June 12, 2008
SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- Rhode Island catcher Zach Zaneski has signed with Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers as a free agent and will report to the Rangers’ Single-A affiliate Spokane Indians on Friday, June 13.
“I am very excited about this opportunity,” said Zaneski. “I had a great four years at Rhode Island and wouldn’t be in this position right now without the support of my coaches and teammates. They have really helped prepare me for what lies ahead and I am looking forward to it.”
Zaneski, a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and recipient this year’s Rick Ligi Team MVP Award, finished the 2008 season with a team-best .355 batting average. He also led the squad with 77 hits, 49 runs, 46 RBI, 17 doubles, a .449 on-base percentage and 108 total bases. His 2008 hits, doubles and RBI totals rank as URI’s second-best single-season mark in each respective category.
Defensively, he led all A-10 catchers, having thrown out 27 potential base stealers. He ranks third all-time at URI with 1,027 career putouts and was one of 48 Division I student-athletes in the running for the 2008 Johnny Bench Award – which is presented annually to the nation's top catcher.
“I am really proud of Zach,” said head coach Jim Foster. “He had a great career here and certainly deserves this opportunity. He has been everything a coach could ask for – both on and off the field – and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Zaneski is the sixth Rhode Island baseball player to sign with an MLB team since 2003. Most recently, Steve Holmes was selected by the New York Mets in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2006 Draft, marking Rhode Island’s highest-ever draft pick. In 2005, Zack Zuercher was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round (290th overall), while Dan Batz went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2004 Draft (178th overall). In 2003, right-handed pitchers Reid Willett (21st Round - 613th pick, Chicago Cubs) and Jared Trout (28th Round - 842nd pick, Oakland Athletics) both were selected after their junior seasons and opted to sign professional contracts.
--URI ATHLETICS
Posted by Corey Bourassa 
at 5:40 PM | Permalink
June 11, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rocco Baldelli could be ready for the next step in his attempt to play in the majors again.
The Tampa Bay Rays center fielder, sidelined since May 2007 because of lingering hamstring problems and what doctors have told him and the Rays is a mitochondrial disorder that causes extreme fatigue, is expected to meet with team officials in the next couple days about possibly joining one of Tampa Bay’s minor league teams.
“This is probably the first time since the beginning of spring training where I actually felt that I was going to be coming back and playing,” Baldelli said after going 0-for-5 as the designated hitter in his final extended spring training game on Wednesday. “We’re going to sit down and decide what the next step is. Hopefully go out and get some (at-bats) on some kind of rehab assignment.”
The 26-year-old Baldelli, placed on the 60-day disabled list during spring training, resumed playing as a DH for the Rays’ extended spring team May 29.
When asked if he feels physically ready to DH in minor league games, Baldelli said “Yes.”
“My body is responding pretty well, so I’m happy,” he said.
Selected sixth overall in the 2000 amateur draft, Baldelli has a .282 batting average with 48 homers and 221 RBIs in 419 career games. His 26 assists during the 2003-04 seasons were the third most in the majors. However, he has been limited to just 127 games since the start of the 2005 season.
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 4:47 PM | Permalink
June 6, 2008
Florida Atlantic pitcher and former Hendricken standout Jeff Beliveau was drafted by the Chicago Cubs today in the 18th round (550 overall) while Warwick's John Doyle, a pitcher at Boston College, was taken by the Chicago White Sox in the 37th round (1,110 overall) and Cranston West senior pitcher Anthony Meo was taken by the Washington Nationals in the 43rd round (1291 overall).
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 4:31 PM | Permalink
June 4, 2008
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Elaine Fulps is thrilled about the prize she won at a minor league baseball game. But she’s hoping she doesn’t have to collect on it anytime soon.
Fulps, 60, won a $10,000 paid funeral at Tuesday night’s Grand Prairie AirHogs game.
The prize won’t expire until after Fulps does, said Ron Alexander, the sales manager at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens, which partnered with the team and Irving’s Chapel of Roses Funeral Home to sponsor the event.
“I almost croaked many times,” said Fulps, who was wearing a neck brace — the most recent effect of about 20 surgeries she’s undergone for various medical problems. “God still has me around for a reason. To win a funeral.”
Fans in this Dallas suburb were eager to join in the grim fun.
Some finalists for the prize arrived dressed in black or looking like death. The finalists participated in a pallbearer’s race, a mummy wrap and a eulogy delivery.
Fulps, randomly chosen as the winner at night’s end, said she’ll choose a casket and plot as soon as she recovers.
“I’m going to pick a spot under a tree out of the Texas heat,” she told The Dallas Morning News. “And let’s hope it’s a pet-free cemetery. I don’t want to get watered on.”
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 9:48 PM | Permalink
May 23, 2008
McALLEN, Texas — During three years in the low minors, John Odom never really made a name for himself.
That sure changed this week — he’s the guy who was traded for a bunch of bats.
“I don’t really care,” he said Friday. “It’ll make a better story if I make it to the big leagues.”
For now, Odom is headed to the Laredo Broncos of the United League. They got him Tuesday from the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League for a most unlikely price: 10 Prairie Sticks Maple Bats, double-dipped black, 34-inch, C243 style.
“They just wanted some bats, good bats — maple bats,” Broncos general manager Jose Melendez said.
According to the Prairie Sticks Web site, their maple bats retail for $69 each, discounted to $65.50 for purchases of six to 11 bats.
“It will be interesting to see what 10 bats gets us,” Melendez said.
The Canadian team signed Odom about a month ago, but couldn’t get the 26-year-old righty into the country. It seems Odom had a “minor” but unspecified criminal record that wasn’t revealed to immigration officials before they scanned his passport, Vipers president Peter Young said.
Odom said the charge stemmed from a fight he was in at age 17. Although he thought it had been expunged from his record, it popped up during immigration.
Odom spent hundreds of dollars driving to the Canadian border and staying at a Montana hotel while the matter was sorted out. He then drove to Laredo after the trade.
Originally from Atlanta, Odom was drafted late by the San Francisco Giants in 2003. He pitched 38 games, all in Class A, from 2004-06, and was released by the organization this spring.
Laredo intends to activate Odom on Monday and have him make his first start Wednesday.
Odom said he was supposed to be traded for Laredo’s best hitter. But when that player balked at moving to Calgary, the bats entered the deal.
Laredo offered cash for Odom, but Young said that was “an insult.”
The bat trade wasn’t the first time Calgary came up with some creative dealmaking. The Vipers once tried to acquire a pitcher for 1,500 blue seats when they were renovating their stadium, Young said.
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 7:58 PM | Permalink
April 2, 2008
Pedro Martinez will be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks with what the New York Mets said was a mild strain of his left hamstring.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the Mets’ game against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night.
Martinez was injured Tuesday night, returned to New York and was examined by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
“It doesn’t look good,” manager Willie Randolph said before the diagnosis was announced by Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz.
“He said he heard a pop, and that is not a good thing,” Randolph said. “Usually, when something like that happens, you are put on the DL right away, but we’ll just wait and see what the results are. It could have just been a combination of a real bad cramp or a strain. Any time a pitcher pulls a hamstring, that is usually automatic DL.”
Martinez allowed four runs in 3 1-3 innings during a 5-4, 10-inning defeat, limping off the mound after injuring himself during a pitch.
“He’s an unfortunate loss,” pitcher John Maine said. “Everyone knows what Pedro can do.’
The Mets filled Martinez’s roster spot by purchasing the contract of pitcher Nelson Figueroa from Triple-A New Orleans.
They could move up Oliver Perez in the rotation to start Tuesday’s home opener against Philadelphia. Jorge Sosa is a longshot possibility for the rotation.
“I think we will keep him where he is right now, but he is also an option,” Randolph said.
Orlando Hernandez started the season on the disabled list.
“We’ve been doing this the last couple of years and that means me, Oliver (Perez), and (Mike) Pelfrey have to step up a little more,” Maine said.
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 7:23 PM | Permalink
January 15, 2008
Relief pitcher Dan Wheeler and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided arbitration, agreeing Tuesday to a $2,875,000, one-year contract.
The 30-year-old right-hander was obtained in a trade that sent Ty Wigginton to Houston last July. Wheeler was 0-5 with a 5.76 ERA in 25 appearances for the Rays after going 1-4 with a 5.07 ERA in 45 games with the Astros.
Wheeler's 216 appearances over the past three years are the eighth-most in the major leagues. He set career highs for innings (74 2-3) and strikeouts (82) in 2007, including 26 strikeouts in 25 innings for Tampa Bay.
Wheeler, who earned $2.1 million last season, has appeared in 71 or more games each of the last three years. In addition to his base salary in 2008, he can earn an additional $25,000 for making 65 appearances.
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 8:06 PM | Permalink
June 8, 2007
A total of eight local players have been selected during the second day of the Major League Baseball draft.
Brown catcher Devin Thomas was taken by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round, the 241st overall pick.
Former Hendricken shortstop Matt Bouchard, who plays at Georgetown, was an 11th round pick of the New York Mets.
Another former Hendricken star Craig Stinson, a catcher at Texas A&M, was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 12th round.
The Oakland Athletics selected former East Providence High left-handed pitcher Brad Hertzler with the 480th overall pick (15th round). Hertzler played at CCRI and the University of Maine.
The Boston Red Sox picked Cumberland native Dan Milano in the 20th round (624 overall). Milano, a catcher, just completed his senior year at Northeastern.
Warwick's Terry Doyle, a right-handed pitcher who played high school ball in New Hampshire, was chosen in the 21st round by the Los Angeles Dodgers (656 overall). Doyle is a junior at Boston College.
Another former Hendricken catcher John Mollicone, a senior at Fordham, was picked by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 27th round (815 overall).
In the 29th round, the Atlanta Braves selected Hendricken senior right-handed pitcher Gary Gillheeney with the 888th overall pick.
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 4:31 PM | Permalink
May 17, 2007
Rocco Baldelli's sore hamstring landed him on the 15-day disabled list, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays replaced him by activating outfielder Greg Norton for Thursday night's series finale against the Texas Rangers at Disney World.
Baldelli left Tuesday night's game against the Rangers after running out a ground ball in the first inning. He had a MRI Thursday and was placed on the DL with what manager Joe Maddon described as a “moderate” left hamstring strain.
“We're not sure what that means as far as how long he'll be out,” Maddon said.
Baldelli was used mostly as a designated hitter for the first two weeks of the season after straining his right hamstring during spring training. He's struggled recently, going 1-for-40 and watching his batting average plunge to .204.
Norton, who hit .296 with 17 homers in 98 games last season, had been sidelined since injuring his right knee late in spring training and undergoing surgery April 2. He appeared in seven games and batted .280 with two doubles and four RBI's during a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Montgomery.
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 6:30 PM | Permalink
May 16, 2007
Slumping Tampa Bay outfielder Rocco Baldelli could be headed for the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain.
The center fielder, who's in a 1-for-40 skid that's dropped his batting average to .204, left Tuesday night's 4-3 victory over Texas at Disney World after running out a grounder in the first inning.
Baldelli strained his right hamstring during spring training and was used mostly as a designated hitter for the first two weeks of the season. He will return to St. Petersburg on Thursday to undergo an MRI exam on his left hamstring.
“Hamstrings are one of those injuries that are difficult to put a finger on right away,” Devil Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, adding that Baldelli likely will wind up on the DL.
“The good news is it's higher up in his leg, and that's better than it being lower. ... The one he had in spring training was the other leg. But it was lower, and that took him about 10 days.”
Elijah Dukes replaced Baldelli in center field and batted leadoff against the Rangers on Wednesday night.
“We're going to be very smart and very cautious with it,” Friedman said. “We're fortunate to have the depth that we do and the players that can step in. We want to ensure his long-term health.”
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 8:10 PM | Permalink
April 26, 2007
NEW YORK — Phil Hughes received a rough welcome to the big leagues from the hard-hitting Blue Jays and a valuable lesson in power pitching from A.J. Burnett.
Toronto's hard-throwing right-hander dominated the struggling Yankees and outclassed their prized young prospect on the mound, sending last-place New York to its sixth straight loss in a 6-0 victory Thursday night.
Missing injured Derek Jeter, the Yankees (8-12) are on their longest skid since also dropping six in a row from May 28 to June 3, 2005. They managed only four singles and are percentage points behind fourth-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Next up, a three-game series at home against the rival Red Sox, who swept New York last weekend in Boston. The first-place Red Sox already have a 51/2-game cushion over the Yankees.
Vernon Wells went 3-for-3 with two walks for Toronto, giving him seven hits in his last two games. Frank Thomas drove in two runs, and leadoff batter Alex Rios scored three times and knocked in a run. The Blue Jays have won three straight, all against the Red Sox and Yankees, after losing a season-worst five in a row.
Still waiting for Mike Mussina to get healthy, New York called up Hughes from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre to make his much-anticipated major league debut. He was unable to stop the losing streak, however.
Considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, the 20-year-old right-hander from California became only the second pitcher drafted in the first round by the Yankees to reach the big leagues with New York. The other was Bill Burbach, who was selected in the first amateur draft in 1965.
Hughes (0-1) put up outstanding numbers in Double-A last season, but the Yankees sent him back to the minors for more seasoning this year after he struggled in spring training. They said they didn't want to rush him to the big leagues, but a rash of injuries to the pitching staff changed their plans.
Even when Wednesday night's scheduled game against Toronto was rained out, New York stuck with Hughes for Thursday.
Hughes, drafted 23rd overall out of high school in 2004, gave up a hard single to Rios on his second pitch. After Adam Lind struck out, Wells hit a loud RBI double over Johnny Damon's head in center field. He scored on Thomas' opposite-field single to right.
Wearing No. 65, Hughes settled down from there. But he ran into more trouble in the fifth.
John McDonald reached on an infield single, though replays appeared to show he was out at first. He stole second and scored on Rios' single.
A single by Wells chased Hughes, and Thomas' sacrifice fly made it 4-0. With his family watching from the stands, Hughes allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Meanwhile, Burnett (2-1) was cruising to his first career win at Yankee Stadium. Flashing a fastball in the mid-to-high 90 mph range, he struck out five and walked four in seven impressive innings.
Three consecutive walks and a wild pitch by New York's shaky bullpen led to two runs for the Blue Jays in the seventh. Lyle Overbay had a sacrifice fly.
Jeremy Accardo and Scott Downs completed Toronto's first shutout of the season — the first time New York has been blanked this year. The Yankees began the day leading the majors in runs with 120.
ASSOCIATED PRESS --
Posted by Thom Cahir at 10:46 PM | Permalink
April 24, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Alex Rodriguez's 23-game hitting streak is over. The New York Yankees can't say the same about a slide that's dropped them into last place.
Tampa Bay pitching cooled off A-Rod, and Carl Crawford hit his first career grand slam rallied the Devil Rays over Chien-Ming Wang and the Yankees 6-4 Tuesday night, extending the Yankees' losing streak to five games.
A night after hitting his 13th and 14th homers to tie the major league record for home runs in April, Rodriguez went 0-for-3 with a walk against Scott Kazmir and Shawn Camp, who struck out the New York slugger in final at-bat. Rodriguez had hit safely in 18 consecutive games to start the season and 23 straight dating to last September.
Wang (0-1) allowed four runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings after being activated from the disabled list earlier in the day. He departed after Dioner Navarro singled and B.J. Upton doubled to start the Devil Rays' seventh.
Reliever Luis Vizcaino walked Rocco Baldelli intentionally to load the bases. One out later, Crawford lined a 2-2 pitch into the right-field stands to erase a 3-2 deficit and give Tampa Bay a two-game sweep, its first series victory since the Devil Rays took two of three from Seattle last Sept. 1-3. Crawford went 4-for-4.
Juan Salas (1-1) got one out in relief of Kazmir, and Al Reyes pitched the ninth for his seventh save in seven chances.
The Yankees (8-11), on their longest losing streak since a six-game slide from May 28 to June 3, 2005, went 0-5 on a trip that began with three losses at Boston and dropped into the AL East cellar, one-half game behind the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay swept New York for just second time in 52 series.
Yankees captain Derek Jeter left with a bruised left thigh after being hit in the side of the leg by a pitch in the first inning. He was checked by a trainer and spoke with manager Joe Torre before walking to first base and remaining in the game until New York took the field for the bottom of the first.
New York opens a two-game series at home against Toronto on Wednesday, and planned to start 20-year-old Phil Hughes on Thursday in his major league debut.
Kazmir rebounded from a poor outing in which he threw 102 pitches in four innings of a 6-4 loss to Baltimore last week. He gave up a second-inning leadoff homer to Hideki Matsui and a single to Jorge Posada before retiring 12 in a row.
The Devil Rays took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Delmon Young's broken-bat RBI grounder and Carlos Pena's run-scoring single. Despite clinging a one-run lead, Kazmir was in control until opening the door for the Yankees with a throwing error after fielding Matsui's grounder to the mound with one out in the seventh.
Posada doubled to right-centerfield, driving in Matsui from first, and New York went ahead 3-2 on Josh Phelps' two-out RBI single. Matsui drove in New York's final run with a single in the eighth.
Wang had been out since March 23, when he hurt his right hamstring while running.
ASSOCIATED PRESS --
Posted by Thom Cahir at 10:24 PM | Permalink
April 11, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS — Yankees starter Mike Mussina left Wednesday's game at Minnesota three batters into the third inning because of a strained left hamstring.
After allowing consecutive hits to Luis Rodriguez and Alexi Casilla at the start of the inning, Mussina went to a 2-1 count against Luis Castillo, then motioned for someone to come from the dugout. Pitching coach Ron Guidry visited the mound, followed by a trainer and manager Joe Torre, and Mussina walked off after the brief conference.
The 38-year-old Mussina, who is beginning his 17th major league season, gave up a walk and a double in the first two innings against the Twins. He lost his first start, giving up eight hits and six runs in four innings last week against the Baltimore Orioles, his original team.
ASSOCIATED PRESS --
Posted by Thom Cahir at 11:13 PM | Permalink
April 9, 2007
One week into the season, the Houston Astros have a new closer.
Brad Lidge was demoted Monday in favor of Dan Wheeler, a move made one day after Lidge gave up five runs in two-third of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lidge has saved 29 or more games in each of the last three seasons for Houston but had a 16.20 ERA and a blown save entering Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs. The Astros started the season with five losses in six games.
“I wrestled with this all of yesterday,” manager Phil Garner said. “I feel that I have to make this move for the benefit of the team. In the situation that we are in right now, we can't afford to lose any more ballgames late.”
Lidge was 1-5 with a 5.28 ERA and 32 saves in 38 chances last year.
“It was surprising, but not totally unjustified,” he said. “I understand that it's about results. Right now, my first two outings haven't been there.”
Lidge will be used in middle relief, and Garner left open the possibility Lidge could regain his job as closer.
“I don't know how much time this will take,” Garner said. “It may be that he throws three or four times and gets thrust back into the closing role.”
Wheeler is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in three games.
--AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 4:24 PM | Permalink
April 5, 2007
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez had a chance to be a hero but flopped in another key at-bat and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays spoiled Andy Pettitte’s return to the New York Yankees with a 7-6 victory on Thursday night.
Rodriguez had a chance but popped out against Brian Stokes with the bases loaded to end the eighth. Often booed at Yankee Stadium for failing to deliver in crucial situations, Rodriguez tossed his bat aside in disgust and muttered to himself as he waited for a teammate to bring out his cap and glove.
Right before that, Bobby Abreu had an opportunity for a big hit, but he bounced weakly into a force at the plate for the second out.
Al Reyes worked a perfect ninth for his first save since 2005 with St. Louis.
Pettitte made his first start in pinstripes since the 2003 World Series. Looking for his 150th win with the Yankees, he gave up four runs — two earned — and six hits in four-plus innings. He threw 83 pitches.
ASSOCIATED PRESS --
Posted by Thom Cahir at 11:05 PM | Permalink
March 22, 2007
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Yankees dropped an 8-7 decision to the Cincinnati Reds Thursday and that left the team from the Bronx slightly bugged.
In the bottom of the fifth inning a swarm of bees crossed the infield, sending Yankees fielders scurrying for foul territory to avoid getting stung and delaying the game for several minutes.
“I’ve never seen that before,” third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. “I was actually pretty scared. It was thick.”
The game also saw the first appearance of Bobby Abreu in the outfield for the Yankees after straining a muscle in his side last month. Abreu had a three-run homer in the loss.
Carl Pavano was inconsistent, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks in only 4 1/3 innings.
Posted by Thom Cahir at 7:08 PM | Permalink
March 15, 2007
Alex Rodriguez says has no plans to opt out of his contract at the conclusion of this season. But earlier in the week, on radio station WFAN, he said that this was a "do-or-die" season for him.
"Either New York is going to kick me out of New York this year, say 'I've had enough of this guy, get him the hell out of here,' and we have an option," Rodriguez said in the radio interview, according to today's New York Daily News. "Or New York is going to say, 'Hey, we won a world championship, you had a big year, you were a part of it and we want you back.'"
Click here to read the Daily News report, which quotes Joe Torre's feelings on his star third baseman's future.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:26 AM | Permalink
March 1, 2007
A story in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times talks about the potential of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' outfield, which includes Cumberland's Rocco Baldelli, to be baseball's best.
Devil Ray manager Joe Maddon says he believes it can be - barring injury, trade or unexpected failure to progress.
”I think we could do a lot of good things,” Baldelli said. “And to do them at such a young age and to be together for a long time, it’s going to be fun to be part of it.”
Baldelli, who stared at Hendircken, roams the outfied with Carl Crawford and Delmon Young.
“It’s tough to find one player with the package these guys bring to the table, let alone three of them,” senior vice president Gerry Hunsicker said. “There really aren’t any glaring weaknesses in any of their games. They are still young and still have huge upsides, even from where they are today.”
Here's Crawford on Baldelli: "He’s not blazing fast or anything, but he has that long stride, which means he covers a lot of ground. And if there’s a short fence he can jump so high he can go over and get the ball. He’s got a strong enough arm to throw runners out at home plate; we’ve seen that time after time. He has kind of a nice line-drive stroke that turns into home runs at times. He looks even better this year. I wouldn’t see why he wouldn’t be hitting 20-25, maybe even 30, home runs at some point as long as he stays healthy. That’s the main thing with Rocco, just hoping he can stay healthy a whole season to play with us."
And here's Young on Baldelli: "He’s not as fast as Crawford, but he’s one of the fastest guys in the major leagues. He covers a lot of ground in centerfield and he’s got a good, accurate arm. I really hadn’t seen him play until last year; he’s very talented, too. He has the potential to hit 25-30 home runs, maybe more, playing a full season. He knows how to hit. He can bat first, second, third in the lineup. Wherever he’s batting he knows what he has to get done in that position."
Posted by Chris Venditto at 6:41 PM | Permalink
