Rumors for May, 2010
Los Angeles Dodgers trade rumors: Looking for starting pitching?
Posted by: | CommentsJames Peltz of the Los Angeles Times
asked Dodgers GM Ned Colletti if the team was looking for starting pitching this week.
Colletti responded by saying, “This week? I’ve been asking around for months.”
That is the ordinary course of business and “we’re not close to anybody or making any deals,” Colletti said. “It’s just due diligence.”
Asked if the team was looking for a right-hander or a left-hander, Colletti replied, “No.”
St. Paul Saints to have 'Brat Favre' as team mascot
Posted by: | CommentsThe Pioneer Press says the St. Paul Saints,
a non-affiliated Minor League baseball team, will open their season tonight with a new mascot – Brat Favre, in honor of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.
No picture is available now, but we’ll post it once we find it.
“We didn’t really care about the timing of when he joined the club,” Saints manager George Tsamis said in a statement released by the team. “All we care about is that he’s there on opening night, delivering baseballs with precision at the levels that only he can reach. I don’t know if it’s his youthful exuberance or what he ate for lunch, but he has that confidence which makes him a true leader. If he needs some help, I’m ready to call on Pigney Rice, Bernard Boarian and Percy Carvin to step up their games.”
In uniform will be former Big Leaguer Kevin Millar. Millar signed with the independent league team earlier this month with hopes to return to the Major Leagues. Millar was with the Chicago Cubs throughout Spring Training and had been doing will by hitting .385 with an on-base percentage of .600 before he was cut.
Mariners Milton Bradley placed on the restricted list
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5/13 07:28: Milton Bradley could be back with the team at some point during the Mariner’s next homestand according to manager Don Wakamatsu (via Jim Street of MLB.com).
I think everything is going well,” Wakamatsu said. “Tentatively, we’re hoping that at some point in the [next] homestand, he’ll be able to rejoin the team.”
5/6 16:37: According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Milton Bradley has been placed on the restricted list by the Seattle Mariners. Michael Saunders is being called up in his place.
Bradley is going through personal issues right now and has asked the team for help. You can follow the story here, or you can see the video below for more information.
Detroit Tigers shaved their hair into a Mohawk for team bonding?
Posted by: | Comments5/13 06:54: Facebook fan Rob has alerted us to a picture from daylife. This is the second time Rob has pointed us to a Mohawk picture. All those need Mohawk advice can direct their questions to him.
5/13 06:23: Did Johnny Damon start a Mohawk trend among his teammates? No one is claiming to be the instigator of this new trend.
According to Alex DiFilippo of MLB.com more than 10 Tigers shaved their hair into a mohawk between games of the day-night doubleheader against the Yankees.
DiFilippo wonders if the Mohawks were a result of being “cooped up inside so much lately” or if it’s a team bonding experience.
“Some of them do have some very good ones working,” Damon said. “I’m not even sure if, when we’re on the road, places will even let us in. I mean, that’s the thing that we have to watch out for. I guess I know who I’m not hanging out with.”
Wednesday night’s starting pitcher, Jeremy Bonderman, joined in with his teammates, negating the adage that pitchers like to be left alone prior to their start.
“I came in and everybody was doing it, so I just jumped on the bandwagon,” Bonderman said. “It was a long day with a lot of time on our hands. I think some of the guys got bored and decided to have some fun.”
Exclusive VIDEO: Eric Byrnes first softball hit for Dutch Goose
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5/13 05:56: Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, who was at the softball game along side PRO Rumors, got a few quotes from Byrnes
“To be honest, I don’t really have any interest (in trying to play more baseball). I’ve never been scared for it to be done, for life after baseball, and it’s not because I didn’t love the game.”
“People keep asking me, ‘Are you really done’ ” with baseball? Byrnes said. “I’m beyond OK with (retirement). This is awesome for me.”
5/12 22:39: The pressure is off former Major League baseball player Eric Byrnes. Byrnes got his first hit, a deep home run to left-center, for the Dutch Goose softball team in Menlo Park, CA. He went 2-for-3 (2 home runs) and played in left field in the 5-2 Dutch Goose victory over Vintage Construction. Here’s the exclusive video:
One guy comments, “I’ve never seen a ball hit that far ever.”
Former Major Leaguer and cousin of Byrnes, John Gall, is the starting first baseman for the Dutch Goose. He has a World Series ring from 2006 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
PRO Rumors had a chance to speak with Byrnes and his mom, Judy Byrnes. Both said that he’s all but retired, but he’s happy to start a new career in softball. If he comes back, it’s because there’s a starting job for him. He doesn’t want to be a fourth or fifth outfielder.
(Judy Byrnes with the first home run ball. “It’s going in the trophy case.”)
Mom Byrnes mentioned that he has a lot of opportunity in the media, and he’ll be pursuing that. He has a job with ESPN in a few weeks in New York, expect to see him on TV soon.
VIDEO: David Ortiz not happy about being called out on strikes by Dale Scott
Posted by: | Comments“Umpires! Can you believe it?”
According to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, those were the words that Red Sox David Ortiz was shouting out after the game in which he was called out on strikes by umpire Dale Scott. From the video, the third strike was very far outside.
Padres Tim Stauffer self-diagnoses appendicities with iPhone then goes on DL
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Trying to diagnose abdominal pains that are keeping you awake? There’s an app for that!
Chris Jenkins of the Union-Tribune says that San Diego Padres Tim Stauffer had self-diagnosed himself before the team trainer was able to get to his hotel room.
“He had himself diagnosed,” said Padres head trainer Todd Hutcheson. “He said, ‘I think I have appendicitis.’?”
Stauffer got to St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco by taxi and had a (one-stitch) laparoscopy to remove his appendix. He was placed on the disabled list and is expected to miss four weeks of playing time.
According to Hutcheson, the doctor who attended to Stauffer said he’d performed appendectomies on “a lot of position players, but never a pitcher.” Hutcheson said he’d never encountered an appendix problem in 20 years as a Padres trainer.
Hank Blalock Rumors: Could Mariners, White Sox, Athletics be interested?
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Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times wrote on Tuesday that the Tampa Bay Rays will have to make a decision soon on Hank Blalock. Blalock’s agent, Scott Boras, said that Blalock would activate the out clause in his Triple-A contract which will force the Rays to either promote him to the Big Leagues or allow him to become a free agent.
ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics have needs for a power hitter. Olney says that once Blalock informs the team that he wants to opt out, they have 48 hours to deal him or put him on the roster.
It would be a complete bonus for the Rays if they can make a trade for Blalock since it was a surprise that Blalock accepted an assignment to the Minor Leagues in the first place. They have to make a move fast or get multiple offers if they want to maintain negotiation leverage.
Blalock, 29, hit 25 home runs in 2009 for the Texas Rangers, but had a .277 on-base percentage. You can see Blalock’s contract history and statistics here.
Houston Astros to replace Roy Oswalt's 2005 NLCS MVP trophy
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The original 2005 NLCS MVP trophy that Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt won was sitting in his dad’s office. A few weeks ago a tornado killed 10 people in the area, destroyed the home of Oswalt’s parents, the NLCS trophy and his game worn jerseys.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com says the Astros have ordered a replacement NLCS MVP trophy.
“As soon as we found out the other one had been destroyed, I talked to [owner] Drayton [McLane], and he said, ‘By all means, let’s go ahead and do that,’” general manager Ed Wade said. “It’s in the works.”
“It (the new trophy) won’t have the champagne splatters on it like it had on the other one, but it will still be a neat thing to have. It means a lot to me, too. I think it means more to him than it does me.”
Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz arrive in Boston on private jet?
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People Magazine says that Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz arrived in Boston via private jet and were whisked to the Liberty Hotel. The Yankees took the train from New York instead of traditional air transportation.
People’s source adds, “The duo spent most of their time in their rooftop suite, not even emerging for meals. Instead, they shared lots of room service and ‘had an incredible time together.’”
A-Rod was in town to play the Boston Red Sox last weekend. There were no reports of Cameron Diaz showing up to Fenway Park because A-Rod does not want Diaz to attend his Yankee games.
Two stars have been secretly dating since their encounter at a Super Bowl party in February where “Cameron had her hands all over Alex’s back, and they were dancing together.” The two have also been known to be shuttling back and forth to Miami in their spare time.
