Baseball News

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Manager Bob Geren and second baseman Mark Ellis are staying with the Oakland Athletics for at least the near future. The A's picked up contract options for Geren and Ellis on Monday, locking up Geren through 2009 and Ellis for the 2008 season. Geren, who had extensive managerial experience in the minors and overseas and is a longtime friend of general manager Billy Beane, signed a two-year contract for his first managerial job ...

CHICAGO (AP) _ Lou Piniella called upon decades of baseball knowledge when the Chicago Cubs were scuffling for the first two months. He watched intently, took mental notes and then started swapping out the parts. Finally, he used some theatrics to literally kick-start his team. Turns out, a dirt-kicking temper tantrum against umpire Mark Wegner on June 2 was just what the Cubs needed, whether it was premeditated or not, whether it was the old Lou resurfacing ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ Minnesota Twins minor leaguer Eli Tintor was suspended for 50 games Monday following a positive test for a drug of abuse under the minor league program. The 22-year-old outfielder's suspension will take effect at the start of the 2008 season. There have been 27 suspensions this year under the minor league program and four under the major league drug plan. Tintor, of Hibbing, Minn., played for the class-A Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League. ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ The New York Yankees took a day off Monday. At least, that's how it looked. The Yankees' drive for a playoff spot paused, with Andy Pettitte falling behind early and a smallish crowd watching Toronto rookie Jesse Litsch pitch the Blue Jays to a 4-1 victory. New York could've clinched a post-season berth with a win, coupled with a Detroit loss later against Minnesota. Instead, the Yankees never quite woke up in their ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ Major League Baseball set a record for total attendance and is on track to break its mark for average attendance. With one week left in the regular season, major league teams drew 76,215,082, the commissioner's office said Monday, topping last year's 76,042,787. The average of 32,710 was up four per cent from last year's final average of 31,423 and on pace to top the record of 31,632 set in 1994 before a strike ...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A terrible start and a slew of injuries couldn't keep the Philadelphia Phillies out of the playoff race. For the third straight year, Philadelphia's post-season hopes will come down to the final week. Six games remain and each is at home. It's almost do-or-die every night, starting Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. Can the Phillies finally end a 14-year playoff drought? Considering the obstacles they've overcome this season, anything is possible. This is a resilient ...

MIAMI (AP) _ Short on pitching all season, the Marlins are now looking for a pitching coach. The organization sought to retain Rick Kranitz for next season, but he wanted to explore other options, general manager Larry Beinfest said Monday. Kranitz won't be with the team for its final six games. Bullpen coach Steve Foster will be pitching coach for the final week. The rest of manager Fredi Gonzalez's staff will return next season, Beinfest said. Florida is last ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ One swing at a time, Albert Pujols closed in on another career milestone. Pinch-hitting success had the St. Louis Cardinals' star, hobbled by a strained left calf muscle, one RBI away from becoming the first player to get 100 RBIs in his first seven seasons entering Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pujols had missed five straight starts entering the team's season-ending seven-game trip, but went 2-for-2 with a bases-loaded walk and four ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ Major League Baseball representatives met Monday with officials from the district attorney's office in Albany County, N.Y., regarding the upstate investigation into performance-enhancing drugs, according to published reports Tuesday. Baseball officials hope to get the same type of help from investigators that the NFL has received, the New York Times and Daily News reported Tuesday. Heather Orth, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said members of the office talked to baseball officials about ...

TORONTO (CP) _ The Toronto Blue Jays and shortstop John McDonald have agreed on a US$3.8-million, two-year deal. The contract extension, confirmed to The Canadian Press by a source with knowledge of the talks, was expected to be announced later Tuesday and comes after a dismal 2-5 road trip that included two gut-wrenching losses in the ninth inning. McDonald, who is earning $750,000 this season, would have been eligible for free agency in the fall. His signing ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ A king without his crown _ what a strange sight. A day after his most remarkable triumph yet, Barry Bonds had no cap. And he already was late for the team photo. ``I don't have a hat,'' the slugger said loudly, moments before rushing from the clubhouse to right field to take the picture. ``I need a hat.'' On cue, longtime Giants equipment manager Mike Murphy scurried across the grass to deliver the necessary ...

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game. The Texas League game was suspended in the ninth inning Sunday after the former major leaguer was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez. Coolbaugh, 35, a former Toronto Blue Jays draft pick, was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North ...

MILWAUKEE (AP) _ Barry Bonds' pursuit of the home run record likely will resume back in San Francisco on Monday night. Bonds was held out of the Giants' starting lineup Sunday for the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, though manager Bruce Bochy said the slugger would be available to pinch hit if needed. ``He's fine. Just give him a day today,'' Bochy said. ``Nothing more than that.'' Bonds has 753 home runs, two from tying Hank ...

BOSTON (AP) _ Jon Lester is slated to return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox on Monday, nearly a year after his rookie season was cut short when he was diagnosed with cancer. Lester was scheduled to replace Julian Tavarez for Monday's game at Cleveland, the 23-year-old left-hander's first major league appearance since he beat the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 23 last year. The Red Sox said nine days later that he had ...

STATELINE, Nev. (AP) _ A pair of Hall of Fame catchers who hit their share of home runs have different takes on Barry Bonds' pursuit of Hank Aaron's all-time record. Johnny Bench and Gary Carter said Bonds' chase for 755 is good for baseball, but they differ when it comes to the role steroids may have played in his success. ``Barry's going to break the record, and it's phenomenal,'' said Bench, who hit 389 home runs in ...

BALTIMORE (AP) _ Kevin Millar would rather help the Baltimore Orioles become a winner than join a club that already is one. As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline nears, it's a sure bet the Orioles will be fielding offers for Millar, a playoff-tested veteran who's as valuable in the clubhouse as he is at the plate. If the Orioles deal Millar to a contender, the 35-year-old first baseman would be playing significant games in August ...

DETROIT (AP) _ Detroit Tigers infielder Neifi Perez was suspended 25 games Friday, the first player penalized for testing positive for a stimulant under Major League Baseball's drug program. Perez, a seldom-used utility player, is hitting .172 with one home run and six RBIs in 64 at-bats in the team's first 83 games. He is a former Gold Glove shortstop, in 2000 with the Colorado Rockies. He also has played for Kansas City, San Francisco and ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ Four decades after the Brooklyn Dodgers broke hearts by departing for Los Angeles, Harry Nespoli is still fuming. ``It was a betrayal of the Dodgers fans who were here supporting the team,'' Nespoli said Sunday. ``They took the heart and soul from Brooklyn. When they left, they left such a despairing feeling and loss of hopes.'' The 68-year-old Nespoli was among several thousand spectators at KeySpan Park in Brooklyn who watched the reenactment ...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Roger Clemens says he'll do anything to help the New York Yankees, and he proved it Sunday by coming out of the bullpen for the first time in 23 years to face Barry Bonds. Clemens made his first regular-season appearance as a reliever since he was a rookie with the Red Sox in 1984, walking the San Francisco slugger on five pitches before yielding one run in the seventh inning of the ...

Rod Beck was a menacing sight on the mound, with a bushy moustache and a searing stare that intimidated batters throughout his 13-year career as one of baseball's best closers. Yet his friends in the game knew Beck as a hardworking teammate and a jovial character whose early death saddened players all around the major leagues. Beck, an all-star relief pitcher who earned 286 career saves, was found dead in his home Saturday. He was 38. ``He was ...

TOKYO (AP) _ Former major leaguer Warren Cromartie is hoping his aggressive style of play on the baseball diamond will translate into success in the wrestling ring. Cromartie, 53, will step into the ring at Saitama Super Arena on Sunday in a pro wrestling event called Hustle Aid. He'll team up with Japan's Ryoji Sai to take on veteran wrestler Tiger Jeet Singh and An Joenosuke in a tag-team match. ``I have to represent all baseball players,'' ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ Jason Giambi failed an amphetamines test within the last year, the Daily News reported Wednesday. The New York newspaper reported that after the failed amphetamines test, Giambi is subjected to six additional tests for one year. The newspaper did not cite any sources in its report. Giambi declined comment to the newspaper before the Yankees' 7-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The Yankees slugger recently said in a USA ...

NEW YORK (AP) _ Everyone in pinstripes insists Mariano Rivera is still a safe bet, even after a rough start this season. Perhaps he can prove it when the Red Sox return to town. Boston usually presents the biggest challenge for the Yankees' star closer, and the AL East-leading Red Sox open a three-game series in New York on Monday night that could provide answers to some key questions about Rivera _ if he gets a ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk at the time of his fatal accident and marijuana was found in the sport utility vehicle he was driving. Police Chief Joe Mokwa also said at a news conference Friday that the 29-year-old Hancock was speaking on a cellphone at about the time of the crash early Sunday on Interstate 64 in St. Louis. ``Mr. Hancock was legally ...

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) _ The Los Angeles Angels optioned first baseman Kendry Morales to triple-A Salt Lake following Wednesday night's 9-1 victory over Tampa Bay and said they intend to bring up infielder Brandon Wood from their Pacific Coast League club. Wood, a first-round pick in the 2003 amateur draft, batted .278 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 20 games with Salt Lake while playing mostly at third base. ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Every player on the Dodgers will be No. 42 for a day. Los Angeles will honour the late Jackie Robinson by having all of its players wear his jersey number on April 15 when the Dodgers face the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on the 60th anniversary of his becoming the first African-American player to play in a big league game. ``Jackie Robinson was a ...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) _ Carlos Delgado returned to the New York Mets on Thursday, five days after the birth of his son, Carlos Antonio. Delgado, who had gone to Puerto Rico to attend the birth, received congratulations from teammates. Now that he's back, he can catch up on his rest. ``You don't sleep well at the hospital,'' he said. The former Toronto Blue Jays star made the trip ...

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) _ Roger Clemens was greeted by a group of autograph-seeking fans as he walked off the 18th green during a pro-am event at Redstone Golf Club on Wednesday. ``Are you coming back?'' someone asked. ``I'll know in about a month,'' Clemens answered. The 44-year-old is no closer to deciding whether he'll return for a 23rd season. He set no timetable, but repeated that he'll choose among the ...

Don't expect too many cheers this season as Barry Bonds pursues Hank Aaron's home run mark of 755, perhaps baseball's most important record. But expect controversy as the San Francisco Giants outfielder faces accusations of steroid use, taunts for alleged cheating and likely boos in every game he plays on the road. There's no feel-good story to be found here. Bonds, 42, enters the season with 734 career home runs ...

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) _ New Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez knew long ago Dontrelle Willis would likely be his first opening day starter. And throughout spring training, it was assumed that the plan hadn't changed. So when Gonzalez finally announced the decision on Monday, only one guy seemed taken aback. ``Of course I'm surprised,'' Willis said. ``I'm excited. I wanted it, but that doesn't mean I'll have it next year. ...