Rumors for May, 2011
Yankees release RHP Brian Anderson
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The New York Yankees have released right handed pitcher Brian Anderson according to John Nalbone of the New York Times. Anderson only appeared in seven games for the Yankees’ Double-A team.
The 29-year old was 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA and three holds in 7.2 innings before being placed on the Disabled List May 4.
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Injury updates: Liriano, Rodriguez, Dickey, Bailey and Hudson
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Here’s a running list of injury updates around the Major Leagues:
– Francisco Liriano was scratched from tomorrow’s start due to a sore shoulder according to Tyler Mason of FOXSportsNorth.com.
– Wandy Rodriguez will also miss his start tomorrow, but with a sore elbow according to Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle. Rodriguez complained of some soreness following Sunday’s outing and felt continued discomfort during a bullpen session today. He will have an MRI tomorrow.
– Mets starter R.A. Dickey is day-to-day with a partial tear of the plantar facia in his right foot reports Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. Dickey remains optimistic about his injury and believes he’ll be pitching again soon.
– Right handed pitcher Homer Bailey has been placed on the 15-day Disabled List according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Bailey had some shoulder discomfort after his last outing, but no surgery will be required according to the Reds trainer Paul Lessard.
– Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets that the San Diego Padres have placed Orlando Hudson on the 15-day Disabled List with a strained groin.
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Frank McCourt makes May 31 payroll
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Today, funds were due by club owners to cover paychecks that will be issued on May 31st. Some how some way, Frank McCourt was able to meet the payroll demands today, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
McCourt was able to secure funds to help make payroll by taking cash advances on payments that he was scheduled to receive until later this season. But McCourt remains in panic mode as he searches to secure funds for payroll checks ending June 15th. A little monkey wrench in the upcoming payroll is that retired slugger Manny Ramirez is due a $6mm deferred payment from his two-year contract he signed in prior to the 2009 season.
Frank will continue to search for money to make the June 15th payroll as he hopes that a scheduled hearing on June 22nd that will determine if his ex-wife, Jamie McCourt has no standing to challenge a proposed television contract between the Dodgers and Fox.
If this was the only problem Frank was facing he wouldn’t be in that bad of shape. He also has MLB breathing down his neck waiting for him to falter with his payroll or other finances so they can takeover the team. AND McCourt was just sued this week by the Stow family for an undisclosed amount.
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Gary Carter certain tumors on brain are likely malignant
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Doctors for Hall of Famer Gary Carter said that they are “90 percent certain” that the tumors found on his brain are malignant.
“It is with a heavy, yet hopeful heart, that I share with you the news that Dr. Friedman shared with our family early this afternoon …that he is 90% certain that the tumors are malignant,” according to a statement on the family website (via the New York Post)
“It was very hard for all of us to hear, as we have been hoping and praying that the tumors would be benign,” the website said. “… We understand that we have a long road ahead of us, and we’re doing all we can to mentally, emotionally and spiritually prepare for the journey.”
Carter will begin chemotherapy and radiation treatments as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. Doctors are optimistic that the tumors are treatable.
In his 19-year Major League career with the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, the catcher hit .262 with 324 home runs and 1,225 RBIs.
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Does feeling happy for Buster Posey’s injury somehow make you inhuman?
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A couple of nights ago, the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award winner Buster Posey sustained a season-ending injury after a collision at home plate with Marlins’ Scott Cousins.
Posey’s injury put the Giants intentions of repeating as World Champions in jeopardy and giving other teams more chance of competing for it, specially the ones within their division, the NL West.
Given the impression that the image of the collision has left in all of us, it is almost impossible to think that someone could at least think there’s something positive about it. But because anything is possible in this world, there’s one guy who believes this is actually a good thing.
Jim McLennan of AZ Snakepit Blog, believes Posey’s injury gave “a little fist-pump” to fans of other teams as the Giants’ lineup will not be as tough to face now. He didn’t say he’s happy for what happened to the guy, but he understands people that are happy about it.
I would like to be clear with something, we all love baseball and we all respect all of them who play am I right? If so, there’s no room for feeling “happy” when something like this happens.
Posey is, before a baseball player, a human being, and after he takes off his uniform he’s just a regular guy no different from most of us.
As a baseball fan, you feel happy when your team wins, and you feel happy when your rivals lose, but as a human being you cannot, under any circumstances, feel happy for what’s just happened to Posey.
I know Mclennan didn’t wish him bad, but feeling somehow happy, it’s just as bad, at least that’s what I think. I’m sure all the baseball world feels truly bad about Posey, even though not all of them has talked or written about it.
For me, a good sports team doesn’t want to win relying in the others misfortune, they wants to win despite the others fortune. You definitely have to separate the “fanaticism” of your human qualities.
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Houston Astros release Joe Inglett
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The Houston Astros have released infielder Joe Inglett, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
In 20 games this season for the Astros, Inglett hit .222 in 27 at-bats. He was acquired by the Astros from the Rays in March for cash or a PTBNL.
The 32-year-old Inglett was signed to a Minor League deal by the Rays in mid-February. He played in 102 games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010. His versatility allows him to play multiple outfield and infield positions. He has a career .286/.345/.397 in four seasons with the Brewers, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays.
Athletics trade David Purcey to the Tigers
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The Oakland Athletics have traded left handed pitcher David Purcey to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Scott Sizemore according to the Tigers official Twitter account.
Purcey was traded to the Athletics back in April from the Blue Jays in exchange for right handed pitcher Danny Farquhar.
Purcey has appeared in 14 games as a reliever for the A’s and Blue Jays, posting a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings so far. Sizemore was hitting .222/.329/.238 with 4 RBI’s in 63 AB’s with the Tigers in 2011.
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New York Mets designate Pat Misch for assignment
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In a Tweet by Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, he reports the Mets have designated Pat Misch for assignment to make room for Dale Thayer. The team also optioned Fernando Martinez and promoted Thayer.
This is the second time that the Mets designated Misch this season. He was designated for assignment in April, but he cleared waivers to allow him to be assigned to Triple-A.
In six appearances for the Mets this season, the left-hander is 1-0 with a 10.29 ERA over seven innings pitched.
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Jon Heyman on Mets, Dodgers, Rodriguez and Ramirez
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Here are a few notes from Jon Heyman of SI.com.
–David Einhorn’s $200mm deal to become the Mets minority owner puts his ownership stake in the team around 30%. Einhorn will also have some say though not the final call in major decisions.
–Dodgers owner Frank McCourt appears to have enough funds to make payroll for the end of May. June 15th though is a different story. According to baseball sources, McCourt is taking payments now instead of at the end of the season to meet payroll. Also included in this next pay period is $6mm due to Manny Ramirez as part of his two-year deal he signed prior to the 2009 season.
–Both Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp will hit the free agent market after next season. The Dodgers would like to retain both of their star outfielders but may not be able to afford both especially with poor man McCourt in control of the team. A source close to Heyman says that the Dodgers “have put out no calls and received no calls” on either outfielder.
–The Rangers are looking for bullpen help, especially a right hander. As a result, the best right hander bullpen arm out there is Francisco Rodriguez.
–The Cubs will have a new third baseman next season as they will not pick up Aramis Ramirez’s $16mm option (the option will vest if he is league MVP or NLCS MVP…Yea right).
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Who said playing video games couldn’t make you a millionaire?
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Since video games were invented, we’ve heard a lot of people tell us that playing video games was a waste of time. I’m not gonna start a war here explaining why I think video games could be educative at some point, but I’m obligated to point out that for one guy, playing video games became extremely lucrative.
Brian Kingrey, a Louisiana native won $1 million, for being the first player to throw a perfect game in MLB 2K11 according to Chris Morris of the Blog PluggedIn (yes the video game we gave away earlier this year).
According to Morris, Kingrey is not a big fan of baseball video games, or even baseball in general, but he took the time to master the game, to the point where he was the first person to throw a perfect game.
“I’m not really into sports games, but I am into competitive games, so when I heard about this competition, I couldn’t leave it alone,” says Kingrey. “Two weeks before the competition started, my wife forced me to go get the game. She was like ‘I don’t know why you’re not doing this.’”
As a baseball video game enthusiast, I must say I have never thrown a perfect game, so I imagine how hard could it be.
To get there, Kengry studied batting averages and played a lot of games to learn its nuances and get a good approach to be able to throw the perfect game.
His first strategy, picking the guy on the cover to throw the game, this guy is no other than Roy Halladay. The right hander who actually threw a perfect game less than a year ago. After choosing his pitcher, Kengry had to choose his victims, in this case the Houston Astros.
“Roy Halladay has the most control on his pitch in the game,” says Kingrey. “And he has this really mean slider that’s amazing against right-handers. The Astros only have two lefties in their lineup. I’d throw it low and to the right and then they would swing and miss.”
The 2K contest began on April 1st, and it only took Kengry three attempts and less than two hours to actually throw the perfect game. As part of the festivities Kengry will have the chance to meet the guy who he controlled and helped him get $1 million, Halladay.
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