Source: Kansas City Royals agree to deal with reliever Jose Cruz

Free-agent pitcher Juan Cruz, caught in an unusual vise of rules and economy this offseason, has agreed to a two-year, $6 millon deal with the Kansas City Royals with a club option for a third, sources said Saturday.

Cruz

Cruz will receive $2.25 million for 2009, $3.25 million for 2010, and a $4 million team option for 2011 in the deal, with a $500,000 buyout.

The right-handed Cruz could represent a major upgrade for the Royals' bullpen amid high hopes within the organization that Kansas City will take a long stride forward this year. The Royals traded middle relievers Leo Nunez and Ramon Ramirez after last season.

With the deal complete, the Diamondbacks get two 2009 compensatory draft picks -- a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds and the Royals' second-round pick at around No. 55 overall.

Pitching for Arizona in 2008, Cruz struck out 71 in 51 2/3 innings, with a 2.61 ERA, and seemed poised for a significant payday in free agency.

But Cruz was rated as a Type A free agent, meaning that any team signing him has to give up a high draft pick.

The compensation attached to Cruz greatly deflated interest in him, and as a result, the union and the commissioner's office discussed the possibility that Arizona could go through an unusual sign-and-trade process with Cruz -- which, in theory, would provide Cruz with more options, and give the Diamondbacks some compensation.


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Start of Barry Bonds' perjury trial faces lengthy postponement

SAN FRANCISCO -- And so the Barry Bonds saga rages on. With little end in sight.

What once seemed like closure on the horizon -- a perjury trial for baseball's home run king set to begin Monday, nearly six years after the BALCO scandal first erupted -- now has been put on indefinite hold.

The government announced Friday its intention to appeal pretrial rulings that would keep out significant pieces of evidence, bringing the case to a screeching halt despite Judge Susan Illston's chastising prosecutors for even considering an appeal at the 11th hour.

The prosecution's appeal is rooted in rulings the judge made last week, when she ordered that the government would be precluded from using critical evidence.

The start to the trial, legal experts say, likely will be delayed several months, if not considerably longer.

Illston indicated she believed she would be forced to stay the trial, although defense lawyers filed a motion Friday arguing she has the discretion to move forward or to dismiss the case and force the government to appeal that decision.

Late Friday afternoon, Illston issued an order saying that jury selection had been put on hold until further notice.

The appeal is rooted in rulings Illston made eight days ago, when she ordered that the government would be precluded from using critical evidence, including three positive tests indicating Bonds used two different steroids in 2000 and 2001, doping calendars allegedly made to direct Bonds' use of performance-enhancers and doping ledgers believed to further implicate the seven-time MVP in using the banned substances.

Bonds' attorneys issued a joint statement that read: "Barry Bonds is innocent. Rather than present the evidence to an impartial judge and jury, the government has chosen to appeal Judge Illston's correct and well-reasoned order. Instead of a trial, the government wants to prolong its six-year obsession with Barry. It's unfair to him, to the taxpayers, and to the judicial process. The government's strategy of delay shows what little confidence they have in their own case."

The only way Illston suggested the government could enter that evidence is through testimony from Bonds' personal trainer, who has steadfastly refused to testify despite a subpoena. Greg Anderson was back in court Friday morning, reaffirming his intention to not answer questions during the trial.

Illston warned Anderson she would send him to prison -- he already has spent 13 months there for his refusal to testify against Bonds -- if he doesn't cooperate at trial.

Prosecutors, who haven't shied away from pressuring the trainer, going so far as to come after his wife and his mother-in-law in separate tax-related cases, broached the subject that they could later come after Anderson for criminal contempt.

"That could result in punishment," Illston told Anderson.

Anderson was ordered to return to court Wednesday, when the trial is scheduled to begin in earnest, to take the stand and, presumably, refuse to testify after being put under oath.

After Anderson and his attorney, Mark Geragos, were excused by Illston, lead BALCO prosecutor Matt Parrella informed the judge that the government was considering filing an appeal but had not decided whether to do so. Illston, clearly irked, reminded prosecutors that considerable plans had been made preparing for Monday's start to the trial, with 90 prospective jurors scheduled to appear and be available for a month.

“

They're on eve of the trial, they've got the momentum going, witnesses lined up; to call timeout at this point is foolish. It lets the air out of the balloon.

”-- Peter Keane, a professor
at Golden Gate law school

"What time are you going to tell me your plans?" Illston asked Parrella, with frustration in her voice.

After a pause, she added, "What time today are you going to tell me?"

"As soon as possible," Parrella responded.

"I need more than that," Illston demanded.

Parrella then said the government would let her know by 6 p.m. ET.

At 4:18 p.m. ET, the government filed notice and effectively put the case on hold. Two hours later, Illston issued an order stating that Monday's jury selection would not proceed until further notice.

Michael Wong, the former head of the white-collar unit at the U.S. Attorney's office in San Francisco, said these cases were unusual and that the process can take some time. Wong noted a similar case in which the time between appeal and a ruling from the Ninth Circuit was nearly one year.

Because Illston's rulings were related to admissibility of evidence, the government has the right to seek an appeal through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. And despite some experts suggesting the move was doomed for failure, prosecutors sought and received approval from Washington, D.C., to go ahead and challenge Illston's interpretation of the law.

"That's a stupid move that they're appealing," said Peter Keane, a professor at Golden Gate law school who has been following the case closely. "There is absolutely no chance that an appellate court prior to trial is going to overrule a trial court's evidentiary rulings.

"It's a foolish move on the part of the government. They're on eve of the trial, they've got the momentum going, witnesses lined up; to call timeout at this point is foolish. It lets the air out of the balloon. They should be putting all their time and effort and energy into preparing for trial based on the evidence they have, rather than some futile effort to get in this evidence. The judge made a legitimate call."

Prosecutors had argued there were exceptions to hearsay laws that could allow other witnesses to testify about what Anderson told them regarding Bonds and steroid use. Illston, however, said in open court that these were cases of "classic hearsay," and she made it clear that, without Anderson, the material wouldn't go before a jury.

Without the positive tests, the doping calendars and the drug ledgers, the government case has been stripped primarily to witness testimony from four people who are expected to say they either discussed Bonds' steroid use with the ballplayer or watched him be injected by Anderson.

The government also has a positive steroid test from 2003, in which Bonds is shown to have been using the previously undetectable steroid known as "the clear," and testosterone believed to stem from his use of the substance known in the case as "the cream."

As well, the government says it has an audio recording of a discussion between Anderson and Bonds' former business manager, Steve Hoskins, in which Anderson talks about an undetectable steroid he is providing to Bonds.


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Jerry Crasnick: After initial anger, Young accepts move to 3B

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers infielder Michael Young is a big believer in hard work, team chemistry and the sanctity of baseball fundamentals. He's an advocate of all those quaint concepts that ball people hold dear and cynical bloggers find so hilarious.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Charlie RiedelAfter playing shortstop for the Rangers for the past five seasons, Michael Young has moved to third base.

From personal experience, Young is also convinced that one man's truth can easily qualify as fiction in the eye of a different beholder.

For the past few years, Young has developed a reputation as a solid fielder even as the modern defensive metrics derided his contribution. In 2008, American League managers and coaches voted Young a Gold Glove, while the plus-minus system of the "Fielding Bible" rated him the 27th-best shortstop in the majors.

At least Young was in good company: Derek Jeter ranked 31st under the same system in 2008.

"When somebody sits there and says Derek Jeter is a bad shortstop, it's comical," Young said. "Derek brings so many things to the game that people don't see or understand. He's an unbelievable player, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and an incredible shortstop. It's laughable to say he's a bad shortstop.

"To sit and quantify defense, that's a difficult thing to do. What I like about shortstop is the fact that there are so many responsibilities other than the obvious, tangible things. I enjoy the parts of the position that you can't see in box scores. You can have such a massive impact on a game even when you're not getting ground balls hit at you."

This is not just a public screed from a player who's bitter about being displaced. Young delivered a similar, solemn message to his own front office this offseason.

For the past five years, since Alex Rodriguez left for New York, Young has been the face of the Texas franchise and the conscience of the clubhouse. He's the guy who tells the young players that they need to be accountable, and sets the tone for Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley to feel comfortable despite their career baggage.

“

I don't expect [moving to third base] to be a difficult transition. If you can play short at a high level, you can play anywhere.

”-- Michael Young

He's also appeared in five straight All-Star Games and ranks second to Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki with 1,242 hits since the start of the 2003 season.

Young's all-around portfolio convinced the Rangers to sign him to a five-year, $80 million extension in March 2007. But the partnership is looking a bit frayed these days.

Young's offseason took a strange twist in December when Texas general manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington told him they wanted him to shift from shortstop to third base in 2009. It was less a reflection on Young's performance, the Rangers said, than a desire to find a place for Elvis Andrus, a 20-year-old prospect acquired from Atlanta in the Mark Teixeira trade in July 2007.

Young's objections were based as much on the team's approach as the message itself. Upset over what he perceived as an ultimatum, he vented publicly and even asked the Rangers to explore trade possibilities.

After some welcome intervention on the part of Rangers president Nolan Ryan, Young backed off his trade request in mid-January. He took the path of least resistance and moved 40 feet to the right. But it would be sugarcoating things to say all is forgotten. Young was admittedly "angry" over the way things unfolded, but he decided to embrace the move to third as a challenge and an opportunity.

"To this day, I don't think that there's 100 percent agreement on a lot of things," Young said. "But my personal feelings shouldn't be the issue here. I have 24 other guys that I'm responsible to."

Daniels, who took his lumps for backing the team's most respected player into a corner, has since revisited the front office's approach and wondered if things could have been handled differently.

Whole Lot Of Hits

Baseball's leaders in hits since 2003:  

Player Hits 

Ichiro Suzuki 1,355 

Michael Young 1,242 

Derek Jeter 1,145 

Albert Pujols 1,142 

Miguel Tejada 1,124 

Would Young have been more receptive if the Rangers had given him a year's notice to warm up to the idea? Perhaps. But Daniels relied heavily on the advice of the organization's scouts, and he's convinced there was only so much the club could do to make the message palatable to Young.

"It was portrayed as if we really wanted to shove it down Michael's throat," Daniels said. "Had that been the intent, we would have just come out and announced it. If there's one thing I regret, it's the way this played out publicly. You never want to embarrass anybody."

Washington, in hindsight, expected Young to oppose the idea vehemently.

"If he didn't feel that way, where are the competitive juices?" Washington said.

They're certainly flowing here in Surprise, where Young is intent on making himself the best third baseman he can be. He's solicited advice from teammate Hank Blalock and his old double-play partner, A-Rod, and been receptive to input from Texas infield coach Dave Anderson and Washington, who helped mold Eric Chavez into a Gold Glove third baseman in Oakland.

Young's defensive critics concede that he was adept at turning the double play at shortstop. But statistician and author John Dewan, the inventor of the plus-minus system, observed that Young played too far in the hole to take advantage of a strong throwing arm, and allowed too many ground balls up the middle to go for hits.

Fantasy Snapshot: Michael Young

• Overall rank: 90
• Shortstop rank: 7
• Auction value: $11
• Rangers depth chart
'09 Projection: .294, 90 R, 13 HR, 82 RBIPlay Fantasy Baseball | Draft Kit 

That's not an issue at third, where Young's quick feet and soft hands should make for a smooth transition. He can't see the catcher's signs from third, so he'll have to rely more on instinct than the powers of observation. But when you've fielded hundreds of slow rollers at shortstop, what's the big deal about approaching the ball from a slightly different angle and throwing across your body?

"I don't expect it to be a difficult transition," Young said. "If you can play short at a high level, you can play anywhere."

Young subscribes to the notion that he's his own best coach and that experience is the best teacher. In his first Cactus League game at third base Wednesday, he made a sweet back-handed stop on Kansas City's Billy Butler only to rush his throw and bounce it to first baseman Chris Davis. Next time, he'll make sure to set his feet and be in less of a hurry.

It's those little intangibles that Young will miss the most. At shortstop, he was the guy entrusted with determining the coverage on double plays and hit-and-runs. It was also his job to send a signal and alert the third baseman to be ready when the pitcher was throwing an off-speed pitch to a right-handed batter.

Now those responsibilities fall to Andrus, one of the crown jewels of a stacked Texas farm system. Andrus has appeared in a mere 407 minor league games, but his gifts are readily apparent. And just in case his ascent to the majors is a rush job, the Rangers signed fellow Venezuelan Omar Vizquel as a mentor and security blanket.

Young doesn't want his clash with Texas management to make life difficult for Andrus, so he pulled the rookie aside early in camp and put his mind at ease.

Spring Training Blog

Check our daily spring training blog with updates on everything our team of writers and analysts is seeing and hearing at the ballpark, plus news tidbits from around the baseball world. Blog

"At some point a player and team are going to butt heads," Young said. "It happened to me, but it had nothing to do with Elvis. He's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders, and he shouldn't have to worry about anything other than playing shortstop and helping the team."

Beneath the searing heat of a desert sun, Young's winter's drama has given way to the drudgery of self-improvement. The Rangers have the usual array of pitching issues, so Young's position shift ranks somewhere between umpteenth and nonexistent on their list of Cactus League concerns.

One thing is for sure: They know he's not going to sit around and sulk.

"The way I look at it, he's been here for eight years, and he's going to be here for at least another five," Daniels said. "When you have a couple of rough weeks in a 15-year relationship, I think you're doing pretty well."


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Dodgers say Manny Ramirez turns down latest offer; agent says counterpropsal made

PHOENIX -- Whether Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers depends on whom you ask.

The Dodgers announced Thursday night the star outfielder's agent, Scott Boras, had declined a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. It was the club's fourth offer to Ramirez this offseason.

But Boras said he did not reject the Dodgers' offer, according to the Los Angeles Times. "They asked me to respond to them and I gave them a counterproposal within the framework of the structure we had agreed upon," Boras said.

At any rate, Ramirez remains unsigned.

"We want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "When his agent finds those 'serious offers' from other clubs, we'll be happy to restart the negotiations."

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An apparent sticking point in the negotiations is whether Ramirez will accept part of his salary as deferred payments, the Times reported, citing an unnamed source. The newspaper had previously reported that the team's latest proposal included deferred money.

Under the terms of the contract that Ramirez was offered by the Dodgers on Wednesday, he would receive $10 million in 2009 and another $10 million in 2010, if he exercised the option for a second season, the Times reported.

Ramirez then would be paid the remaining $25 million over the next three years, without any added interest -- $10 million each in 2011 and 2012, and $5 million in 2013, according to the Times' report.

When making his counteroffer, Boras requested that none of the money be deferred, according to the report.

Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch declined to comment on Thursday when asked how much of Ramirez's salary would be deferred under the Dodgers' proposal, saying McCourt's statement would be the only comments the team would make about Ramirez.

"We are continuing to work within the scope of the parameters established during our discussion Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, which included a two-year term and ability for the player to void the contract after the first year, " Boras said, according to the Times. "Per that face-to-face meeting, we agreed to continue to have discussions until Friday at noon, which included our two proposals today, our most recent at two years, $45 million. We are waiting to hear their response."

The offer is similar to the two-year, $45 million deal with a buyout or club option that the Dodgers put on the table in November. Ramirez refused the offer and the Dodgers withdrew their proposal. The team came back with a one-year, $25 million offer, but Ramirez turned that down as well. Ramirez also turned down salary arbitration.

Ramirez "Even with an economy that has substantially eroded since last November, out of respect for Manny and his talents, we actually improved our offer," McCourt said.

"So now, we start from scratch."

Colletti said there was not necessarily a hard deadline, and that Ramirez was not yet needed in spring training.

"With the season starting a week later, it's a little bit more flexible than it might have been a year ago," Colletti said.

The Dodgers open the regular season April 6 at San Diego.

Ramirez hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 53 games with the Dodgers last season while leading them to the National League West title after he was acquired from Boston at the July 31 trade deadline.


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Manny Ramirez turns down Dodgers’ latest offer

Manny Ramirez turns down Dodgers' latest offer

Ramirez

The Los Angeles Dodgers received a letter from Manny Ramirez's agent Scott Boras on Thursday, rejecting the offer the club made Wednesday.

The Dodgers offered the free-agent slugger a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. The rejection is the fourth in the club's attempts to sign Ramirez.

"We love Manny Ramirez," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "And we want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves. When his agent finds those 'serious offers' from other clubs, we'll be happy to restart the negotiations.

"Even with an economy that has substantially eroded since last November, out of respect for Manny and his talents, we actually improved our offer.

"So now, we start from scratch."

The Dodgers open the regular season April 6 at San Diego.

Ramirez hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs in 53 games with the Dodgers last season while leading them to the NL West title after he was acquired from Boston at the July 31 trade deadline.


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Alex Rodriguez homers in spring debut for New York Yankees

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Back on the field, Alex Rodriguez was able to put aside the steroids scandal.

At least for a little while.

Booed and taunted by opposing fans in the Yankees' spring training opener, Rodriguez homered and drew two walks Wednesday in a 6-1 exhibition victory over Toronto that was anything but routine.

Spring Training Blog

Check our daily spring training blog with updates on everything our team of writers and analysts is seeing and hearing at the ballpark, plus news tidbits from around the baseball world. Blog

Rodriguez then got into an SUV that, according to the New York Post's Web site, was driven by Yuri Sucart -- the person identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs.

A source confirmed to ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson that Sucart was the driver.

It was Rodriguez's first game since admitting he took banned drugs from 2001-03 with Texas. He left after drawing a walk in the fifth inning, and signed autographs for five minutes before calling it a day.

"This is what I do. I know how to play baseball," Rodriguez said. "I just hope that's the start of something really special for this year. I feel really good about our team."

There were lots of cheers for the three-time AL MVP, a smattering of boos and occasional catcalls from the crowd of 5,014 at mostly filled Dunedin Stadium.

The New York third baseman walked on five pitches in the first inning. Many in the crowd stood and cheered as he circled the bases after hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Ricky Romero in the fourth.

"It was just a fastball I left up and he's a great hitter," Romero said. "He's going to hit mistakes and I made a mistake. I was just trying to be aggressive."

By the third time Rodriguez went to the plate, hecklers who earlier shouted "Hey, A-Rod, where's your cousin?" and "Madonna" were drowned out by applause.

"When you're playing, it's hard to focus on standing ovations or boos. You're just trying to go out there and do your job," Rodriguez said. "Again, I didn't see anything that was bad at all."

The slugger had dinner Tuesday night with former Yankees star Reggie Jackson, now a special adviser with the team.

"I told him to hit the baseball. It's really an old story. It never really changes," Jackson said. "Hit the baseball, and hit it like heck. That's really about all that really matters."

The Hall of Famer also passed along some words from Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner.

"He said, 'You deliver this message: Just tell him hit the damn ball and hit it when it counts. That's really the most important thing that he can do. All the other conversations, they don't matter. The more you talk, the more you have an opportunity to make a mistake.' "

Rodriguez had said he was prepared for whatever reception he received. He high-fived teammate Robinson Cano as he crossed the plate after his homer, and received more cheers when he trotted up the left-field line to the clubhouse.

"Maybe I'm just so used to it," the 33-year-old Rodriguez said of the reception. "It's been a decade for me, going at it. I just felt really relaxed. This is what I get paid to do. It feels good."

Earlier, manager Joe Girardi talked to Rodriguez during the short ride on the team bus from Tampa to Dunedin, where Yankees fans arrived early and gave A-Rod a polite reception. There were some boos mixed with cheers during pregame introductions and again when he strolled to the plate for the first time.

"We weren't quite sure what it would be like today. It was a mixture of both," Girardi said. "We talked a little bit about today. Told him, we're with you the whole way. We're going to be here no matter what happens. I can't pretend to know what it's like to be in Alex's shoes."

The second-year manager said it's difficult to predict if the crowd becoming more supportive with each at-bat is an indication of what A-Rod can expect as the year progresses.

"Because of who he is, you don't know what it's going to be like everywhere we go," Girardi said.

"I'm sure some places will be easier than others. Some will be harsher than others. When it's 40-, 50,000 fans, the volume is probably going to be a little bit louder one way or the other. I thought the fans were good here. I didn't hear any nasty comments, which I think is important. Kids are in the stands."

Rodriguez is expected to be in the lineup again Thursday, when the Yankees play their first home exhibition against Tampa Bay.

"I really don't think it's a big deal at all for me. I'm just excited to be playing baseball," Rodriguez said. "Everything else is confusing, but baseball is what I do best. It's what I get paid to do. I'm just happy to be doing it again."

Notes Girardi plans to have RHP Joba Chamberlain make about 30 starts. Girardi set his likely rotation as CC Sabathia on opening day at Baltimore on April 6, to be followed by Chien-Ming Wang, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Chamberlain. The rotation appears to give Girardi a choice between Chamberlain and Sabathia for the first game at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16. ... RHPs Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez are staying with the Yankees rather than pitch for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. ... New York OF Brett Gardner opened the game by hitting a home run off Brett Cecil. ... CF Melky Cabrera switched his uniform number from 28 to 53. ... Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (right shoulder) is expected to throw off a bullpen mound for the first time next week, while DH Hideki Matsui (knee surgery) could ready to play in games next week. Both should be ready for Opening Day. ... Former major league SS Mike Bordick, who ended his 14-year career with Toronto in 2003, joined the Blue Jays as a roving minor league infield instructor.


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Alex Rodriguez homers in spring debut for New York Yankees

Alex Rodriguez homers in spring debut for New York Yankees

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Back on the field, Alex Rodriguez was able to put aside the steroids scandal.

At least for a little while.

Booed and taunted by opposing fans in the Yankees' spring training opener, Rodriguez homered and drew two walks Wednesday in a 6-1 exhibition victory over Toronto that was anything but routine.

Spring Training Blog

Check our daily spring training blog with updates on everything our team of writers and analysts is seeing and hearing at the ballpark, plus news tidbits from around the baseball world. Blog

Rodriguez then got into an SUV that, according to the New York Post's Web site, was driven by Yuri Sucart -- the person identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs.

A source confirmed to ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson that Sucart was the driver.

It was Rodriguez's first game since admitting he took banned drugs from 2001-03 with Texas. He left after drawing a walk in the fifth inning, and signed autographs for five minutes before calling it a day.

"This is what I do. I know how to play baseball," Rodriguez said. "I just hope that's the start of something really special for this year. I feel really good about our team."

There were lots of cheers for the three-time AL MVP, a smattering of boos and occasional catcalls from the crowd of 5,014 at mostly filled Dunedin Stadium.

The New York third baseman walked on five pitches in the first inning. Many in the crowd stood and cheered as he circled the bases after hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Ricky Romero in the fourth.

"It was just a fastball I left up and he's a great hitter," Romero said. "He's going to hit mistakes and I made a mistake. I was just trying to be aggressive."

By the third time Rodriguez went to the plate, hecklers who earlier shouted "Hey, A-Rod, where's your cousin?" and "Madonna" were drowned out by applause.

"When you're playing, it's hard to focus on standing ovations or boos. You're just trying to go out there and do your job," Rodriguez said. "Again, I didn't see anything that was bad at all."

The slugger had dinner Tuesday night with former Yankees star Reggie Jackson, now a special adviser with the team.

"I told him to hit the baseball. It's really an old story. It never really changes," Jackson said. "Hit the baseball, and hit it like heck. That's really about all that really matters."

The Hall of Famer also passed along some words from Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner.

"He said, 'You deliver this message: Just tell him hit the damn ball and hit it when it counts. That's really the most important thing that he can do. All the other conversations, they don't matter. The more you talk, the more you have an opportunity to make a mistake.' "

Rodriguez had said he was prepared for whatever reception he received. He high-fived teammate Robinson Cano as he crossed the plate after his homer, and received more cheers when he trotted up the left-field line to the clubhouse.

"Maybe I'm just so used to it," the 33-year-old Rodriguez said of the reception. "It's been a decade for me, going at it. I just felt really relaxed. This is what I get paid to do. It feels good."

Earlier, manager Joe Girardi talked to Rodriguez during the short ride on the team bus from Tampa to Dunedin, where Yankees fans arrived early and gave A-Rod a polite reception. There were some boos mixed with cheers during pregame introductions and again when he strolled to the plate for the first time.

"We weren't quite sure what it would be like today. It was a mixture of both," Girardi said. "We talked a little bit about today. Told him, we're with you the whole way. We're going to be here no matter what happens. I can't pretend to know what it's like to be in Alex's shoes."

The second-year manager said it's difficult to predict if the crowd becoming more supportive with each at-bat is an indication of what A-Rod can expect as the year progresses.

"Because of who he is, you don't know what it's going to be like everywhere we go," Girardi said.

"I'm sure some places will be easier than others. Some will be harsher than others. When it's 40-, 50,000 fans, the volume is probably going to be a little bit louder one way or the other. I thought the fans were good here. I didn't hear any nasty comments, which I think is important. Kids are in the stands."

Rodriguez is expected to be in the lineup again Thursday, when the Yankees play their first home exhibition against Tampa Bay.

"I really don't think it's a big deal at all for me. I'm just excited to be playing baseball," Rodriguez said. "Everything else is confusing, but baseball is what I do best. It's what I get paid to do. I'm just happy to be doing it again."

Notes Girardi plans to have RHP Joba Chamberlain make about 30 starts. Girardi set his likely rotation as CC Sabathia on opening day at Baltimore on April 6, to be followed by Chien-Ming Wang, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Chamberlain. The rotation appears to give Girardi a choice between Chamberlain and Sabathia for the first game at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16. ... RHPs Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez are staying with the Yankees rather than pitch for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. ... New York OF Brett Gardner opened the game by hitting a home run off Brett Cecil. ... CF Melky Cabrera switched his uniform number from 28 to 53. ... Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (right shoulder) is expected to throw off a bullpen mound for the first time next week, while DH Hideki Matsui (knee surgery) could ready to play in games next week. Both should be ready for Opening Day. ... Former major league SS Mike Bordick, who ended his 14-year career with Toronto in 2003, joined the Blue Jays as a roving minor league infield instructor.


Alex Rodriguez homers in spring debut for New York Yankees
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Alex Rodriguez homers in spring debut for New York Yankees

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Back on the field, Alex Rodriguez was able to put aside the steroids scandal.

At least for a little while.

Booed and taunted by opposing fans in the Yankees' spring training opener, Rodriguez homered and drew two walks Wednesday in a 6-1 exhibition victory over Toronto that was anything but routine.

Spring Training Blog

Check our daily spring training blog with updates on everything our team of writers and analysts is seeing and hearing at the ballpark, plus news tidbits from around the baseball world. Blog

Rodriguez then got into an SUV that, according to the New York Post's Web site, was driven by Yuri Sucart -- the person identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs.

A source confirmed to ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson that Sucart was the driver.

It was Rodriguez's first game since admitting he took banned drugs from 2001-03 with Texas. He left after drawing a walk in the fifth inning, and signed autographs for five minutes before calling it a day.

"This is what I do. I know how to play baseball," Rodriguez said. "I just hope that's the start of something really special for this year. I feel really good about our team."

There were lots of cheers for the three-time AL MVP, a smattering of boos and occasional catcalls from the crowd of 5,014 at mostly filled Dunedin Stadium.

The New York third baseman walked on five pitches in the first inning. Many in the crowd stood and cheered as he circled the bases after hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Ricky Romero in the fourth.

"It was just a fastball I left up and he's a great hitter," Romero said. "He's going to hit mistakes and I made a mistake. I was just trying to be aggressive."

By the third time Rodriguez went to the plate, hecklers who earlier shouted "Hey, A-Rod, where's your cousin?" and "Madonna" were drowned out by applause.

"When you're playing, it's hard to focus on standing ovations or boos. You're just trying to go out there and do your job," Rodriguez said. "Again, I didn't see anything that was bad at all."

The slugger had dinner Tuesday night with former Yankees star Reggie Jackson, now a special adviser with the team.

"I told him to hit the baseball. It's really an old story. It never really changes," Jackson said. "Hit the baseball, and hit it like heck. That's really about all that really matters."

The Hall of Famer also passed along some words from Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner.

"He said, 'You deliver this message: Just tell him hit the damn ball and hit it when it counts. That's really the most important thing that he can do. All the other conversations, they don't matter. The more you talk, the more you have an opportunity to make a mistake.' "

Rodriguez had said he was prepared for whatever reception he received. He high-fived teammate Robinson Cano as he crossed the plate after his homer, and received more cheers when he trotted up the left-field line to the clubhouse.

"Maybe I'm just so used to it," the 33-year-old Rodriguez said of the reception. "It's been a decade for me, going at it. I just felt really relaxed. This is what I get paid to do. It feels good."

Earlier, manager Joe Girardi talked to Rodriguez during the short ride on the team bus from Tampa to Dunedin, where Yankees fans arrived early and gave A-Rod a polite reception. There were some boos mixed with cheers during pregame introductions and again when he strolled to the plate for the first time.

"We weren't quite sure what it would be like today. It was a mixture of both," Girardi said. "We talked a little bit about today. Told him, we're with you the whole way. We're going to be here no matter what happens. I can't pretend to know what it's like to be in Alex's shoes."

The second-year manager said it's difficult to predict if the crowd becoming more supportive with each at-bat is an indication of what A-Rod can expect as the year progresses.

"Because of who he is, you don't know what it's going to be like everywhere we go," Girardi said.

"I'm sure some places will be easier than others. Some will be harsher than others. When it's 40-, 50,000 fans, the volume is probably going to be a little bit louder one way or the other. I thought the fans were good here. I didn't hear any nasty comments, which I think is important. Kids are in the stands."

Rodriguez is expected to be in the lineup again Thursday, when the Yankees play their first home exhibition against Tampa Bay.

"I really don't think it's a big deal at all for me. I'm just excited to be playing baseball," Rodriguez said. "Everything else is confusing, but baseball is what I do best. It's what I get paid to do. I'm just happy to be doing it again."

Notes Girardi plans to have RHP Joba Chamberlain make about 30 starts. Girardi set his likely rotation as CC Sabathia on opening day at Baltimore on April 6, to be followed by Chien-Ming Wang, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Chamberlain. The rotation appears to give Girardi a choice between Chamberlain and Sabathia for the first game at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16. ... RHPs Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez are staying with the Yankees rather than pitch for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. ... New York OF Brett Gardner opened the game by hitting a home run off Brett Cecil. ... CF Melky Cabrera switched his uniform number from 28 to 53. ... Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (right shoulder) is expected to throw off a bullpen mound for the first time next week, while DH Hideki Matsui (knee surgery) could ready to play in games next week. Both should be ready for Opening Day. ... Former major league SS Mike Bordick, who ended his 14-year career with Toronto in 2003, joined the Blue Jays as a roving minor league infield instructor.


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Girardi supportive; A-Rod apologizes to reporter
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Washington Nationals fire special assistant Jose Rijo in wake of prospect age scandal

The Washington Nationals have decided to fire special assistant Jose Rijo and will shut down the team's academy in the Dominican Republic as part of a restructuring of the team's operations in Latin American in the wake of an age-changing scandal involving one of the team's top prospects, several baseball sources have confirmed. The team's academy operates out of a complex owned by Rijo in San Cristobal. Nationals assistant general manager and vice president Mike Rizzo arrived in Santo Domingo on Tuesday to look for alternative sites for the team's Dominican academy. Rizzo also met with Fernando Ravelo, general manager for the Dominican Winter League Tigres de Licey, about replacing Rijo as the team's director of Dominican operations.

Nationals Probe

The story of the investigation of the Washington Nationals' financial scandal involving the signing of players from the Dominican Republic was first broken by Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn. Story

When asked whether he had been offered Rijo's position, Ravelo told ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas "Maybe." The Nationals have already contacted people in Boca Chica about the possibility of the team moving it's academy into the area for the short term and possibly constructing an academy in the area. Most team academies are located in the Boca Chica region. Another source said the team spoke with the Los Angeles Dodgers about their facility. Tampa Bay currently rents space in Los Angeles' Campo Las Palmas but it will move out of that complex by the end of the March into a brand new complex. Jose Castellanos, the Dodgers director of operations in the Dominican Republic, had no comment when asked about the Nationals' potential move. Rijo told Rojas that he had not yet been contacted by the Nationals concerning his future with the team, but on Tuesday he admitted, "Considering the latest developments, it wouldn't surprise me if the Nats apply drastic changes to their team operations in the Dominican Republic." The decision comes less than a week after it was discovered that prized prospect Esmailyn Gonzalez, who received a $1.4 million signing bonus in 2006, was actually Carlos Daniel Alvarez Lugo and was four years older than originally thought. The player, prior to signing with the Nationals, had trained at Rijo's academy and was represented by trainer Basilio Vizcaino, a childhood friend of Rijo's. Vizcaino and Rijo have both denied any wrongdoing or any knowledge of the player's actions in regards to the altering of his age. Nationals president Stan Kasten did not respond to a request for comment. On Sunday, Rijo took a leave of absence from Nationals spring training camp in Viera, Fla. and returned home to the Dominican Republic to oversee the team's academy. The team previously acknowledged that general manager Jim Bowden and Rijo are both the subject of a baseball investigation in the Dominican Republic concerning the skimming of bonus money from amateur signees. This move by Nationals ownership may not be a good sign for Bowden, who hired Rijo and has known him since Bowden was the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, where Rijo played from 1988-2002. Bowden was Cincinnati's GM from 1993-2003. Prior to joining the Nationals in 2005 Rijo owned and operated his own training academy in the Dominican, which Washington first rented from him in 2006 when the ownership group led by Theodore N. Lerner took control of the team. The Detroit Tigers also use Rijo's complex as its academy and have a contract with Rijo to use the facility through this season. "We'll just continue to operate as normal," Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila said. "There's really nothing to comment on." It's uncertain at this point what this decision means for the Nationals' presence in Latin America or what will happen to the players who currently train at the team's facility near San Cristobal. The signing of Gonzalez was seen as a signal by the team that it wanted to be a player in the Dominican market. However, without an academy presence, it's unlikely the team can successfully compete for the top players. The Nationals could also possibly move into the academy recently vacated by the New York Mets, which is only a few miles away from Rijo's complex or move into the abandoned Hiroshima Carp complex in San Pedro de Macoris. Neither facility though is seen as a long-term solution, which is why the team will continue to research options in Boca Chica. It's not likely the Nationals will stop bidding for players in the Dominican. Sources spotted Rizzo early on Wednesday at a tryout for several Dominican prospects. The other two teams in the San Cristobal area, the San Diego Padres and the Tigers, could be financially affected when the Nationals move out of Rijo's academy. Their Dominican Summer League teams would have to travel more than 2 hours each way to Boca Chica in order to fill out their schedule. Currently the Padres and Tigers play in a four-team division in the summer league in the San Cristobal area. The Nats have two teams in the division. The Milwaukee Brewers are the only organization without a Dominican academy.


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Alex Rodriguez prepared for fan reception; MLB investigators eye meeting this week

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez is prepared for the worst when he plays in the New York Yankees' spring training opener Wednesday.

Spring Training Blog

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The game against Toronto at Dunedin will be his first since admitting that he used a banned substance while playing for Texas from 2001 to '03. He's used to playing before hostile fans.

"I've had good practice the last eight years," Rodriguez said Tuesday. "No expectations. Hopefully I get three good at-bats and get some good running in."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasn't sure how Rodriguez will be received.

"It will be curious, I'm sure," Girardi said. "I'm sure there's going to be some people that are upset. I'm sure there's going to be some people that support him, and there's going to be some people in between. For Alex, again, he's going to have to block out distractions and be able to play. I expect him to be able to do that, but we're going to have to see how it goes."

Rodriguez is also scheduled to play in the Yankees' spring training home opener Thursday against Tampa Bay.

"I think it's an initial step on how he's going to handle it," Girardi said. "Alex is, obviously, a very popular player. Other times in road cities, he's not so popular. He all have to get through that."

Rodriguez expects to meet soon with investigators from Major League Baseball, which wants to speak with him before he joins the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic. The Dominicans start workouts Monday.

"I'm just waiting to hear from somebody," Rodriguez said.

Newsday, citing a person familiar with the situation, reported on Tuesday that MLB investigators intend to meet with A-Rod between Wednesday and Friday. Officials want to meet with Rodriguez before he leaves the Yankees' spring training camp to work out with the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic squad in Jupiter, Fla.

According to the report, A-Rod will likely bring two lawyers with him -- personal attorney Jay Reisinger, who has represented Andy Pettitte and Sammy Sosa, and a lawyer from the players' union. The only questions he will be compelled to answer are whether he procured performance-enhancing drugs on MLB grounds, such as the clubhouse or the team plane.

Shortstop Derek Jeter, who didn't run the previous two days because of right hamstring soreness, planned to play Wednesday. The Yankees' captain took part in all drills Tuesday, including sprints in the outfield and baserunning.

"He said it was a non-issue today," Girardi said. "I'll check with him and see how he feels."

Jeter said he plans to play in four games before joining the United States' WBC squad next week.

Brett Tomko will start Wednesday's game. Other pitchers scheduled to pitch include Kei Igawa and Jose Veras.

Reliever Edwar Ramirez is not expected to throw for four or five days after an MRI exam Monday found mild bursitis in his right shoulder. He ended his bullpen session on Sunday early due to discomfort in the shoulder.

"It's nothing bad," said Ramirez, who might throw on flat ground this weekend.

Notes

Spring training instructors Yogi Berra and Reggie Jackson arrived in camp. ... LHP CC Sabathia and RHP Chien-Ming Wang both had 14-minute bullpen sessions. Sabathia is scheduled to make his first exhibition start on March 6. Wang could make his initial appearance early next week. ... A guitar owned by OF Nick Swisher was delivered to the clubhouse. Bernie Williams, who has recorded a jazz CD, said he would bring his guitar with him Wednesday and have a jam session with Swisher. Williams, the former Yankees CF, is working out with the team before playing with Puerto Rico in the WBC. ... C Jorge Posada (shoulder surgery) will DH Thursday. The Yankees don't expect him behind the plate until mid-March.


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Girardi supportive; A-Rod apologizes to reporter

Jayson Stark: Jays holding on to Halladay … for now

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Spring training living isn't as serene as it's supposed to be when you're a Human Trade Rumor.

But does that describe Blue Jays stud Roy Halladay, the best pitcher the Canadian dollar can buy? Or not?

Right now? Right this minute? That's a "not." A biiiiiig "not."

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/The Canadian Press/Mike CarlsonRoy Halladay has pitched more than 200 innings in each of the past three seasons.

Halladay is not sitting in the window of anybody's trading-deadline department store. Sorry. Not in the last week of February, anyhow.

In fact, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is already more tired of this topic than he is of hearing about the Yankees' payroll, the Canadian economy or the number of pitchers occupying his trainers' room.

"Roy Halladay is not going anywhere," Ricciardi says, as emphatically as he can possibly say it without grabbing a bullhorn or splashing it on a billboard. "This has become kind of a hot topic in baseball, but we're not trading him. We have no intention of trading him. He allows us to be good. And we feel we are going to be good. And he's going to be The Guy."

So there. It's settled, right? Trading his ace has never entered the GM's mind?

"Nope," the GM says succinctly.

And would there be any scenario that could cause it to enter his mind?

"Let me ask you this," Ricciardi says. "What do you think we'd get for Roy Halladay? What do you think we could get that could ever replace Roy Halladay? He's the best pitcher in baseball. Who's going to give you a combination of guys that could [replace him]? All these guys you could supposedly get -- they won't become Roy Halladay. So if we think we're going to be good, we're going to be better with him here."

Anybody want to argue that point? Or any of those points? Didn't think so.


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Reports: Atlanta Braves, Garret Anderson agree to one-year deal

After losing out to the Seattle Mariners in their Ken Griffey Jr. pursuit, the Atlanta Braves reportedly have quickly regrouped, landing veteran outfielder Garret Anderson.

Anderson

Anderson, who had played his entire career for the Angels, agreed to a one-year deal worth approximately $2.5 million, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday.

Anderson is expected to undergo a physical on Monday or Tuesday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Pres on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized.

Anderson, 36, is expected to form part of a left-field platoon with Matt Diaz and might bat cleanup against right-handed pitchers.

He hit .293 with 15 home runs and 84 RBIs in 145 games for the Angels last season.

Anderson joins an outfield that produced only 27 homers last season, worst in the majors.

A three-time All-Star, Anderson holds several Angels franchise records, including games played (2,013), runs scored (1,024), hits (2,368), doubles (489), total bases (3,743) and RBIs (1,292). He ranks second in home runs (272) and career batting average (.296).

Anderson helped the Angels win the World Series in 2002, hitting .300 with two homers and 13 RBIs in the postseason. Los Angeles declined to pick up his $14 million option after last season, instead paying a $3 million buyout.

The Braves are counting on Anderson to provide steady play in an outfield full of question marks.

Right fielder Jeff Francoeur, a once-budding star, looked totally lost while batting .239 with 11 homers and 71 RBIs last year. But he hit 29 homers in 2006 and had more than 100 RBIs each of his first two full seasons.

Diaz batted only .244 last season and was limited to 43 games after tearing up his left knee in May.

In center, Josh Anderson appears to have the edge after batting .294 with 10 stolen bases in limited time last season. Gregor Blanco and Jordan Schafer also will get long looks.


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Source: Abreu, Angels agree to one-year deal
Source: Abreu, Angels agree to one-year deal

Second baseman Orlando Hudson, Los Angeles Dodgers agree to deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers reached a one-year deal with second baseman Orlando Hudson on Saturday.

Hudson will earn $3.38 million.

Hudson

Hudson, 31, has spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He started off the winter looking for a deal in the neighborhood of five years, $50 million. And that asking price -- plus his Type A free-agent status -- caused a number of teams to veer in other directions.

The Dodgers had been planning to replace the retired Jeff Kent with Blake DeWitt at second. But the opportunity to sign a player like Hudson, a two-time Gold Glove winner, at an affordable price changed those plans.

Hudson's deal includes $4.6 million in incentives. The Kansas City Royals were offering Hudson a 1-year, $4.6 million deal in base salary.

Signing Hudson will cost the Dodgers a first-round pick in the June draft. However, they still have a sandwich pick after the first round and an extra second-round pick, as compensation for losing free agent Derek Lowe.

So they clearly decided they could afford to sacrifice a high pick if it meant a chance to add a player like Hudson. They could still gain an additional first-round or second-round pick if Manny Ramirez signs elsewhere.

The Dodgers are expected to turn their attention back to Ramirez, who remains without a team -- and without an offer better than the two-year, $45 million offer from the Dodgers he passed on in November.


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Joe Crede, Minnesota Twins agree to one-year deal

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Minnesota Twins finally made a big move.

Spring Training Blog

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After sitting idle for more than four months following a season in which they lost to the White Sox in a one-game playoff for the AL Central title, the Twins agreed to terms with free-agent third baseman Joe Crede on a one-year deal on Saturday.

A source told ESPN that Crede's contract is worth $2.5 million and includes incentives that could raise the value of the deal to $7 million.

Provided Crede's back holds up, he will fill a major need for the Twins as a power-hitting third baseman who also has a great glove.

The 30-year-old Crede has had two major back surgeries in the last two seasons. He hit .248 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs last season for the White Sox. But the All-Star played sparingly in the second half because of recurring back trouble, which limited him to 47 games in 2007.

"We've been looking for a corner guy. You always look to upgrade, see if you can get an impact player," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I mean, we went into the spring looking for one and this is the guy. This is the guy that we talked about way, way back. This guy, if he's healthy, can do a lot of damage."

The Twins entered this spring having not made a single significant move to improve a team that lost to Crede's White Sox 1-0 in a one-game playoff for the division title.

General manager Bill Smith and assistant GM Rob Antony negotiated off and on with Crede's agent, Scott Boras, for more than two months without reaching a deal.

"We've been thinking about this guy for a while, never knowing whether it was going to work out or not. But it finally has," Gardenhire said. "When his name was out there recommended, I said yeah, I would love to have this guy. Absolutely."

When the Twins reported to Fort Myers this week, it appeared the team would stick to a plan of using Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher in a platoon at third base. Those two combined to hit .274 with 11 home runs and 96 RBIs last season, with Harris also getting time at shortstop and second base.

"Solidifying a position with one guy that's going to be your everyday guy is not a bad thing. We were set to go into the season with a platoon, which doesn't bother me, either," Gardenhire said. "But if you can put a guy up there that has the capabilities of a Gold Glove and also a 25-30 home run guy, you have to take a chance."

First baseman Justin Morneau praised Harris and Buscher.

"Those guys work hard. They bust their tails," he said. "They both were down here early working. At the same time, if it's a move that can help our team and we can add a little more power in there and a guy who is a Gold Glover, our left side of the infield will be as good as there is."

With lefties Joe Mauer, Morneau and Jason Kubel in the middle of the lineup, the Twins have been desperate to find a righty with power to fit in between them, even more so since Torii Hunter departed in free agency before last season.

They traded prized pitching prospect Matt Garza to Tampa Bay as part of a package for outfielder Delmon Young, who hit 10 homers in his first season in Minnesota.

Crede topped 20 homers in three straight years, including a career-high 30 in 2006, before back problems held him to 144 games total in the last two seasons.

"We've seen him do some damage over the years against us and hopefully that translates the same way when he's on our side," Morneau said.

He hit 16 home runs in the first half of last season and earned an All-Star bid, including batting .432 with seven homers and 17 RBIs in 10 games against Minnesota. But he managed just one homer after the break when his back injury flared up.

Crede worked out for scouts, including representatives from the Twins, earlier this winter in hopes of showing teams that his injury was healed and he was ready to play.

The San Francisco Giants also showed interest in Crede, but as camps opened in Florida and Arizona this week, he was still without a job.

After hitting a wall in negotiations that led many to believe the Twins would stick with Harris and Buscher, the team ramped up talks again with Boras on Friday night. By Saturday, a deal had been reached.

Crede had spent his entire career with the White Sox organization, ever since he was a fifth-round pick in 1996. Now he's a member of Chicago's division rival.

"It's nice for him to play, obviously don't want to face him all the time," White Sox ace Mark Buehrle said. "I think it's going to be tough playing 80 games on turf. I don't how that's going to hold up on his back. Obviously we'll see. Hopefully he's going to be healthy all year. Hopefully he doesn't help them out too much."

Crede was a key player when Chicago won the World Series in 2005, hitting four homers and driving in 11 in the postseason while playing his usual stellar defense.


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Stark: AL champion Rays beginning new chapter

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Back up the interstate, where the Tampa Bay Rays used to hold spring training, they're sure no one misses them more than their favorite canines.

That's because, for this team, the dog days of spring training used to be, well, every day.

Spring Training Blog

Check our daily spring training blog with updates on everything our team of writers and analysts is seeing and hearing at the ballpark, plus news tidbits from around the baseball world. Blog Just beyond the gates of their not-so-beloved Raymond A. Naimoli Baseball Complex in St. Petersburg, they could hear their neighbors -- in the Walter Fuller Dog Park -- woofing their way through a whole different kind of spring training.

"I used to hear those dogs barking out there," said Rays left fielder Carl Crawford on Thursday. "You know, the dogs were cool. They left a mess, though."

But when you think about it, that's kind of fitting, because that's not the only mess the Rays have left behind this spring.

Yes, they've left it all behind now. The doggies. The antiquated spring-training home. And most of all, the stench from their first 10 seasons, when they nearly became the first franchise in history to lose 1,000 games in their first decade in existence.

Now they're a team with an authentic, state-of-the-art spring-training complex all their own.

Now they're a team you can actually mention without a laugh track busting out.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Al BehrmanThe Rays will have left-handed phenom David Price for a full season in 2009.

But more than any of that, now they're a team . A real team.

A team that finished eight games ahead of the Yankees in the standings. A team that beat the mighty Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. A team that played in the World Series a mere four months ago.

A team whose new spring ballpark, the Charlotte Sports Park, has a sign out front that reads: "Spring Training Home of the American League Champions."

"Man, I didn't know if I'd ever see the day when that happened in Tampa Bay," said Crawford, a fellow who was drafted in this franchise's second season on earth (1999), and a man who has spent more time as a Ray (seven seasons) than anyone on the roster.

"To actually see it, in front of my eyes, was something totally different. When we were celebrating last year [after beating the Red Sox], I was like, 'Are we really celebrating? We're going to the World Series?' I had to pinch myself, like I was dreaming or something. And when I pinched myself, I found we were going to the World Series. And it was the truth. We actually did it."

Yep, they did it, all right. Feel free to Google it if you don't believe it. Or you can take our word for it … and Carl Crawford's. They did it. And because they did, what we're witnessing now is Chapter 2 in the life of the Tampa Bay Rays.

We don't know exactly where that chapter is leading, obviously. But we can guarantee one thing: With the talent oozing out of every level of this organization, the next chapter definitely won't resemble Chapter 1.

"I think everyone in this organization thinks of this as Chapter 2," said GM Andrew Friedman. "And the exciting part about this is that everybody in this organization has a chance to shape the history of this franchise. And not many other organizations can claim that. It's a great responsibility, for all of us."

MOST RECENT TEAMS TO JUMP BY
21+ WINS AND MAKE PLAYOFFS*

Team W jump W totals Next year 

2005-07
Tigers +24 71-
95-
87 -8 

2002-04
Cubs +21 67-
88-
89 +1 

2001-03
Angels +24 75-
99-
85 -14 

1998-2000
D-backs +35 65-
100-
85 -15 

1997-99
Cubs +22 68-
90-
67 -23 

1996-98
Padres +22 76-
98-
74 -22 

1995-97
Padres +21 70-
91-
76 -15 

2007-09
Rays +31 66-
97-
? ? 

BIGGEST WIN JUMPS
DURING LIVE-BALL ERA*

Team W jump W totals Next year 

1998-2000
D-backs +35 65-
100-
85 -15 

1961-63
Phillies  +34 47-
81-
87 +6 

1988-90
Orioles +33 54-
87-
76 -11 

1945-47
Red Sox +33 71-
104-
83  -21 

1935-37
Braves +33 38-
71-
79  +8 

1992-94
Giants +31 72-
103-
55** -48** 

2007-09
Rays +31 66-
97-
? ? 

* -- No teams played in postseason following season

** -- 1994 strike season, Giants' .478 win pct. projected to 77 wins, a minus-26 drop  

Life is never the same, of course, for any team that does what this team did last October. But rarely in the history of sports have the people responsible been happier to leave behind their former lives than this group.

"Just having one year like we had last year erased all the bad stuff that happened, many years of bad things happening," Crawford said. "I don't even think about those things anymore."

And neither, he's finding out, are the people who witnessed all that.

"I was always embarrassed to go out before," Crawford laughed. "So I just stayed in a lot. I always looked at things from a fan's perspective. When we lost 100 games, I didn't want to be out [in the community]. And I thought, 'They don't want to see us out. They want to at least see us practicing or something, to get better.'"

But now, he's discovering already, it's OK. It's safe. They can walk the Florida streets. Now, he said, "I feel free. It's nice to go to Subway to get a sandwich now."

For some reason, when we measure what winning means, we never measure it in the places it matters most. We should measure it in the joy a man suddenly feels in just sauntering down to the local sandwich shop … as a winner.

And we should measure it in the way the world listens to these men when they speak.

"When you win," said manager Joe Maddon, "more people pay attention to what you say. All of a sudden, you become pretty bright, because you win. They think you know what you're talking about now."

We should also measure what winning means, however, in the special bond these men develop after sharing the season of a lifetime together.

"When I first got here," said closer Troy Percival, who arrived last spring, "I'd be the only guy at the park until about 3:30."

But by the end of the season, with the magic carpet in full flight, that clubhouse was packed with players by 1:30 in the afternoon.

"I think it went from guys coming to the park, expecting to be miserable at the end of the day," Percival said, "to, 'I want to get to the park because we expect to win every day, and it's going to be a great day.'"

Above all, though, we should measure winning by the way it changes the lives of everyone involved. And when you come from where the Tampa Bay Rays came from and wind up in the World Series, your life will never again resemble life as you used to know it.

"The phrase I like to use," said the ever-philosophical Maddon, paraphrasing a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, "is, 'A mind once stretched has a difficult time going back to its original form.' So [the players] can never be the same. They'll never be satisfied not playing to the level of going to the playoffs and getting back to the World Series.

"Nothing will satiate that appetite anymore, whether it's personal achievement, winning a batting title or an ERA title or whatever. I think we understand the concept of 'team' right now. So we've been stretched to the point where just participating is not good enough anymore."

And that brings all of them to the dawn of Chapter 2. When life as a Ray has never felt more upbeat.

They've sold out every reserved seat in the ballpark for their entire spring-training schedule. They just drew a record 30,000 people to their annual February Fanfest. Ratings are up. Web hits are up. Season-ticket sales are up.

And never in franchise history have they put a more complete, more talented team on the field than this one.

They deepened their bullpen with the addition of Joe Nelson and Brian Shouse. They added badly needed right-handed thump in Pat Burrell and Gabe Kapler. They traded Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for highly regarded young outfielder Matt Joyce. And they're ready to unleash a full season of baseball's next great left-handed monster, David Price, on the rest of the American League.

“

There has never been a more opportune moment to shape the future in the history of this organization. And if we let this moment pass, we're foolish.

”-- Rays manager Joe Maddon

"And the thing people haven't even paid much attention to," said one AL executive, "is that a lot of their key players didn't even have great years. If you said to me that B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria would all be even better this year than last year, I wouldn't be surprised. They have the kind of players who could take huge leaps forward."

Now add in the journey these men have all taken in their minds and you have a much more dangerous team than the rest of the Yankees-and-Red-Sox-centric universe has fathomed yet.

But there's also a reason most of the planet is still picking them third in the AL East, behind, uh, guess who.

The Rays are still a team whose entire payroll ($61 million) will make $17 million less than the Yankees will just pay their starting infield . And the Rays are still a team that forgot to sign any $180 million free agents, for the 12th straight winter. Their entire starting rotation figures to be 27 or younger. And maybe their biggest challenge -- besides the division they play in -- is this:

Is it even possible to duplicate the magic of a season as enchanted as the one they just finished?

"Absolutely not -- but I don't think we're looking to," Friedman said. "We don't want to. It was a magical season in a lot of ways. And it's something we'll all look back on fondly. But this is a completely different season."

There's no feeling in sports like winning the first time. But this group gets that. So this is a team trying to change the subject, not the outcome.

"Our hope and expectation is to get back to where we got last year," Friedman said, "through a completely different road."

And that's where the local philosopher-king, Maddon, comes in. He thought all winter about how to communicate the psychology a team needs to repeat. But just talking about wanting to win again wasn't enough, he decided.

"Of course we want to repeat," he said. "Of course we want to do this again. We want to be back in the World Series. Anybody can say that. But for me, I thought it was important to give them something to think about beyond 'We just want to go back.' That's way too easy. So I thought about it a lot. And it came down to two words: 'gratitude' and 'humility.'"

"Gratitude" means: Savor what you've already accomplished. But "humility" means: Never lose sight of how little you've already accomplished.

So those are the words now rattling around the brains of a clubhouse full of men determined to prove that 2008 was The Beginning for this team, not an aberration.

"There has never been a more opportune moment to shape the future in the history of this organization," Joe Maddon said. "And if we let this moment pass, we're foolish."

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Braves, Glavine move closer to reaching deal

Tom Glavine reaches one-year deal with Atlanta Braves

Tom Glavine reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that could pay him $4.5 million if he attains all his incentives.

Glavine

The deal was announced by the club Friday.

"I had a sense of unfinished business," said Glavine, who turns 43 next month. "I didn't want my career to end the way it did last year."

Glavine, who turns 43 on March 25, has a 305-203 record in 22 seasons with Atlanta and the New York Mets. He posted a 2-4 record with a 5.54 ERA last season in 13 starts for the Braves, and underwent elbow and shoulder surgery in August.

But Glavine's recovery has gone well, and the Braves expect him to pitch in spring training and be ready for the start of the regular season. Glavine is penciled in as Atlanta's fifth starter behind Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami.

"I don't necessarily want to be the guy who has to pitch 220 innings and win every time he goes to the mound," Glavine said. "I'm looking forward to this stage of my career where I don't have to deal with that kind of pressure and can be more of a complement to our rotation."

The Glavine signing comes a day after the Braves lost out to the Seattle Mariners in a bid to sign free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.

"There were never any discussions in which another club was brought up," general manager Frank Wren said. "The motivation and focus was always to try to get something done here. We appreciated that."

Even though Glavine won't be reporting to camp immediately, the Braves already put up his name on an empty locker next to Chipper Jones.

"I think he's still got 13 or 14 wins in him," outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "He still knows how to pitch and he's ready to prove it."

Glavine is the only one of Atlanta's Big Three still with the franchise. Greg Maddux retired in December, and John Smoltz signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Glavine will make a guaranteed $1 million, and an additional $1 million in his first day on the major league roster during the regular season. He'll be owed $1.25 million after 30 days, and an additional $1.25 million after 90 days, a source said.

FoxSports.com was first to report that Glavine had agreed to sign with the Braves.


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Tom Glavine reaches one-year deal with Atlanta Braves

Tom Glavine reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that could pay him $4.5 million if he attains all his incentives.

Glavine

The deal was announced by the club Friday.

"I had a sense of unfinished business," said Glavine, who turns 43 next month. "I didn't want my career to end the way it did last year."

Glavine, who turns 43 on March 25, has a 305-203 record in 22 seasons with Atlanta and the New York Mets. He posted a 2-4 record with a 5.54 ERA last season in 13 starts for the Braves, and underwent elbow and shoulder surgery in August.

But Glavine's recovery has gone well, and the Braves expect him to pitch in spring training and be ready for Opening Day. Glavine is currently penciled in as Atlanta's fifth starter behind Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami.

"I don't necessarily want to be the guy who has to pitch 220 innings and win every time he goes to the mound," Glavine said. "I'm looking forward to this stage of my career where I don't have to deal with that kind of pressure and can be more of a complement to our rotation."

The Glavine signing comes a day after the Braves lost out to the Seattle Mariners in a bid to sign free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.

"There were never any discussions in which another club was brought up," general manager Frank Wren said. "The motivation and focus was always to try to get something done here. We appreciated that."

Even though Glavine won't be reporting to camp immediately, the Braves already put up his name on an empty locker next to Chipper Jones.

"I think he's still got 13 or 14 wins in him," outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "He still knows how to pitch and he's ready to prove it."

Glavine is the only one of Atlanta's "Big Three'' still with the franchise. Greg Maddux retired in December, and John Smoltz signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.

Glavine will make a guaranteed $1 million, and an additional $1 million in his first day on the major league roster during the regular season. He'll be owed $1.25 million after 30 days, and an additional $1.25 million after 90 days, a source said.

Foxsports.com was first to report that Glavine had agreed with the Braves.


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Judge in Barry Bonds' rules pieces of evidence inadmissible

Unless the tight-lipped personal trainer for Barry Bonds suddenly decides to testify in the seven-time MVP's upcoming perjury trial, significant pieces of evidence in the prosecution's case will not be admitted, Judge Susan Illston ruled late Thursday.

Illston ordered that lab results -- including three alleged positive steroid tests from 2000 and 2001 -- drug ledgers and doping calendars will not be admitted as evidence unless Greg Anderson testifies that the material relates to Bonds.

Anderson, Bonds' longtime personal trainer, already has spent more than a year in prison for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the seven-time MVP for perjury stemming from his September 2003 testimony in the BALCO steroids case.

Judge Susan Illston's ruling

View the judge's order in the government's criminal case against Barry Bonds here:

Document

Illston also ruled, however, that most of an audio recording of Anderson -- secretly made by Bonds' estranged business partner Steve Hoskins -- can be admitted into evidence. On the recording, Anderson tells Hoskins he provided Bonds with an undetectable substance believed to be the steroid known as "The Clear"; the government believes Anderson also indicates on the recording that he injected Bonds multiple times. As well, Anderson tells Hoskins he was providing Bonds with "the same stuff" Marion Jones and other BALCO athletes had received.

Illston granted the defense team's request to exclude a part of the tape in which Anderson says he believed he would receive a week's notice before Bonds was tested randomly by Major League Baseball.

Prosecutors told Illston at a hearing Wednesday that Anderson's attorney, Mark Geragos, already has indicated the trainer will continue to remain silent on Bonds.

Without Anderson, Illston ruled that the government would be relying on hearsay to establish that urine and blood samples said to be Bonds' actually were his. And so, with no one to affirm directly the samples came from Bonds, Illston ruled there is no proof that the results of the tests or entries in doping ledgers actually refer to the ballplayer.

Illston also ruled inadmissible doping calendars believed to be made by Anderson for Bonds, as well as calendars for other ballplayers and athletes.

The trial is scheduled to begin March 2 in San Francisco, and Bonds faces 10 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice.

The government claims it has four witnesses who will testify to first-hand knowledge that Bonds used steroids or was injected by Anderson -- three who say they discussed his use with them, and one who says she saw the trainer inject Bonds.

Illston ruled Thursday that she will allow the expert testimony of Larry Bowers, the senior managing director of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, about what physical changes a steroid or human growth hormone user might experience, including the shrinking of his testicles, male-pattern baldness and increased head size.

But Illston also said that in order for Bowers' testimony to be allowed, the government has to prove that Bonds underwent such changes. The only witness the government has presented to address the issue is Bonds' former mistress, Kimberly Bell. Illston ordered Bell to provide a declaration under seal by Tuesday about physical and emotional changes she observed in Bonds.

Illston wants to determine whether the testimony would be relevant or create unfair prejudice.


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Willie Mays, Hank Aaron told Ken Griffey Jr. to think legacy

Ken Griffey Jr. will join Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in the Hall of Fame one day. On Wednesday, the two baseball icons and Griffey's 13-year-old daughter played pivotal roles in helping him decide where he would be making the final stop in his illustrious career.

Griffey spoke by phone with both Mays and Aaron on Wednesday while trying to choose between signing with the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves, said his agent, Brian Goldberg.

Aaron, a senior vice president for the Braves, lobbied for Atlanta, while Mays refrained from recommending either club. But they both made an observation about Griffey's long-term legacy that struck a chord with him.

Caple: Where you belong

From Jim Caple's viewpoint, Ken Griffey Jr. may have wrestled with his decision, but one thing is for certain: He's going to feel a lot of love when he returns to Safeco Field.Story

"Willie hit on it a little harder, but they both said, 'You have to do what you want to do,' " Goldberg said. "They told him, 'You might have to make some short-term sacrifices. But the bottom line is, 'Go by how you want to be remembered for the next 50 years after you're done.' "

Both Hall of Famers were speaking from personal experience. While Mays will be forever known as a Giant, he played 135 forgettable games with the Mets in his early 40s. Aaron, a perennial All-Star with the Braves, hit .234 and .229 at the tail end of his career as a Milwaukee Brewer.

Griffey ended several days of introspection, speculation and premature reports of "done deals" when he signed a one-year, guaranteed $2 million contract with Seattle. He's returning to the franchise where he made the American League All-Star team and won a Gold Glove every year in the 1990s, and was such a local treasure that Safeco Field is known as "The House That Griffey Built."

The money was not a significant factor. Atlanta offered a base salary similar to what Griffey received from Seattle, with incentives that could have raised the deal to about $3 million, sources said. Griffey's deal with the Mariners will top out at $4.5 million if he attains incentives based on plate appearances and team attendance.

Griffey had a hectic few days before making the final call. Late last week, a reunion with Seattle seemed inevitable. After playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament in California, Griffey traveled to Arizona on Sunday with his wife, Melissa, to meet with Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik and manager Don Wakamatsu. He also took a physical exam with the Mariners.

US PresswireKen Griffey, shown here in 1998, made his choice to return to Seattle after talking with his daughter, Taryn.

Then Atlanta entered the equation. Third baseman Chipper Jones lobbied for Griffey to sign with the Braves, and manager Bobby Cox expressed his enthusiasm for the move. The convenience factor definitely worked in the Braves' favor; Griffey lives in Orlando, Fla., a 20-minute drive from the Braves' spring training site and a one-hour flight from Atlanta.

Griffey was also enthused over the prospect of spending more time watching his teenage daughter, Taryn, play for an AAU basketball team that's based in suburban Atlanta. But it was Taryn, ultimately, who helped seal his decision to sign with Seattle.

"She told him, 'Dad, I really think you should go back to the Mariners and not have any regrets about how you finished,'" Goldberg said. "That kind of put it over the top."

Griffey is extremely close to Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln and club president Chuck Armstrong, and indications are the Mariners will have some kind of role in the organization available for him when he retires. He'll also go into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner.

This season, Griffey will play left field in Seattle and spend some time at designated hitter to ease the strain on his surgically repaired left knee. Although he's not close to the Griffey of old, he averaged 31 homers and 86 RBIs a season with Cincinnati from 2005 to 2007. Seattle's offense needs all the help it can get after the Mariners ranked 13th in the American League in runs in 2008.

As for the Braves, they're ready to move on after missing out on Griffey. Amid speculation that the team might have an interest in free agent Garret Anderson or continue to pursue a trade for the Yankees' Nick Swisher or Xavier Nady, it appears the Braves are more inclined to go with their young outfielders. That means Jordan Schafer, Brandon Jones, Gregor Blanco and Josh Anderson will get extensive looks in camp. Jeff Francoeur is Atlanta's regular right fielder, while the Braves had envisioned Griffey as the left-handed half of a platoon arrangement with Matt Diaz in left field.

"I think we are going to be open-minded and look at our kids and give them a chance," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Thursday.


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