MLB Capsules: Minus big names, new-look Cardinals say they're ready
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — So long, Albert Pujols. Happy trails, Tony La Russa. Timeout, Dave Duncan. The World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals have had plenty of upheaval. Now they enter spring training looking for a new No. 3 hitter and breaking in a rookie manager and pitching coach. Time for the newcomers to step forward.
Before meeting with reporters, just steps from the closest of six practice fields at Roger Dean Stadium, Mike Matheny jokingly checked to make sure this was where La Russa usually held court for 16 springs. Armed with a cup of coffee instead of facemask and shin guards, the former four-time Gold Glove catcher confessed to feeling a bit strange.
"Is this the spot?" Matheny said.
Two equipment bags topped by six boxes of shoes was stacked in front of Matt Holliday's locker stall, which used to be Pujols' spot. As for Pujols' decision in December to take a 10-year, $254 million free-agent deal with the Angels after 11 Hall of Fame trajectory seasons with the team that drafted him? Old news. Pujols' name never even came up during Matheny's wide-ranging 18-minute opening media session.
"It's going to be different," pitcher Kyle Lohse said. "But it's a business and we have 25 other guys who'll pull together to win as many games as we can. That's the way it goes. And nobody's going to feel sorry for us."
The Cardinals anticipate a visit in the next few weeks from La Russa, who will be assisting longtime friend Jim Leyland with the Tigers. La Russa has said he won't be looking over Matheny's shoulder.
Just like La Russa, Matheny plans on short, activity-filled days before the spring schedule starts March 5. He devoted a lot of Saturday to completing the routine that likely won't deviate much from the La Russa days.
That's no surprise considering Matheny played for St. Louis for four seasons and was an instructor in the organization for two more years before getting the job last November.
"Guys get in and get their work done, there's not a lot of standing around," Matheny said. "Actually, there's no standing around. We get our job done, we get better and then we get them out of here. That is all going to be very similar to what's happened in the past."
Derek Lilliquist plans on sticking with Duncan's tried and true methods in his first year as pitching coach. He's already battle-tested after filling in late last season while Duncan took a leave of absence following his wife's surgery to remove a brain tumor, and was elevated to the full-time position when Duncan decided he wouldn't be back this season.
"The recipe for his chocolate cake is pretty good," Lilliquist said. "Maybe add some sprinkles here and there."
Good news for Lilliquist, who began last season as the bullpen coach, is that the rotation appears to be among the strongest in the National League. Adam Wainwright, a 20-game winner in 2010, is set to return from reconstructive elbow surgery that sidelined him all of 2011 and rejoins fellow ace Chris Carpenter.
The 37-year-old Carpenter will probably be eased into things coming off a heavy workload last season, but Lilliquist said Wainwright will be on the same schedule as everybody else.
The other major medical issue entering camp is utilityman Allen Craig's surgically repaired right knee. Craig, one of the team's surprise postseason heroes, expects to beat the initial timetable for a May return from a torn patellar tendon and is holding out hope of being ready on opening day.
"It's going to be close," Craig said. "I don't like to say that I'm going to be back on this day for sure, but the path I'm on now it could be a possibility."
As to who'll bat third? Matheny joked that spring training hasn't even begun and there's plenty of time to figure it out, several times mentioning that there's flexibility with Holliday, Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltran and perhaps even Craig up for consideration.
"Since the first day of this deal I've been scribbling lineups and it's been a lot of fun," Matheny said. "We have multiple guys who have hit in the three hole, multiple guys who can hit 4, 5, 6 and even in the two hole. There will be a little bit of toying around to see who really fills the best spot."
Position players aren't to report until Thursday, but most players are expected to beat that deadline. Just like virtually all the pitchers and catchers, who have been in town for a while.
Such enthusiasm. And off the short break that comes with beating the Texas Rangers in Game 7, too.
Matheny said the entire staff was watching when former 20-game winner Adam Wainwright threw off a mound a few days ago. He is set to return to the rotation after reconstructive elbow surgery sidelined him all of 2011.
"I've been here a couple days and it's just blown me away, how many guys are here," Matheny said. "That they're this anxious to get going again, I think it says a lot about their individual character and kind of the makeup of this team. So, a lot to be excited about."
Papelbon eager to get started with Phillies
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Papelbon relishes the challenge of trying to help the Philadelphia Phillies win another World Series.
He is accustomed to lofty expectations after spending seven seasons with the Boston Red Sox and insists a change of scenery and the $50 million, four-year contract he signed this winter shouldn't make his job with his new team any more difficult.
"I like pressure. That what makes me tick, man," the 30-year-old closer said Saturday on the eve of the Phillies' first spring training workout for pitchers and catchers. "I'm excited."
Making the playoffs hasn't been a problem for the Phillies, who have won five consecutive NL East titles and enter 2012 as the team to beat in the division. But ultimately, manager Charlie Manuel and his players know the club will be judged on whether they get back to the World Series — and win it.
Since winning it all in 2008, Philadelphia has regressed in the postseason — returning to the World Series but losing to the New York Yankees in 2009, falling short in the NL championship series in 2010 and exiting in the divisional round last year after winning a franchise-record 102 games in the regular season.
Papelbon, who won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2007, said club and fan expectations are similar in Boston and Philadelphia. That's one of the reasons he liked the idea of joining the Phillies and doesn't feel the burden will be on him to get the team over the hump in the playoffs.
"There's not going to be one guy that comes in this clubhouse that's going to make a difference," said Papelbon, a four-time AL All-Star who had 219 saves with the Red Sox.
"I think every year you start fresh and you see what guys you have in your clubhouse and you really just try to get that team camaraderie as good as you can get and get everybody kind of pulling on the same rope in the same direction," he added. "If we're able to do that, we can do some special things. But like I said, no one guy's going to come in here and all of a sudden make it a World Series championship team."
Papelbon replaces Ryan Madson, who converted 32 of 34 save opportunities in 2011 in his first season as Philadelphia's closer. His contract with the Phillies is the largest ever for a reliever.
The right-hander had 31 saves in 2011, but also was on the mound when Boston completed a monumental collapse that allowed Tampa Bay to overcome a nine-game deficit in September to earn the AL wild-card spot on the final night of last season.
The reliever was one strike away from securing a win over Baltimore before yielding two runs in a 4-3 loss. After initially deadpanning that he thinks about that game "every day, all day," Papelbon quickly reversed field and said he's moved on from the disappointment.
He said a conversation he had early in his career with Yankees closer Mariano Riviera taught him how to deal with tough moments such as those.
"I don't think about it at all, man. It's something that when I was a rookie and I made my first All-Star game I had a chance to talk with Mo about what's the biggest thing that's going to make me successful in this game. His first answer was 'short-term memory,'" Papelbon recalled. "You've got to be able to learn from the situation. But I don't sit there and think about it all spring. You go over things, you try to learn from them, but you've got to be able to turn the page."
Papelbon said he will miss the friendships he made in Boston, but is excited about getting to know a new group of teammates in Philadelphia. He likes the idea of facing new hitters, instead of those he's grown accustomed to facing year after year, and is looking forward to the NL style of baseball.
He'll miss all those Yankees-Red Sox battles for supremacy in the AL East, but is eager to get into the NL East rivalries the Phillies have with Atlanta and the New York Mets.
He even could wind up facing his old team this summer when Philadelphia and Boston meet in interleague play.
"It's hard not to look ahead. It's the human characteristic that comes into play," Papelbon said.
"But for me, I'm just looking to find my way in this clubhouse and with this ballclub. Do the best I can do, one day at a time," he added. "I know it sounds cliche. But that's what I have to do to stay focused on my job at hand. ... But I do know when we play the Red Sox."
The Phillies also have added veterans Chad Qualls and Dontrelle Willis to a bullpen that Papelbon says features a good mix and young and older arms.
Although his experience and contract might suggest Papelbon will be the leader of the unit, the closer insisted he doesn't view his arrival that way.
"I don't really look at it as I'm taking over a leadership role. I look at it like I'm bringing my style, my work ethic and the way I compete to a bullpen," Papelbon said.
"I'm not going to sit here and try to tell one guy this is going to work over the other because everybody's different. For me, I'm simply going to go there, do what I do best. If somebody wants to ask me a question or follow suit, I've got no problem with it. But I try to lead by example."
-- Fred Goodall
Epstein works to install 'Cubs Way' this spring
MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Theo Epstein and his supporting cast in Chicago are busy installing the "Cubs Way" with his new team. Don't ask him to explain it in a few words, either. It's not that simple for the former Boston Red Sox executive hired to guide the Cubs out of their role as baseball's loveable losers.
Epstein says there were "outstanding" organizational meetings in Arizona this week to develop the specifics of what the "Cubs Way" will be. He says it will amount to few hundred pages.
As the new Cubs president for baseball operations put it: "Playing hard is a big part of it but playing the game the right way and teaching it consistently are as well."
Pitchers and catchers reported to the team's spring training facility in Mesa on Saturday.
"But urgency is important as well," he said. "The goal of the 2012 Cubs is to win the World Series, and our goal is an organization is to build an organization that competes on an annual basis in the postseason and gives ourselves a chance to win the World Series. Patience, yes, but urgency in the sense that I think there's something each of us can do every day to help make the organization better."
The Cubs last won a World Series 104 years ago.
Epstein said the various manuals being put together to illustrate the "Cubs Way" includes things done in Boston but also from the backgrounds of others, including new general manager Jed Hoyer and manager Dale Sveum, both of whom appeared with Epstein at a news conference on Saturday.
"We're going to be teaching the game the exact same way," Esptein said, "everything from what foot you hit the bag with when you're making the turn to how we run bunt plays to what our overall hitting philosophy is."
It's important, Epstein said, to have things written down.
"If you can't articulate for someone what it is you're trying to accomplish, how can you reasonably expect them to get there?" he said. "If you can't write down on paper what it is you're teaching, how can you expect your players to pick it up? How can you expect your A-ball hitting coach to teach hitting the same way as your Triple-A hitting coach and the same way as your major league hitting coach."
Sveum said that there are "a few major things" he will aim for this spring.
"One of the things we're going to harp on the most, you've heard me talk about, is base running," he said, "but we're not creating the wheel here or reinventing anything. It's just refining everything to get things done on an everyday basis. Whether it's the 'Cubs Way' or anybody's way, it's just the right way to do things."
Outfielder Reed Johnson, one of several position players who have arrived early, welcomed Sveum's hard-nosed approach.
"You see Dale and the way that he approaches things and you can tell that he means that," Johnson said. "A lot of coaches and a lot of staff members can say that sometimes, but you can tell it's not genuine and they're really not going to follow through. He doesn't care if you're making $15 million or you're making $450,000, you're going to go out there and play the game hard, and if not you're not going to play."
It's a reaction that doesn't surprise the new Cubs manager.
"I think any athlete wants to be held accountable for what they do," Sveum said. "You can do this in a number of ways. It's not about screaming or yelling, it's just about when mistakes are made, especially on the mental side, that they're taken care of."
Sveum said it appears three of the starting spots in the rotation are nailed down — by Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm — with competition for the other two as well as a few slots in the bullpen.
"We've got a lot of guys who can throw it," said outfielder Marlon Byrd, another of the early arrivals.
When asked about a long-term contract for Garza, Hoyer declined to be specific but indicated talks could go on this spring.
"We focused really hard on getting a one-year number done a few weeks ago," Hoyer said. "We didn't have any kind of long-term discussions before that. But certainly there was a dialogue about possibly having some long-term discussions at some point, maybe this spring. When we do it, we'll keep it quiet and hopefully their side will, too, because I think contracts are better negotiated that way. But we will probably sit down and talk."
Garza agreed to a $9.5 million, one-year contract just before the scheduled start of an arbitration hearing on Feb. 3. The right-hander was 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA last season after being acquired from Tampa Bay in January 2011.
Epstein said he had no new information on the status of a Chicago police probe into an accusation of sexual assault against shortstop Starlin Castro. Castro has vehemently denied the allegation and no charges have been filed.
Epstein will bring a team of experts from the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University to spring training to talk to players about off-field behavior.
The idea, he said, is to "give players the right tools to deal with situations off the field, not only the right decisions to make but the right values to conduct their careers."
-- Bob Baum
SS Crawford among position players in camp
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brandon Crawford walked into the clubhouse followed by a team camera crew. They began with him back home in the Bay Area and tracked his journey to spring training.
Casually dressed with a stylish hat covering his shaggy hairdo, San Francisco's shortstop of the future is going to have a tough time going incognito anymore.
The 25-year-old Crawford knows the starting job is his to lose in 2012. That's a big reason why he is among a handful of Giants position players already working out at Scottsdale Stadium a week before the first full-squad session.
"The expectations, I'm not too worried about that," Crawford said Saturday morning. "It's more attention, more media attention coming into this season. It doesn't bother me. I think it's something I've always done — just go pitch by pitch and not worry about everything else that's going on."
Pitchers and catchers reported Saturday ahead of Sunday's initial practice, which will mark 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey's first formal session with the team since a season-ending leg injury in a collision at the plate with Florida's Scott Cousins on May 25.
"I'm confident Buster's going to be fine," manager Bruce Bochy said.
The slick-fielding Crawford, a fourth-round draft pick in 2008, is gearing up for his first full major league season. He batted .204 with three home runs and 21 RBIs in 66 games last year for the Giants, who hope to see him improve at the plate this season in a full-time role.
His plan for the spring is simple: find some consistency in all phases. He has been hitting and taking groundballs every day to "sharpen up a little bit."
Crawford arrived in the Arizona desert last Monday, coming full circle in what's been one whirlwind offseason. He played in the Arizona Fall League, then left a few days later for the Big Island of Hawaii ahead of his Nov. 26 wedding to new wife, Jalynne. They honeymooned, then after the holidays Crawford attended the rookie development camp in Virginia in early January, then a conditioning camp in Arizona followed by FanFest in San Francisco earlier this month.
"It was pretty crazy," he said.
Now, he is ready to get to going without any distractions.
"Hopefully it shows I want to get here and work, but that's not the reason I came down. I came down to get ready, to get better," Crawford said. "It's a big year."
Crawford made strides in the Fall League, hitting .276. He was at .307 before his average fell with a 1-for-12 slump over the final four games.
"Being young and not having a lot of time in the major leagues, he wants to get himself ready, both physically and mentally to get himself set for the season," Bochy said. "It's great that he's taken the initiative to come out here early and make sure he's ready."
Crawford, Brandon Belt — a candidate for left field and first base — and right fielder Nate Schierholtz all were in the batting cage early Saturday taking their cuts.
Crawford wants to do all that he can to earn the spot. That's all he can control.
"That's a great attitude," Bochy said. "Opportunity knocks, you want to be ready. You don't want to look back and say you didn't do everything you could to take advantage of it. He's got the right way about him. He's not going to read too much into it or get full of himself with all the attention he's going to get. He's going to handle it fine. "
Belt arrived Thursday after making the 18-hour drive from Texas to Arizona, eager to get going and prove that he also deserves a starting job. He admits he's not a morning person, so he plans to use this week to make the adjustment to early wakeups.
Bochy said Belt will compete with Aubrey Huff to play at first base or in left field. Brett Pill also is in the mix.
There will be slightly less attention on the Giants this spring than a year ago as the defending World Series champions.
"It will be a little bit quieter," ace Matt Cain said. "I think everybody enjoyed the Showtime deal last year. It was fun. I think that we'll get to see what they can do this year with the Marlins team."
Cain, who wants to keep his options open about the future, said his representatives and the Giants are in talks about an extension and he hopes something comes together by the end of spring training. He wouldn't say how many years he is seeking or for how much money.
"Cain, you still getting traded?" reliever Jeremy Affeldt razzed Saturday.
"Yeah, for a box of balls," Cain quipped.
Bochy doesn't expect closer Brian Wilson or second baseman Freddy Sanchez to be ready until the second week of Cactus League action.
Sanchez is returning from labrum surgery on his right shoulder, while Wilson missed time late last season with an elbow injury. Bochy watched him throw a bullpen session Thursday in which he made 20 pitches, sat down to rest and then tossed 20 more. He mixed in breaking pitches.
"He's on pace where we want him," the skipper said.
-- Janie McCauley
Pirates prepare to show off new-look rotation
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — James McDonald wheeled his luggage across the clubhouse at Pirate City and immediately began showing off a fishing rod.
A day before Pittsburgh's first workout for pitchers and catchers, McDonald and his teammates were in a relaxed mood Saturday, but there was also a feeling of anticipation. The Pirates are preparing to welcome right-hander A.J. Burnett once his trade from the New York Yankees is finalized — another noteworthy addition after Pittsburgh signed left-hander Erik Bedard during the offseason.
"It's always good to have other starters that are good because you want to keep up with them," said the 27-year-old McDonald, who made 31 starts last year. "I think that's good to have a lot of guys with a lot of good stuff — have a friendly competition among each other. It's going to make the team better."
The Pirates lost 105 games in 2010 but led the NL Central last July before collapsing down the stretch. They finished 72-90 for the franchise's 19th straight losing season, but there's some talent to build around, such as outfielder Andrew McCutchen and second baseman Neil Walker.
The 35-year-old Burnett is coming off a rough stint in New York. He went 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA during the last three seasons with the Yankees. He's made at least 32 starts each of the last four seasons, but his control can be a problem. He walked 83 hitters in 190 1-3 innings last season.
Pirates reliever Jason Grilli, who is also 35, hopes a change of scenery can help Burnett turn things around.
"I've been with nine organizations and new life has always been exciting and a refreshing start," said Grilli, who joined the Pirates last season. "I know he's had some tough love over there in New York, and I played with him in the Marlins' organization a little bit. I'm excited for him because I know that feeling."
The Pirates were 14th in the National League last season with 78 quality starts. McDonald went 9-9 with a 4.21 ERA, and Kevin Correia was 12-11 with a 4.79 ERA. Pittsburgh lost left-hander Paul Maholm, who signed with the Chicago Cubs.
Right-hander Charlie Morton made 29 starts for the Pirates last year, going 10-10 with a 3.83 ERA. He had surgery in October to repair a torn labrum but he said Saturday he's been ahead of schedule and hopes to be ready for opening day.
"My hip got cleared for everything," he said. "Now it's just making sure I get enough reps in off the mound, long toss and that stuff. I've been throwing since mid-December. I've been off the mound four times. I don't feel too far behind."
The Pirates haven't made the postseason since Barry Bonds roamed the outfield in Pittsburgh in 1992, but last season included some cause for optimism. McCutchen hit 23 home runs with a .364 on-base percentage, and Walker hit .273 with 36 doubles. Closer Joel Hanrahan had 40 saves with a 1.83 ERA.
While division rivals St. Louis and Milwaukee lost stars Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, the Pirates kept building. In addition to Bedard, they also signed catcher Rod Barajas, shortstop Clint Barmes and outfielder Nate McLouth.
"Everybody always goes and talks about last year and setting bars and levels of what you can and can't do. Our division is a little bit weaker with Fielder and Pujols gone, so that's always exciting," Grilli said. "I know guys know what it feels like to succeed."
The question now is whether Pittsburgh has done enough to close the gap with teams like the Cardinals and Brewers. Milwaukee won the division last season and St. Louis ended up winning the World Series as a wild card. Both teams will be trying to return to the postseason without their departed sluggers.
"If some guys are gone, then great — but it doesn't still minimize that there are some guys who are hungry that are going to fill in those places," Grilli said. "And we've got to get them out."
-- Noah Trister
Cousins switches to No. 6 for Snow
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Scott Cousins will now be wearing No. 6 for the Miami Marlins, a tribute to his favorite player growing up: former Giants first baseman J.T. Snow.
Why the switch? He wants new teammate Aaron Rowand — another former Giant — to keep his usual No. 33 when spring training begins. Cousins is already in Florida well ahead of the Marlins' first full-squad workout under new manager Ozzie Guillen set for Feb. 26.
Cousins spent the winter rehabbing lower back and hip injuries in San Francisco only a few miles from AT&T Park, where his home-plate collision with Giants catcher Buster Posey on May 25 cost the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year the remainder of the season. Cousins' injuries were unrelated.
He said he's healthy now and ready for a fresh start in 2012. So is Posey, who will formally work out for the first time with San Francisco's pitchers and catchers Saturday at spring training.
Cousins, who grew up a Giants fan in Reno, Nev., said he took the initiative to offer Rowand No. 33 when he signed a minor league contract in December with a chance to win a job as a backup outfielder. And that way Cousins could wear Snow's number instead.
"Since we signed Rowand I thought it only appropriate I offer up 33 to him," Cousins said via text message.
Rowand certainly appreciated the gesture.
"I've talked to him," Rowand said in a text message. "Great guy."
The Giants parted ways with the 34-year-old Rowand on Aug. 31. The 34-year-old Rowand hit .233 with four homers in 108 games for San Francisco last season. His best year was 2007, when he batted .309 with 27 homers and 89 RBIs as an All-Star for Philadelphia.
-- Janie McCauley
AL Capsules
Orioles open with high hopes, lots of pitchers
BALTIMORE (AP) — Dan Duquette spent his first winter in Baltimore scanning the globe in search of starting pitchers.
The Orioles new vice president of baseball operations signed two left-handers who excelled in Japan, pulled off a pair of trades with teams in Los Angeles and Colorado and signed a Venezuelan native whose most notable accomplishment is an imperfect perfect game.
Duquette also reshaped a flawed, overworked bullpen. His hope is that Baltimore, which finished with the worst ERA in the American League, will have a fighting chance at ending a run of 14 straight losing seasons and be competitive in the baseball's toughest division, the AL East.
Now that Duquette has overhauled the pitching staff, it's up to manager Buck Showalter to sort it all out. That task begins in earnest on Sunday, when the Orioles hold their first spring training practice in Sarasota, Fla.
Showalter is going to need a boatload of baseballs and a whole lot of innings to determine his new rotation, let alone deciding upon an opening day starter. His choices include: Wei-Yen Chen, the Orioles' first Taiwanese native; Tsuyoshi Wada, who was 107-61 with a 3.13 ERA in Japan; trade acquisitions Dana Eveland and Jason Hammel; holdovers Alfredo Simon, Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter and Brad Bergesen; and non-roster invitee Armando Galarraga, who lost a perfect game in 2010 with Detroit on a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce with two outs in the ninth inning.
"We have a number of young pitchers that we brought up to the big leagues, and we hope they continue to mature," Duquette said, referring to Britton, Arrieta and Matusz. "But together, the new starters we brought in and the young pitchers we have will give us more depth in the starting rotation. We'll have more options, more pitching depth."
There aren't enough exhibition games to accommodate all those starters, so Showalter and pitching coach Rick Adair will need to devise other venues to test the staff.
"It's just a matter of creating games. I can do that," Showalter said. "We've already got B games lined up, there's intrasquad games, Triple A. Until about March 15 we can keep them all. They'll separate themselves."
Chen and Wada must adjust to a new language, working with catcher Matt Wieters and, most importantly, facing major league hitters.
"The two young pitchers from Japan did well over there," Duquette said. "They have excellent control and quality stuff. We hope that translates to some success here."
Even more intriguing is Matusz, who inexplicably lost his velocity last season after a stay on the disabled list with a rib cage injury. Upon his return, the left-hander went 1-9 with a horrid 10.69 ERA. One of the biggest questions at camp will be whether Matusz, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft, can display the prowess he showed in going a combined 15-14 in his first two seasons.
"The arm strength will be there," Matusz declared.
So will plenty of other pitchers eager to take his place in the rotation.
"Dan has done a great job bringing in a lot of arms," Matusz said. "It's going to make for a lot of competition this spring, which is what we need. That's what it's all about at spring training, that competition. Everyone getting together, helping each other work hard, and keep pushing each other."
Some of the pitchers vying for a spot in the starting rotation could end up in the bullpen, which has also undergone a transformation since last season. Among the additions are Matt Lindstrom, Luis Ayala and Oscar Villarreal, who join a mix that includes Jim Johnson and Kevin Gregg, both of whom will compete for the closer's role.
Showalter's decisions this spring will involve more than just pitching. He decided to move Mark Reynolds from first base back to third, even though the slugger made an embarrassing 26 errors at the hot corner last year.
"Mark is 15 to 20 pounds lighter than he was last spring," Showalter said. "Talking to him, he's got a real passion about showing the people of Baltimore and the baseball world how much better he is than he did statistically at third base."
Chris Davis, obtained last July in a trade by Duquette's predecessor, Andy MacPhail, will play first. But who will be at second base? One of the great mysteries of camp will be determined in the weeks ahead, when Brian Roberts attempts to return from a concussion that limited him to 39 games last year.
"We just have to have a little patience and let that play out," Duquette said.
The Orioles hope Roberts will show up when position players are scheduled to report on Feb. 24, a day center fielder Adam Jones has been anticipating for months.
"That first day you walk in there, it's going to be fun to see," Jones said. "You have that meeting on one of the back fields and everybody's together. You get to see the guys you're going to spending the next seven or eight months with."
Jones may not recognize many of his new teammates, and others won't be sticking around past March. When it comes time for Showalter to trim the roster to 25, he must take into account the fact that 10 players are out of options and must be placed on waivers if they don't make the team.
"That won't be a deciding factor," Showalter said, "but that's sometimes the tiebreaker."
-- David Ginsburg
Colon healthy, eager to pitch for A's
PHOENIX (AP) — Bartolo Colon had no idea how he would bounce back from a stem-cell procedure that saved his career.
Two years ago, fat and bone marrow stem cells were collected from Colon and injected into his troublesome right elbow and shoulder in an innovative and unproven technique. Colon had no idea how it would turn out, but he responded and spent 2011 with the Yankees.
"I was a little bit nervous," he said in Spanish. "I didn't know what the result would be."
Now, Colon is getting a new start back in the AL West with the Oakland Athletics, whose pitchers and catchers reported to spring training Saturday.
The fact he is pitching another season with a fresh arm? "Incredible," he says.
Colon received a handshake and hug from new teammate and outfielder Jonny Gomes after completing his physical. The pitcher proclaimed himself healthy and appreciative of another shot at age 38.
"He continues at his age to be a power pitcher," manager Bob Melvin said following a four-hour meeting of the A's brass. "He's a cagey veteran, he knows what he has to do each and every year to make some adjustments to keep on top of his game like he has. ... We felt he was the right fit here based on the guys we had a chance to get."
The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner went 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 appearances and 26 starts in his 14th big league season after missing all of 2010.
"My health is good," he said. "No problems. I'm ready to play for Oakland."
Colon signed a $2 million, one-year contract last month to join a rotation that lost two top pitchers this offseason. All-Star left-hander Gio Gonzalez got traded to the Washington Nationals, while Trevor Cahill was dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Closer Andrew Bailey is also gone, sent to Boston in late December.
Colon said he will embrace being a veteran presence for the young A's, whose roster still could change over the next week. The A's are considering signing slugger Manny Ramirez, who would have to sit out the first 50 games for his second violation of baseball's drug policy.
"Definitely possibilities," Melvin said. "I'm not certain that we're done on what our roster's going to look like. I think we've shown this offseason that we're not afraid to make some moves."
Gomes, who lives in Arizona during the offseason, showed up early to get going — and make a few more introductions for those he didn't meet at FanFest last month.
"This is the time of year you want to get out of the batting cage and get out of the weight room and put some cleats on," Gomes said. "You know your feet are going to hurt and your calves are going to cramp."
Everybody knows there's plenty to get done in an abbreviated spring. Oakland opens the season with two games in Japan next month against the Mariners, who started at spring training a week ago. The A's opted to wait.
Melvin said he would typically try to get position players 60 to 65 at-bats during Cactus League play before the season starts, but "we're not going to try to cram that into 21 games."
The emphasis will be to get as much work done each day while minimizing players' time standing around between drills.
"Oh, we're rusty," reliever Jerry Blevins halfway joked while signing autographs for a couple of diehard fans in the bleachers after playing Frisbee at Phoenix Municipal Stadium with 6-foot-6 starting candidate Tyson Ross.
Dallas Braden is upbeat entering the spring. Braden, who threw a perfect game on May 9, 2010, against Tampa Bay, is encouraged by his progress following surgery May 17 to a repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder.
While Braden is ahead of schedule in his recovery, his best guess is that he will be ready to return in mid-April or shortly thereafter. Melvin said it could be early May for Braden, who will be treated cautiously.
Braden threw his fourth bullpen of the winter Thursday and is slated for another on Monday. He praised the training staff for being "lights out."
"Just being able to throw a baseball pain-free has been tremendous," Braden said. "The last two years I had been throwing in pain, not with pain but in pain. That's tough to do. I take my bullpens very seriously. To be getting back to a position where I can learn again from my work, that's Christmas for me. Everything points to positive."
Braden has some other business to attend to this spring. He wears No. 51, and that has been the jersey number for new outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban defector who this past week agreed to terms on a $36 million, four-year contract.
"For $35.5 million he can have No. 51," Braden said with a chuckle. "I'm going to put that on his locker. I don't know if we go much lower than that. Do you really want No. 51?"
Perhaps Colon will be up for a swap as he is No. 52. He has surprised even himself considering he's still pitching after all the years of injury problems.
"It is a surprise for me," he said. "I didn't know I was going to come back and pitch."
Melvin is confident in Colon, saying, "If he's pitching at the level he is at this age he's doing something right."
-- Janie McCauley
Mauer ready from Day 1 of spring training
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — For most of his baseball life, Joe Mauer has been anything but normal. The Twins catcher has been a star since he was a teenager growing up in St. Paul, Minn., and that didn't stop in his first six seasons in the big leagues. He was a four-time All-Star, three-time batting champion and the AL MVP in 2009.
After a series of ailments limited him to only 82 games in 2011, Mauer reported to spring training on Saturday and said he planned to start catching right away when pitchers and catchers hold their first workout on Sunday. For once, Joe Mauer is going to be just like everyone else, and that's a very good thing for the Twins.
"I'll be another catcher out there running around, and that's exciting for me," Mauer said. "I was pretty limited all spring last year, and to get out there and run around with the guys is definitely something that I missed."
Mauer had offseason knee surgery in December 2010, putting him behind from the beginning. He tried to take it easy during spring training last year in hopes of keeping his legs fresh for the grind of catching a long season. The strategy backfired. Mauer wasn't ready to play when the season began and he was soon placed on the disabled list with a condition called "bilateral leg weakness," a term that puzzled fans and teammates alike.
The hometown boy's shiny image was tarnished and his $184 million contract extension brought a new level of scrutiny from fan base that had done nothing but fawn over him ever since he was a prep star at Cretin-Derham Hall High School. Mauer also missed time due to illness and set career lows in batting average (.287), home runs (3) and RBIs (30).
"Even probably to start the year last year, I knew it was going to be a grind, be a struggle right from the get-go," Mauer said. "Did I know what was going to happen? No. But I knew it was going to be a tough year. I wasn't anywhere near close to where I am physically right now. I've still got a lot of work to do, and that's what spring training is for, trying to get ready for opening day."
His polite and understated demeanor hasn't changed. But Mauer spoke with a candor on Saturday that simply hasn't been there in the past. He is speaking like a player with something to prove, on a team full of them.
"I think that's everybody in this clubhouse," Mauer said. "If you don't have that chip on your shoulder then something's wrong. I think everybody, including myself, is just embarrassed about how last year played out. Just anxious to get back on the field and play."
Mauer isn't the only Twins player looking to forget last season. A team that has grown used to winning AL Central championships over the last decade lost 99 games to sink to the bottom of the division, a humiliating finish in the second season at Target Field.
"Maybe you have a little more hunger. You've been humbled a little bit," closer Matt Capps said. "Maybe a different drive."
General manager Terry Ryan, who resumed his duties for the demoted Bill Smith, is bringing 66 players to big-league camp this season — an unusually high number — in hopes of creating a sense of urgency and competition for jobs. Thirty-three of those players are pitchers who will hit the fields at the Lee County Sports Complex on Sunday as the Twins try to address holes in both the starting rotation and bullpen.
"I think we know we have our work cut out," said right-hander Scott Baker, who is returning from an elbow injury. "I think everybody in this clubhouse is prepared to put the work in like we're going to win the division. There's no way other to do that."
With Mauer behind the plate from the start this spring — he didn't catch a bullpen until well into March and only had eight official at-bats in exhibition games last year — there figures to be a different vibe. He's refreshed, determined to show that this franchise, and these fans, can count on him again.
"I'm excited for this camp," Mauer said. "Probably the most excited I've been coming to camp. I mean, I'm always excited, but just to get back on the field and get after it and make sure something like 2011 doesn't happen."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Tigers have power, but still a few questions
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — In terms of star power, the Detroit Tigers can match any team in baseball. That doesn't mean their lineup is totally settled heading into spring training.
The Tigers won the AL Central last season by 15 games and added slugger Prince Fielder in the offseason. With Fielder and Miguel Cabrera in the middle of the batting order, Detroit can expect to score its share of runs, but the team still faces some uncertainty. It's not clear who the No. 5 starter will be, and manager Jim Leyland will have an interesting task each game when he decides how to align his defense.
"We do have the capabilities to mix and match from a defensive perspective, but our club is meant to thump," general manager Dave Dombrowski said recently. "We're meant to hit. That's how we're going to win or lose."
Pitchers and catchers report to Tigers camp Sunday and the first workout is Monday, but a number of players have already been at the team's spring training complex in Lakeland. Relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit said he arrived Tuesday.
With Cabrera, Fielder and Justin Verlander, Detroit has three of the game's biggest stars, all in their primes. Verlander won the American League Cy Young Award and MVP last year, and Cabrera was the AL batting champion.
All-Star catcher Alex Avila emerged last year as a power threat and shortstop Jhonny Peralta had a fine season as well.
One of the biggest questions facing the Tigers in spring training is who will replace Brad Penny in the starting rotation. Dombrowski has mentioned several in-house candidates, including Jacob Turner, Drew Smyly, Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby, Duane Below and Adam Wilk.
"I feel comfortable that, let's just say a Below or a Wilk, if they were the No. 5 starter, that they would do a job for us out there," Dombrowski said. "They, however, unless something really surprises me, don't have the overall upside of a guy like a Jacob Turner."
To make room for Fielder at first base, the Tigers are moving Cabrera to third. For a team that didn't always excel defensively last year, there's some risk with that move — although Detroit believes it's obviously offset by the reward of having those two big bats in the lineup. With designated hitter Victor Martinez expected to miss the season with a knee injury, Leyland will have some flexibility based on how he uses the DH spot.
For example, if Cabrera is the DH for a day, either Brandon Inge or Don Kelly could play third base. Detroit can also play Ramon Santiago at second base instead of Ryan Raburn if defense there is a major concern.
"We could play a very good defensive club up the middle if you play Santiago at second base," Dombrowski said. "If we choose, we could play a very good defensive club."
For players such as Inge, Kelly, Santiago and outfielder Andy Dirks, spring training is the first chance this year to try to show they deserve playing time alongside Detroit's front-line talent.
-- Noah Trister
Ichiro heads into final year of deal with Mariners
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — No one really knows when Ichiro Suzuki will retire. The 38-year-old outfielder is heading into the final year of his contract with Seattle and isn't discussing a new deal.
There he was on Saturday, though, beginning his 12th spring training with the Mariners as the team held its first full-squad workout of 2012.
Naturally, there was a bit more buzz around camp than usual. More fans showed up to watch and get autographs. More media from Japan arrived, following Suzuki's every move. And when asked about his future, Suzuki said it was difficult to say how long he plans to keep playing.
"When I first came in 2001, I never thought that I would be here in 2012," he said through translator Antony Suzuki. "You can wish you'd be there, but you never know. So it's the little things that count and it's the little things that you build off, to where you've come this far."
Suzuki, a 10-time All-Star and the franchise leader in hits — including 10 straight seasons of 200 or more from 2001-10 — provided a show on Day 1. He hit seven home runs during batting practice.
The Mariners can likely count on offensive production from Suzuki despite a down year in 2011, when he had 184 hits but batted below .300 (.272) for the first time since joining the Mariners in 2001.
"I go through the same process in the offseason. I feel fresh, ready to go for the challenge," Suzuki said. "If those numbers were in '01, a lot of people would have said, 'Hey, this guy can play.' Expectations are very high."
The Mariners are coming off a 67-95 season that produced a last-place finish in the AL West. Suzuki didn't sound totally opposed to being dropped from his customary leadoff spot in the batting order, a move manager Eric Wedge eventually plans to discuss with him.
Suzuki said with two Japanese teammates, infielder Munenori Kawasaki and pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, he has a lot of pride in the rise of his country's baseball talent. Suzuki said he heard he was Kawasaki's baseball hero growing up, that Kawasaki would imitate him and wanted to play for the Mariners because of Suzuki.
"You look at other countries, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, they have a lot of stars that perform at this level," Suzuki said, "and when you compare Japan to those countries, we're not there yet. That's what I look forward to saying in the future."
The Mariners play in Japan in March, two regular-season games against the Oakland Athletics at the end of the month. Suzuki looks forward to going back to his native land for those games.
"We've never had that opportunity before, so it's new for me and it's new for the team," he said. "This is something that we will probably have once in a lifetime, so I look forward to that and would like to take advantage of that."
Notes: The Mariners sent OF Mike Wilson outright to Triple-A Tacoma, then invited him to big league spring training as a non-roster invite. The 28-year-old Wilson played eight games for the Mariners last season after getting called up in May. The club's spring training roster is at 67 players.
Royals agree to terms with Hosmer, Moustakas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals agreed to contracts with first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and right-hander Luis Mendoza on Saturday, two days before pitchers and catchers are due to report to spring training.
Hosmer will make $502,500 after putting together a stellar debut season in 2011. Moustakas will make $487,250 after also getting his initial big league call-up last year, while Cain will make $480,850 and Mendoza $488,925. All four players have fewer than three years of service time, which means their contracts could be set at the club's discretion.
The remaining unsigned players on the Royals' 40-man roster are right-handers Louis Coleman, Greg Holland and Vin Mazzaro, left-hander Danny Duffy, catcher Salvador Perez and infielders Alcides Escobar and Johnny Giavotella.
Pitchers and catchers report on Monday while the rest of the squad reports Friday. The first full-squad workout in Surprise, Ariz., is scheduled for Feb. 25.
Royals owner David Glass told The Associated Press last month that he's already indicated to general manager Dayton Moore to think about long-term deals for some of the franchise's top young talent, including Hosmer and Moustakas, considered two of its cornerstones.
Hosmer hit .439 over his first 26 games with Triple-A Omaha last season, essentially forcing the Royals to bring him up to the majors. He responded by hitting .293 with 19 homers and 78 RBIs and getting plenty of attention for the American League Rookie of the Year award.
Moustakas also started off in Triple-A, and initially struggled when he was called up in early June. But the Royal stuck with him and he broke through in August, hitting .352 with four homers and 12 RBIs over the final month of the season.
Cain is expected to take over in center field after the team sent outfielder Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez during the offseason. The speedy Cain .312 with 16 homers, 81 RBIs and 16 steals in 128 games at Omaha last season.
Mendoza revamped his mechanics last season and wound up earning pitcher of the year honors in the Pacific Coast League, where he went 12-5 with a 2.18 ERA for Omaha. He was 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in two September starts for the Royals.
Sanchez, Bruce Chen and Luke Hochevar are considered the top three arms in the Kansas City rotation. Mendoza will compete in spring training with Felipe Paulino, Danny Duffy, Aaron Crow and Mike Montgomery, among others, for the final two starting jobs.
-- Dave Skretta
