MLB Capsules: Rangers give manager Washington two-year extension
ARLINGTON (AP) — Ron Washington felt he was the right guy for the job when the Texas Rangers hired him as their manager, despite his inexperience in that role and the rebuilding effort that was just getting started.
"I knew that through time things would fall into place," Washington said Monday after getting another two-year contract extension. "And things have certainly done that."
Washington's latest extension through the 2014 season came after he led the Rangers to the World Series for the second consecutive season. They had never in their half-century history won a postseason series before winning the last two American League pennants under Washington, who has a 427-383 record over five seasons in Texas.
He is the first manager in major league history to increase his team's win total in four consecutive seasons after his initial year with a club.
"He's become a great manager, and a good personal friend and partner in all that we do," general manager Jon Daniels said. "And obviously a huge part of our success, in my mind, is his ability to set the tone in that clubhouse to continue to teach the game to guys at the big league level and to demand a lot from our players."
Texas won 75 games in Washington's first season, in 2007 after he replaced the fired Buck Showalter. The victory total increased each year after that — to 79, 87, 90 and then a franchise-record 96 last season.
"Jon Daniels took a chance when you look back five years ago on a novice manager," the 59-year-old Washington said. "We hit it off. He just believed that I could be the guy that could take this organization in the direction that he knew it had the opportunity to go in. We've done that, and the most important thing, we've done that as a family, we've done it as a solid unit."
Team president Nolan Ryan, Daniels and the Rangers stuck with Washington late in the 2009 season after he admitted to using cocaine once. They didn't change their stance when that revelation became public during spring training in 2010, the season that ended with the team's first World Series.
Daniels and Ryan also avoided making a managerial change when the Rangers got off to slow starts in 2008 and 2009, when they recovered both seasons to finish second in the AL West. They hadn't been that high in the standings since winning their 1999 AL West title.
"I never doubted the fact that I know this game of baseball, and because I'm not afraid to step up to the plate and say maybe I made a mistake, it helps you continue to grow," Washington said.
"Jon Daniels' patience and his trust have given us an opportunity to be where we are and become more or less a model organization," he said. "There's a lot of people out there that wish they could model themselves after the Texas Rangers. I don't think you could have said that five years ago."
Washington was hired after the 2006 season, a year after Daniels had become the youngest GM in major league history. Washington had been a coach for 11 seasons in Oakland, where he had been credited for developing the organization's top infielders.
"When Wash joined us, it came right as we were starting a rebuilding program and something that he embraced wholeheartedly," Daniels said. "Some guys might not have wanted to sign up for a long-term program but he dove right in. That kind of fit in with his personality as a teacher and a motivator. He's been a real key guy the whole way through. ... He's a perfect guy to run our club."
Washington's original contract was a two-year deal with club options for 2009 and 2010 that were both exercised.
Only a few days after the 2010 World Series, when the Rangers lost to the San Francisco Giants in five games, Washington got a two-year extension through the upcoming season. The Rangers lost in seven games to St. Louis in last year's World Series.
Only five active managers have been with their current teams longer than Washington. He trails Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels, Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota, Charlie Manuel in Philadelphia, Jim Leyland in Detroit and Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay.
New owner says he won't change Astros' name
HOUSTON (AP) — New Houston Astros owner Jim Crane says he won't change the team's name.
Crane said last week he was considering a switch. But he emailed a video message to season-ticket holders on Monday saying, "one thing that we are not going to change is the name."
He says he made the decision after receiving "strong feedback and consensus among season-ticket holders and many fans." He then added that "the Houston Astros are here to stay."
The team was established in 1962 as the Colt .45s and has been called the Astros since 1965 when the name was changed to coincide with the move to the Astrodome.
Crane and his staff have been looking for ways to improve the team, which finished a franchise-worst 56-106 last season, and the fan experience since the sale from Drayton McLane was completed in late November.
Other AL Capsules
Branca steals the show from Red Sox manager, ex-GM
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine and former GM Theo Epstein planned to talk a little baseball and raise a little money for charity. Then Valentine's father-in-law, ex-big leaguer Ralph Branca, stole the show.
In a discussion about big markets and small markets and how players respond to being booed, Branca took the microphone and reminded the crowd that he knew a little bit about the topic. Branca gave up one of the most famous homers in baseball history, Bobby Thomson's three-run shot that gave the New York Giants the 1951 NL pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
"Me get booed? Never," Branca told a few hundred people at Fenway Park on Monday night. "I did lose a few."
Then, alluding to the critically panned performance by Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler before the AFC championship game last week, Branca said he wants to sing the national anthem before Game 1 "when the Red Sox are in the World Series this year."
As his son-in-law threw up his hands in wonder, Branca then led the crowd in an impromptu singing of "God Bless America."
Branca spent most of his 12-year career in New York with the Dodgers, plus short stints with the Yankees and Detroit Tigers.
"I've been a Yankee and Met fan," he said, alluding to Valentine's time as Mets manager from 1996-2002. "I'm a Red Sox fan upside down, inside out, I'm part of Red Sox nation. God bless you all."
The event was planned as a fundraiser for Theo Epstein's charity, Foundation To Be Named Later. The "Hot Stove, Cool Music" roundtable and associated benefit concert has raised $300,000 this year and more than $4 million for local charities since their inception in 2000.
Also sitting in for the discussion were: Epstein, current Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington, New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson and MLB network analyst Sean Casey, who played for five teams — big market and small — in a 12-year career.
Cherington said he is prepared to go to arbitration hearings with David Ortiz and Alfredo Aceves; the Red Sox did not have a single arbitration hearing in Epstein's tenure as GM. Ortiz has asked for $16.5 million and the team offered $12.65 million; Aceves was offered $950,000 and he asked for $1.6 million.
Valentine said he doesn't know how the shortstop situation will be resolved. The Red Sox traded Marco Scutaro to Colorado this month, leaving them with former utilitymen Mike Aviles and Nick Punto as potential replacements. Also in the mix is 22-year-old prospect Jose Iglesias, who spent most of last season at Triple-A.
Scutaro hit a career-high .299 last year. He was traded to the Rockies for right-hander Clayton Mortensen.
"I've never seen any of the guys play except for Punto a little on television. We've got seven weeks together, we'll practice together, we'll play together, that will all work itself out," Valentine said. "I think it's always good for guys to get a chance to work and think they have a chance to make the team so they work a little harder."
Granderson said he was pleased with the Yankees' offseason pitching acquisitions, including the trade with Seattle for All-Star right-hander Michael Pineda and the signing of free-agent righty Hiroki Kuroda from the Dodgers.
"It seemed like that was the big question as the season went on," Granderson said. "It looks like the front office addressed the issue. Now it looks like we have too much (pitching)."
But he isn't ready to pronounce the Yankees the winner of the offseason.
"I'd be very shocked and surprised if Boston doesn't make any more moves," he said.
-- Jimmy Golen
Martinez has knee surgery, will need second operation
DETROIT (AP) — Victor Martinez had knee surgery and will need a second operation, another indication he is likely to miss the entire 2012 season. The Detroit Tigers star had microfracture surgery Friday to repair the medial and lateral meniscus in his left knee.
"I don't want to say it was a surprise," team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We knew it was a possibility."
Martinez is projected to have anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery on the same knee in six-to-eight weeks, the procedure that was previously expected. The team announced Monday that he was expected to be out for the year.
When the Tigers revealed two weeks ago that Martinez tore his left ACL during offseason conditioning, they said the designated hitter would "most likely be lost," for the 2012 season.
The first of two operations was done last week by Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo.
"We didn't know the full extent of the damage for sure until Dr. Steadman got in there," Dombrowski said. "He's the resident expert in the world on knees, and he feels it is more important to correct cartilage before the ACL to get the best results."
Detroit signed Prince Fielder last week to make up for the loss of Martinez, investing $214 million over nine years in the free agent slugger.
Martinez hit .330 with 103 RBIs in 2011, helping the Tigers win the division in his first season with them. He signed a $50 million, four-year contract before last season.
Fielder matched his career-high .299 batting average last year — his seventh with the Milwaukee Brewers — with 38 home runs and 120 RBIs. He finished among the top five in AL MVP voting for the third time.
Detroit won the AL Central by 15 games last year, advanced past the New York Yankees in the playoffs and was eliminated by Texas in Game 6 of the AL championship series.
Orioles sign RHP Galarraga, Korean pitcher Kim
BALTIMORE (AP) — Pitchers Armando Galarraga and Pat Neshek have been signed by the Baltimore Orioles and invited to participate in spring training camp. The Orioles also announced Monday the signing of Korean left-hander Seong-Min Kim to a minor league contract.
Galarraga went 3-4 in eight starts with Arizona last season. He fell one out short of a perfect game against Cleveland on June 2, 2010 with Detroit. Neshek had a 4.01 ERA in 25 relief appearances with San Diego last season.
Baltimore also signed left-handers Ryan Edell, Dennys Reyes and Willie Eyre, along with left-handers Steve Johnson, Jon Link, Miguel Socolovich and Oscar Villarreal. Eyre pitched in 19 games with Baltimore last season. Position players invited to camp include catchers John Hester, Ronny Paulino and Brian Ward, and outfielder Scott Beerer.
Other NL Capsules
Braves say they've moved on since epic collapse
ATLANTA (AP) — Brandon Beachy did his best to forget what happened at the end of last season. It all came back to him this past weekend, when the Braves pitcher was in St. Louis visiting his college roommate.
Everywhere Beachy looked, there were shirts, caps and other gear celebrating the Cardinals' improbable World Series championship.
A title, of course, that came at Atlanta's expense.
"They're lucky we lost that last game," Beachy said, managing a weak smile.
Beachy and a handful of his teammates were back at Turner Field on Monday to begin two weeks of informal workouts before the team heads to Florida for spring training.
Naturally, the subject of what happened at the end of last season came up very quickly.
There's no way to sugarcoat it. The Braves blew it, becoming the first franchise ever to squander an eight-game lead in September with a playoff spot on the line.
Instead, the Cardinals clinched the NL wild card on the final day of the regular season. Then, as if rubbing more salt in the Braves' wound, St. Louis went on to win two playoff series before taking the championship with a thrilling seven-game win over the Texas Rangers in the World Series. For the Braves, it's time to move on. There's not much more they can do.
"On January 1, the calendar turned over to 2012," pitching coach Roger McDowell said. "So, it is a new year. Like any other experience you go through — good, bad or indifferent — you learn from it and move on."
Nevertheless, the Braves figure to be one of the most intriguing teams this season. Unlike Boston, which had a similar meltdown on the AL side and now has a new manager and general manager, Atlanta will go into the season with largely the same cast that appeared to have a playoff spot all locked up with a month to go, only to come up one game short.
All those guys who endured so much disappointment last September will try to put it in the rearview mirror.
"What happens in the past won't dictate what happens in the future," McDowell insisted.
Pitcher Derek Lowe, a huge disappointment, was traded to Cleveland (though the Braves are still paying $10 million of his salary). Hitting coach Larry Parrish was let go after one season. Otherwise, not much changed — which sparked plenty of grumbling from the team's fans.
Beachy, though, expects the Braves to benefit greatly from choosing patience over panic.
"I'm not surprised, and I'm pleased with it," the right-hander said, looking around the largely empty clubhouse. "I don't think there was a need for anything drastic to happen. Obviously, that's the way the people making the decisions felt, too. We're all confident in what we've got in this circle right here."
From all indications, pitching will again be the team's strong point, assuming everyone is healthy. McDowell insists there are no pressing concerns outside of 16-game winner Tim Hudson, who underwent surgery in late November to repair a herniated disc in his back. He might get a bit of a late start, but the Braves appear to have more than enough depth to get by if their senior starter misses the first few weeks of the regular season.
Starters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, who battled injuries in the second half of the season, should be ready to go on the first day of spring training, according to McDowell.
Jurrjens is especially excited for a fresh start. He went just 1-3 after being selected for his first All-Star Game and was mentioned prominently in trade talks over the winter. But he's still in Atlanta, eager to get in full season now that doctors have discovered the underlying cause of his lingering knee problems — a shorter-than-normal joint in his right big toe, which caused his ankle to turn outward and put more street on the knee.
After being fitted with orthotics, the pain was gone in a couple of weeks.
"I feel like I'm a brand new kid," said Jurrjens, who just turned 26 this past weekend. "I'm happy I'm here and I'll be trying to help the team as much as I can."
The Braves were able to at least consider the idea off trading Jurrjens because they have an abundance of young starters. Two of them — right-handers Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran — got in some throwing and running Monday, when there was a bit of a chill in the air but the temperature climbed toward 60 degrees under a gorgeous blue sky.
Delgado started seven games in the heat of a playoff race and showed enormous poise for someone only 21 years old. Teheran just turned 21 last week, but he's already pitched five games in the big leagues. Hanson and Beachy are 25. Left-hander Mike Minor is 24.
The bullpen wore down late in the season, but closer Craig Kimbrel (a unanimous choice for NL rookie of the year after saving 46 games) and set-up relievers Jonny Venters (1.84 ERA) and Eric O'Flaherty (0.98) are as effective as any group in the big leagues.
Kris Medlen, who missed most of last season recovering from major elbow surgery, adds another promising arm in the bullpen and could take some of the load off the Big Three.
"We have a good team. We have a good pitching staff," McDowell said. "We'll move on."
-- Paul Newberry
Lopez, Miller get minor league deals with Cubs
CHICAGO (AP) — Veteran pitchers Rodrigo Lopez and Trever Miller have agreed to minor league deals with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs made the announcement Monday and said both players were invited to spring training.
Lopez returns to the Cubs after going 6-6 with a 4.42 ERA in 26 games last season. The right-hander made 16 starts for Chicago.
The 38-year-old Miller is 18-17 with 11 saves and a 4.18 ERA in 694 major league appearances. The lefty pitched for the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Red Sox last season.
Also agreeing to minor league deals were catcher, Jason Jaramillo and infielders Alfredo Amezaga, Bobby Scales and Matt Tolbert.
Marlins president to run 50 miles for charity
MIAMI (AP) — Miami Marlins president David Samson plans to run 50 miles in one day for charity to honor construction workers who built the Marlins' new ballpark, which opens this season.
Ten charities will be chosen, and the event has already raised more than $500,000 for them, the Marlins said Monday. Samson, an experienced marathon runner, will start in Pompano Beach on April 27 and finish at home plate in the ballpark before the Marlins' game against the Diamondbacks that night. Five-mile intervals will be dedicated to each charity, with a different runner joining Samson for each leg.
Brewers sign OF Patterson to minor league contract
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder Corey Patterson to a minor league contract. Patterson played 44 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, batting .157 with three RBIs.
The 32-year-old Patterson made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2000 and played for them through the 2005 season. He also has played for Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington and Toronto, along with 11 games for the Brewers in 2009.
Other Baseball News
Robinson remains hospitalized after fall
BALTIMORE (AP) — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson remains hospitalized in Florida with a shoulder injury following a freak fall from a stage.
Robinson fractured his scapula in the fall, which occurred on Friday night during a player reception in Hollywood, Fla. before the annual Joe DiMaggio Legends Game. The 74-year-old Robinson did not receive a head injury, his representative, Diane Hock, said Monday.
"He's resting comfortably," Hock said.
Robinson was sitting at a table on a raised stage that had a curtain behind it. He leaned against the curtain, thinking there was a wall behind it. There was no wall, and Robinson subsequently tumbled backward off the stage and landed awkwardly on his back, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Baltimore Orioles and lives in Baltimore. He received 16 Gold Gloves, helped the Orioles win two World Series and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.
In March 2011, Robinson was hospitalized and received emergency surgery after he developed an infection and fever. He spent two weeks in the hospital.
Robinson was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 2009.
Baseball Hall of Fame Classic moved up to June 16
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — The Hall of Fame Classic is moving to a new date — the Saturday before Father's Day. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum says the timing is a better fit for families. The first three Classics were held on Father's Day, and crowds at Doubleday Field have decreased somewhat since the first drew a near sellout.
So far, six Hall of Famers are slated to take part in the seven-inning legends game on June 16, which will also feature 20 other retired major league stars. Hall of Famers Phil Niekro and Ozzie Smith will return as team captains.
Other activities planned for Classic weekend include a Hall of Fame golf tournament fundraiser for the museum, a youth skills clinic, and a special "Voices of the Game" program.
