Archives for November 2009

Albert Pujols' third National League MVP award put him in select company. Only Barry Bonds has more. "I'm just humbled," Pujols said. Pujols won unanimously Tuesday, becoming the first player to repeat since Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04. Pujols, who also won in 2005, received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in balloting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He became the first unanimous MVP since Bonds in 2002.

A big part of the Cardinals' success this year was the acquisition of Matt Holliday in July. Holliday, who hit cleanup behind Pujols, helped St. Louis win the NL Central and then became a free agent.The whole city of St. Louis wants Matt back and myself, obviously,Pujols said. "He came at the right time, right when we needed it, right when we were struggling a little bit. While the Cardinals have five division titles and six playoff appearances in nine seasons since Pujols joined the team, they have won the World Series only once, in 2006.I always make a joke. I got 10 fingers. I want to get nine more rings," he said. "I want to get as many as Derek Jeter has so far (five). Obviously that's hard to do.Pujols does have one individual goal the Hall of Fame.Obviously, there is still a long way to go," he said.Pujols led the majors in homers (47), runs (124), slugging percentage (.658) and intentional walks (44), and topped the NL in on-base percentage (.443). He was second in the league in doubles (45) and third in batting average (.327) and RBIs (135).

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The Oakland Athletics have signed free-agent third baseman Dallas McPherson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.McPherson is expected to compete for a starting job, and he provides Oakland with insurance at third base. Six-time Gold Glove winner Eric Chavez might not be able to return to that position after recovering from a second back surgery that cost him most of this season.

The 29-year-old McPherson, who missed the 2007 and '09 seasons with back trouble, is a career .245 hitter with 18 home runs and 45 RBIs in parts of four major league seasons with the Angels and Marlins. Chavez had his second back operation, the same microdiscectomy surgery in a different spot, to correct a herniated disk on June 23. He appeared in just eight games and batted .100. He played in only 23 games in 2008, and 90 in '07.

Major League Baseball has the perfect gift to bust a budget in a recession.A 20-DVD set of World Series films can be bought for $2,299, and it contains authenticated autographs of 12 Hall of Famers, including Yogi Berra, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and Mike Schmidt.A limited edition run of 100 sets was put together by Major League Baseball Productions, A&E Home Entertainment and Mounted Memories, the companies said Friday.

There are 65 films from 1943-08 that run for more than 50 hours. The package also has autographs from Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Bob Feller, Rollie Fingers, Carlton Fisk, Whitey Ford, Brooks Robinson and Bruce Sutter.MLB spokesman Jeff Heckelman said the set is also available without the autographs for $179.99 on MLB.com and in stores with a suggested retail price of $229.

The Nationals say No. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg has a dislocation in his left knee joint and should be fine for spring training.Strasburg was examined Friday by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. The Nationals say Strasburg will not require surgery, and that treatment will include rest and physical therapy.The San Diego State right-hander twisted his knee during a workout Thursday and has been scratched from his start in the Arizona Fall League championship game.Strasburg also was held out of a scheduled start in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars game Nov. 7 because of a strained neck muscle.Strasburg signed a record $15.1 million contract after being the top pick in June's amateur draft.

PHOENIX – Reliever Aaron Heilman was acquired Thursday by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects.The 31-year-old right-hander was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances last season, striking out 65 and walking 34. He spent six seasons with the New York Mets before he was traded to Seattle last December, then was dealt to the Cubs the next month.

Chicago gets 24-year-old left-hander Scott Maine and 23-year-old infielder Ryne White. Maine, a sixth-round draft pick in 2007, was a combined 4-5 with seven saves and a 2.90 ERA with Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno last season. White, a fourth-round draft pick in 2008, hit .266 with 58 RBIs for Class A Visalia.The move is intended to bolster an Arizona bullpen that was just one of many problems for the Diamondbacks last season.Heilman has a career record of 26-37 with 10 saves and a 4.22 ERA in 375 career games.The Mets traded him to Seattle last December in a three-way deal involving Cleveland. Seven weeks later, the Mariners shipped him to the Cubs for utility infielder Ronny Cedeno and left-hander Garrett Olson.

Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks is putting together a group of local investors, including Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach, for a bid that would enable him to keep majority ownership of the team. Proposals to buy the Rangers are due Friday.

Groups led by Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg, Houston businessman Jim Crane and White Sox special assistant and former sports agent Dennis Gilbert have been identified as potential bidders. Hicks says another group besides his could also submit a proposal. In a story on ESPNDallas.com, one of four local media outlets Hicks spoke with Wednesday, the owner says he's talked to a group of mainly local investors about a bid of his own, and sizable commitments have been made.

When the phone rang, Zack Greinke let it go  he didn't recognize the number. Only after listening to the voice mail did he call back and find out he'd won the American League Cy Young Award. The Kansas City Royals ace easily beat out Felix Hernandez for the honor Tuesday after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination. Winning left the extremely shy Greinke with mixed emotions. Back in Orlando, I haven't really got a whole lot of attention from people, which has been nice,he said. So I hope it doesn't get that way, where everyone is like, `Oh, hey, Zack, hi. He'd prefer to remain anonymous when he's not on the mound. He's not looking forward to being introduced at banquets as "Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke" for the rest of his life.

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Chris Coghlan and Andrew Bailey both agreed to change, then quickly got their chance in the majors. Now each has a rookie reward that will last forever. Coghlan, the pesky Marlins leadoff hitter, won the National League Rookie of the Year award in a close vote Monday and Bailey took the AL honor after an outstanding season as Oakland's closer.I couldn't have written it better,Coghlan said during a conference call. A second baseman in the minors, Coghlan made a hasty shift to left field in May and found a home atop Florida's lineup. Bailey also switched successfully, going from struggling Double-A starter to All-Star reliever in a year.I think the move to the bullpen allowed me to get back mentally to who I was,Bailey said, explaining that he began challenging hitters again.Just took the opportunity and ran with it.

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After shortstop Jack Wilson arrived in Seattle in a trade last summer, it didn't take long for him to know he wanted to stay. "About an hour, hour and a half," Wilson said by telephone with a chuckle from his home in Southern California on Friday. Now he has 10 million more reasons to love Seattle.

The 31-year-old defensive whiz signed a $10 million, two-year contract with the Mariners. According to terms obtained by The Associated Press, Wilson gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons and can earn $250,000 a year in performance bonuses: $50,000 for 450 plate appearances, and $100,000 each for 500 and 550 plate appearances.

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Former All-Star closer John Wetteland was resting at home Thursday night after a trip to a hospital, where the Seattle Mariners say he was treated for an elevated heart rate. Authorities responded to a 911 call from Wetteland's home in the afternoon. Wetteland just finished his first season as Seattle's bullpen coach.

"My wife and I are very appreciative of the over and above care of our local officers and paramedics," he said in a statement released by the team Thursday night. The circumstances leading to my elevated blood pressure and heart rate have been addressed. Dallas television station CBS-11 and the New York Daily News reported earlier Thursday that Denton County authorities described the call from a woman at Wetteland's home as a mental health issue.

"She said he was complaining of being depressed and contemplating suicide," Sgt. Roger Griggs of the sheriff's office told the newspaper for a story on its Web site. Repeated messages left for Denton County authorities by The Associated Press were not returned. The 43-year-old Wetteland picked up 330 career saves in 12 seasons in the majors. He was selected MVP of the 1996 World Series with the Yankees.

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