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Indians’ Shin-Soo Choo Takes Elbow Injury in Stride

February 27, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Shin Soo-Choo GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The nights have been long for Shin-Soo Choo these last few years.

The Cleveland right fielder has spent the last six years trying to make a career for himself in the Major Leagues, far from his home in South Korea.

And for all of that time he had South Korea’s mandatory two years of military service hanging over his head.

No more. Choo, 28, helped South Korea win the gold medal in baseball’s Asian Games in November, and one of the perks was an exemption handed him by the government from his two years of duty. He hit .571 in the tournament with three homers and 11 RBIs.

 

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Jody Gerut Leaves Mariners Camp, Baseball, Citing Loss of Passion

February 27, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Jody GerutPEORIA, Ariz. — Outfielder Jody Gerut, who came up with the Indians in 2003 and played with five different Major League teams, retired in the camp of a sixth Sunday.

Gerut, who was given a 50-50 chance to make the opening day roster of the Seattle Mariners at age 33, said that his energy to play the game as well as he could was gone.

“I can no longer in good conscience play the game in a manner that reflects the positive example for the younger generation of baseball players,” Gerut said. “Physically, I’m fine. But mentally my reasons for wanting to be in uniform have become so thing and narrow that I refuse to disrespect the game that has provided so generously for my family by playing it in a halfhearted way.”

 

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Sidelined by Injury, Rangers’ Adrian Beltre Focused on Rings

February 25, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Adrian BeltreSURPRISE, Ariz. — It’s been a dozen years that Adrian Beltre has been a major leaguer, and for the most part they’ve been good ones.

When he went looking for a job this winter, however, the Gold Glove-winning third baseman looked to address the deficiencies he saw in his career. He’s only been to the postseason once, with the Dodgers in 2004, and that, he says, has to change.

Small wonder then that he opted to connect with the Texas Rangers, the defending American League champions. The Rangers went to the World Series in 2010, and Beltre says it’s his belief they are in excellent position to get there again.

“There were other ways I could have gone,” said Beltre, who considered signing with Angels or A’s in order to stay close to his Southern California home. “I’ve accomplished a lot in my career but this team gives me a chance to get to the World Series.

“I’ve been in the big leagues 12 years and only played in the playoffs once. That doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t have a ring, and I want one.”

 

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Mariners Send Franklin Gutierrez Back to Seattle for Tests on Stomach

February 24, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Franklin GutierrezPEORIA, Ariz. — Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez flew back to Seattle Wednesday night to have his ongoing battle with stomach issues checked out by the Mariners‘ medical crew.

Manager Eric Wedge said Gutierrez probably would be back sometime Friday but he wasn’t a definite to take part in the club’s intrasquad game.

Wedge did say he didn’t believe the issue to be serious, and said “these are just tests on the stomach region to be proactive and try to stay ahead of things.”

“We don’t want Guti to have the same issues as he did last year,” Wedge said.

 

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Mariners Send Franklin Gutierrez Back to Seattle for Tests on Stomach

February 24, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Franklin GutierrezPEORIA, Ariz. — Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez flew back to Seattle Wednesday night to have his ongoing battle with stomach issues checked out by the Mariners‘ medical crew.

Manager Eric Wedge said Gutierrez probably would be back sometime Friday but he wasn’t a definite to take part in the club’s intrasquad game.

Wedge did say he didn’t believe the issue to be serious, and said “these are just tests on the stomach region to be proactive and try to stay ahead of things.”

“We don’t want Guti to have the same issues as he did last year,” Wedge said.

 

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Adam Wainwright Injury Should Bring 2011 Into Focus for Cardinals

February 24, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Adam WainwrightWhen is really bad news not always completely bad news?

In the St. Louis camp, the bad news Thursday was, as expected, that starter Adam Wainwright will need Tommy John surgery — a ligament replacement procedure to fix up his elbow.

The Cardinals‘ ace won’t be pitching at all this season after general manager John Mozeliak confirmed that the team’s fears of a season-ending injury had been verified.

Up to this point, the turmoil in Cardinals’ camp had been about St. Louis’ inability to get first baseman Albert Pujols‘ name on a long-term contract extension. There was much angst about what would happen in 2012 and beyond.

The good news from the St. Louis point of view is that’s been pushed into the past. All of a sudden, the realities of the 2011 season are staring the Cardinals in the face, and for better or worse, their focus has been narrowed to the here and now.

 

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Seahawks Unlikely to Use Franchise Tag for 2011

February 23, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Thursday is the deadline for NFL teams to apply franchise tags on members of its roster, and it seems like for once the Seattle Seahawks will go without the designation.

The Seattle Times is reporting that the team is not expected to use either a franchise or transition tags. It would be the first time in 10 years the Seahawks have taken this route.

The franchise player last year was placekicker Olindo Mare, who signed a one-year offer worth the average of the five highest-paid kickers (place kickers and punters are lumped together in this instance) in the NFL.

The Times said Mare was the most likely player to be named a franchise player this year, but that ultimately the team decided against going in that direction. Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane was also given consideration for the franchise tag.

Meanwhile, the club signed running back Chris Henry to a 2011 contract. Henry originally came to the organization’s practice squad on Sept. 5 and played in one game (Oct. 24 against Arizona) before being released, then re-signed to the practice squad.

 

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Rangers See Reward in Neftali Feliz Risk

February 23, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Neftali Feliz
SURPRISE, Ariz. — No one can accuse the Texas Rangers of not being risk-takers.

The Rangers are taking one of their 2010 breakout stars, closer Neftali Feliz, and giving him a chance to make the starting rotation.

It’s not the kind of move that most defending American League champions make. Feliz saved 40 games last year and didn’t give up any runs (and just one hit) in six innings of combined work in the American League Championship Series against the Yankees and in the World Series against the Giants.

None of Feliz’s 90 games in the big leagues the last two seasons have been starts. But he was a starter after signing with Atlanta and later after being traded to the Rangers in what is becoming ever more clearly one of the great swindles in the game. Back in 2007, the Atlanta Braves, desperate for the power that switch-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira could bring, traded Feliz, shortstop Elvis Andrus, right-hander Matt Harrison, outfielder Beau Jones and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia for Teixeira and lefty middle reliever Ron Mahay.

Feliz is the defending AL Rookie of the Year, Andrus is maybe the best defensive shortstop in the league and Harrison is a sometimes starter with promise. In exchange, the Braves got 54 games from Teixeira in which he hit .321 with 17 homers and 56 RBI. Atlanta finished third for all of that and Teixeira lit off for Anaheim and later Gotham where, curiously, he was eliminated from the 2010 World Series by Feliz, Andrus and the Rangers.

 

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Roy Lewis, Isaiah Stanback Sign With Seahawks for 2011

February 22, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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The Seahawks announced Tuesday that they have signed two former Washington Huskies for the 2011 season.

Cornerback Roy Lewis, who was one of the Seahawks’ special teams captain, and wide receiver Isaiah Stanback agreed to terms the team said in an announcement.

Lewis played in 14 of the Seahawks’ 16 games in 2010, finishing with 17 tackles (15 solo) and one sack. He also had eight special teams tackles. His season ended a little early when he had to undergo knee surgery in December.

 

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Edinson Volquez Gets Nod to Lead Reds’ Rotation Into 2011

February 22, 2011   John Hickey   No comments

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Edinson Volquez
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Edinson Volquez naturally expected that Bronson Arroyo would be the Opening Day starter for the Cincinnati Reds, and Volquez had no beef.

Just a dozen starts back from Tommy John-style ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow, Volquez said “it would be great to start Day 2″ and leave the opener to 17-game winner Arroyo.

Manager Dusty Baker crossed the 28-year-old Dominican up, however, telling Volquez that the opener was his. It turns out that Arroyo doesn’t much like the thought of pitching the opener. Baker knows that, and after a conversation with the most senior member of his rotation, Baker slotted Volquez first and Arroyo second, a plan that suits both men.

“I like watching the festivities on Opening Day. I like to be on the line when my name is announced,” Arroyo said Tuesday. “Opening Day in Cincinnati is like no other place. It’s something to enjoy.

“And the most miserable time of my life is from the moment I wake up to the time I throw the first pitch. You don’t want to feel that on the opener.”

 

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