Overheard and Understood: Cito Gaston Getting Off Managerial Carousel

Filed under: Blue Jays

One could not blame Cito Gaston, with the Blue Jays not in contention for the playoffs, if his mind occasionally wandered to thoughts of the Irish countryside, South African safaris or Sydney harbor.

But as the end of his managerial career approaches, Gaston claims no twinges of wistfulness nor sentimentality — “So far I haven’t,” he told FanHouse last week.

There are indications Toronto will name its next manager within days of the season’s end. Third-base coach Brian Butterfield deserves consideration — if passed over, he could wind up coaching third in Baltimore for Buck Showalter, with whom he worked in New York and Arizona — as does Yankees third-base coach and native Ontarian Rob Thomson. Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale is thought to be on Toronto’s list as well.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos said he hasn’t had the managerial search on the front burner until now and wouldn’t comment on candidates or timing.

“I’m just going to let the process play out,” he said. “It’s an important decision, and it can’t be rushed. I think the timeline will determine itself.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Jeff Niemann’s Troubles Deepen as Rays Crushed by Red Sox

Filed under: Rays, Red Sox

BOSTON — Including Monday night’s disaster at Fenway Park, Jeff Niemann is 0-3 with a 20.03 ERA in three starts since coming off the Tampa Bay disabled list.

“I don’t like it,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said after Niemann gave up six runs in 1 2/3 innings in a 12-5 loss to the Red Sox. “But this guy was so good before.”

Maddon said he has no plans to skip Niemann in his rotation.

Before missing three weeks with a shoulder strain, Niemann was 10-3 with a 3.12 ERA and just 44 walks in 141 1/3 innings.

Since returning, he has walked eight in 10 1/3 innings, giving up 19 hits, four of those homers (two Monday).

Niemann said he is fine physically, and Maddon said based on the radar readings and Niemann’s delivery, he has no reason to doubt that.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Mariners Farmhand Leury Bonilla Plays All Nine Positions in Game

Filed under: Mariners, Minor Leagues

You’ve heard of utility players and even the newer variation known as super-utility players, but we’ll have to find a new label to apply to Mariners minor leaguer Leury Bonilla after what he did Monday.

Bonilla, 25, had a change of scenery in every inning, playing all nine positions for the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in their regular season finale. And it wasn’t as if he just stood around at each position and called it an accomplishment; Bonilla managed to hit a home run and contribute a sacrifice fly in his four trips to the plate and didn’t allow a run in the inning he pitched.

His box score line is pretty impressive, reading CF-LF-RF-2B-SS-3B-1B-C-P as he worked his way around the diamond.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Padres Still Believe Despite 10-Game Skid

Filed under: Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Padres, NL West

SAN DIEGO — How fitting that as America celebrates a patriotic holiday, the San Diego Padres will try to end a 10-game losing streak.

The Padres are champions of democracy.

Regarding a skid that is the franchise’s longest since 1994, all precincts within San Diego’s ballclub have had their say: Be it a fading offense, a bullpen no longer invincible, a defense weakened by injury and perhaps fatigue, or baserunners either dulled or overly caffeinated. The starting pitching has tapered off too, with the exception of Mat Latos, the 22-year-old ace who was set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Labor Day night in San Diego until he was felled by stomach flu.

The Padres still lead the National League West, but their free fall has made the neighborhood a more egalitarian place.

Only 12 days ago the Padres were a threat to salt away a playoff berth well before season’s end. Their 76-49 record was not only the best record in the National League but, among all Padres clubs, the highest above .500 save the franchise-best, 98-victory season of 1998.

The San Francisco Giants were 6 1/2 games behind the Padres, and eight games back in the loss column.

The Colorado Rockies were 10 1/2 games out of first place.

When Labor Day arrived, however, the margins were down to one game and 4 1/2 games.

Beyond the hard numbers, the Padres looked like they were playing underwater as the streak stretched onward.

“We just need to take a step back and regroup,” said Padres utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. on Sunday, after the Rockies completed a three-game sweep in San Diego.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

‘Violent’ Flu Keeps Mat Latos From Start

Filed under: Padres, MLB Injuries

As if the Padres‘ recent slide hasn’t upset enough stomachs around San Diego, the figurative went literal Monday.

Mat Latos, the Padres’ best pitcher, was scratched from his Labor Day start against the Dodgers because of what he called a “violent” case of the stomach flu. That about sums it up for San Diego, which now will rely on spot starter Tim Stauffer to lead the way Monday night in an attempt to stop the losing skid at 10 games.

Despite his illness, Latos tried to talk the coaching staff into letting him take the ball Monday, but he was rebuffed. He is, however, scheduled to start Tuesday — assuming all goes well overnight.

If there’s any good news for the Padres, it’s that Stauffer had a measure of success in his last emergency start, working five scoreless innings May 9 against the Astros.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Two Children Hospitalized in Separate Incidents at Giants-D’backs Game

Filed under: Diamondbacks, Giants

PHOENIX (AP) — Two children have been taken to the hospital after being struck by a bat and a ball at Monday’s game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.

A 13-year-old boy seated near Arizona’s dugout just beyond the start of the protective netting was hit on the right side of the head in the fourth inning after San Francisco’s Buster Posey lost his bat swinging at a pitch.

In the next at-bat, the Giants‘ Pablo Sandoval sent a foul ball into the upper deck, where it struck a 2-year-old girl on the forehead.

Medical personnel rushed to the boy and started applying pressure and a cold compress to the side of his head for several minutes. He was later fitted with a neck brace and strapped to a stretcher.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Alex Rodriguez Sets Record With Latest 100-RBI Season

Filed under: Yankees, MLB Milestones

A day after coming off the disabled list, Alex Rodriguez made some more history Monday.

With a solo homer in the fourth inning off Brian Matusz and a sacrifice fly in the sixth, Rodriguez reached 100 RBI this season. It’s the 13th consecutive year he’s reached the century mark and the 14th time overall — a major league record.

Rodriguez had been tied with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx, three Hall of Famers who posted 13 seasons of at least 100 RBI during their careers.

Rodriguez’ homer was his 22nd of the season, but he’ll have to go on quite a run to reach 30 homers for the 13th consecutive year and 14th overall.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Padres Must Block Out Doubt, Move Past Losing Skid

Filed under: Padres, Executive Take

Oh no! The Padres‘ losing streak is up to 10 games and counting. What a brutal turn of events for the young team that still sits atop the NL West.

On August 25 they had just won three straight and improved their record to 76-49. That’s 27 games over .500, for those that are mathematically challenged. Since then, Murphy’s Law (not Dale Murphy) has applied: what could go wrong has gone wrong.

The pitching that was so good has failed them and the timely hitting that supported the pitching has disappeared. To make matters even worse, their defense is starting to get sloppy as well. They had a four-error game during the streak and have committed errors in their last four games.

They are playing with tension instead of intensity. They look like they are afraid to make mistakes. That tends to lead to mistakes.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Toronto Fan Injured by Metal Letter Falling From Jackie Robinson Sign

Filed under: Blue Jays, Rangers

TORONTO (AP) — Baseball fans have long been warned to look out for foul balls and flying bats.

Now add falling letters to the list.

A fan at the Toronto Blue Jays‘ game was OK on Monday after being struck in the right shoulder by a tumbling, metal “B” from a sign honoring Jackie Robinson.

The middle-aged man had a scrape after a foul ball by home run leader Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays dislodged one of the letters in a tribute honoring Robinson’s retired No. 42.

The letter fell about 30 feet from the facing over the third deck behind home plate in the seventh inning of the Texas-Toronto game.

“I was very surprised, because I didn’t expect a ‘B’ to fall on me,” said the injured fan, who gave only his first name as Ian and said he was a season-ticket holder from Toronto. He was watching the game with his son.

Although he was sore, the fan who was struck said the injury wouldn’t prove too serious; he throws left-handed.

The white letter, some two feet high, bounced down the aisle and was picked up in the front row by fan Bruno DeRose, who proudly held it over his head. Other fans booed when stadium security took the letter away.

“They should have at least given me a couple of tickets or a ball,” DeRose said. ”I couldn’t believe it happened.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Derek Lowe Plans to Start Wednesday

Filed under: Braves, MLB Injuries

The Braves can breathe a little sigh of relief after Derek Lowe’s bullpen session Monday went smoothly, setting him up to start Wednesday.

Lowe was supposed to start Friday but was scratched due to inflammation in his elbow. It was the first time he missed a start in his major league career. Lowe has been dealing with bone chips in the elbow for at least a month and had a cortisone shot to help dull the pain. He felt numbness in his hand during his last start Aug. 29, limiting him to three innings against the Marlins.

He hadn’t even been throwing bullpen sessions in between starts the last couple of weeks, but now that he’s able to do that again, he feels confident about being able to take the ball against the Pirates in two days.

“If we were where I was two, three weeks ago, then we’d probably have an issue,” he said. “But it’s getting better.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Next Page »