 15? Twelve? Thirteen? There are so many arms. This is a deeper pool of players than last year, especially with pitchers."

The consensus top four prospects in the Draft, to be held June 5-7, are all pitchers.

Jim Callis/MLB

Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Draft, Draft Misc

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Machado Set To Return For Orioles
The Orioles are slated to host the Pirates for the first of a two-game series, although there's rain in the forecast all day and night.

Brittany Ghiroli/MLB

Red Sox Aren't Worried About Bogaerts
Xander Bogaerts has dealt with some growing pains early this season, but the Red Sox aren't worried about their young infielder.

Gordon Edes/ESPN

Archie Bradley Lands On DL With Elbow Injury
Archie Bradley has been placed on the Minor League disabled list with a mild flexor strain in his elbow.

Steve Berthiaume/MLB

Source: Red Sox Haven't Re-Engaged In Talks With Drew
At no point this season have the Red Sox re-opened talks with Stephen Drew, according to a Major League source.

Rob Bradford/WEEI

Top Giants Prospect To Have Tommy John
Mac Williamson, considered by some to be the San Francisco Giants' top hitting prospect, will have Tommy John surgery on Tuesday.

Henry Schulman/San Francisco Chronicle

Cano Tells Fallon He Left Yankees 'In A Good Way'
Robinson Cano is back in New York City for Tuesday's series with the Yankees and the Mariners star was a guest on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon.

Jane McManus/ESPN

Astros Trade Lucas Harrell To Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks have acquired Lucas Harrell from the Astros for a player to be named later and cash.

Associated Press

Harper To Have Thumb Surgery, Out At Least Two Months
Bryce Harper injured his hand during a head-first slide into third on a bases-clearing triple in Friday's game against the Padres.

Keith Law/ESPN

Angels, Agent Expecting More Power From Trout
During contract negotiations Mike Trout's agent, Craig Landis, has repeatedly mentioned that his client will hit for more power as he matures.

Ken Rosenthal/FOX Sports

Pirates Waiting For Polanco To Refine 'Intricacies' Of His Game
Many are wondering why the Pirates have not promoted top prospect Gregory Polanco to the Major Leagues yet.

Rob Biertempfel/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Cardinals Send Wong To Minor Leagues
The 23-year-old was batting .225 with five RBIs in 71 at-bats and didn't play in the last two games of a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

ESPN

Tigers Place Anibal Sanchez On DL
Anibal Sanchez has landed on the 15-day disabled list because of a blister problem.

Associated Press

Rockies Enjoying Early Returns From Fowler Trade
Dexter Fowler was an important piece for Colorado on both sides of the ball and the players they received in return were unproven.

Patrick Saunders/Denver Post

Cardinals Have Built Staff Around Sinkers
St. Louis has ranked first in ground ball percentage in four of the past five full seasons.

Joe Lemire/Sports On Earth

Saltalamacchia Adjusting To Marlins, Confident In New Role
Saltalamacchia, who was the second-youngest starter on the Red Sox last season, is now a veteran leader in Miami.

David Laurila/FanGraphs

Luhnow Takes Blame For Appel's Struggles In Class A
Mark Appel struggled with Class A Lancaster in California during extended spring training, something Jeff Luhnow blamed on the pitcher's overall adjustment to professional baseball.

Ken Rosenthal/FOX Sports

Cano Much More Relaxed In Seattle
Robinson Cano will visit the Bronx and the Yankees as a member of the Mariners this week for the first time.

Anthony Rieber/Newsday

Bailey, Price Ejected For Arguing Replay Ruling
Bryan Price and Homer Bailey were ejected in the first inning of Sunday's game against the Braves after arguing when a replay ruling went against the Reds.

Associated Press

Fister 'Felt Strong' In Rehab Start
Doug Fister dealt with elbow inflammation in early spring, and suffered a lat strain near the end of spring training.

ESPN

Starting Pitchers Rule The Day In MLB
Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright on Sunday became the first pitcher to five wins this year.

ESPN.com