Baseball Capsules: Kent calls it a career after 17 years in baseball

LOS ANGELES - Jeff Kent always kept his emotions bottled up during his outstanding, 17-year major league career. He couldn't put a cork on them Thursday, when he tearfully announced his retirement.

His watery, red-rimmed eyes and frequent pauses to collect himself were in stark contrast to the gruff public demeanor Kent maintained for years, which led to his image as a surly sort.

He attributed that to his competitive nature.

"I don't get how you can go up to an opposing starting pitcher, give him a hug and say, ‘How you doing?' and then go out there and try to hit a gapper," Kent said. "I tried to separate the emotions from the game.

"If you allow yourself as a player to get emotionally involved in every little thing that happens, I don't think you can stay as consistent as you ought to in this game. I wanted other people to perceive me as a guy who was level emotionally."

But that facade came undone during a farewell news conference at Dodger Stadium, especially when Kent looked over at his wife, Dana, daughter Lauren, and three young sons. His 12-year-old daughter wiped her eyes at times.

"We're glad to see him home," Dana Kent said.

At 40, retirement beckoned because Kent said he'd grown tired of life on the road and being away from his family in Austin, Texas, for much of the year.

Kent leaves as the career home run leader among second basemen with 351 - 74 more than Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. A five-time All-Star and the 2000 NL MVP, Kent made his only World Series appearance with San Francisco in 2002, when the Giants lost to the Anaheim Angels in seven games.

"Being a Game 7 loser is the worst feeling that I've ever had as an athlete, but the participation in those games and being able to play alongside my teammates have put to peace any resentment of not being a World Series winner," he said. "I'm OK with it."

Kent had a .290 career batting average with 377 homers, 1,518 RBIs and a .500 slugging percentage. He was drafted by Toronto in 1989 and also played for the New York Mets, Cleveland, San Francisco and Houston.

"Half of my playing career I was able to get on a team and then make the playoffs, and what a special feeling that is to be part of," he said. "The reasons why I was able to do such things is because of my teammates."

Former Dodgers shortstop Jose Vizcaino stopped by to wish Kent well, along with team owner Frank McCourt, general manager Ned Colletti, former Dodger greats Duke Snider and Don Newcombe, and much of the team's front-office staff. Messages from some of Kent's former teams were read.

Colletti described Kent as "a no-nonsense player, someone you will never see lead a talkathon, but whose 1-on-1 counsel was invaluable."

Kent's famous intensity led to clashes with teammates, including Barry Bonds when they played with the Giants from 1997-2002, and the two once scuffled in the dugout for all to see. In 2005, Kent tangled with then-Dodgers teammate Milton Bradley, who claimed Kent couldn't deal with black players.

"Those two guys were teammates of mine and we won," Kent said. "I had run-ins with other teammates. Was it me having a run-in with those guys or them having a run-in with me? It doesn't matter, we were all teammates."

Kent said he was proud of his integrity in baseball, although that was called into question in 2002, when he claimed he injured his wrist while washing his truck. It later came out that he got hurt while riding his motorcycle, which violated the terms of his contract. The injury landed him on the disabled list to start the season.

Kent criticized players who used performance-enhancing drugs while endorsing improved testing.

"The integrity of the game has been jeopardized for so many years and I'm just so embarrassed about the steroid era," he said.

Kent thinks the sport has made great strides against steroids.

"Baseball has created a drug policy that is on the right path, that has brought the game to a better level playing field than it ever was," he said.

Kent said he applied a motto to his career that his police officer father taught him: If you're going to do a job, do it right.

"More than likely I would've been a cop when I grew up, hence the mustache," he said, drawing laughter. "Yet when we were kids, we fantasize about being an athlete. I wanted to be a baseball player. For 17 years, I got to live a fantasy and I'm truly, truly grateful for that."

Kent thanked the fans because, he said, "without them, I wouldn't have a job."

"I've learned to love and appreciate the fans and even the Jeff Kent haters out there most of all," he said. "Those are the people who motivate you."

Kent hit .253 during the first half of last season, improved to .353 in August, then injured his knee on Aug. 29 and had surgery four days later. He returned to make the postseason roster, but was relegated to a bench role. He went a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts during the two playoff series and became a free agent in November.

He'll be replaced at second base by Blake DeWitt, who took over when Kent was sidelined.

Kent plans to oversee the three motorcycle shops he owns in Austin, and he just bought a golf course there.

He said he walks away with no regrets.

"I believe I've played this game right and I believe I'm leaving this game right," he said.

Vizquel ready for new role with Rangers

Omar Vizquel is ready for the challenge of becoming a utility player for the Texas Rangers and a mentor to a rookie shortstop half his age.

Even though the 41-year-old Vizquel, an 11-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star going into his 21st major league season, still thinks he can be an everyday player.

"I'm going to prepare for that even though they're probably putting a label on me of helping guys out and all that," Vizquel said during a conference call Thursday, a day after agreeing to a minor league contract. "It's hard for people to believe that I'm going to take a job as a backup or a utility player."

The Rangers expect 20-year-old Elvis Andrus to be their starting shortstop this season. They are so confident in the kid who has never played above Double-A that they are moving five-time All-Star shortstop Michael Young, a Gold Glove winner last season, to third base.

Add second baseman Ian Kinsler, coming off his first All-Star appearance, to the equation and it seems unlikely that Vizquel will get to play regularly.

"If I don't get to be the everyday player, and I get to do the role they expect me to do, that will be great," Vizquel said. "I think I can handle the situation very well."

Vizquel's 2,654 games at shortstop are a major league record. Only Ozzie Smith has won more Gold Gloves at shortstop (13), but Vizquel is the only shortstop to win the award multiple times in both the American and National Leagues.

"I feel kind of strange that I'm probably going to play second base or third base," said Vizquel, who has never played third in the majors. His only game at second came in 1991 for Seattle.

The Rangers view Vizquel as a genuine utility player and backup, but his most important contribution could be mentoring Andrus, who wasn't yet a year old when Vizquel made his major league debut in 1989.

"We're going to let that happen naturally," general manager Jon Daniels said.

Like his new teammate, Andrus is from Venezuela, where Vizquel is revered.

"I do think he'll add a good deal to Elvis' experience, but that's not why we have him. We think he can add to this club on the field because he's a quality person and comes with a tremendous pedigree," Daniels added. "To the degree he helps Elvis, just setting the example in his work ethic and how he goes about his routine, that's just a bonus."

Vizquel will get a $1 million contract with a chance to earn more in performance bonuses if he makes the major league roster. He earned $5.3 million with San Francisco last season, when he had left knee surgery in spring training and then hit .222 with 23 RBIs and 10 doubles in 92 games.

The Giants declined their 2009 contract option on Vizquel after he played four seasons there. Vizquel began his career with five seasons in Seattle, then went to two World Series with Cleveland from 1994-2004.

He is a .273 career hitter with 2,657 hits and 385 stolen bases in 2,680 games.

Having Vizquel around to mentor Andrus should allow Young to concentrate on learning his new position.

And with Young committed to the move after initially asking for a trade, Vizquel provides a viable option at shortstop should Andrus struggle.

"This helps protect us, if that comes to pass," Daniels said. "But it's really a hypothetical that we don't expect to happen. We understand we're pushing Elvis maybe a little quicker than some may have thought we would or should. But between his skill on the field and his makeup, we think he's got the ability to handle it."

The only Venezuelan-born player with at least 20 seasons in the majors, Vizquel was the captain of Venezuela's team during the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. He is on the provisional roster again for March, but said he won't play in the WBC.

"I think that I need to show the Texas Rangers I can still play," Vizquel said. "I need to get used to everybody and the whole team. I'm going to enjoy my spring training."

-- Stephen Hawkins

Ricketts picked as winning Cubs bidder

CHICAGO - The billionaire Ricketts family has been selected by Tribune Co. as the winning bidder for the hard-luck Chicago Cubs.

The bid is worth about $900 million, said Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for Tom Ricketts. The sale would include Wrigley Field and a 25 percent interest in a regional sports network.

"My family and I are Cubs fans," Tom Ricketts, the family's point person in the Cubs purchase, said in a statement Thursday night. "We share the goal of Cubs fans everywhere to win a World Series and build the consistent championship tradition that the fans deserve."

The family also said in the statement that its looking forward to working with the Tribune and Major League Baseball to close the transaction promptly.

Tribune Co. spokesman Gary Weitman did not immediately return a telephone call from The Associated Press after the Ricketts family issued the statement. He declined comment earlier Thursday.

The selection of Tom Ricketts, a member of the founding family of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., and chief executive of InCapital LLC, was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times' Web site.

Tribune Co. purchased the Cubs from Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. for $20.5 million in June 1981. It put the team on the market on opening day 2007, when real estate mogul Sam Zell agreed to buy Tribune Co.

Cubs chairman Crane Kenney said last week that the team hopes to have a new owner in place by opening day, April 6, but many steps must happen before a sale can be completed.

"Obviously, these final negotiations are key, but my client is, as the statement indicates, pretty optimistic," Culloton said.

Ricketts must reach an agreement with Tribune Co., which filed for bankruptcy protection last month. While the Cubs and Wrigley Field were not included in the bankruptcy filing, a sale likely will have to be approved by the creditors' committee and possibly a bankruptcy judge.

In addition, a sale must be approved by baseball owners.

Major League Baseball had not been informed by Tribune Co. of the winning bidder as of Thursday evening, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions between the team and MLB are not made public.

Under the structure that had been discussed with baseball officials, Tribune Co. would keep a small percentage of the team for tax reasons, probably around 5 percent, the baseball official said.

Other finalists in the bidding included Hersch Klaff, who owns a Chicago commercial real estate firm, and a partnership between two New Yorkers involved in private equity, Marc Utay of Clarion Capital and Leo Hindery Jr. of InterMedia Partners.

Tom Ricketts grew up watching the Cubs on WGN, once lived in an apartment above a bar across the street from Wrigley Field, and met his wife in the bleachers at a Cubs game. His father, J. Joe Ricketts, founded Ameritrade and became a leading online stockbroker, but Tom never worked for that company.

He was a market maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange and finance executive before starting investment bank Incapital LLC.

If the deal is approved, the Ricketts would acquire a team that hasn't won the World Series since 1908 and hasn't even made it to the Fall Classic since 1945. While the Cubs won the NL Central in each of the last two seasons, they were swept in the first round of the playoffs both times.

Tribune Co. considered selling the team and the famous ballpark separately but rejected a plan from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to purchase the ivy-walled stadium. Kenney said recently the two would be sold together.

Tribune Co., which owns the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The (Baltimore) Sun, The Hartford Courant and other dailies, as well as 23 television stations and the Cubs, sought bankruptcy protection last month. The media conglomerate was smothered by a drop-off in advertising and a crushing $13 billion in debt from the company's takeover a year ago by Zell.

The company, which did not include the Cubs or Wrigley Field when it filed for bankruptcy, is selling off assets as it desperately seeks to raise cash to deal with the huge debt load.

-- Andrew Seligman

Yankees set to move to new ballpark Friday

NEW YORK - Friday is moving day in the Bronx and, no, the crates don't have pinstripes.

Eighty-six years after moving in, the New York Yankees are moving out.

The team's front office will move across the street Friday to the new $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium, which is nearing completion and scheduled to open in April.

Belongings will be moved in orange plastic crates - reusable, so as to be environmentally friendly, team spokesman Jason Latimer said Thursday.

There was no word on whether Reel 2 Real's "I Like to Move It" - a Yankee Stadium staple - will be played on the public-address system.

The Yankees temporarily vacated the ballpark after the 1973 season while Yankee Stadium was remodeled, and the team spent two seasons at Shea Stadium in Queens before moving back in 1976.

A few departments will remain at the old ballpark for another month: the clubhouse staff, information technology, the ticket office and the switchboard. They tentatively are set to move on Feb. 27.

The Mets moved their office from Shea Stadium to $800 million Citi Field on Sept. 22 - the final week of the regular season.

Both ballparks are scheduled to open with exhibition games on April 3 - with the Yankees playing the Chicago Cubs and the Mets meeting the Boston Red Sox. In the regular-season openers, the Mets host San Diego on April 13 and the Yankees play Cleveland on April 16.

Report: McGwire accused by brother of steroid use

NEW YORK - Mark McGwire's youngest brother says in a book proposal that he injected the former baseball star with steroids, according to Deadspin.com.

Jay McGwire is circulating a manuscript titled "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a slugger and Ultimate Redemption," the Web site reported Wednesday. Jay McGwire, a body builder, said his brother started using steroids in 1994 and that he injected Mark with Deca-Durabolin.

"Mark is a man I think most would like to forgive because his reason wasn't nefarious - it was for survival," the proposal says, according to the Web site. "My bringing the truth to surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom - which is the only way to live."

Jay McGwire, who says he has a strained relationship with his brother, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Telephone numbers for his home and fitness center in California were disconnected.

Mark McGwire repeatedly has denied using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. When he testified under oath before Congress in 2005, however, he wouldn't discuss whether he did.

"Who knows what might have happened if I didn't get Mark involved with all the training, supplements, the right foods, steroids, and HGH?" the Web site quoted Jay McGwire as writing. "He would not have broken any records, and the congressional hearings would have gone on without him. Maybe Barry Bonds wouldn't have ever gotten involved with the stuff, either."

Markakis contract fulfills Orioles' No. 1 priority

BALTIMORE - During an offseason in which they failed in their pursuit of a hometown slugger, the Baltimore Orioles did the next best thing: secure homegrown right fielder Nick Markakis for the next six seasons.

Markakis and Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail sat shoulder to shoulder Thursday during a news conference at Camden Yards. Markakis called it a "fairly easy decision" to accept $66.1 million for six years, and MacPhail spoke delightedly about locking up the team's former No. 1 pick through 2014.

"Clearly, from the time we threw our last pitch last year, talking with (owner Peter Angelos), this was our first priority," MacPhail said. "If there was only one thing we could have done, if he told me you're limited to one thing on your wish list, this would have been it. It's that important to the franchise."

The Orioles, who also finalized a $2 million, one-year deal with catcher Gregg Zaun, took a stab at landing first baseman Mark Teixeira, who played high school in the Baltimore area before becoming a major league. Teixeira signed with the rival New York Yankees, so MacPhail spent some of that unused money on Markakis, the seventh overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft.

"This is quite a commitment on behalf of the club. It is the second-largest contract in team history," MacPhail said. "It's very appropriate that we do this with one of our homegrown, drafted and developed players. It's our opinion that Nick, at 25 years old, is already one of the premier outfielders in all of baseball. You can imagine how excited we are to have him in the fold the next six years."

Markakis excelled as both a pitcher and an outfielder in junior college before being drafted by the Orioles. After a brief stint in the minors, he batted .291 as a rookie in 2006 before hitting .300 with 23 homers and 112 RBIs in 2007.

In 2008, he batted .306, scored 106 runs and led all major league outfielders with 17 assists.

Markakis got married during the offseason, and the couple is expecting a child. He could have balked over the prospect for spending the next six years with an organization that hasn't had a winning season since 1997, but likes the idea of staying in Baltimore.

"The money is good. It's definitely security, but you want to see the direction the team is going," Markakis said. "The way Andy's been handling this, since he's been here I don't think I can complain about one decision or move he's made. It's good to see the direction of the team. It's something I'd like to be part of for a while."

Sure, signing Teixeira would have been nice. But securing Markakis is an indication that he's eager to rebuild the team with youth, whether it be prospects obtained in trades or hanging onto players like Markakis who have worked their way up the team's minor league system.

"I do think this signing sends an important signal up and down the organization," MacPhail said. "On the flip side, when you sign a marquee free agent from somewhere else, you're adding a player that you don't already have."

That didn't happen this winter, but Markakis is perhaps the ideal person to be the face of an organization that has taken plenty of heat over the past decade.

"Being loyal is definitely a big thing with me," Markakis said. "We've had a rough past three years, but you stick with it. If you do that work hard, good things will happen."

His contract is second-largest in team history in terms of guaranteed money, behind only the $72 million deal signed by Miguel Tejada before the 2003 season.

During this offseason, the Orioles have added several decent free agents: Zaun, Japanese pitcher Koji Uehara, shortstop Cesar Izturis, and utility man Chris Gomez. MacPhail also traded for 23-year-old outfielder Felix Pie.

"We think we've improved our defense, got a little younger, more athletic, quicker," MacPhail said. "We still have areas that need to be addressed, and we expect that process to go through spring training."

The 37-year-old Zaun is expected to replace Ramon Hernandez as the starting catcher, at least until top prospect Matt Wieters is ready.

Zaun has 14 years of experience to draw upon in working with a young pitching staff and newcomer Koji Uehara of Japan. Zaun has a .251 batting average in 1,114 games with Baltimore, Florida, Texas, Kansas City, Houston, Colorado and Toronto.

His contract calls for a $1.5 million salary this year, and the Orioles have a $2 million option for 2010 with a $500,000 buyout.

To make room for Zaun on the roster, the Orioles designated first baseman Oscar Salazar for assignment.

One remaining priority is signing second baseman Brian Roberts to an extension. Roberts' contract expires after this season.

"We've made no secret of the fact we want Brian to come back," MacPhail said. "Hopefully we can get something done."

-- David Ginsburg

Cardinals' Glaus out 3 months after surgery

ST. LOUIS - Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus will be sidelined for about three months after arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.

The 2002 World Series MVP will begin physical therapy next week following Wednesday's surgery in Los Angeles. He likely will miss the Cardinals' opener on April 6.

"It's a loss, but it's part of the game," general manager John Mozeliak said. "We'll be fine. We'll find a way to survive."

The 32-year-old Glaus hit .270 with 27 homers and 99 RBIs last season, his first with the Cardinals. He appeared at the team's annual Winter Warmup event last weekend and made no mention of an injury or a need for surgery.

Mozeliak said the team first learned from Glaus during the Christmas holidays that he was experiencing some discomfort as he began increasing workouts in anticipation of spring training. Glaus was sent to a team doctor in Florida.

An injection didn't help, and the team learned Monday that surgery was planned. Mozeliak said it was possible Glaus could be ready by opening day.

"It's really hard to guess when he'll return until he can start doing some baseball activities," Mozeliak said.

Glaus had two cortisone shots and missed a few games in September due to what was described as a strained right shoulder. But an MRI at the time showed no significant problems.

St. Louis has two highly regarded prospects at third base in David Freese and Brett Wallace, the team's 2008 first-round draft pick from Arizona State. Mozeliak said Freese is the front-runner.

"Given where he played last year and the success he had at Triple-A, I would say that would be the natural progression," Mozeliak said.

The 25-year-old Freese is a St. Louis native who came to the Cardinals from San Diego in the Jim Edmonds trade in December 2007. He hit .306 with 26 home runs and 91 RBIs at Triple-A Memphis.

Wallace, 22, hit a combined .337 with eight homers and 36 RBIs in Class A and Double-A after signing with St. Louis.

Backup infielder Brendan Ryan played five games at third base last season and 24 games in 2007. Outfielder Joe Mather played one game at third base in 2008.

Glaus finished in the top 10 among NL third basemen in RBIs, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage last year. He set a Cardinals team record for fielding percentage (.982) by a third baseman, a mark that led the league.

Glaus has a career batting average of .258, with 304 homers and 877 RBIs in 10-plus seasons with Anaheim, Arizona, Toronto and St. Louis. He is entering the final year of a contract that pays him $11.25 million.

-- Jim Saulter

Morales blames bad back for bad 2008 season

DENVER - Franklin Morales, who went from postseason phenom to minor leaguer last season, is blaming a bad back for his drop-off, something he didn't mention to the Colorado Rockies until the offseason.

The left-hander with a 98 mph fastball who played a key role in the Rockies' first trip to the World Series two years ago revealed Thursday that he dealt with lower back pain almost all of last season.

He said the pain affected his velocity and forced him to throw more breaking pitches. It was the first time Morales had publicly acknowledged his health was a factor in his fall.

After going 1-2 with a 6.50 ERA and 17 walks in 25 1-3 innings covering five starts for the Rockies in April, he was shipped to Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he spent the remainder of the season, going 10-5 with a 5.47 ERA in 110 1-3 innings spanning 21 starts. He walked 82 batters and struck out 83.

Morales, who beat the Phillies and Diamondbacks in the playoffs to help the Rockies win their first pennant in 2007, was one of several disappointments last year for Colorado, which slipped back to a losing season.

Morales' strikeout-to-walk ratio was much better in winter ball this offseason in Venezuela, where he went to work on his mechanics and where he said he rediscovered his confidence, command and consistency.

He said his back is feeling fine now thanks to stretching exercises, strength training, massage therapy and a 10-pound weight loss. And he believes he can crack the Rockies' rotation this spring now that his back is no longer barking.

"I feel very comfortable because I feel healthy," Morales said Thursday at the conclusion of the team's winter development program.

Morales said he never told the team about his bad back last season and therefore never went on the DL, because he felt he had a chance to return to the major leagues last summer and he didn't want to take any time off that might curtail that possibility.

He said he never lost faith in himself because he knew the reason for his struggles and his demotion.

Morales said his lower back started to hurt at the end of spring training last March and didn't quit bothering him until September.

He said he felt fine throughout winter ball and likes his chances of winning back his job with the Rockies because now his mechanics are proper.

"I feel good right now," Morales said.

-- Arnie Stapleton

Brewers, Fielder agree on $18 million, 2-year deal

MILWAUKEE - First baseman Prince Fielder and the Milwaukee Brewers reached a preliminary agreement Thursday on an $18 million, two-year contract.

The agreement is subject to a physical, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said.

Melvin declined to discuss the contract's value.

"There's things you have to do to get to that point to finalize deals," Melvin said. "We won't have anything tonight, but there's a good possibility we could have something tomorrow."

Milwaukee renewed Fielder's contract last year for $670,000, and Fielder was eligible for arbitration for the first time. He asked for $8 million and the Brewers offered $6 million when figures were exchanged Tuesday.

He can become a free agent after the 2011 season.

"We'd know his salary for the next two years and still have him the following year when he goes back into the arbitration pool," Melvin said. "He's still our player, but there's an undefined salary for the third year."

In 2007, Fielder became the youngest player to hit 50 home runs, and he batted .288 with 119 RBIs. The 24-year-old hit .276 with 34 homers and 102 RBIs last year as Milwaukee reached the postseason for the first time since 1982.

-- Colin Fly

Werth, Phillies finalize $10M, 2-year deal

PHILADELPHIA - Outfielder Jayson Werth finalized a $10 million, two-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday to avoid salary arbitration.

Werth set career highs in nine offensive categories last season as he helped the Phillies win their first World Series in 28 years. He hit .273 with 24 home runs and 67 RBIs to go along with 20 steals and boosted his batting average to .309 in the postseason.

With the departure of Pat Burrell in free agency, Werth is the lone returning right-handed power bat in a lefty-heavy lineup that includes 2006 MVP Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. For his career, Werth has hit .263 with 57 homers and 222 RBIs in 460 games.

He gets a $1 million signing bonus, $2 million this season and $7 million in 2010.

Howard is Philadelphia's only remaining arbitration-eligible player. He requested $18 million and was offered $14 million by the team. The Phillies have already avoided arbitration with ace Cole Hamels, outfielder Shane Victorino and three other players.

Cora and Mets finalize $2 million, 1-year deal

NEW YORK - Alex Cora and the New York Mets finalized a $2 million, one-year contract Thursday, giving the team a backup infielder who also could displace Luis Castillo at second base.

"You win championships with a 25-man roster," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. "Alex Cora has been an integral part of teams that have been to the postseason in four of the last five years."

Cora hit .270 last season in 75 games and 152 at-bats for the Boston Red Sox. He had 38 starts at shortstop and three at second.

"I'm excited to join the Mets," Cora said in a statement released by the team. "We have a talented roster. I'm committed to do everything I can in any role to win."

Cora could earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses: $250,000 for each of 110, 120, 130 and 140 games started.

With the start of spring training less than a month away, David Wright was at Citi Field on Thursday, working out in the batting cages across the hall from the clubhouse at the new ballpark.

Reds extend deal with Triple-A Louisville

CINCINNATI - The Reds plan to keep their Triple-A team in Louisville through at least the 2012 season.

Cincinnati extended its agreement with the Louisville Bats on Thursday by two more years. The deal had been set to end after the 2010 season.

Louisville was a Triple-A farm team for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1982-97, then was affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers. It became a Reds farm team in 2000, its first year at Louisville Slugger Field.

1927 Yankees photo tops auction

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - A 1927 New York Yankees team photo signed by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and 45 others is expected to sell for $75,000 to $100,000 in SCP Auctions' first auction of the year.

The photo was given by Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert to James Hanes, manager of the Hollywood Beach Hotel in Hollywood, Fla., as a token of Ruppert's gratitude for his many visits during the winter and spring training.

Also featuring a 1916-18 Harry Hooper Boston Red Sox jersey and an autographed, game-used 1955 Mickey Mantle jersey, the online auction at www.scpauctions.com will end Wednesday.