MLB Capsules: Fielder introduced by Tigers
DETROIT (AP) — Prince Fielder stood with a smile and recalled his earliest memories of old Tiger Stadium, when he would hang out at the ballpark where his father hit so many massive home runs.
"For me, it was always Sparky saying I was going to pinch hit — and I really believed him," Fielder said, referring to former manager Sparky Anderson. "I'm just glad I get to come back."
The Tigers introduced Fielder on Thursday after finalizing a $214 million, nine-year contract with the free agent first baseman, who is expected to hit a lot more home runs than his dad.
Fielder was born in 1984, the last time Detroit won the World Series. After luring him back to Michigan with the fourth-largest deal in baseball history, the Tigers are hoping Fielder will help usher in a new championship era for the Motor City.
"This is awesome," Fielder said. "It's kind of a dream come true. I'm excited."
Detroit began seriously pursuing Fielder after designated hitter Victor Martinez tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during offseason conditioning. Now the Tigers have three of baseball's biggest stars — Fielder, Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander — all in their primes. Detroit won the AL Central by 15 games last year but lost to Texas in the AL championship series.
"We're trying to win right now," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We tried to win last year. We were close. I think we've reached a point now, on a yearly basis, we feel that way. When you look at the core of our group of players, there's a lot of guys that are on that field right now that are quality players."
It will be up to manager Jim Leyland to figure out where to play all of his powerful hitters. He said Thursday the Tigers will move Miguel Cabrera from first base to third to make room for Fielder. He also listed a possible batting order, with Cabrera hitting third and Fielder fourth.
It's a lineup based on power, not speed. That much is clear.
"If they hit it where they're supposed to hit 'em, they can trot," Leyland said. "We're going back to the old-fashioned baseball. We've got big-time power on the corners."
Fielder's father Cecil became a big league star when he returned to the majors from Japan and hit 51 home runs with Detroit in 1990. Cecil played with the Tigers into the 1996 season, and young Prince made a name for himself with his prodigious power displays during batting practice at Tiger Stadium.
Detroit plays at Comerica Park now, and times have changed. Leyland manages the Tigers, not Sparky Anderson.
As for the Fielders, their strained relationship has been well documented, and Prince didn't elaborate on it Thursday.
"I'm just ecstatic about being with the Tigers," Prince Fielder said. "I'm just here to enjoy the day."
Fielder did want to debunk one thing: Back in 2008, he talked about becoming a vegetarian, but that apparently didn't last long after all the commotion.
"I'm not a vegetarian," he said. "I was, for like three months."
Fielder's contract includes a limited no-trade provision. He can be traded to 10 clubs without his consent before 2017, when he gains rights to block all trades under baseball's labor contract as a 10-year veteran who has been with a team for at least five years.
He will earn $23 million in each of his first two years with Detroit, then will make $24 million annually in the final seven seasons of his contract, according to terms obtained by The Associated Press.
That contrasts with Albert Pujols' backloaded $240 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, agreed to last month.
Pujols gets $12 million this year and $16 million in 2013, with the salary increasing to $23 million in 2014 and then rising $1 million annually.
The move carries plenty of risk for the Tigers. Fielder is 27 and has been extremely durable during his career, but Detroit is committing to him for almost a decade.
"I go by my instinct, like everybody else does," said owner Mike Ilitch, who signed off on the massive deal after what had been a quiet offseason for the Tigers. "My instincts told me that this is going to work out fine."
The next big step will be Cabrera's. He's returning to a position he played while with the Florida Marlins, but he's played only 14 games at third base with the Tigers — all in 2008 right after he joined the team.
Fielder made 15 errors last year, the most in baseball by a first baseman.
"Mr. Ilitch and Dave have given me a lot of nice pieces to this puzzle. It's my job, along with coaches, to figure out how to put that puzzle all together," Leyland said. "(Cabrera) is not going to have the agility, most likely, defensively that Brandon Inge had. You give up a little something, but you get a whole lot in return."
Leyland said he talked to Inge, who lost his job as Detroit's everyday third baseman last season.
"He's not the happiest camper," Leyland said. "He certainly understands."
Dombrowski indicated he's satisfied with his roster heading into spring training, although it's hard to rule out any more moves after the Tigers shockingly emerged with Fielder.
The pitching rotation is anchored by Verlander, who won the Cy Young Award and MVP last year, but Detroit's fifth starter spot is still uncertain. Dombrowski said the Tigers could bring in some non-roster invites to compete for that job.
"I think positional player-wise, we're pretty well set," he said.
Young players to again lead Mariners
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik remains extremely optimistic about the bounty of young talent the Mariners possess.
He also knows the abundance of youth means another challenging season lies ahead in the Pacific Northwest.
"I think we have some very talented young kids. I think this is going to be a challenging year at the big league level for us. Let's not kid ourselves," Zduriencik said during the Mariners' pre-spring training luncheon on Thursday. "We've got a young club no matter how you shake it. We've got young players. The positive is we've got a lot of young kids coming right behind them."
More than at any other point since Zduriencik took over as general manager before the 2009 season, the Mariners will rely almost entirely on their youth during the 2012 season. His first two seasons were filled with moves aimed at making Seattle competitive while at the same time Zduriencik was busy rebuilding a barren farm system.
Last year brought the arrival of manager Eric Wedge and a remaking of the Mariners clubhouse that featured 18 rookies getting their first major league experience at some point of the year while the veterans Seattle planned to rely on underperformed.
This year it's likely to be all about the young guys.
Seattle's current 40-man roster features 33 players with less than five years of major league experience — 31 of those have less than three years. If that number isn't stark enough, 40 of the Mariners' 65 current spring training invitees have less than one year of major league service.
It's why there is optimism for what the Mariners could be when these players mature. But they'll need time. Throw in what the remainder of the AL West did in the offseason — namely the additions in Texas and with the Angels — and it reinforces Zduriencik's belief that it could be a bumpy year.
"It's going to be a challenge because of the young kids. If you think about it, Dustin Ackley has half a year in the big leagues, Kyle Seager has half a year in the big leagues, Casper Wells ...," Zduriencik said. "You start looking around, looking around and start looking at these pieces ... and then you look at what happens in this division. No matter how you shake it, you can't ignore what (the Angels) did and you can't ignore what Texas did and those clubs were ahead of us prior to these moves. It's an uphill battle."
Many Mariners fans pegged the success of this offseason to the chances of bringing free-agent slugger Prince Fielder to the Pacific Northwest, largely making that connection due to Zduriencik's history with Fielder in Milwaukee. Fielder signed a $214 million, nine-year deal with Detroit on Thursday.
Zduriencik didn't go into details Thursday about his discussions with Fielder's agent, Scott Boras, other than noting Boras was upfront about what he thought it would take to sign Fielder.
"He had a vision of what the number was going to be. He openly shared that with me, and he got the number he certainly thought was going to begin with a 'two,' and it happened that way," Zduriencik said. "That's a large number and a large number of years. The best to him."
While Zduriencik was tempering any expectations for his ballclub, which opens spring training on Feb. 12 and begins the season in Japan, Wedge made it clear Thursday that the offensive ineptitude of recent seasons won't be tolerated. Seattle's biggest offseason move was solely to address its offensive problems when young All-Star pitcher Michael Pineda was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for young slugging prospect Jesus Montero.
Wedge joked that his wife was proud of him last year for biting his tongue at times when he could have unleashed a verbal lashing on a more veteran team. Wedge made a point recently to bring in nine position players to Seattle to hold them accountable and make sure they were following through with their offseason programs. He let them know there would be less slack this season for not performing.
"It's unacceptable the amount of runs we've scored the last couple of years. Last year I sat back. I get it, believe me. I bit my tongue off more than once," Wedge said. "It was the right thing to do. My wife was proud of me. This year is going to be a little bit different. You don't go from zero to 60. We've got to let it out a little more this year, raise the bar a little bit."
-- Tim Booth
Seattle considers moving Suzuki out of leadoff
SEATTLE (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki might begin his final guaranteed season with the Seattle Mariners somewhere other than the leadoff spot that he's locked down for the past decade.
Seattle manager Eric Wedge said Thursday during the Mariners' pre-spring training luncheon that he's leaning toward moving Suzuki out of the leadoff spot as a way to try to bolster the Mariners' anemic offense.
Wedge doesn't believe that's a slight on Suzuki's ability to continue being a leadoff hitter, even with the 10-time All-Star coming off the worst season of his career.
"It's as much to do with his teammates as it has to do with him with regard to the collective nine that we're putting down on paper," Wedge said. "I haven't made any firm decisions. I made it very clear over the winter I was thinking about it. I'm even further down the road to where I'm leaning in that direction to have (Suzuki) hit somewhere else."
Moving Suzuki out of the leadoff spot was part of an on-again, off-again debate during the 2011 season as Suzuki struggled. He hit just .272, failed to reach 200 hits for the first time in his career — finishing with 184 — and had an on-base percentage 40 points below his previous career worst.
Suzuki, who turned 38 in October, is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $17 million in 2012 and will be in a lineup that will be extremely young by the time Seattle opens the regular season on March 28 against Oakland in Suzuki's native Japan.
"I know it's a big deal to everybody. I can't get caught up in that. My job is to make sure I communicate that to Ichiro, make sure everybody understands exactly what the options are and what they're fighting for and what I'm thinking about and that's what I'm going to continue to do," Wedge said. "Right now I'm going to be very open minded to what we're going to do but I'm going to head into spring training leaning a certain direction and we'll make the decisions from there."
If Wedge makes the change, he said he was considering young prospect Dustin Ackley, Franklin Gutierrez and even Chone Figgins as possible replacements in the leadoff role. Ackley would seem the most likely after his debut last year. He played in 90 games, hit .273 with an on-base percentage of .348 and walked 40 times. Wedge considers Suzuki a possible option to bat second or third.
"Ultimately it's not just about Ichiro, it's about our club and his 24 other teammates," Wedge said. "And Ichiro understands that and I damn sure understand that. So what we're going to do is make sure we put out the best lineup possible to score more runs. It's unacceptable the amount of runs we've scored the last couple of years."
-- Tim Booth
Outfielder Jonny Gomes and A's finalize $1M deal
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jonny Gomes takes pride in his versatility. He can play the corner outfield, and he's an experienced designated hitter. That certainly will be helpful for Oakland manager Bob Melvin with a young roster.
The A's and Gomes finalized a $1 million, one-year contract Thursday after reaching a preliminary agreement last week. He will bring a veteran presence as well as key depth.
Gomes already has a nice fan base in the Bay Area. He grew up in nearby Petaluma, where he is loved.
"Everybody's really excited. It's kind of ironic telling the family ... starting my pro career in Tampa, it's about as far away you can get from home, people say, 'Oh, you do play,'" Gomes said. "I'm getting tons of positive feedback."
The 31-year-old hit .209 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs last year for Cincinnati and Washington in his ninth major league season. He will provide outfield depth for the rebuilding A's, who haven't had a winning record or made the playoffs since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.
"I'm not rebuilding — that's how I keep explaining it," Gomes said. "My role is how it is every single year, when my number's called I want to be ready."
Oakland's starting outfield is slated as newly acquired Seth Smith in left, re-signed Coco Crisp in center and new acquisition Josh Reddick in right. Collin Cowgill, acquired from Arizona in December, also is in the mix off the bench.
Gomes is prepared to play right, left or designated hitter — while also providing a clubhouse presence.
"I'm well traveled and have been under some great managers," he said.
Pulling on the green and gold at FanFest this weekend will mean a lot to Gomes, who loved the Bay Area sports teams growing up but especially the A's after they won the earthquake-interrupted 1989 World Series against the San Francisco Giants.
"I was wearing a whole lot of A's gear growing up — don't know how you couldn't with the Bash Brothers and Rickey Henderson," he said. "Winning the '89 World Series helped with jumping on that bandwagon."
The A's cleared room on the 40-man roster for Gomes on Thursday by designating infielder Adrian Cardenas for assignment.
-- Janie McCauley
Acta confident Indians will contend
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Manny Acta was warmly greeted in the hallway by Slider, the Indians' pink mascot, who wrapped his furry arms around Cleveland's affable manager.
After the week he's had, Acta needed a hug.
First, Acta learned that pitcher Fausto Carmona, his countryman from the Dominican Republic and one of his starters, was arrested on charges he falsified his identity to play in the U.S. Then, the Indians, who have spent the winter trying to add a powerful bat to their lineup, got news that Prince Fielder, the biggest free-agent bat of them all, had signed with Detroit.
Suddenly, catching the Tigers in the AL got a whole lot tougher.
"I would have preferred him to sign somewhere else, but we can't worry about that," Acta said, smiling. "We have to worry about our ballclub getting better and taking the next step. So we'll just deal with it."
Acta and several of his players kicked off "Tribe on Tour" Thursday, a four-day event where the Indians will stop at shopping malls around Northeast Ohio and interact with their fans, some of whom are still reeling from Fielder's decision to sign a nine-year contract that will pay him at least $23 million per season until 2020.
The Indians don't have that kind of money to throw around — not now, and probably not ever. However, just because Fielder landed with the division champions, Acta's focus hasn't changed for 2012. Cleveland challenged for nearly five months last season before injuries caused them to fade.
Acta is confident his team will contend again.
"We know what we have and we know what we have to work with," Acta said. "Before the offseason started we weren't targeting the guy who signed with L.A. (Albert Pujols) and the guy who just signed with Detroit. We're just going to have to do it with our internal options. They played pretty well last year for 4 1/2 months so we have to keep them on the field and we have to take the next step and go from there.
"We can't sell dreams to people."
Acta said there's still a chance the Indians, who reportedly pursued first baseman Carlos Pena before he re-signed with Tampa Bay, could sign a hitter before the offseason ends. Acta has been a "witness" to general manager Chris Antonetti's efforts to improve a team that went 80-82 last season.
The Indians have protected themselves this winter by inviting 20 non-roster players to camp with the goal of adding depth in case of injuries.
They don't know when — or if — Carmona will be able to be with them in Arizona this season as he works through his legal entanglement. On Thursday, Carmona, whose real name is believed to be Roberto Hernandez Heredia, was placed on Major League Baseball's restricted list.
The move allows the Indians to open a spot on their 40-man roster. Also, the club does not have to pay Carmona until he reports to the team and there's no guarantee that will happen. He's scheduled to make $7 million this season after the club exercised its option on him in October.
Authorities say Carmona, who was arrested last week in Santo Domingo, is 31 and not 28 as he had claimed and the Indians believed.
Acta has been in daily contact with Carmona. However, he said he could not comment on any specifics regarding the pitcher's case, the latest involving a player from the Dominican Republic lying about his age and birthdate to play in the U.S.
Sadly, the deception has been a common practice in a country where baseball is the only avenue to a better life for many.
Acta feels baseball has made strides in fixing the problem.
"I believe Major League Baseball is doing a tremendous job right now to help better the system, but it's been a flawed system for a long time," he said. "You can be 21 and be a first-round pick out of college here, but when was the last time that anyone that signed out there that you knew he was 21?
"It's a system in the past that has forced those kids to do some of that stuff. It's getting better. They're doing a good job of trying to fix the problem."
Carmona's loss leaves a hole in Cleveland's starting rotation Acta knows won't be easy to repair.
"You don't find 200 innings in every corner of America, and just two years ago he pitched 210 quality innings," he said. "But life goes on."
-- Tom Withers
Indians P Carmona placed on restricted list
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians made a move with the pitcher they've only known for the last 11-plus years as Fausto Carmona.
Arrested last week in the Dominican Republic on false identity charges, Carmona was placed on baseball's restricted list Thursday by the club. The Indians had to apply to the commissioner's office in order to have Carmona placed on the list due to his unusual legal entanglement. Players on the restricted list do not count against a team's 25- or 40-man roster and will not be paid until they report.
Players can remain on the list for two years.
Carmona was arrested outside the U.S. consulate in Santo Domingo last week and charged with falsifying his name and birthdate so he could play for the Indians, who signed him as a free agent in 2000. Authorities in his homeland revealed Carmona's real name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia and that he's 31 — three years older than the Indians believed.
Carmona's date of birth is listed as Dec. 7, 1983, in Cleveland's media guide, meaning he was 17 when he signed.
He was released from jail on bail around $13,000 Friday and was ordered to stay in the Dominican to complete his judicial process. The Indians report to training camp next month, but it appears unlikely Carmona will have his case resolved by then. In the meantime, the club will continue to refer to him as Carmona.
Carmona, who is scheduled to make $7 million this season, was slotted be in the middle of the Indians' starting rotation with Ubaldo Jimenez, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin and Derek Lowe. In case Carmona's legal trouble keeps him away for an extended period. the Indians acquired starter Kevin Slowey in a trade with Colorado.
Earlier this week, Indians manager Manny Acta said the team is doing all it can to help Carmona, who has had an erratic career since going 19-8 in 2007. The club has been gathering information as it tries to work through the complexities of Carmona's situation, which came to light four months after Miami Marlins pitcher Leo Nunez, whose real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, admitted using false documents when he was young to sign a professional contract.
Oviedo, too, is on the restricted list. He is cooperating with officials on a larger investigation of fake documents.
Carmona started the Indians' opener last season and finished 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA in 32 starts. But the Indians only scored 3.8 runs per game for him, third worst support among AL starters. The right-hander finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2007, when he became the youngest Indians pitcher to win more than 17 games since Hall of Famer Bob Feller in 1938.
The Indians have options on Carmona for 2013 and 2014.
-- Tom Withers
Indians add RHP Wheeler
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians agreed to terms with free agent reliever Dan Wheeler on a minor league contract.,
Wheeler, who pitched in 37 games for Boston last season, will be in training camp with a chance to win a spot in the Indians bullpen. The 34-year-old has a 3.88 ERA and 43 career saves in 577 major league games. He has also pitched for Tampa Bay, the New York Mets, Houston and the Red Sox.
Last season, Wheeler had a 4.83 ERA, missed two weeks in May with a strained calf and was shut down on Sept. 8 with right forearm soreness. He posted a 0.84 ERA in 10 appearances (10 2-3 innings) against AL Central teams.
Wheeler has made 466 appearances since 2005, fourth most in baseball over that span.
Red Sox confirm signing of OF Ross
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox on Thursday confirmed the signing of outfielder Cody Ross to a one-year contract and said right-hander Scott Atchison was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
The $3 million deal for Ross was first reported on Monday, when he told The Associated Press in a text message he still needed to take a physical.
The 31-year-old Ross batted .240 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs for the San Francisco Giants last season while playing at least 22 games at every outfield position.
Ross was the 2010 NL championship series MVP for the Giants and helped them win the World Series that year after they picked him up off waivers in August.
Yankees complete one-year deal with RHP Kuroda
NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees have finalized their $10 million, one-year contract with free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. The deal, which had been pending a physical, was agreed to on Jan. 13, the same night the Yankees acquired right-hander Michael Pineda from Seattle in a trade that sent catcher Jesus Montero to the Mariners.
Kuroda was 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA for the Dodgers last year. The 36-year-old had a 41-46 record with a 3.45 ERA in four seasons in Los Angeles. In addition, Kuroda can make $1 million in performance bonuses: $200,000 each for 160, 170, 180, 190 and 200 innings.
To clear a roster spot, right-hander Kevin Whelan was designated for assignment. New York also settled its final salary arbitration case, agreeing with left-hander Boone Logan on a one-year contract worth $1,875,000.
LHP Logan and Yankees agree at $1,875,000
NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees settled their final salary arbitration case, agreeing with left-hander Boone Logan on a one-year contract worth $1,875,000.
The agreement Thursday was just below the midpoint between the $2.1 million he had asked for last week in arbitration and the $1.7 million New York had offered. But Logan can earn a $25,000 bonus if he appears in 55 games this season.
Logan was 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 64 games last year and earned $1.2 million.
NL Capsules
Dodgers' Kershaw receives Warren Spahn Award
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw accepted the Warren Spahn Award on Thursday night as the best left-handed pitcher in baseball.
"It's the biggest trophy I've ever gotten," Kershaw said, laughing. "I don't know if I'll be able to carry it on the plane."
Kershaw, the National League Cy Young winner, led the NL with a 21-5 record, 248 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. He also was selected to his first All-Star game and won his first Gold Glove.
"It's been a progression. I think a lot of it has to do with being more comfortable and getting more experience," Kershaw said. "It's just a lot of things coming together. Once you have some success you gain some confidence and you expect to do that every time out."
The Spahn award is based on a pitcher's wins, strikeouts and ERA. Spahn won 363 career games in his Hall of Fame career. He died in 2003.
Kershaw is eligible for salary arbitration. After earning $500,000 last season, Kershaw and agent Alan Hendricks have asked the Dodgers for $10 million next season. The Dodgers have countered at $6.5 million.
"I'm not worried about it at all," Kershaw said. "My court date was set. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, it will be settled before then but you never know."
RHP Brad Lidge, Nationals agree to one-year deal
WASHINGTON (AP) — Free-agent reliever Brad Lidge has agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals.
Last season, the right-hander only threw 19 1-3 innings for the Philadelphia Phillies, going 0-2 with a 1.40 ERA and one save. He didn't pitch until late July because of elbow and shoulder problems in his right arm.
Lidge is a two-time All-Star who closed for the Phillies and Houston Astros during his 10-year major league career, going 26-31 with 233 saves and a 3.44 ERA in 592 appearances overall.
In Washington, Lidge joins a bullpen led by setup man Tyler Clippard, who was an All-Star in 2011, and closer Drew Storen.
The Nationals announced their deal with Lidge on Thursday.
For now, Marlins to play in 'Marlins Park'
MIAMI (AP) — The name of the Miami Marlins' new ballpark is apparently not changing anytime soon. For now, it'll remain Marlins Park.
Team president David Samson told the team's flagship radio station WAXY that he "didn't want to pressure anyone or myself" into rapidly closing a complex naming-rights deal before the start of the 2012 season.
Samson says the team is "happy to start 'Marlins Park' and see what happens." He made the comments Wednesday in his regular weekly appearance.
The team has referred to the building as Marlins Park in press releases since at least Jan. 13.
The first exhibition in the stadium is a high school game scheduled for March 5, followed by Marlins' games against the University of Miami and Florida International on March 6 and 7.
Reds reach two-year deal with RHP Arredondo
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds have reached agreement on a two-year deal with right-handed reliever Jose Arredondo, their last player left in salary arbitration.
The Reds signed the 27-year-old pitcher to a minor league deal in January 2010, knowing he would likely have reconstructive elbow surgery a few weeks later. He spent the whole year on the disabled list.
Arredondo made $480,000 last season, when he went 4-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 53 appearances around two stints on the disabled list. After the season, he asked for $875,000 in arbitration. The club offered $725,000.
The Reds are hoping that Arredondo can get back to pitching the way he did before surgery. Arredondo went 10-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 52 relief appearances for the Angels in 2008.
Giants agree to one-year deal with Hensley
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Free-agent right-hander Clay Hensley and the San Francisco Giants have reached agreement on a $750,000, one-year contract.
The Giants said Thursday it is a non-guaranteed big league deal for Hensley, who still must pass a physical before the club makes a formal announcement. Hensley was with San Diego when he gave up Barry Bonds' 755th career home run on Aug. 4, 2007, that tied the eventual home run king with Hank Aaron.
The Miami Marlins declined to tender Hensley a contract in December, making him a free agent. The 32-year-old Hensley went 6-7 with a 5.19 ERA in 37 appearances and nine starts last season for the Marlins.
-- Janie McCauley
Franco to join New York Mets Hall of Fame
NEW YORK (AP) — Closer John Franco will be inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame before the June 3 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Franco saved a Mets-record 276 games from 1990-04 and finished with 424 saves overall, the most by a left-hander.
He becomes the 26th member of the Mets' Hall and the first to join since Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Davey Johnson and former general manager Frank Cashen in 2010.
Minor Leagues
Two more minor leaguers suspended in drug program
NEW YORK (AP) — Right-hander Chaz Roe and outfielder Smaily Borges have been suspended for 50 games each under baseball's minor league drug program.
Rose tested positive for an amphetamine, the commissioner's office said Thursday. Borges was penalized for refusing to take a drug test. Both players are free agents, and their suspensions will start when they sign with a major league organization.
The 25-year-old Roe, taken by Colorado with the 32nd overall pick in the 2005 amateur draft, was traded to Seattle in December 2010 for infielder Jose Lopez and went 0-7 with a 6.59 ERA in 10 starts and 23 relief appearances last year at Triple-A Tacoma.
Borges, 27, played in the Chicago Cubs system for the last three years. He hit .233 in 133 at-bats last year at Class A Peoria.
Eight players have been suspended this year under the minor league program.
College
Coastal Carolina gets state approval for upgrades
CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — State officials have approved $10 million for Coastal Carolina to upgrade its baseball and softball fields.
The school announced the approval Wednesday. Coastal says construction will start on the two complexes after the 2012 season and will be completed in time for the 2014 season. The baseball and softball teams will play home games at local fields next year.
Both fields are expected to receive new grandstands, restrooms, coaches offices, locker rooms and player lounges.
Coastal Carolina's baseball field will expand from 850 seats to 2,500 seats and will have enough space to handle up to 6,000 fans for events like conference or NCAA postseason tournaments. The Chanticleers baseball team has reached the NCAA tournament in 10 of the past 11 years.
International
Japan to play Taiwan in March 11 charity game
TOKYO (AP) — A team of All-Stars from Japanese professional baseball will take on their counterparts from Taiwan in a charity game to assist survivors of last year's earthquake and tsunami.
The game will be played at Tokyo Dome on March 10, one day before the one-year anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing on Japan's northeast coast. A total of 12,000 tickets will be given to people whose homes were destroyed by the disaster.
Japanese stars such as pitchers Masahiro Tanaka of the Rakuten Eagles and Yuki Saito of the Nippon Ham Fighters will represent Japan.
Elsewhere
Hank's Yanks GM Hernandez has died
NEW YORK (AP) — Herman Hernandez, the general manager of a youth baseball team sponsored by New York Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, has died.
The death of the co-founder of Hank's Jr. Yanks was announced in a statement from Steinbrenner and Hank's Yanks manager Ray Negron. Negron and Hank's Jr. Yanks official Sandy Kyrkostas confirmed Hernandez died Thursday morning of an apparent heart attack. Kyrkostas said Hernandez was 54.
Two former players, pitcher Leonel Vinas and infielder Matt Duran, are currently in Yankees' minor league system. Outfielder Williams Jerez was taken by Boston in second round of the 2011 amateur draft.
Steinbrenner said: "Whenever someone passes away people say how wonderful of a person they were and how empty the world will be without them, but it's usually just to make for a pretty speech. In Herman's case its true. The greatest kind of person you can be is one who lives for others and Herman was exactly that type of person."
