Headline this morning.........."Baseball players set to report to camp"
I'm psyched..............
<TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD width=440><!-- search:</noindex> --><SCRIPT> if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msnfantasy.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } </SCRIPT>While skiers and skaters get their moments to shine in the snow and ice, baseball players head for the sun.
Thursday is the day fans have been waiting for since October: Pitchers and catchers take the field!
Spring training will have a new twist this year, with Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and many major league stars leaving their teams for the first World Baseball Classic. The 16-team tournament runs from March 3-20 and will give the sport something it's never had - a true world champion.
"It's an opportunity to try and expand the game globally," said Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who plans to play for the United States. "I think there's going to be a lot of interest, especially in some of the countries that haven't come over to play before. I think it's great for the game."
There have been a lot of changes since Oct. 26, when the Chicago White Sox won 1-0 in Houston to complete a sweep for their first World Series title since 1917. In addition to all the personnel moves, players and owners agreed to another toughened steroids plan, one that boosts the initial suspension for a positive test from 10 days to 50 games.
Twelve players were nabbed last year, with Rafael Palmeiro the most prominent. He still doesn't have a job for this year, and it's unclear whether he'll retire.
Sammy Sosa also doesn't have a team yet - he's thinking over the Washington Nationals' offer.
Barry Bonds, baseball's biggest bopper, hopes to start the season on time this year after missing the first five months of last season recovering from knee surgery. The 41-year-old needs seven homers to pass Babe Ruth and 48 to break Hank Aaron's career mark of 755.
As for the teams, Toronto made the splashiest signings, giving pitcher A.J. Burnett a $55 million contract and closer B.J. Ryan $47 million. The Blue Jays, trying to overcome the Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East, also signed catcher Bengie Molina and acquired third baseman Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay in trades.
"We had a productive offseason but it only turns into a successful offseason if we have a good season," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "It's exciting, we'll see how it plays out. We haven't done anything but sign good players and trade for good players, and it doesn't mean we're guaranteed anything."
The New York Mets also made big moves for the second straight offseason under GM Omar Minaya, signing closer Billy Wagner for $43 million and acquiring first baseman Carlos Delgado, whom they failed to sign a year earlier.
Atlanta has won 14 straight division titles and Philadelphia, which replaced Wagner with Tom Gordon, finished right behind the Braves in the NL East last year.
"Right now we've got the edge. All we have to do is go out there and play, and play how we know how to play," Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd said. "I think it should be a real fun season."
New Phillies GM Pat Gillick sent Jim Thome to the White Sox in a deal that brought center fielder Aaron Rowand to the Phillies. Chicago re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko ($60 million), let go of designated hitter Frank Thomas and acquired pitcher Javier Vazquez from Arizona.
Just like the Red Sox last winter, the White Sox learned that winning a title ramps up their profile.
"People come up to me now and say stuff to me," catcher A.J. Pierzynski related. "One saving grace I had is that I hang out with Johnny Damon a lot, so any time I go anywhere with him, no one cares about me. So I try to hang out with him as much as possible."
Damon also switched sides, moving from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Trying to mend relations with Boston fans, he took out an ad in the Feb. 8 Boston Globe.
"Many thanks to the great fans of New England and the city of Boston," the ad stated. "It was a privilege and an honor."
For much of the winter, the Red Sox seemed to spend much of their energy on their GM job, not on players. Theo Epstein left Oct. 31, then returned Jan. 24, having settled his differences with team president/mentor Larry Lucchino.
Boston dealt shortstop Edgar Renteria to Atlanta, replaced Damon in center field with Coco Crisp, acquired 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett from Florida and brought in a new infield: Kevin Youkilis and J.T. Snow will split time at first, with Mark Loretta at second, Alex Gonzalez at shortstop and Mike Lowell at third.
Beckett and Lowell were part of the Marlins' dispersal, departing in a group that also included Burnett, second baseman Luis Castillo (Minnesota), catcher Paul Lo Duca (Mets), center fielder Juan Pierre (Chicago Cubs), and relievers Todd Jones (Detroit) and Guillermo Mota (Cleveland).
"You manage the club you have. A lot of kids will have a lot of opportunities," new manager Joe Girardi said.
Girardi replaced retired Jack McKeon and is among five new managers. The others are Jim Leyland with Detroit, Grady Little with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jim Tracy with Pittsburgh and Joe Maddon with Tampa Bay.
Little still is remembered for his time with the Red Sox, when he stayed with Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning of Game 7 in the 2003 AL championship series only to watch the Yankees overcome a three-run deficit and go on to win the pennant in extra innings.
The Dodgers went 71-91 last year, their second-worst season since they moved west from Brooklyn in 1958, and new GM Ned Colletti added shortstop Rafael Furcal, first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, third baseman Bill Mueller, outfielder Kenny Lofton and relievers Danys Baez and Lance Carter.
Frank Robinson returns for his fifth season in charge of the Nationals/Montreal Expos, a franchise still owned by the other 29 clubs. Baseball is battling the District of Columbia Council over a lease for a new ballpark, and commissioner Bud Selig won't sell the team until an agreement has been reached. While the Nationals wait for an owner, Houston awaits a decision by Roger Clemens. After winning the major league ERA title at age 43, Clemens wants to pitch for the United States in the World Baseball Classic but isn't sure whether he wants to play another regular season. He can't re-sign with the Astros until May 1, and the Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers are interested if he's willing to leave Houston. He pitched batting practice in late January to Astros prospects, a group that included his oldest son, Koby. Agent Randy Hendricks said Friday that Clemens won't decide his future until after the WBC.
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I'm psyched..............
<TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD width=440><!-- search:</noindex> --><SCRIPT> if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msnfantasy.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } </SCRIPT>While skiers and skaters get their moments to shine in the snow and ice, baseball players head for the sun.
Thursday is the day fans have been waiting for since October: Pitchers and catchers take the field!
Spring training will have a new twist this year, with Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and many major league stars leaving their teams for the first World Baseball Classic. The 16-team tournament runs from March 3-20 and will give the sport something it's never had - a true world champion.
"It's an opportunity to try and expand the game globally," said Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who plans to play for the United States. "I think there's going to be a lot of interest, especially in some of the countries that haven't come over to play before. I think it's great for the game."
There have been a lot of changes since Oct. 26, when the Chicago White Sox won 1-0 in Houston to complete a sweep for their first World Series title since 1917. In addition to all the personnel moves, players and owners agreed to another toughened steroids plan, one that boosts the initial suspension for a positive test from 10 days to 50 games.
Twelve players were nabbed last year, with Rafael Palmeiro the most prominent. He still doesn't have a job for this year, and it's unclear whether he'll retire.
Sammy Sosa also doesn't have a team yet - he's thinking over the Washington Nationals' offer.
Barry Bonds, baseball's biggest bopper, hopes to start the season on time this year after missing the first five months of last season recovering from knee surgery. The 41-year-old needs seven homers to pass Babe Ruth and 48 to break Hank Aaron's career mark of 755.
As for the teams, Toronto made the splashiest signings, giving pitcher A.J. Burnett a $55 million contract and closer B.J. Ryan $47 million. The Blue Jays, trying to overcome the Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East, also signed catcher Bengie Molina and acquired third baseman Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay in trades.
"We had a productive offseason but it only turns into a successful offseason if we have a good season," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "It's exciting, we'll see how it plays out. We haven't done anything but sign good players and trade for good players, and it doesn't mean we're guaranteed anything."
The New York Mets also made big moves for the second straight offseason under GM Omar Minaya, signing closer Billy Wagner for $43 million and acquiring first baseman Carlos Delgado, whom they failed to sign a year earlier.
Atlanta has won 14 straight division titles and Philadelphia, which replaced Wagner with Tom Gordon, finished right behind the Braves in the NL East last year.
"Right now we've got the edge. All we have to do is go out there and play, and play how we know how to play," Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd said. "I think it should be a real fun season."
New Phillies GM Pat Gillick sent Jim Thome to the White Sox in a deal that brought center fielder Aaron Rowand to the Phillies. Chicago re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko ($60 million), let go of designated hitter Frank Thomas and acquired pitcher Javier Vazquez from Arizona.
Just like the Red Sox last winter, the White Sox learned that winning a title ramps up their profile.
"People come up to me now and say stuff to me," catcher A.J. Pierzynski related. "One saving grace I had is that I hang out with Johnny Damon a lot, so any time I go anywhere with him, no one cares about me. So I try to hang out with him as much as possible."
Damon also switched sides, moving from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Trying to mend relations with Boston fans, he took out an ad in the Feb. 8 Boston Globe.
"Many thanks to the great fans of New England and the city of Boston," the ad stated. "It was a privilege and an honor."
For much of the winter, the Red Sox seemed to spend much of their energy on their GM job, not on players. Theo Epstein left Oct. 31, then returned Jan. 24, having settled his differences with team president/mentor Larry Lucchino.
Boston dealt shortstop Edgar Renteria to Atlanta, replaced Damon in center field with Coco Crisp, acquired 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett from Florida and brought in a new infield: Kevin Youkilis and J.T. Snow will split time at first, with Mark Loretta at second, Alex Gonzalez at shortstop and Mike Lowell at third.
Beckett and Lowell were part of the Marlins' dispersal, departing in a group that also included Burnett, second baseman Luis Castillo (Minnesota), catcher Paul Lo Duca (Mets), center fielder Juan Pierre (Chicago Cubs), and relievers Todd Jones (Detroit) and Guillermo Mota (Cleveland).
"You manage the club you have. A lot of kids will have a lot of opportunities," new manager Joe Girardi said.
Girardi replaced retired Jack McKeon and is among five new managers. The others are Jim Leyland with Detroit, Grady Little with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jim Tracy with Pittsburgh and Joe Maddon with Tampa Bay.
Little still is remembered for his time with the Red Sox, when he stayed with Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning of Game 7 in the 2003 AL championship series only to watch the Yankees overcome a three-run deficit and go on to win the pennant in extra innings.
The Dodgers went 71-91 last year, their second-worst season since they moved west from Brooklyn in 1958, and new GM Ned Colletti added shortstop Rafael Furcal, first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, third baseman Bill Mueller, outfielder Kenny Lofton and relievers Danys Baez and Lance Carter.
Frank Robinson returns for his fifth season in charge of the Nationals/Montreal Expos, a franchise still owned by the other 29 clubs. Baseball is battling the District of Columbia Council over a lease for a new ballpark, and commissioner Bud Selig won't sell the team until an agreement has been reached. While the Nationals wait for an owner, Houston awaits a decision by Roger Clemens. After winning the major league ERA title at age 43, Clemens wants to pitch for the United States in the World Baseball Classic but isn't sure whether he wants to play another regular season. He can't re-sign with the Astros until May 1, and the Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers are interested if he's willing to leave Houston. He pitched batting practice in late January to Astros prospects, a group that included his oldest son, Koby. Agent Randy Hendricks said Friday that Clemens won't decide his future until after the WBC.
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