Baseball Capsules: Clemens loses bid to revive defamation claims
HOUSTON - A federal judge has rejected Roger Clemens's bid to revive some of his defamation claims against Brian McNamee, clearing the way for the former trainer to file his own suit against the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.
U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison on Tuesday reaffirmed his earlier ruling against Clemens.
If Clemens "believes that the federal investigators or the Mitchell Commission overstepped the bounds of the law, he is free to bring suit against those enemies, subject to possible immunity," the judge said.
"This is the final nail in Clemens' Texas coffin," said Richard Emery, a McNamee attorney. He said McNamee intends to sue Clemens for defamation.
"We want Clemens to testify in New York against his former Yankee fans and see what they think of him," Emery said Wednesday.
Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, did not return a call from The Associated Press.
McNamee has told federal agents, baseball investigator George Mitchell and a House committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998-2001. Clemens has denied using performance-enchancing drugs.
The judge in February dismissed most of Clemens' defamation lawsuit, saying statements made in the Mitchell report on doping in baseball are protected. McNamee's attorneys said the lawsuit had no merit because McNamee was compelled to cooperate by federal investigators.
Ellison agreed, though he left in McNamee's statements to Andy Pettitte, Clemens' former New York Yankees teammate. McNamee told Pettitte that Clemens had used HGH and steroids, and Pettitte testified about the conversation to Congress.
Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Washington that is trying to determine whether he lied when he told a congressional committee that he had not used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens said he had not been summoned to testify before the grand jury.
National League
Manny being Manny means not having to say sorry
Manny Ramirez returns from baseball exile Friday, and the only question the Dodgers have is how soon he will be able to revive the team's suddenly anemic offense. Good thing, because it appears that will be the only question Ramirez has any interest in answering.
He's paid his debt to the game that made him rich and his dreadlocks famous, and he's moving on. There will be no press conferences, no explanations.
Dodger fans don't seem to mind. Neither does team owner Frank McCourt, who was last seen handing out All-Star ballots to fans with his star slugger's name circled on them.
Some day Ramirez will retire, and maybe he'll write a tell-all book that really tells all. Until then, we'll probably never know why he felt compelled to use a fertility drug when it's obvious his best child-bearing years are behind him.
Not that anyone besides the fans at AT&T Park care a lot about knowing the whole story.
Yes, Ramirez likely will take some abuse when he goes on the road to San Francisco, if only because memories are still fresh about the abuse Dodger fans gave the bloated one when Barry Bonds traveled to Los Angeles.
But they'll welcome him back like a rock star at Dodger Stadium, where Mannywood may be gone but Mannymania is only a home run or two from erupting once again. By the time the National League West is decided, fake dreadlocks will be back in vogue in always fashionable Southern California, and any talk about the legitimacy of Ramirez's home run totals will be long forgotten.
He was cheered by sold-out crowds at every one of his five minor league tuneup games. He'll be cheered every time he steps to the plate in LA.
It's become a familiar pattern in this steroid-fueled era, so it's not like Dodger fans are setting any new trends. Bonds was always cheered - if not actually loved - in San Francisco, Yankee fans couldn't wait for Alex Rodriguez to get back in the lineup, and the only concern about Miguel Tejada in Houston this year is that he has hit only six home runs while playing in a hitter-friendly park.
As reviled as he is by some, Roger Clemens would get a standing ovation if he came back to pitch one of his old teams into the World Series. And, even knowing what they know now, long suffering Cub fans would pack Wrigley Field if Sammy Sosa somehow decided to make a comeback.
It could be that we're simply a forgiving society, and baseball fans are the most forgiving of all. Maybe we're eager to embrace the dogma of McGwire and not dwell on the past.
Or, quite possibly, we want to be entertained and don't want to have to deal with anything that gets in the way of rooting for our favorite team.
That's the feeling I got when Ramirez was banished for 50 games from the first-place Dodgers. I was at Dodger Stadium that night and the talk in the dugout and the stands (yes, sometimes writers leave the press box) was mostly how the Dodgers had to hang on during Manny's absence and, boy, would they be good when he got back.
Hang on they did, and more. The Dodgers were 29-21 while Ramirez was taking an enforced vacation, and he'll return in San Diego to a team that is still comfortably in first place despite recent difficulties at the plate.
But LA is a town built on stars, and the Dodgers haven't had a star generate such excitement since a left-hander by the name of Koufax toiled on the mound more than 40 years ago. Little wonder that McCourt absolved Ramirez of any responsibility for his actions almost immediately and will surely be the first at the clubhouse door to welcome him back.
The anti-Manny, meanwhile, will head straight to the bench. All Juan Pierre is doing this year is hitting .322 and there's never been a suggestion he uses steroids. But he's hit only one home run in the last three years and there is no Juanwood section at Dodger Stadium.
Indeed, if there's anything we've learned from the era of juiced ballplayers, it's that fans pay to see home runs. We've also learned that they'll continue to pay to see players hit home runs even if they know they had to cheat to do it.
The return of Ramirez will simply confirm that. The high moral ground on the steroids issue has long since been ceded, and Ramirez will neither have to apologize for what he did nor explain what he did.
All Manny will have to do is be Manny once again.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org
Pirates' Wilson sorry for harsh trade reaction
PITTSBURGH - Shortstop Jack Wilson apologized to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday for criticizing the team's latest trades, saying his frustration at losing three more teammates made it seem as if he were angry at his own club.
Wilson was clearly upset after the Pirates traded outfielder Nyjer Morgan plus two other players on Tuesday, saying he was "beyond tired of such moves" - including last month's deal that sent All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth to Atlanta.
"It's tough for the guys who've been here and have seen these trades happen and absolutely do nothing," Wilson said several hours after the deals were made. "I've seen these trades two or three times a year and we still haven't had a winning season."
Wilson expressed disappointment before Wednesday's game against the Cubs that his remarks appeared to be overly critical of management.
"Some of my comments were pretty harsh," he said. "I definitely don't want to be the guy who is butting heads with the organization or trying to cause any type of negativity, so I apologize.
"When you are here in the moment and you're talking to guys and everyone is bummed out, you maybe lose your head a little bit and vent. A lot of the things I said, I thought about ... and they were pretty inaccurate," he said.
The latest trades - the Pirates also shed backup outfielder Eric Hinske and reliever Sean Burnett - were unpopular among the players, though not as much as the McLouth deal. That trade - McLouth for three prospects - caused first baseman Adam LaRoche to say every player in the clubhouse was furious.
The Morgan deal upset players who wondered why a productive outfielder with a good attitude who brought speed to the top of the lineup was being traded for outfielder Lastings Milledge, a failed prospect with the Mets and Nationals.
"I had strong feelings about it," Wilson said. "But there definitely was a better way to talk about it rather than going against our team. For me, I was so focused on losing a guy like Nyjer, a guy like Nate, the reaction was more negative."
Wilson has yet to play for a winning team during his nine-season career, and he acknowledged the losing sometimes gets to him. He did not relay Wednesday's comments to team president Frank Coonelly or general manager Neal Huntington, choosing instead to summon reporters to his locker to express his feelings.
"I just felt like that's not the person, the player I want to be for the Pittsburgh Pirates," he said. "I am definitely passionate about winning, about being a Pirate and I think sometimes it comes out in a negative way."
Wilson has been a regular since 2001 and is the Pirates' more tenured player, although he could be dealt before the end of the month. The team has an $8.4 million option on Wilson for 2010 that is unlikely to be picked up.
-- Alan Robinson
Day after trade, Salazar joins Pirates
PITTSBURGH - Jeff Salazar was in uniform for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then he wasn't. Finally, he was told to get ready to play again.
Salazar's contract was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, and he showed up hours before their game against the Cubs. A procedural problem temporarily held up the transaction, prompting the Pirates to tell Salazar to get out of uniform.
About an hour before game time, he was cleared to play - the numerical replacement for Nyjer Morgan, who was dealt Tuesday to the Washington Nationals as part of a four-player trade.
Salazar, 28, hit .265 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs in 76 games with Indianapolis. He had 10 hits in 17 at-bats in his final four games.
Salazar hit .247 in 147 games with the Rockies and Diamondbacks from 2006-08. He had a .211 average, 2 homers and 12 RBIs in 128 at-bats with Arizona last season.
Nats option Dukes, welcome Morgan and Burnett
MIAMI - Nyjer Morgan had no complaints about getting traded to the team with baseball's worst record. Instead, he found it flattering.
With that, he and the Washington Nationals are getting along just fine.
The Nationals welcomed Morgan and left-hander Sean Burnett on Wednesday, the duo joining Washington shortly before a series finale at Florida. When Washington opens a three-game set at home against Atlanta on Friday, Morgan will bat leadoff and play center field, the Nationals hoping his speed provided a much-needed spark.
"It feels good when someone wants you real bad," Morgan said, moments after putting on his new Nationals uniform and cap for the first time. "And being in my situation, being a 33rd-rounder, I'm not even supposed to be here."
Morgan, who turns 29 on Thursday, was traded less than halfway through a promising first season as a starter. He hit .277 with two homers and 27 RBIs for Pittsburgh, and his 18 stolen bases ranked fifth in the National League entering Wednesday's games.
"We're pumped to have him," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "It's something that we lack here, his athleticism, his speed and from what I understand, his character and personality is going to be good to have on our club. It's good to have people like that."
Washington acquired Morgan and Burnett on Tuesday, sending outfielder Lastings Milledge and right-hander Joel Hanrahan to the Pittsburgh Pirates. To make room for both newly acquired players on the 25-man roster, the Nationals optioned outfielder Elijah Dukes to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday morning.
Dukes hit .244 with six home runs and 30 RBIs this season for Washington. With Morgan set to have an everyday role and Josh Willingham hitting .400 in his last 19 games entering Wednesday, Dukes was simply going to become the odd man out in Washington's outfield rotation.
"It's strictly a baseball move," Acta said. "He was not going to get playing time here. ... We don't want to have him up here and not play him."
Willie Harris, who briefly was in the leadoff role for the Nationals, will go back to a utility spot once Morgan gets into the everyday lineup, Acta said.
Burnett, Pittsburgh's top pick in 2000, is 1-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 38 games. The 26-year-old has pitched in 96 games the last two seasons, making the transition to the bullpen.
Morgan's trade was rumored for days, but Burnett said he had no idea he was going to be part of the swap until Tuesday afternoon. He and Morgan had a whirlwind 24 hours, arriving in South Florida about 90 minutes before the 12:10 p.m. first pitch.
"All I know is Pittsburgh," Burnett said. "I was drafted by them in 2000 and kind of grew up with them. It's all I know, so I'll try to keep my emotions in check. It's probably going to feel like a big-league debut when I do get out here for the Nationals, but I'll relax and just pitch. Baseball's baseball, no matter what jersey you're wearing."
-- Tim Reynolds
No surgery for Diamondbacks' Webb
PHOENIX - Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb will not have surgery on his ailing pitching shoulder, hoping he can play again this season.
Webb made the decision Wednesday after meeting with team doctors and three other physicians.
The 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner, who won 56 games from 2006-08, has been sidelined since opening day. He will begin a regimen to strengthen the shoulder but isn't expected to throw for several weeks. There is no timetable for his return.
"After meeting with several doctors, ‘Webby' has decided to proceed with a conservative course of treatment," Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said in an e-mail message. "We are optimistic that this will give him the best chance to return to pitching."
Webb was in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday while the Diamondbacks were in Cincinnati for the second game of their series against the Reds. Webb will spend a few more days on Birmingham working with a therapist before rejoining the team, manager A.J. Hinch said.
Webb, who won 22 games last season, made only one start before going on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. He had a setback last month while playing catch, prompting him to see several doctors to get advice on whether to have surgery or try to let the shoulder heal with rest and a strengthening program.
Three doctors recommended the conservative approach, which Webb embraced.
"He's thrilled with the prognosis and the plan that's been set for him," said Hinch, who talked to Webb by phone earlier Wednesday. "His whole idea is to get better, to just get to throwing free and easy again and get back on a major league mound.
"He wants to pitch this year. He's not mortgaging the year. So that was the exciting part to come out of it. He's got his mind prepared to get back to competing this year as soon as his health dictates it's possible."
Webb won't throw for the next two to four weeks, focusing instead on increasing his range of motion and getting the inflammation out of his shoulder.
His decision to forgo surgery was first reported by mlb.com.
Mets' Manuel trying to keep team together
MILWAUKEE - Following his closed-door team meeting after yet another loss Tuesday night, Mets manager Jerry Manuel decided his players should ride the bus to Miller Park late Wednesday morning instead of taking taxis.
Did they sing camp songs on the ride over, in the spirit of team-building?
"Kumbaya?" Manuel asked, laughing.
Manuel said he wanted the Mets, who are depleted by injuries and saddled with a season-high five-game losing streak, to experience a little team togetherness - and perhaps cut some of the tension in their clubhouse along the way.
"We've had a tough go lately," Manuel said. "And we need to exhale a little bit, we need to relax a little bit, and see if we can play better baseball."
Manuel held a team meeting lasting nearly half an hour after his team lost 6-3 to the Brewers on Tuesday night. But even Manuel didn't seem convinced that such meetings are particularly effective motivational techniques.
"I don't know if anything really works," Manuel said.
Manuel joked that managers usually end up looking like geniuses when they call team meetings the night before their ace pitcher is scheduled to take the mound. That isn't the case for the Mets, who lost despite having Johan Santana pitch Tuesday and were scheduled to face young Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo on Wednesday.
"For me, it's always been about making sure that we don't get too far off the beaten path, that's all," Manuel said. "It doesn't mean that we'll come out and win or whatever, but just the attitude of how you go about it a little better. Try to get the focus back on the game."
And Manuel acknowledged his concern about the possibility of players beginning to point fingers at each other.
"Oh, sure," Manuel said. "That's just the nature of anybody. That's life, and you have to try to rein those things in or talk about those things or put those things out there just to see exactly where you are, why, and how detrimental that can be at a time when you're struggling."
Manuel still suggests that he wants the team's front office to get him some help via trade, but acknowledged that saying so could be taken the wrong way in his clubhouse.
"I would agree with that, that it could have been taken that way," Manuel said. "Whether or not these guys buy into that? That I don't know."
Manuel said any team would like help, pointing to the St. Louis Cardinals' acquisition of Mark DeRosa.
"I could use that piece," Manuel said. "But I still think I've got enough to compete and win. And that's how our team has to feel."
-- Chris Jenkins
Wright shakes off criticism from ex-Met Franco
MILWAUKEE - The New York Mets already are riddled with injuries and struggling to win. Now former teammate John Franco is piling on - but Mets third baseman David Wright said that's the least of the team's problems.
"With all due respect to Johnny, he doesn't know what's going on in this clubhouse," Wright said Wednesday, after the Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 to stop a five-game losing streak. "I don't feel the need to have to defend myself as a leader. If these guys in here respect me and think of me as a leader, that's what I need."
In an interview with Sirius XM Radio, Franco said the Mets have "almost no" leadership and suggested that Wright isn't willing to do his part.
"I tried talking to him and tell him to come forward and be that guy, but I think David feels that being that he's such a young player and you have the (Carlos) Delgados and (Gary) Sheffields and veteran guys like that, he's afraid that they'll look at him like, ‘Be quiet and sit down,"' Franco said.
Wright said he wasn't worried about criticism from Franco, who played for the Mets from 1990-04.
"I don't worry myself about outside people saying what they're going to say," Wright said. "It doesn't matter. What matters to me are these 24 guys in here and the coaching staff. Whatever anybody else wants to say, they can say whatever."
Work formally begins at Marlins construction site
MIAMI - Florida Marlins president David Samson pulled out his cell phone, eager to show the proof that the team's long-awaited ballpark was closer than ever to becoming reality.
Snapped early Wednesday morning, Samson proudly displayed a 4-inch high, 2-inch wide photo of someone operating a heavy grading machine at the downtown Miami site where the Orange Bowl sat for more than seven decades and is now about to be transformed into the Marlins' new home.
"It already looks different," Samson said.
It's going to look a lot different over the next 33 months.
Only hours after the final arrangements were completed regarding the bonds that will help pay for the $515 million, 37,000-seat retractable-roof stadium, crews arrived Wednesday morning to begin actual work on the project.
Samson said Miami-Dade County commissioners gave final approval to the financing terms around 1:10 a.m., and less than six hours later equipment, pickups, even the lunch wagon was en route to the site.
"It's time to get this building built," Samson said. "There were workers asleep last night, ready to wake up and be on site. It's time to get this building built. It's time to get this debate over. And now it's all construction jobs and baseball."
A formal groundbreaking is scheduled for July 18. The Marlins plan to move into the new stadium in time for the 2012 season.
The Marlins have tried for years to get their own stadium, one with a retractable roof. Since their inception in 1993, they've shared a building with the Miami Dolphins, and ownership groups have long blamed the frequent threat of rain for poor ticket sales. Florida is again last in per-game attendance this season, just as it has been in each of the preceding three years.
Five attempts for state funding were thwarted over the years, and a lawsuit delayed the current project by about a year.
"There are no hurdles," Samson said. "There's nothing left."
The bonds for the project were a thorny issue, though.
The project was planned with hopes that it would be financed in part through more than $300 million in bond sales backed by tourism taxes. The team and county learned Tuesday that there was a $6 million shortfall from the proceeds of the bond sales, which the Marlins ultimately agreed to cover and which Samson said could have been much worse given the volatility in the current bond market.
"It was a huge sigh of relief," Samson said.
Without the financing being completed, no work would have started, Samson said.
The team expects that the new ballpark will lead to a pronounced increase in attendance and revenue, and Florida's payroll typically ranks near the very bottom of the 30 major league clubs - something Samson has said will change once the new stadium is finished. Under the terms of their current lease, the Marlins get little or nothing from sales on concessions, signage and suites at Land Shark Stadium.
Once the stadium is completed, the team will be renamed the Miami Marlins.
-- Tim Reynolds
Marlins' Ramirez gets RBI in 10th straight game
MIAMI - Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez pushed his RBI streak to 10 games Wednesday, hitting a two-run double in the third inning against Washington and extending his team record.
Ramirez dropped a soft two-out hit into short right field, allowing Chris Coghlan to score from third base and speedy Emilio Bonifacio to come all the way around from first.
It was the 22nd and 23rd RBIs for Ramirez since the streak began.
The previous Marlins record for consecutive games with an RBI was eight, shared by five players. The major league record is 17, set in 1922 by Ray Grimes of the Chicago Cubs.
Phillies to call up Lopez to face Mets
ATLANTA - The Phillies have picked a surprise starting pitcher - right-hander Rodrigo Lopez - to open their weekend series against the New York Mets.
The 33-year-old Lopez hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007, when he was 5-4 with Colorado. Lopez is 5-4 with a 3.91 ERA at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Lopez will be called up to start Friday night against the Mets in Philadelphia.
Lopez spent five seasons with Baltimore and had 15-win seasons in 2002 and 2005.
Manuel said Phillies scouts said Lopez "right now he was the guy that could help us."
American League
Yankees OF Nady to have Tommy John surgery
NEW YORK - Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady will have ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow after re-injuring it during a minor league rehab game.
The Yankees announced Wednesday that Nady's second Tommy John operation will be done July 8. Nady also had the surgery in 2001.
"I'm extremely disappointed for him because we thought we were going to get him back this month," manager Joe Girardi said. "He'll be back. Your heart goes out to him because it's a lot to deal with.
The injury could also cost Nady a considerable amount of money because he can become a free agent after the season.
Nady was placed on the disabled list on April 16, a retroactive move two days after he felt a sharp pain in his right elbow while making a throw at Tampa Bay.
On Tuesday, Nady saw Dr. Lewis Yocum and the news the Yankees received Wednesday was expected - Nady needs another operation.
Also on Tuesday, the Yankees traded for utility player Eric Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates, optioning infielder Ramiro Pena to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday to make room.
The Yankees sent two minor leaguers to the Pirates: right-hander Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer. New York also received cash from the Pirates in the deal.
Hinske's contract pays him $1.5 million this season.
After Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees announced that catcher Jose Molina, who has been out with a strained left quadriceps muscle, will make a rehab appearance for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday at Pawtucket.
The 2002 AL Rookie of the Year with Toronto joined his fourth AL East team. He played for Tampa Bay last season and Boston the year before, playing in two consecutive World Series.
Pena was batting .246 with four RBIs in 46 games, and the Yankees plan to have the switch-hitting infielder play different positions to improve the his versatility.
"He's going to play some short and some second and some outfield and do a lot of different things down there," manager Joe Girardi said. "He'll play some center and we'll start there and we'll probably move him around a little bit.
"He's an interesting guy. He's a switch-hitter that hit very well left-handed and in the past he's said he's been more comfortable right-handed. He didn't get a whole bunch of right-handed at-bats. Only 21 at-bats in the month of June. We feel that he needs more at-bats."
The addition of Hinske gives Girardi a patient hitter whom he can write into the lineup at any of the four corner spots - first base, third base, left field and right field.
With the Pirates this season, Hinkse had an on-base percentage of .373, better than everyone on the Yankees but Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira.
He will be a bench player in New York, a role he filled on the 2007 Red Sox. He began moving around the field after three seasons as a regular starter at third in Toronto.
His flight was delayed by weather on Tuesday night, but now he's back in familiar surroundings.
"It's good to be on a team that has a chance to gain first place or a spot in the wild card," Hinske said.
A year after he was on the championship-winning Red Sox, he made the last out of the World Series, striking out as a pinch-hitter against Brad Lidge as the Philadelphia Phillies finished off the Rays in five games last October.
Although he has taken to the utility role well, Hinske said he didn't feel as if he fit in Pittsburgh, where he frequently was called upon to pinch-hit.
"I missed the way the game is played here," Hinske said. "I missed the American League."
O's Uehara to miss 2 months with elbow injury
BALTIMORE - Orioles pitcher Koji Uehara will be sidelined roughly two months after an examination of his ailing right elbow revealed a partial tear of the flexor tendon.
Uehara, the first Japanese-born player in Orioles history, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. The injury was initially believed to be a strained elbow, but tests revealed the injury to be much worse.
Now it appears Uehara won't return until late August or early September.
"Surgery is not required," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said Wednesday. "It's just a rest thing. Then, after the 3-5 weeks, he will have to start a throwing program. So obviously you're looking at 7-8 weeks total before he'd be in a game again if everything goes well."
The 34-year-old Uehara hasn't picked up a baseball since his last start, on June 23 against the Florida Marlins. He threw 76 pitches in that game before leaving with elbow soreness.
After starring for a decade in Japan, Uehara had endured a disappointing rookie season in the big leagues. He won his first two decisions but has since gone winless in 10 starts. He is 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA.
This is Uehara's second stint on the disabled list. A strained left hamstring kept him out from May 24-June 10, but this injury is far more serious.
"To tell the truth, I don't want to think about it," Uehara said through a translator. "I wasn't expecting it, not at all."
Uehara has pitched seven innings only once this season. He said the pain in his elbow did not become apparent until last week, but added, "It was on my mind, but not to the extent that I couldn't pitch."
Asked if Uehara might be sent to the bullpen upon his return, Trembley replied, "I'm sure that will be considered, but until somebody tells me that he's not a starting pitcher, that's what he is."
Uehara dismissed speculation he might be used as a reliever upon his return.
"I haven't thought about that at all," he said. "One day at a time."
Uehara's spot in the rotation has been filled by rookie David Hernandez, who's 1-2 with a 4.19 ERA in four appearances, including three starts.
-- David Ginsburg
K.C. catcher Olivo suspended 1 game for arguing
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City catcher Miguel Olivo has been suspended for one game for an animated argument with an umpire in Pittsburgh last Saturday.
Olivo chose to serve the suspension on Wednesday, which left the Royals without an experienced backup catcher for their game against the Minnesota Twins. John Buck, the other catcher, is rehabbing a back injury.
Olivo was also fined an undisclosed amount for what was termed inappropriate actions against umpire Phil Cuzzi.
Royals' Aviles to undergo Tommy John surgery
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Shortstop Mike Aviles, Kansas City's player of the year last season, will undergo Tommy John surgery and be sidelined for up to 12 months.
Manager Trey Hillman says Wednesday that Aviles will have ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow on July 8.
After struggling through the minor leagues for seven years, Aviles was brought up from Triple-A last season and hit .325, the best among major league rookies.
He struggled this year and went on the disabled list May 23 with what was described as right forearm strain.
Twins catcher Redmond leaves game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Minnesota catcher Mike Redmond left the game against Kansas City in the fifth inning Wednesday after getting hit by a foul tip.
The club said he was struck in the right forearm. X-rays were negative. He left the field with assistance after staying on the ground a few minutes. The Twins said he would be day to day.
After the top of the seventh inning, Twins shortstop Nick Punto left the game with tightness in his lower back and first baseman Justin Morneau came out with tightness in the left groin.
All-Star Game
DeMuth umpire crew chief for All-Star game
NEW YORK - Dana DeMuth has been picked as the umpire crew chief for the All-Star game in St. Louis on July 14.
DeMuth, who will call balls and strikes, also worked the All-Star game in 2001 at Seattle (home plate) and 1990 at Chicago's Wrigley Field (left field).
His crew announced Wednesday includes Brian Gorman (first base), Jeff Kellogg (second base), Angel Hernandez (third base), Tim Timmons (left field) and Paul Nauert (right field).
The official scorers will be David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Baseball Writers' Association of America president), Joe Ostermeier of the Belleville News-Democrat (BBWAA St. Louis chapter chairman) and Gary Mueller, a longtime official scorer in St. Louis.
