Rumors for May, 2010
Chicago Cubs Rumors: Trying to add bullpen help?
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The Chicago Sun-Times says the Cubs are trying to add help to their bullpen, but right now there no sellers in sight.
”We’re going to keep looking. We’re going to keep trying to get better,” Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry said. ”Obviously, if we can add a right-handed person to the pen, we’ll try to. But it’s hard to predict. There haven’t been too many significant trades in the bullpen in the big leagues in the last four or five months.”
The Cubs have been linked to Toronto’s Jason Frasor and Scott Downs and San Diego’s Heath Bell, but with both teams off to strong starts, it’s unlikely that those players will be moved anytime soon.
”We’ll always keep trying,” Hendry said. ”Some of [the pen's direction] could be affected by how the starters throw that are in the rotation now, too. And see where Z’s (Carlos Zambrano) at down the road. We’ve got some kids that are coming and throwing the ball good.”
Boston Red Sox get VIP room at Rick's Caberet Midtown Strip Club after Yankee game
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According to a source of TerezOwens.com, despite the loss to the Yankees on Monday night, the Boston Red Sox went to Rick’s Caberet in New York City and sat in a VIP room at the Midtown Strip Club.
”The Yankees are our home team, and we always love when they come here, but our job is to be nice to everyone–even the Red Sox,” said Rick’s Cabaret Girl Cynthia, who goes to NYU during the day and strips by night. “We cheered the Red Sox up. I don’t think the Yankees will mind. Everyone knows the Sox have no chance against the Yankees this year”
Terez adds the Sox enjoyed multiple lap dances and even received a bottle champagne from a group of Wall Street executives.
”Baseball guys are in here all the time but we are not supposed to name names,” said Rick’s Cabaret Girl Monica. “What I can say is the Red Sox were a lot of fun and while I will never root for them, I kinda like them now. They were big tippers!”
Manuel Gonzalez – first umpire from Venezuela to reach the Majors
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Venezuela has long been a great source of baseball talent. Current Major League Baseball stars include Felix Hernandez, Miguel Cabrera, Francisco Rodriguez and Victor Martinez to name a few. Despite the large talent pool from Venezuela, there has never been an umpire from the country to call a Big League game – until Monday night.
Manuel Gonzalez, 30, of Venezuela made his Major League debut at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL.
Gonzalez was filling in for crew chief John Hirschbeck for Monday and Tuesday and will return to Triple-A on Wednesday. He was umpiring at third base for Monday’s game and will be at second base for Tuesday’s game.
“It’s a special occasion to be in Miami for this,” said Gonzalez. “When I came here today, I knew I was opening some doors for Venezuelan umpires.”
Mark Prior Rumors: Former ace making a comeback?
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Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune says that former Padres and Cubs pitcher Mark Prior recently started throwing again in hopes of making one more comeback.
Prior recently took a line drive off of his pitching shoulder while throwing batting practice to a local team. He was shutdown for three weeks, but the injury was not considered serious.
Prior, 29, pitched for the Cubs from 2002-2006. He has a career 42-29 record with a 3.51 ERA. He had a promising start, but his career was derailed with several injuries.
Chicago Cubs Rumors: Ryne Sandberg to be next Cubs manager?
Posted by: | CommentsChicago White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone 
says the next Cubs manager should be current Yankees skipper Joe Girardi.
“The man who should manage the Chicago Cubs is not the man who will manage the Chicago Cubs, because I believe that the Ricketts family will bow to the pressure of the tidal wave that is Ryne Sandberg,” Stone said Monday on WSCR-AM 670 (via Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune).
New York Yankees top the World's 10 Most Valuable Sports Team Brands
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According to Forbes list of the World’s 10 Most Valuable Sports Team Brands, the New York Yankees brand is worth $328 million (21% of their $1.6 billion total team value). Second place is the English soccer club Manchester United, worth $285 million (16% of their $1.835 billion value).
The two teams exchanged sports this year due to the Yankees merchandising increase from their 27th World Series title and the opening of their new stadium. Sales of the Yankees championships-emblazoned products totaled $450 million last year, in addition to an increase of 40% growth in sponsorship revenue from the new ballpark. The team’s local TV rating on YES Network were up 11%.
Other Major League Baseball teams in the top 10 include the Boston Red Sox at number 8 ($163 million). According to Forbes, the Red Sox average ticket cost of $50 last season was almost double the Major League Baseball average contributed to the brand value increase.
The New York Mets are number 9 ($158 million). The Mets have built their brand in part by successfully integrating the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants’ storied pasts with their own (look no further than Citi Field’s Jackie Robinson Rotunda).
Here’s the list of the World’s 10 Most Valuable Sports Team Brands:
- New York Yankees ($328 million – baseball)
- Manchester United ($285 million – soccer)
- Real Madrid ($240 million – soccer)
- Dallas Cowboys ($208 million – football)
- Barcelona ($180 million – soccer)
- Bayern Munich ($178 million – soccer)
- Arsenal ($176 million – soccer)
- Boston Red Sox ($163 million – baseball)
- New York Mets ($158 million – baseball)
- New England Patriots ($156 million – football)
Information from Peter J. Schwartz of Forbes.com was used in this article.
San Francisco Giants Rumors: Trade Madison Bumgarner for Cory Hart or Hanley Ramirez?
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Tom Krasovic of MLB FanHouse says that the San Francisco Giants should trade for a hitter even if it will cost them prospect Madison Bumgarner.
Krasovic says the the team seldom scores runs and when they do they work very hard at scoring at all. This may lead to fatigue come September. “The Giants have almost no power, and they balance that by having no footspeed.”
Krasovic’s guess is the the Giants will go the power route this summer like Brewers outfielder Corey Hart, a right-handed hitter that can run. Another possibility will be Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins. In either case, Bumgarner will likely be the player dealt.
Mike Lowell Rumors: "I literally eat up a roster spot"
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Third baseman Mike Lowell believes that the best thing that could happen to him is to be released by the Boston Red Sox according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
“I literally eat up a roster spot,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “I literally do. That’s the way it is.
“I don’t want to use [asking for his release] as leverage, it’s just the reality of the situation they’re in. When Jacoby [Ellsbury] and [Mike] Cameron come back, who do I hit for? There will not be one person in the lineup.
“The first baseman [Kevin Youkilis] and the third baseman [Adrian Beltre], they’re two Gold Glovers. They never get batted for. I refuse to wish injuries to good players. That’s so [expletive] terrible. I want to get playing time on my own.
“It’s not good or bad, it’s just reality. It’s almost verbatim what I said in spring training. I’m not mad about my life. I’m just mad about the fact I put in a lot of work in the offseason to get where I am, and I’m not playing.”
The Red Sox are on the hook for Lowell’s $12 million salary, so they don’t want to see that money go waste. In a perfect world, they would trade him, which they did in the winter, but because of a thumb injury the trade to the Texas Rangers was voided.
There are a number of American League teams such as the Mariners, White Sox and Athletics that are not getting much production out of their DHs and corner infielders and Lowell could be a fit.
“I’m not mad at Tito [manager Terry Francona],” he said. “I don’t see why I have to go there. What am I going to go and tell him, play me more? Why? Who am I going to play for?
“Honestly, I actually agree with everything they have done. I actually would have played David [Ortiz] more. I would have needed to see if he was really hurting or he was going to come out of it. That’s why I think I pose a problem. It’s like they feel they owed me at-bats against a lefty.
“It worked for a couple of days, but overall we all want David to be good. That’s just a fact of our life. If we’re going to have success, David needs to be good.”
Bobby Jenks Trade Rumors: GM Ken Williams trying to gauge interest in closer
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Jow Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times says that Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams is trying to gauge the market interest for closer Bobby Jenks and reliever Scott Linebrink. There is nothing that “piques interest at the moment.”
Yesterday, manager Ozzie Guillen responded to the possible trade rumors from within the White Sox organization.
“I talked to Kenny [on Sunday]; he sent me a text,” Guillen said before the Sox’ game Monday against the Detroit Tigers was postponed by rain. ”All the rumors out there are not … obviously, [Williams is] not happy, but nobody is. He’s losing patience, but we all do.
”He said it’s too early right now. I’ve worked for Kenny for seven years, and if he sees something he likes out there and will help this organization right now and in the future, he will do it. Kenny does stuff very quietly. Maybe the rumors won’t go anywhere, but all of a sudden he makes a move, and it’s, ‘Ozzie, this guy got traded.’ … That’s the way he’s doing stuff.”
Cowley adds that if there are any changes within the organization it will start with the coaching before it reaches the players.
San Francisco Giants Rumors: Jermaine Dye, Buster Posey, Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez
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Here’s a few pieces of news from Glenn Dickey of the San Francsico Chronicle Examiner:
- The Giants are hurting offensively and Dickey says that Jermaine Dye in unsigned free-agent. Dye however is a defensive liability in the outfield and his asking price is too high.
- Bringing up Buster Posey from Triple-A Fresno to play first and shift Aubrey Huff to left field could be an option. However, Dickey says it’s a bad reason because it would stunt Posey’s growth as a catcher and the Giant’s starting staff preferred to pitch to Bengie Molina this year.
- Huff would be a defensive liability in left field especially with the combination of Andres Torres and John Bowker being available.
- Freddy Sanchez could be activated this week after recovering from December shoulder surgery.
