MLB archive

Scott Kazmir is tired of the past tense. Conversations always center around who the left-handed pitcher used to be: one of the most promising young arms in the American League.

On one of his first days in camp this spring with the Indians, Kazmir was summoned to Terry Francona's office for a chat. Seconds into this introductory meeting, there it was again -- Kazmir's past -- perfectly summed up in three words.

"I hated you," Francona told the pitcher.

Kazmir smiles when recalling the exchange, just as he probably smiled standing before Francona. The manager's comment was a sign of respect. At one point in time, several years ago, Kazmir was the kind of pitcher that ate hitters up and tested managers.

Kazmir's fall from baseball's spotlight was rapid and unrelenting. It began with minor injury issues, snowballed into messy mechanics and lost velocity, and ended with him out of baseball at an age most players hit their prime. Cleveland is giving Kazmir a chance to bring his story back into the present tense.

Francona made that clear with what he told the pitcher next.

"He said, 'I'm happy you're on our side,'" according to Kazmir.

This spring, the Indians have thrown Kazmir into the mix for the fifth rotation spot. There are five other candidates -- Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, David Huff and Daisuke Matsuzaka -- and no clear favorite.

Then there is Kazmir, who at 23 years old led the AL in strikeouts and at 27 was without a job.

So far, Kazmir has posted four shutout innings in two Cactus League appearances. He has scattered two hits with no walks and four strikeouts, with a 90-92-mph fastball, all of which is encouraging.

"I think, right now, with the stuff he has, he can pitch and win," Francona said.

It has been nearly two years since Kazmir pitched in a Major League game. That last outing, on April 3, 2011, for the Angels, was a 63-pitch meltdown. The lefty took the hill against the Royals and allowed five runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. Kazmir walked two batters, hit two others and was sent to the Minors.

Kazmir was released that June after going 0-5 with a 17.02 ERA in 15 1/3 innings for Triple-A Salt Lake City.

It was as if he hit rock bottom, and then the ground gave way again.

"Mentally, I was completely drained," Kazmir said. "When you kind of get booted from the game, where you're out of the game, the game that you love, the game you've played your entire life, you've got a lot of time to think and a lot of time to mature. It was a tough situation for me.

"I couldn't even turn on the television and watch any baseball games.... I just had like a sickening feeling in my stomach. All in all, it's made me a stronger person."

Kazmir has trouble explaining precisely what happened.

It began when he pulled his triceps in 2008 Spring Training with the Rays, and then worsened with a groin injury. Kazmir tried to pitch through it, and ended up negatively altering his mechanics while compensating for the discomfort. That initiated a chain reaction that threw Kazmir's pitching style out of whack, and he struggled to regain his former feel.

"I knew my delivery was just out of control," Kazmir said. "I was a pitcher that I didn't even know kind of who I was out there, because of everything that I tried to change throughout the years. When you're a competitor like me, you just try to compensate or do whatever you can do to be able to compete out there.

"And then when you don't have it, it's very frustrating."

When Kazmir had it, he was one of the game's best.

Between the 2005-08 seasons with Tampa Bay, Kazmir went 45-34 with a 3.51 ERA and 742 strikeouts in 689 2/3 innings. Over that four-year time period, he led the American League in strikeouts and was first in the Majors with a rate of 9.68 strikeouts per nine innings.

Francona managed the Red Sox when Kazmir was on top of his game.

"He tore us apart," Francona said. "It was one of those days where you'd tell [David] Ortiz, 'You've got a day off,' and he didn't complain. We didn't have anybody that had any good numbers against him."

Things began to unravel for Kazmir in '08 and the Rays dealt him to the Angels in August of '09 when the pitcher's ERA climbed to 5.92. In 2010, Kazmir went 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA in 28 starts for Los Angeles and, by '11, the lefty's fastball was down to about 86.5 mph.

Along the way, Kazmir sought help and advice from anyone willing to listen.

"I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was," Kazmir said. "Any person I've got, I brought them over to the video room and I was like, 'Check this out. Tell me something I'm doing wrong.' It didn't happen.

"Once I got released, I was like, the only way I'm going to be able to find this out is if I get it done [myself]."

Last summer, Kazmir suited up for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters in the Atlantic League, posting a 5.34 ERA in 64 innings while focusing more on his mechanics than his results. Over the winter, he headed to Puerto Rico, where he pitched for Gigantes de Carolina and put up a 4.37 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. Kazmir's fastball was also topping out at 93-94 mph.

Carolina manager Edwin Rodriguez, who is also a Double-A manager in Cleveland's system, put Kazmir in touch with the Indians. Francona gave the pitcher a call to gauge his interest in coming into camp on a Minor League contract.

"Getting a call from Tito, that doesn't hurt," Kazmir said. "That goes a long way."

So does the chance to shift his story into the present tense.

"I've definitely found a comfort zone with myself," Kazmir said, "and that's where it all starts."


Scott Kazmir looks for redemption with Indians | MLB-com: News

Team USA gathered on Monday at Salt River Fields for its first practice in anticipation of the World Baseball Classic opener on Friday. And manager Joe Torre said his starting pitching is aligned for the three Pool D games at Chase Field, with Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey tabbed to face rival Mexico on Friday at Chase Field (9 p.m. ET, MLB Network and ESPN Deportes). It's the third edition of the Classic, and the U.S. is trying to win it for the first time. Japan was the victor in 2006 and '09.

Later, after the media conference, Torre acknowledged that Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong is slated to start Saturday night against Italy, with Rangers left-hander Derek Holland on the mound Sunday vs. Canada and its bevy of left-hander hitters. Nationals lefty Ross Detwiler is also available to face the Canadians. Torre said Gio Gonzalez, another Nationals left-hander, will be not be available this weekend.

"We just told him to stay home," Torre said about Gonzalez, who along with Detwiler and reliever David Hernandez were late adds to the 28-man roster. Gonzalez remained with the Nationals at their camp in Florida while the rest of Team USA put on the red, white and blue uniforms here.

If the U.S. goes on to Miami's Marlins Park next week, Gonzalez will almost certainly pitch early in the second round.

Torre also said that Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia will start on Friday night to handle Dickey. The pair has been working together all winter in Nashville, Tenn., after the Mets traded the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner to Toronto. Joe Mauer of the Twins will be the designated hitter.

By Classic rules, starters can only throw 65 pitches in the first round, 80 in the second round and 95 in the semifinals (March 17-18) or final (March 19) at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Torre said he was waiting to see how Vogelsong fared in his appearance for the Giants on Monday in Cactus League action against the White Sox before making his start against Italy official. Torre added that Holland would start in an exhibition game on Tuesday against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch, with a bevy of relievers slated to go Wednesday night vs. the Rockies at Salt River Fields.

"Holland will pitch tomorrow in the exhibition game, so you can count on your fingers when he'll be pitching next," Torre said. "We're going to mix and match on Wednesday so people can be ready to throw in the games they're supposed to pitch."

The remainder of the seven starting position players will go as planned, although Torre didn't release a batting order. Around the horn, it's Mark Teixeira of the Yankees at first, Brandon Phillips of the Reds at second, Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies at short, David Wright of the Mets at third, Ryan Braun of the Brewers in left, Adam Jones of the Orioles in center and Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins in right.

Wright said he's more than ready to play nine innings in each of the tournament games.

"I can't speak for everybody else, but I got down to Spring Training early," said Wright, who along with Braun, Rollins, right fielder Shane Victorino of the Red Sox and reliever Heath Bell of the D-backs, played for the 2009 U.S. team that lost to Japan in the semifinals. "The games I've played, I've tried to play into the sixth or seventh inning each time to kind of speed up [the conditioning] process."

In addition to his starting position players, Torre has an extra catcher in Jonathan Lucroy of the Brewers, Victorino in the outfield, and Willie Bloomquist of the D-backs and Ben Zobrist of the Rays, who can back up at most of the infield and outfield positions. Behind the four starters here, Torre has a deep 10-man bullpen headed by Braves All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel.

Jones said the motivation to leave his team and play in the tournament was simple and illustrated to the players when they had their first meeting on Sunday night.

"This is our homeland," he said. "We're all excited to be here. This is not just an All-Star tournament when we're all going through the motions. For me, part of the meeting last night is that we can be the first USA team to win it. All 28 guys are motivated to do whatever they need to do to win."

To that end, Torre said he has relinquished the day-to-day duties of his regular job as Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations so he can concentrate on managing the team. Torre retired after 29 years of managing when he left the Dodgers in 2010.

"I made my last phone call today. Tony La Russa's running around town, so he'll [help out] a little bit," Torre said. "My attention is going to be total, 100 percent to the WBC and my new team, which is exciting to me."


R.A. Dickey to start USA's opener against Mexico | MLB-com: News

While on the other side of the planet the World Baseball Classic heads into the second round this weekend in the Tokyo Dome, first-round pool play begins in Arizona and Puerto Rico.

The survivors in Tokyo are two-time defending Classic champion Japan, Cuba, Chinese Taipei and Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Venezuela opens against the Dominican Republic on Thursday and Spain faces host Puerto Rico on Friday. Back in the desert, Italy plays Mexico at Salt River Fields on Thursday, Canada meets Italy at the same Spring Training facility on Friday, and in the premier game of the pool, Mexico faces Team USA on Friday night at Chase Field.

All the games will be televised on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes in the U.S., and tickets can be purchased for any of the remaining games at World Baseball Classic: Home.

"At least we have the benefit of a couple of practice games here," said U.S. manager Joe Torre, whose team played a 4-4 tie against the White Sox on Tuesday and will face the Rockies at Salt River Fields on Wednesday night. "But the mood of this team and these guys is very upbeat. They've melded pretty good at this point for a group that's been together for such a short period of time."

The U.S. hasn't finished higher than fourth place in the first two editions of the Classic. The Americans didn't make it out of the second round at Anaheim in 2006 and lost a semifinal game to the Japanese in '09 at Dodger Stadium.

This year, the second round for the Arizona and Puerto Rico winners is in Miami's Marlins Park from March 12-16. The semifinals are on March 17-18 and the championship game is on March 19, all at San Francisco's AT&T Park.

The Dominicans began their tournament preparations in grand style on Tuesday in Clearwater, Fla., whipping the Phillies, 15-2, and pounding out 28 hits. The U.S. might not have lost the game against the White Sox, but it lost Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira for the tournament because of a strained right wrist. Teixeira never saw a minute of action. At Salt River Fields, the Mexicans defeated the D-backs, 1-0, and held Arizona to four hits.

In that game, Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo made the start and worked one inning. Afterward, he proclaimed himself so improved from a strained right groin that Mexico manager Rick Renteria said Gallardo would start against Team USA and Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on Friday night. A crowd of close to 40,000 is expected. Gallardo is also excited about facing Brewers teammate Ryan Braun, the starting left fielder for the U.S.

"It's going to be an exciting game all around," Gallardo said. "No matter what sport it is, Mexico-U.S. always brings a lot of excitement. We got to talk about it a little bit going into this thing. It's the first time I'm going to get a chance to face [Braun]. It got close once in the Futures Game. He was on deck. So we'll be there all over again."

For the first time in tournament history, a second-round pool is being staged in Japan. The Japanese and the Cubans, longtime rivals at all levels of international play, have been there before. In fact, Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6, at San Diego's Petco Park to win the first Classic in 2006. The Dutch made it out of the first round in Puerto Rico four years ago by upsetting the Dominican Republic twice. This time they have their sights set on San Francisco.

"Being born in Holland, I take a lot of pride in that," said Hall of Famer and Dutch pitching coach Bert Blyleven before the tournament began. "I get a lot of pleasure helping these kids out. What we did four years ago, beating the Dominican Republic twice down in Puerto Rico, for the Dutch it was like winning the World Series. The celebration I went through back then is something I'd like to experience again this time. Baseball is so international now, and anything we can do in this tournament to enhance baseball in Europe I think is a very positive thing."

This is the first time that Chinese Taipei has made it out of the opening round. Previously, they were 1-4 in tournament play. The ouster of Korea early was a major upset. The Koreans defeated Chinese Taipei and finished in a three-way tie at 2-1 but were ousted by run differential. In the first two Classics, the Koreans powered their way through the second round, losing epic games to the Japanese in the semifinals in 2006 and in the final game at Dodger Stadium in '09.

Chinese Taipei manager Chang-Heng Hsieh was proud that his team moved on.

"Our players have worked hard to give their best in the three games in the first round," Hsieh said. "I would like to thank my team and hope that we will continue to perform well. Korea is a tough opponent ... we have not done well against them in recent years. We will continue to improve ourselves, and hopefully one day we can surpass other strong teams in international competitions."

He may have his chance. There's plenty of baseball still to play in the Classic and perhaps a few more upsets to come.


World Baseball Classic set to go full throttle | MLB-com: News

Truth be told, Reds pitching prospect Kyle Lotzkar wasn't entirely comfortable about facing his opponent in a relief appearance Wednesday.

The foes were Canada's World Baseball Classic team. Lotzkar, 23, hails from outside of Vancouver, British Columbia.

"I'd rather not," Lotzkar responded when asked about facing his countrymen. "I played with a lot of the guys and went to high school with some of the guys. I won a gold medal with a lot of those guys. It's the team I have a lot of history with. Playing for Team Canada is a different experience than what I've had in pro ball. Pro ball, even though you're on a team, you're also looking out for yourself as much as anything. On Team Canada, it's such a group mentality and team mentality."

The Reds didn't set up the pitching schedule so Lotzkar could face Canada -- it just worked out that way.

"It's not [planned to be special] but I hope he makes it like that," manager Dusty Baker said before the Reds defeated Canada by a 12-2 score. "Added motivation -- you want to be good against your homeboys."

Lotzkar didn't have to pitch in a high-leverage situation when he entered in the top of the eighth inning. The Reds already had a commanding eight-run lead and benefitted from a six-run second inning that featured Ryan Ludwick's three-run home run. In the third inning, Miguel Olivo also slugged a three-run homer for the 10-2 lead. The offense was compiled without Joey Votto, who, unlike Lotzkar, opted not to play because he is a member of both team's rosters.

Canada's first two batters were retired quickly by Lotzkar, who got a foul popout behind first base and a groundout to the shortstop. He issued a walk to Jonathan Malo before Tim Smith reached on an error by right fielder Denis Phipps. Lotzkar escaped on Jimmy Van Ostrand's groundout to third base.

In his first spring appearance Sunday vs. the Royals, Lotzkar was charged with four runs, two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.

Lotzkar hopes to one day be pitching for Canada in the Classic and has already represented his country internationally. In 2011, he was part of a gold medal-winning national team in the Pan American Games and claimed a bronze in the Baseball World Cup. He was on the provisional roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic but did not make the team, and he wound up missing that season with a stress fracture in his right elbow.

Ranked as the Reds' No. 6 prospect for 2013 by MLB-com, Lotzkar was a combined 7-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 22 starts and one relief appearance with Class A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola. In 112 2/3 innings, he walked a lot of batters -- 63 -- while striking out 123.

An injury in 2012 also prevented Lotzkar from being considered for this year's edition of the World Baseball Classic. He spent the last month of the season with right shoulder irritation, and an offseason MRI exam revealed a SLAP tear of the labrum in his shoulder, also known as a tear to the top part of the labrum, from the front to the back. It did not require surgery, however.

"Going into a playoff-like atmosphere after a pretty significant injury is probably not the best idea," Lotzkar said.

A former left wing in his youth hockey days, Lotzkar chose baseball to be his profession during his time at South Delta High School. The Reds made him a supplemental first-round pick (53rd overall) in the 2007 Draft.

A Blue Jays and Mariners fan as a kid, Lotzkar grew up liking Roy Halladay and Roger Clemens, but also followed fellow British Columbian Jeff Francis of the Rockies.

Lotzkar hopes to be part of the continuing wave of Canadian talent that has crossed south of its border -- including Votto, the Twins' Justin Morneau and former high school teammate Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays.

There are fewer pitchers that are currently in the Majors, but the list includes Brewers closer John Axford and the Tigers' Shawn Hill.

"We're getting a lot more recognition now because of names like Votto, especially recently," Lotzkar said. "It's one of those things, especially on the west coast of Canada, the weather is not too bad and the playing season is longer. Pitchers have a little disadvantage, especially coming out of Canada, compared to warmer states -- we throw two days a week and our season is half of theirs. But you're seeing a lot of really good hitters starting to come from there."

Still catching up after his shoulder issues, Lotzkar was late working off a mound. But he has been developing his changeup since last season. Because it still bothers his shoulder when hitting, he will be transitioned from a starter to a reliever this season.

"Whatever gets me there," Lotzkar said. "I attribute the walks a lot to health but cutting those will be a byproduct of being completely healthy."


Reds prospect Kyle Lotzkar throws inning against Canadian countrymen | MLB-com: News

The owner of 424 saves -- fourth-most of all time -- John Franco was one of baseball's best closers for much of a 21-year career that spanned parts of three decades (1984 to 2005). A member of the Mets in 14 of those campaigns, the left-hander appeared in more regular-season games (1,119) than all but two hurlers in history.

On Wednesday, for the first time, Franco toured the MLB Fan Cave as part of his pitch to promote the MLB All-Star FanFest and Taco Bell All-Star Sunday, two slices of the sport's All-Star summer pie.

"Growing up in New York City as a kid, seeing all the All-Star Games all over the country, now [with the festivities] being here at Citi Field this July, with a chance to participate in it and have some fun ... It's a thrill to be a part of," Franco said.

FanFest and Taco Bell All-Star Sunday tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10 a.m. ET online at allstargame-com and mets-com, at the Citi Field Box Office or by calling 888-326-3378.

An interactive theme park for fans of all ages, FanFest will transform Manhattan's Javits Center into a celebration that captures the thrills and excitement of Major League Baseball. Visitors will be able to enjoy exhibits from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, batting cages, free autograph sessions with former Mets and Major League legends, and memorabilia. The extravaganza will run from July 12-16, when baseball's best are set to converge on New York City for the 84th Midsummer Classic.

Franco will be there, looking to mingle with those who have bled blue and orange throughout the years.

"I'll be doing various functions that they have lined up for me," he said. "I'll be going to the Javits Center, probably doing some clinics, signing some autographs."

On Taco Bell All-Star Sunday, Franco will suit up alongside former big leaguers and beacons of the entertainment industry for the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. Prior to playing, he will watch the sport's stars of tomorrow during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

A four-time All-Star, Franco has not forgotten how it feels to be recognized as one of the sport's superlative performers. "The first time, it's a thrill being selected by your peers and other coaches and managers in the National League," he said. "It's just a thrill to be there when you are amongst the best players in the game at that particular time or season, to be part of something you'll never forget. You always dream as a kid of making an All-Star team. It's a pretty big achievement."

During his Fan Cave tour, Franco helped shoot a pair of promotional videos created to encourage interest in both FanFest and All-Star Sunday.

Before departing he sat down to chat with fans on Facebook. Answering frankly, he revealed the current relievers with whom he is most impressed (closers Craig Kimbrel and Mariano Rivera) and the hitters who caused him the most trouble -- Tony Gwynn (18-for-52, .346) and Mariano Duncan (10-for-20, .500).

He also indicated a desire to coach at the big league level one day. His unofficial résumé includes a line about his time with the travel team of his son, J.J., whom the Mets drafted out of high school in the 42nd round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

J.J. now plays second base for Brown University, and Franco is relishing his job as a full-time father.

"I travel around the country watching him play," he said. "I enjoy it. Time goes fast; I can remember him starting as a freshman in college, and now he's in his junior year. I just enjoy my time being away with my family and watching my son play ball.

A beloved member of the Mets family and the franchise's Hall of Fame as well, Franco expects that he will have a full plate of duties come All-Star time.

"I am sure there are going to be quite a bit of opportunities," he said. "Obviously, going around, probably doing [baseball] clinics, various speaking engagements, autograph sessions. I should have a lot of fun doing it."



John Franco makes his pitch to promote All-Star festivities | MLB-com: News

It's not as if the alarm needs to go off for Team USA, which is now in a must-win situation on Saturday night at Chase Field against a surprising team from Italy that is so far dominating the bracket.

Because the U.S. lost, 5-2, to Mexico on Friday night, it needs to defeat the 2-0 Italians if the Americans have any hope of moving on to the second round beginning Tuesday night at Marlins Park in Miami.

"If we won today, it would have been the same mindset: We need to win tomorrow," U.S. manager Joe Torre said after the game. "This is a postseason approach. You have to think about winning every day. But if you don't win one day, I mean, you shouldn't be in the tournament if it's going to get you down to the point of not thinking you can win.

"That's not a concern to me. We certainly were ready to go out there and win tonight. They just did a better job than we did."

Italy won earlier in the day, defeating Canada, 14-4, in a game that ended on the 10-run rule in the bottom of the eighth inning. By virtue of its wins already over Mexico and Canada, plus a big advantage in the run differential tiebreaker, Italy seems almost assured of emerging from the first round for the first time and moving on to Miami.

The Italians are throwing unheralded left-hander Luca Panerati against Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who most recently was 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in four starts this past October as San Francisco won the World Series for the second time in three years.

On Saturday, Canada will play Mexico at 12:30 p.m. MT (2:30 p.m. ET) and Team USA will meet Italy at 7 p.m. MT (9 ET). The pool closes on Sunday here at 1 p.m. MT (3 ET) with Canada playing the U.S. in what could be a decisive contest. All the games will be broadcast nationally by MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

"There's some interesting strategy in this tournament. It's a little unorthodox," Italian hitting coach Mike Piazza said. "We have to watch our pitching and then there's the run differential. We have some [pitchers] rested, who are going to be able to pitch tomorrow, but right now we're just going to let it all hang out and play a good game against the U.S. You see from one to nine, guys are really battling. It builds great unity and energy on the team."

Italy came from behind on Friday at Salt River Fields in the ninth inning, defeating Mexico, 6-5. The Mexicans came back from that disappointment to stymie the U.S., which has only been together since a team meeting on Sunday. The Italians have been practicing mostly out at Camelback Ranch for a week with Major Leaguers like Chris Denorfia and Jason Grilli joining the group as workouts were already in progress.

Piazza said that the unity has made a big difference to a team that didn't make it out of the first round in the initial two Classics, both won by the Japanese. The U.S. hasn't finished higher than fourth. "That was essential, especially for our bench guys now," Piazza said. "We got some at-bats against some good pitching. The Dodgers were very gracious to let us work out there and we got some good work in. It forces you to get ready quick."

If the U.S. wins out, mostly likely they will move on to Miami, although a complicated run-differential formula would be used to break a three-way tie.

R.A. Dickey, who started and lost on Friday night, said the U.S. will be ready.

"You grieve this for the rest of the night, but when you come tomorrow you better be ready," said Dickey, who won a bronze medal at Atlanta in 1996 with the U.S. Olympic baseball team. "The beauty of a tournament like this is that if we take care of business the next two days we should advance and then it's a clean slate. So we're not going to get too down. It's part of the competition. We get it."



USA knows stakes are high against Italy | MLB-com: News

It's always high stakes.

Instead of meeting his former Brewers teammates in an exhibition game in Maryvale on Monday, Zack Greinke was in Los Angeles meeting Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who concluded the Dodgers pitcher's right elbow is inflamed but nothing worse.

The team doctor gave Greinke an injection of platelet-rich plasma and anti-inflammatory medication. The pitcher has been prescribed rest for two to three days and then a return to a progressive throwing program.

"It sounds really positive," manager Don Mattingly said after receiving results of Greinke's examination.

ElAttrache's diagnosis confirmed an MRI taken last week that Greinke had no structural ligament or tendon damage in the elbow, which has bothered him since his last start March 1.

Greinke missed a bullpen session eight days ago because of discomfort in the back of the elbow, missed a start five days ago because of the flu, then threw an impressive bullpen session Friday without issues.

But the discomfort in the back of his elbow returned when he played catch Sunday. The club said the decision to send Greinke for an exam was made "out of an abundance of caution."

Greinke has told the team he's dealt with similar elbow issues in the past that never kept him from missing a start.

Although Greinke is clearly behind most of the other starters in innings pitched and Mattingly didn't know when he'd be back on a mound, the manager said he thinks Greinke will be ready to make his first scheduled regular-season start April 2 anyway.

"Yeah, I do," he said. "That could change, but I expect him to."

Mattingly said his concern over Greinke was tempered by the way the bullpen session went Friday. Mattingly stood in the batter's box and thought Greinke was throwing free and easy.

"If that guy was hurting with something serious going on, it would be a shocker," Mattingly said before Monday's exam.

Hyun-Jin Ryu, who was already scheduled to pitch on Monday after Greinke, started instead and allowed three runs and struck out three in 4 2/3 innings in the Dodgers' 3-2 loss. Ryu will likely continue to start in Greinke's place until Greinke is ready to return.

Greinke was signed to a $147 million contract in December (the richest ever for a right-hander at the time) after exceeding 200 innings in four of the last five seasons. He missed time in 2011 because of a broken rib suffered in a spring pickup basketball game that left him on the disabled list throughout April.

He has made only two starts this spring for a total of five innings, while Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw made his fourth start on Sunday and has pitched 13 innings.


Dodgers' Zack Greinke receives injection for elbow inflammation | MLB-com: News

The Miami New Times has rejected a request from Major League Baseball for records that the alternative newspaper obtained for a story that alleges several players received performance-enhancing drugs from a now-closed anti-aging clinic.

New Times editor Chuck Strouse's response to MLB commissioner Bud Selig appeared on the paper's website Tuesday (New Times Says No to MLB - - News - Miami - Miami New Times).

Strouse cited journalistic ethics and the fact that the newspaper has already posted dozens of records on its website, omitting personal information of people who weren't involved in any wrongdoing.

The newspaper reported in January that six professional baseball players, including Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, bought human growth hormone and other PEDs during 2009-12 from Biogenesis of America LLC. The defunct anti-aging clinic in Coral Cables was operated by Anthony Bosch. Rodriguez has denied the allegations.

The story was based on clinic records, many with handwritten notations, that the New Times said it obtained.

Strouse confirmed his response by phone Tuesday night.

MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said, ''While we appreciate the New Times consideration, we have been proceeding with our investigation as if we were not going to be getting documents from them.''


Y! SPORTS

Team Puerto Rico survived the hard way on Wednesday night.

On the brink of elimination, Puerto Rico rallied with three runs in the eighth inning to defeat Italy, 4-3, in front of 25,787 at Marlins Park.

Puerto Rico was four outs away from exiting the World Baseball Classic but managed to prevail, tying the game on pinch-hitter Luis Figueroa's sacrifice fly and going ahead on Andy Gonzalez's infield single. "With the lineup that we have, it was a matter of time before we started scoring runs," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "Of course, everybody was kind of putting a little bit of pressure on themselves. So the staff has to fake it and try to make it look like we're all calm and everything was under control. I think we did a good job of doing that. The guys went out there, and they made that happen."

Italy was eliminated from Round 2 in agonizing fashion. The Italians had a three-run lead slip away on Wednesday, after seeing a four-run lead disappear in a 5-4 loss to the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

The Italians grabbed the lead in the fifth inning on Anthony Rizzo's three-run double.

Now that Italy's journey has ended, Rizzo, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native and the Cubs' first baseman, is glad he was part of the surprising run.

"We had a lead in every game we played in this tournament," Rizzo said. "No one scripted us to be where we are, playing against the best teams. There's a handful of All-Stars on every team and we had the lead in every game. We all stayed together, and I think the respect that we earned in this tournament is well-deserved for the entire country of Italy."

Puerto Rico, now 1-1 in Round 2, still is in a must-win situation. But it moves on to Friday and awaits the loser of Thursday's Team USA-Dominican Republic game.

While Puerto Rico is waiting to see who it will play, it has announced Nelson Figueroa will be the starting pitcher.

In its emotional comeback, Puerto Rico did all the things necessary to prevail in the tournament.

"That's how you win the World Series," catcher Yadier Molina said. "By playing as a team. Pitching as a team. Hitting as a team and playing defense as a team. That's what we did today."

All the traits were needed to close out a tightly played game. Hiram Burgos threw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, including two strikeouts in the ninth inning. With one on, Fernando Cabrera recorded a one-out save.

Considered the team least likely to succeed in Round 2, Italy was scrappy but ended up not being able to hold late-inning leads.

Carlos Beltran got the eighth-inning rally going for Puerto Rico with a walk. Molina's single put runners on the corners. A fielder's choice groundout by Mike Aviles scored Molina, making it a 3-2 game. Alex Rios' single put runners on the corners with one out.

Brian Sweeney relieved Pat Venditte, and Puerto Rico brought in Figueroa to pinch-hit. His sacrifice fly to center tied the game. On the play, center fielder Chris Denorfia threw home, which allowed Rios to take second.

Getting into scoring position was huge.

Gonzalez tapped a grounder in the hole that was fielded on the backhand by shortstop Jack Santora. His throw across the diamond hopped, and Rizzo was unable to hold on. Rios scored from second on the play, and Puerto Rico's bench was in full celebration.

"I saw [Rios] rounding," Rizzo said. "I figured if I can pick that -- it was going to be a tough hop. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to stay on the bag, so if I could pick it, I'd be able to throw him out."

For Italy, it was a tough way to go home.

Each starting pitcher has spent time in Japan, and both were effective.

Puerto Rico starter Giancarlo Alvarado, who pitched in the winter leagues in the offseason, has spent the past three seasons in Japan.

Italy countered with right-hander Alessandro Maestri, who also pitched last season in Japan.

In the fifth inning, the Italians snapped the deadlock on Rizzo's three-run double.

Anthony Granato started the rally with a one-out single, and Nick Punto was awarded first on catcher's interference. Molina was charged with the error when his glove was clipped on Punto's swing. Denorfia's single loaded the bases and ended Alvarado's night.

Rodriguez played the percentages, bringing in lefty Xavier Cedeno to face the left-handed-hitting Rizzo.

Rizzo batted .208 in 2012 against southpaws for the Cubs, compared with .318 while facing right-handers.

Those splits were rendered meaningless, as Rizzo ripped a liner into the gap in right-center, clearing the bases.

In the sixth inning, Puerto Rico capitalized on two errors by Granato at shortstop and made it 3-1. Molina singled and Aviles reached on an error. With two outs, Granato booted Carlos Rivera's grounder for his second error, which scored Molina.

"You have to give credit to the Italian team because they have one heck of a team," Molina said. "But what we came with, the work of Hiram, of Giancarlo, all the [pitchers], we were able to win. We hope that on Friday it will be the same thing."



Puerto Rico's late rally gives Italy the boot | MLB-com: News

While you are waiting for Friday night's game between the United States and Puerto Rico, it's a good time to make sure you have the free World Baseball Classic app locked and loaded on your mobile desktop.

If you are among the millions who are again shattering usage records with the MLB-com At Bat 13 app, the Classic app is a natural companion. Just ask the many fans from Tokyo to Miami who are using it to absorb every moment of the tournament, which will reach its pinnacle with Tuesday's championship game in San Francisco.

You can access it through your At Bat app and download it, or go to the iTunes App Store and add it for your iPhone or iPad. The app is available only on iOS devices.

The World Baseball Classic app is powered by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the industry-leading mobile app developer of At Bat, the top-grossing sports app of all time. You can join those World Baseball Classic app users who are continuing to get live coverage of every game in the tournament with Gameday pitch-by-pitch tracking as well as mobile access to scores, schedules, statistics, video highlights, news and analysis from MLB-com reporters.

The app is also making live and on-demand telecasts of all 39 games available on an authenticated basis to Bright House Networks, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable subscribers who receive MLB Network as part of their TV subscriptions. MLB Network is the exclusive English-language telecast partner of the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic in the U.S.

The World Baseball Classic, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), will for the first time in 2013 be recognized as the official national-team world championship, with the winner being crowned the 2013 World Baseball Classic champion and the IBAF world champion.

Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands already are in the semifinals, which will be played at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and the app is a good way to track their preparation and news while you home in on the second-round action in Miami. You can see Puerto Rico against the United States at 7 p.m. ET on Friday. At 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, it will be Game 5 winner against the Game 4 winner.

The championship round begins at 9 p.m. ET Sunday with the Pool 2 runner-up against Japan, followed a day later by the Netherlands against the Pool 2 winner.

The desktop takeover on your mobile device continues as fans have a robust array of apps to follow the national pastime in 2013.

The chief yearlong companion is MLB-com At Bat 13, which debuted a new suite of features for the start of Spring Training, including portability of live audio across mobile devices and PC/Mac and universal access across iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and tablets and Kindle Fire. Fans may subscribe to MLB-com At Bat 13 for the annual fee of $19.99, covering the entire season through the World Series. iOS users may pay $2.99/month with the recurring billing offering.

In addition to the World Baseball Classic, you can use your At Bat app to watch more than 200 available live games in the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues. The complete Spring Training schedule of games available via MLB.TV Premium and At Bat can be found at MLB-com. Live video of Spring Training games is not subject to blackout restrictions.


Follow all the World Baseball Classic action with free app | MLB-com: News

It's a very relevant question, now that The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a mere two victories away from being crowned champions of a World Baseball Classic on which nobody expected them to have much of an impact.

"It's amazing that we're here, but I know it's going to be very special if we can accomplish this feat," Meulens said after an 8-1 exhibition victory over the Mariners on Friday night, a few hours before leaving for San Francisco's AT&T Park, site of his team's semifinal game in three days. "We're loose. Guys are having a great time playing. I don't think they care who's on the other side of the field right now."

You have to understand, though -- the Dutch winning a worldwide, professional baseball tournament is like the United States getting first place in an international competition in croquet.

Baseball is popular in the tiny island of Curacao, a constituent country with a population of less than 150,000. But in The Netherlands, no more than 15,000 of the 17 million people are said to be involved in baseball. That's .09 percent. Comparatively, more than 1.5 million play soccer.

"Soccer is the No. 1, 2 and 3 sport in Holland, basically," 7-foot-1 Dutch pitcher and Reds Minor Leaguer Loek Van Mil said. "There's nothing else."

This is a team whose leader and most recognizable figure, Andruw Jones, is well past his prime and currently without a Major League gig. This is a team with only three players -- Nats backup outfielder Roger Bernadina, Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons and newly added Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen -- who are expected to play in the Major Leagues in 2013.

This is a team that has no business being among the final four of a tournament with powerhouses like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan and the United States.

But don't tell them that.

"You look over all these years and the extra talent we have this time, we just know that we can play with everybody and play this game," said bench coach Robert Eenhoorn, the former big league infielder who serves as technical director for The Netherlands' national baseball team. "We're not intimidated by big teams."

In the 2006 Classic, when the squad was eliminated in the first round, the Dutch were just happy to be here. Heading into '09, when they stunned the Dominicans twice in the first round, the goal was to advance. For this year's event, taking place two years after The Netherlands became the first European team to win the IBAF Baseball World Cup, they saw winning it all as a realistic goal.

So, you may have been mildly surprised to see them breeze through Korea and Australia in the first round. And you might have been shocked that they beat Cuba, ranked No. 1 internationally, twice in the second round. But maybe you should look a little closer.

Team Netherlands has a gluttony of talented young shortstops, like Simmons, who Meulens called "the most exciting player in this tournament;" Profar, the No. 1 prospect in baseball; Xander Bogaerts, the top-ranked player in the Red Sox's system; and Jonathan Schoop, a middle infielder who is ranked fourth with the Orioles.

Bernadina and Wladimir Balentien, the former big leaguer who has hit a combined 62 homers in Japan the last two years, gives them a formidable outfield. Jones, mainly the designated hitter, is a key veteran presence. Diegomar Markwell, the likely Monday starter, has been a steady hand for an otherwise flimsy rotation, giving up just one run in 10 innings. Jensen, who had a 2.35 ERA and 25 saves in the Majors last season, is a huge addition to the back of the bullpen.

And they're playing like a team with nothing to lose.

"We have a really good, young group, and we've managed to stick together and play the right way," said Jones, who will spend the 2013 season playing in Japan. "Anything can happen in this final. You have to take care of that first game -- you have to eliminate your mistakes, you have to pitch right, you have to play good defense. And we have a good chance because we have the guys to do all that stuff."

After outscoring the Padres and Mariners, 17-4, at Peoria Sports Complex on back-to-back days, Team Netherlands boarded their two-hour flight to the Bay Area, site of the four-team, single-elimination championship round -- and the last leg of a journey that has taken them from Arizona to Taiwan to Japan to Arizona again.

They'll have a light workout at AT&T Park at 2:15 p.m. PT on Saturday and 9:45 a.m. on Sunday.

Then, as the Pool 1 runner-up to two-time champion Japan, Team Netherlands will play the Pool 2 winner -- either the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico -- at 6 p.m. on Monday night, in a game that will be televised on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

For the first time, the biggest television station in The Kingdom of the Netherlands, NOS, will broadcast the game, too.

How many will actually watch? Tough to say. The popular speed-skating season ended a week ago, but soccer is reaching the climax of its season over there. And, oh yeah, it'll be 2 a.m. in The Netherlands when their team's semifinal game begins.

"I'd like to say it means a lot to them, but I don't think it does," Van Mil said. "Baseball is just not a big sport. It's soccer."

But winning the Classic, an incomparable baseball stage for a nation that doesn't really have a professional league, can change everything in the Netherlands. It'll never get to the level of soccer, but Eenhoorn's goal is to make baseball the clear No. 2 sport in his home country. He's helped build six academies there since he took over. And in April, a more than $20 million stadium that can seat up to 29,000 fans will open near the capital of Amsterdam, which Eenhoorn hopes will house the first Major League contest in Europe.

Win two more games, and suddenly the doors can swing open for this nation.

"Winning the World Cup was nice, and it gave us a lot of publicity," Eenhoorn said. "But winning at a stage, at a platform

Ernest Riles remembers those hot Sunday afternoons when football didn't rule here in south Georgia. He remembers the baseball games inside the tin fence at Holder Park, the games where fans stuffed themselves into bleachers and lined the fence rails and got their money's worth over nine innings. The "chugalug lady" would take $2 a head at the gate and drop it into her tin can. If you could reach beyond the 375-foot fence with one swing, she would meet you with some bonus money for your home run. It was the mid-1970s and you could see a 14-year-old (Riles) face Melvin Ray, a man, who could throw 90 mph.

"People paid to watch, and it was some kind of crowd that came out; every little town around here had a community team," said the 52-year-old Riles, who was drafted in the third round (1981) and played nine years in the big leagues as an infielder. "I'd like to see baseball come back and be strong again here. Maybe all this today will help."

Riles, who lives in the Atlanta area, drove four hours to participate in the renaming of the Boys & Girls Club here to the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club of Cairo-Grady County. The iconic Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball, was born here and the city of Cairo (pronounced kay-roe) and Grady County have continued to honor his achievement 94 years after his birth.

The renaming of the Boys & Girls Club on Saturday morning coincided with the groundbreaking of a renovated baseball field, the same field Riles played on in 1974 and 1975. The infield has been smoothed out, new dugouts and fencing have been erected, and the outfield grass has been manicured. New lights have also been installed, and there is a plaque bearing Robinson's No. 42 to welcome fans. Kids ringed the fence during the ceremony eager to run the bases.

Sharon Robinson, the daughter of Jackie Robinson, participated in the groundbreaking and ribbon cutting along with former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield and Teresa Edwards, a Cairo native and former Olympic star and All-America basketball player. There was a tribute dinner Friday night that was attended by 600 people and raised thousands of dollars for the Boys & Girls Club.

Jeffery Brown, the unit director who oversees this Boys & Girls Club, said this summer the club will join Major League Baseball's RBI initiative, an outreach program designed to promote the game in underserved areas.

"We want to get baseball back on the map here," Brown said.

Promoting the game sounds just fine with Jerome Bryant, a local baseball coach who organizes community teams for players ages 14 to 50.

"This area use to be a hub of baseball," said Bryant, who played with Riles back in the '70s. "It died down, but we keep trying and trying. It's waves in the ocean, the interest comes then goes, then comes, then goes.

"Now that we have these lights we can come out here and practice at night and play on the weekends. The field looks like good. You have to have a facility to get the kids to give it a try."

The Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club will be more than a center for baseball, but also a community center for change. Charles Renaud, one of the board members for the club, told a crowd of several hundred people that Robinson's legacy was about courage and bridging a gap.

"When Mr. Robinson signed that contract it was a ribbon cutting and what he was doing was groundbreaking. It is inspiring us to see if we can put down our economic, political, and racial differences and use this as a catalyst to move forward," Renaud said.

It was the first visit Sharon Robinson had made to her father's native hometown. The house where Jackie was born Jan. 31, 1919, was burned down in a brush fire, but a 150-year-old brick chimney is still on the site and the area has been made a shrine.

Her father lived in Cairo for just a year before the family moved to Southern California, but Sharon Robinson still felt an attachment when she arrived here. She was welcomed into the arms of relatives from the Grady County area with whom she had not previously connected.

"It was very emotional for me," said Sharon Robinson, who was 22 when her father died of a heart attack at 53. "I felt very calm there. I am proud of my cousin Linda Walden for buying the land [where the home sat], keeping it beautiful, and erecting this plaque in my father's honor that did not just talk about baseball but talked about him as a man.

"It made me feel very connected. My father's heritage is here." She will return to see for herself the impact of the Boys & Girls Club that bears her father's name.

"We're proud to have my father's name on this Boys & Girls Club," Sharon Robinson said. "They respect their young people and their facility. You know it's a good program."

Jackie Robinson had an immense historical significance. He was an inspiration to Dr. Martin Luther King, the spearhead of the civil rights movement. Robinson may not have played baseball in Cairo, but the community treasures the relationship as if he did.

"We honor it," said Kenneth Corker, a local resident. "He changed baseball for everybody and he is part of Cairo."


Georgia youth center renamed for Jackie Robinson | MLB-com: News

Though members of both teams have tried to play it down, the Dominican Republic-Kingdom of the Netherlands grudge match in Monday night's semifinal at AT&T Park has become one of the most talked about clashes in this year's World Baseball Classic.

The game is set for 9 p.m. ET, and the winner will play the survivor of Sunday night's Japan-Puerto Rico semifinal in Tuesday's 8 p.m. ET championship final. All the games can be seen in the U.S. on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

Here's the background: In 2009, the unheralded Dutch knocked the Dominican Republic out of the Classic by beating them twice in what was then a double-elimination first-round format, played down in Puerto Rico. It still smarts for Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes, a member of both Dominican teams.

"I think then, we had too much confidence. We took the field with too much confidence," Reyes said about those games, which the Dominican Republic lost, 3-2 and 2-1. "I always say, in baseball, anything can happen. Any team can win, not only the team that has the most talent wins."

The Netherlands has long been known as a European baseball power. But around the rest of world the Dutch are more known for their windmills and wooden shoes. Until now, as they take their place on the Classic's grand stage.

Once again, on paper, the Dominicans have the decided edge. Most of their roster is replete with players from Major League teams, like Robinson Cano, Erick Aybar, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Santana and Fernando Rodney. Monday night's starter, Edinson Volquez, is the No. 1 hurler for the Padres who will likely pitch for them on Opening Day in New York against the Mets.

The Dutch have Andruw Jones, Roger Bernadina, Andrelton Simmons and added Jurickson Profar and Kenley Jansen to the roster for the championship round. All of them are natives of Curacao in the Netherland Antilles, which counts, as a far as Classic affiliation is concerned.

Monday night's Dutch starter, Diegomar Markwell, is actually from Rotterdam, via Curacao, and pitched nine years in the Blue Jays' system from 1997-03, but never above Double-A. In a world of sabermetrics and intense advance scouting, Dominican manager Tony Pena claims he has never heard of him.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Pena said. "I am not familiar at all. We are not familiar at all. And that's no joke. You will probably say, you should know this, but we didn't have any time or chance to check the roster yet. But we will do our homework. I promise you that. We will do our homework."

The Dominican Republic, though, is not taking the Dutch for granted at all this time. Remember, the Netherlands are a team that defeated powerhouse Cuba twice already in this tournament. The Dominicans fell behind 4-0 to Italy on Tuesday in Miami, only to come back and win the game. They are 6-0, but their three wins in Pool 2 in Miami over Italy, Team USA and Puerto Rico were by a total of four runs.

The Dominicans are beatable again here and the Dutch know they are capable of engineering another upset.

"That was four years ago and in the past for us," said Dutch manager Hensley Meulens, who as the hitting coach for the defending World Series champion Giants, feels right home playing in this ballpark. "We have grown so much since then. We have gotten better, in my opinion. We didn't go past the second round that time, but this time we have. We have more youth on our team, more talent than four years ago."

Which means that the Dutch are undaunted.

"We beat Korea over there in Taiwan in the first game and then we beat Australia, Cuba twice," Meulens said. "We had a tough time against Japan, but the guys never gave up. You have to pitch good, you have to play good defense, and then get timely hitting, and we'll come out ahead for sure."

For their part, the Dominicans are saying all the right things. But unlike Japan, which won the first two Classics, their history in the tournament has been spotty, at best. In 2006, they were 5-1 heading into their semifinal game at Petco Park and lost to the Cubans. The loss in Hiram Bithorn Stadium three years later has already been documented.

This time, to win the gold Classic trophy and have the name of their country engraved on its base, the Dominicans will have to win out. If they do so, they will become the first undefeated champion in the history of the tournament.

But to get there, they have to go through the Dutch, with their pesky team of players from the depths of the Major League Baseball's Minor League system and the Netherlands professional league. Some of these guys cut their teeth playing for the Burnaby Bulldogs, Neptunus Rotterdam and the Amsterdam Pirates. Even the legendary Jones is playing this year in Japan.

There is the indignity of losing to the Dutch again. But if this is a grudge match, the Dominican Republic has to wonder -- where is the grudge?

"I think they have a better team than 2009," Reyes said. "They have some guys with a lot of talent over there. But we don't worry about that. We just want to continue the way that we've played so far, worry about our ballclub. We feel very comfortable when we take the field. And we want to continue to play hard, give everything on the field and go from there. Because we know that they got a good team, we have to come out and play the right way if we want to win."


Dominicans looking to rewrite Classic history | MLB-com: News

When the World Baseball Classic was in its early stages a couple of weeks ago, Tony Pena made a comment indicating he didn't have the "ideal" team representing the Dominican Republic in this tournament.

That wasn't a slam on the roster as much as it was a compliment to the gobs of baseball talent that is produced every year in Pena's native country. Stacked as his team is, the Dominican manager felt the star power could be even stronger. Never mind that. Pena had all of the firepower he needed Monday night at AT&T Park, thanks to one big inning by the club's best-known players. A breakout fifth frame led to a 4-1 win over the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the semifinals, sending the Dominicans to the championship game Tuesday against Puerto Rico at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes.

If the Dominican Republic wins that game, it'll be the first time in World Baseball Classic history a team runs the table. The Dominicans are 7-0 entering the final game, a new mark for consecutive wins in the Classic.

Perfection, presumably, would be "ideal."

"I feel really proud of them," Pena said. "Because they were here today, they went out there and they gave everything for our country. If you ask me if this is the ideal group, I would say yes. I would say this is the ideal group. Because they're the ones who are here today."

It took the Dominican Republic a few innings to get on the scoreboard against the upstart Dutch, but a four-run rally in the fifth pushed the favorites into the lead.

The Dominicans finally got to Dutch starter Diegomar Markwell with back-to-back doubles with one out in the fifth, getting on the scoreboard when Carlos Santana came around on Moises Sierra's shot down the left-field line.

Jose Reyes followed one out later with a single to drive home Sierra, and the Dominican team had its first lead of the night. After moving to third on a Miguel Tejada single, Reyes scored the third run of the inning on a wild pitch by reliever Tom Stuifbergen. And Tejada scored on an Edwin Encarnacion single, touching home before Robinson Cano was thrown out at third base for the final out.

A raucous dugout, fueled by a large Dominican-friendly fanbase among the 27,527 in the stands, greeted the players with jubilation as they came off the field.

Big inning. Big names. Big win.

"This has been one of my greatest experiences," said Sierra, whose leap into the stands to nab an Andruw Jones long fly ball created a buzz in the first inning. "To be able to represent my country has been the best thing that's happened to me."

A look at the overall performances by the team's greatest stars suggests their undefeated record this month isn't all that surprising. Cano is hitting .517 (15-for-29) with four doubles, two home runs and six RBIs in the World Baseball Classic. Reyes has nine hits so far. "They put some great at-bats on us today," Netherlands manager Hensley Meulens said. "We fouled a bunch of pitches off. Those great hitters, that's why they come up. They rise to the top when it comes to playing big games like this. We just came up a little bit short."

Cano has been touted as the vocal leader of the Dominican club and a source of encouragement for a strong offense that entered Monday's game with the highest batting average of the three teams remaining in the Classic.

Having won two MVP Awards already in the first two rounds of the tournament, Cano could be on his way to the trifecta. Even if he doesn't win it, his manager has seen enough to justifiably gush about the Yankees second baseman.

"He's just stepped forward and tried to keep everybody the right way," Pena said. "Like today -- 'Hey, guys, we swing at a lot of pitches out of the strike zone. Come on. Let's concentrate a little bit more, let's take the at bat, let's make him work, and you will get a pitch to hit.'

"That means a lot, because now he tried to pass the word to the whole ballclub to be disciplined at the home plate. And it worked. Little things like this are the things that are going to make him a good leader on any ballclub in the future."

But for now, there's only one game in the immediate future, and that's on Tuesday against a strong Puerto Rico club. It'll be an all-Caribbean series, much to Pena's delight. Now, he just needs the "right" team to win it.

"That's been one of our goals, to respect our adversaries and to get prepared mentally and physically in order to play a good ballgame," he said. "Now, tomorrow, the Baseball Classic will be decided. We'll see who wins there."


Big names come up huge for DR in Classic | MLB-com: News

Major League Baseball vice president Rob Manfred said Tuesday that owners are not considering any plan to eliminate pension programs for its non-uniform personnel, contrary to a report that had team employees and scouts seething in rage.

ESPN New York reported Tuesday that MLB was moving toward eliminating the pension plans of all personnel not wearing big league uniforms, but Manfred denied that possibility.

"It's inaccurate,'' Manfred told USA TODAY Sports. "There has been no discussion of eliminating employee pension plans."

Instead, as ESPNNewYork-com first reported, teams will vote on whether clubs will be permitted to design a pension program rather than using MLB's defined benefit plan.

"The clubs would be given the flexibility to design a plan appropriate for their workplace,'' Manfred said. "They wouldn't be mandated by a defined pension plan. This has been talked about for years.''

Yet, even if a team opts out of the current non-uniformed personnel pension plan, the club must have a plan that's at least equitable with the current MLB plan. Teams owners are expected to vote on the proposal at their May quarterly meetings in New York, but one prominent owner, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports only on the condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak publicly, doubts that many clubs would opt out of the current plan. Opting out of the plan, he said, could present legal complications with the IRS.


MLB denies owners want to eliminate personnel pensions

A variety of Detroit Tigers sports apparel is on sale for up to 75% off at the Sports Fan Playground. The store has a variety of Tigers MLB merchandise representing the current players as well as classic Tigers memorabilia.

The store has a variety of apparel including jerseys, hats, home and garden products, jackets and more representing the Detroit Tigers, with the classic Old English D emblem. The jerseys available include products representing Justin Verlander, American League MVP and Triple Crown Winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Doug Fister, and many other Tigers players.

For sports memorabilia, the store has a variety of signed items representing the 2006, 2012, 1984 and 1968 World Series teams including signed bats, balls, photos, jerseys and more.

The Tigers participated in the 2012 World Series by defeating the Oakland A's and New York Yankees in consecutive series. The team won the American League pennant before falling to the San Francisco Giants.

For more information, please visit SportsFanPlayground-com.

On Social Media -
Facebook - Facebook-com/sportsfanplayground
Twitter - @SportsFanPlay
Pinterest - Pinterest-com/FanPlayground

About SportsFanPlayground-com
The Sports Fan Playground is a leading provider of top sporting goods and accessories from the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA, WWE, UFC, Barclays Premier League, and other top organizations around the world. The website recently added a special Nike store section, as well as classic sports memorabilia, jerseys, hats, and sporting goods equipment from major professional and college sports leagues. The store recently expanded its inventory to carry the top sporting goods and equipment for all sports including MMA, baseball, hockey, football, cheerleading, golf, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, bowling, camping, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, boxing, boating, cycling and many more.

Along with the SportsFanPlayground-com website, the store also recently launched the new Development-shop-com website, which specializes in the sale of IT solutions for small business and enterprise companies, as well as consumers. Items available include modems, routers, switches, adapters, cables, computer cases, speakers, cooling fans, office products, furniture, laptop computers, desktop PCs, memory, memory cards, and more from companies such as Cisco, HP, Lenovo, Apple and others.

Read more: Detroit Tigers MLB Sports Apparel up to 75% off at SportsFanPlayground-com - Times Union

With MLB increasingly desperate to get their hands on any evidence to discipline players connected to the Biogenesis clinic, they have come up with an interesting new strategy. According to Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times, MLB plans to file a lawsuit on Friday against multiple people connected to Biogenesis, including the clinic’s owner, Anthony Bosch, and Juan Nunez, who has worked for the Levinson brothers at ACES Group and was an associate to Melky Cabrera.

And get this, the lawsuit will allege that “the individuals damaged the sport by providing some of the game’s biggest stars with performance-enhancing drugs.” While MLB will try to recoup money from those targeted, the main goal is to get some sort of cooperation with their investigation, either through “documentary evidence or witness testimony.” MLB is having a tough time building a case against players who didn’t test positive for performance-enhancing drugs, so if the lawsuit was to proceed, it could allow them subpoena records from the clinic and potentially give them the evidence needed to hand down suspensions. Subpoena power is a big key, as MLB hasn’t been able to get any cooperation from law enforcement up until now.

While you have to credit MLB for their creativity here, many are skeptical whether it will hold up in court. For what it’s worth, sources told ESPN’s T.J. Quinn that it’s believed that Bosch destroyed all remaining documents from the clinic. So even if the lawsuit proceeds, MLB might not get the evidence they want.

There have been multiple reports over the past week that MLB has focused their investigation on Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, even offering immunity to those willing to provide information. However, MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that every player who has been connected to Biogenesis and the Miami New Times report is being investigated with “equal vigor.”


Report: MLB plans to file lawsuit against Anthony Bosch and others connected to Biogenesis | HardballTalk

Major League Baseball has filed suit against Biogensis and owner-operator Anthony Bosch over their alleged role in supplying banned performance-enhancing substances to a number of major-league ballplayers. Now, reports ESPN-com's T.J. Quinn, MLB has made the leap ...

CBSSports-com's Jon Heyman confirmed the report early Friday afternoon.

To recap, Bosch, under the auspices of his role as a Biogenesis clinician, is alleged to have served as a "PED pipeline" for the players named in the original Miami New Times report -- Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera and Nelson Cruz, among them (again, allegedly on all counts).

MLB is moving forward with the suit likely in an effort to not only receive financial recompense, but also to coerce some parties into cooperating further with the ongoing investigation.

While IANAL, most legally informed takes I've read on this issue suggest MLB will have a difficult time proving its case to any meaningful effect. In part that's because Bosch is believed to have destroyed any number of relevant documents, and in part that's because the New Times recently declined MLB's request to view its Biogenesis files.

In any event, gentlemen, start your billable hours!





MLB files suit against Miami clinic, operator in PED case - CBSSports-com

Major League Baseball on Friday sued a now-shuttered South Florida clinic and its operators, accusing them of scheming to provide banned performance-enhancing drugs to players in violation of their contracts.

The lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court seeks unspecified damages from Coral Gables anti-aging clinic Biogenesis of America and its operator, Anthony Bosch. Several other Bosch associates are named in the lawsuit. A phone message left for a Bosch representative wasn’t immediately returned, and associates have previously said Anthony Bosch is out of the country.

MLB contends the clinic’s operators solicited players to use banned substances knowing that would violate their contracts, specifically the drug prevention and treatment program that became effective in 2003. That program, part of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement with players, includes a list of banned substances, lays out penalties for violations and imposes testing requirements.

Because of the alleged conspiracy, the lawsuit contends MLB has suffered “costs of investigation, loss of goodwill, loss of revenue and profits and injury to its reputation, image, strategic advantage and fan relationships,” attorneys Allen Weitzman and Matthew Menchel wrote in the complaint.

Although it seeks money damages, the lawsuit also could provide a way for MLB to more deeply investigate Biogenesis and Bosch through depositions of witnesses and subpoenas to obtain documents. MLB was rebuffed in an effort to obtain clinic records from the alternative Miami New Times newspaper, which has published detailed accounts of the alleged player drug use.

Among those implicated are New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, outfielder Melky Cabrera of the Toronto Blue Jays, Washington pitcher Gio Gonzalez, Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon, Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz and San Diego catcher Yasmani Grandal. Most have denied the Biogenesis link, although Rodriguez has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs earlier in his career and Colon, Cabrera and Grandal were each suspended for 50 games last year for testing positive for elevated testosterone levels.

The lawsuit also contends that former star Manny Ramirez, who is now signed to play for a team in Taiwan, obtained a prohibited substance from Bosch in 2009 that ultimately resulted in Ramirez’s 50-game suspension by MLB when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The suit marks the first time MLB has gone on the record saying Ramirez tested positive for the female fertility drug HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin.

Elements of the scheme, according to the lawsuit, including use of fake or partial names on drug packages sent to players, visiting players at home or at hotels to personally administer the banned substances and claims made to the players that if used properly the drugs “would not result in a positive test” under the MLB drug program.

Among the banned drugs supplied, the lawsuit said, are testosterone, human growth hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin. The players were told the drugs would increase their strength and help them recover from injuries more quickly.



MLB sues Florida clinic for doping its players - Salon-com