Ben Maller’s Sports Rumors & Notes

Rumors Archive for February 12, 2007

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NBA Rumors & Notes

Monday, February 12, 2007

Knicks owner James Dolan, speaking casually to the team the day before Saturday's disheartening loss to the Utah Jazz, told his players that Isiah Thomas didn't have "anything to worry about right now," according to a person in the room at the time. Then to add emphasis, he playfully tapped center Eddy Curry on the shoulder, which made everyone in the room laugh. According to the person, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the subject, Dolan was strongly hinting to Curry and his teammates -- who almost to a man worship Thomas -- that they need not worry, although it is believed Dolan has not yet made a final decision. But he seemed to be reinforcing the idea that, barring any unforeseen collapses or roadblocks, Thomas will be back next year, hardly a surprise to anyone on the team or to anyone watching it closely.

Nets GM Rod Thorn said he will operate as he normally does as the deadline nears. He's listening to all offers and isn't ruling anything out. But he likely would have to be blown away by an offer in order to pull the trigger on a deal that would send either Vince Carter or Jason Kidd packing. One local report yesterday suggested the Nets and Lakers are mulling a deal that would send Kidd to L.A. in exchange for a package of young players. But Kidd's name coming up in talks between the teams doesn't mean anything is imminent. Like Carter, Kidd's name is often mentioned in talks because he's a player teams would love to have.

The Grizzlies' demands will come back to earth because they want to trade Pau Gasol. Gasol would help Ben Wallace, who hasn't done well under the pressure of being the prize free agent and needs a big offensive player with him to be more effective. The bigger issue might be Gasol's expanding contract, which grows to $17.8 million in 2010-11. The Bulls want to have financial flexibility because Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh can become free agents before that season. Things change in the NBA in a hurry, and you want to be prepared. It would probably take Luol Deng and another player, perhaps Chris Duhon, plus P.J. Brown and Michael Sweetney for salary-cap relief and a No. 1 draft pick. The Bulls then appeal to Antonio Davis to return for the playoffs.

Kevin Garnett. He's likely not going anywhere at the trade deadline. But it still seems inconceivable that Minnesota, going nowhere, will keep him after the season. His price should come way down because he can opt out of his contract and leave as a free agent after next season.

Regardless of whether or not the Wolves make the playoffs, Randy Wittman will definitely be back as head coach next season, according to team owner Glen Taylor. Wittman is the third coach the Wolves have had since Flip Saunders was fired two years ago. Taylor said he is not in the mood to change coaches for a while. "Randy had a three-year contract as an assistant coach to assist [fired coach Dwane] Casey when he came back from Orlando," Taylor said. "I redid his contract, paying him a bonus now that he is a head coach."

Sonics forward/center Danny Fortson is not expected back until after the All-Star Break. The trade deadline is Feb. 22 and Fortson's expiring contract could be moved by then. He has not played since Jan. 5.

Zach Randolph. His name doesn't come up as much, but you figure Portland still would like to get out from his contract and all his issues. He'd come much more cheaply. The Bulls would not have to give up any of their top three.

Even when the Pacers were winning 61 games and reaching the Eastern Conference finals, they weren't selling out with regularity. But it's clear, both in quantitative and qualitative measures, that fans have taken a wait-and-stay-at-home approach with this group.
"My plea to the public is, give this team a chance to do well,'' Jermaine O'Neal said long after the game. "Donnie (Walsh, team CEO) and Larry (Bird, team president) have a vision for this team. These new guys weren't a part of what went on before. If somebody is eventually found guilty of something, fine, bring down the hammer. But until then, give us a chance, and we'll do our best to win back the fans. "It hurts me to hear the things that have been said. That we have thugs in this locker room. We don't have thugs. When people say the Pacers are this and that, they're a trash organization, that's just wrong. We're trying to make our city proud. We do care, and we're going to do what we have to do to get people back in the building.''

The Bulls could turn to Melvin Ely, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Nazr Mohammed or Etan Thomas. Fill-in help. You figure with a reasonable offer not involving any of your main players that you can get some short-term help, maybe just enough to win those close games. The Bobcats' Ely and the Kings' Abdur-Rahim can play out of the post. With Chris Webber playing well, the Pistons don't use Chicagoan Mohammed, who doesn't have a huge contract.

With the exception of LeBron James, the Cavs made everyone on their roster available in pursuit of point guard Mike Bibby. The Kings had interest in Drew Gooden because they need rebounding and scoring from their frontcourt. But the talks were mostly just cursory. The Cavs have had talks with numerous teams, but talks don't mean trades.

The Knicks, though, are unique. They are a big-market team that believes it has an unfriendly neighbor: the NBA. According to team sources, James Dolan has complained on numerous occasions that the Knicks receive more than their share of bad calls. The theory is that even at home the Knicks are at a disadvantage because with league officials in attendance the referees feel pressure to give the visitors a fair whistle. Of course, opponents often claim that the exact opposite takes place. It is worth noting that the Knicks average 29.9 free throws per game, third-most in the league.

There's a growing tug of war over the Orlando Magic's checkbook. Finance experts at the Orange County Comptroller's Office are demanding to know how much the NBA team stands to earn from a new publicly financed basketball arena, saying there's no way to determine whether the deal is fair without more details. A newly released report -- which Magic execs say is incorrect -- estimates the team could make as much as $65 million the first year with a new building. The city would earn about $12 million the first year, clearing just under a half-million after expenses. Regardless, city officials who are pushing the $480 million project say the Magic's bottom line is irrelevant. They never asked to look at the team's books -- and don't plan to.

Having lost his spot in the rotation again, Beno Udrih isn't quite ready to say he'd welcome a trade. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has used Jacque Vaughn to back up Tony Parker the past three games and has indicated he doesn't consider the move to be short term. "Right now, I'm here, so I like it," Udrih said Sunday. "I'm not thinking about anything, really, like going somewhere else. "Of course, I do want to play, but I still have a contract here in San Antonio. If they're going to trade me, that's their decision, not mine." While the Spurs are expected to explore trade opportunities, Udrih hopes his situation with the team will improve. "I love San Antonio," he said. "I love the team. The organization is great. "I'm going to keep working hard. If I get an opportunity, I'm going to take it and try to do my best, and then we'll see."

Stephon Marbury is making the most of his three days in Hollywood before the Knicks face the Lakers tomorrow. After today's Knicks' practice at UCLA, Marbury told The Post he will tape an edition for his upcoming "Stars on Stars" television talk show - with golfer Vijay Singh. Marbury will film the show at a Los Angeles studio owned by his co-producer Rodney Henry. Marbury's show is less than a month from debuting. Marbury said he will not be uncomfortable talking about golf because he's taken up the game in recent years.

Chucky Atkins believes he has done what's necessary to not only improve his image, but to drive up his market value as he again will seek a multi-year contract following this season. Meanwhile, he hopes to help the Grizzlies, mired in a season of discontent, finish strong. ''Sometimes, you just learn from your mistakes,'' Atkins said. ''When people speak of me, they always speak of 'when he was with the Lakers, they lost.' Nobody ever speaks about the three or four years I was with Detroit and we were the top team in the East and we went to the Eastern Conference Finals. Nobody really speaks about that. They just speak about the bad ... ''I've proven that I can play at the highest level of any guard in this league. Whether I start, or whether I come off the bench, it doesn't matter to me. I add versatility, I add depth, to any team."

If the Wolves are committed to Randy Foye, they might have a problem on their hands with Mike James. It's doubtful James would have signed with Minnesota to be a reserve. The winter weather is demanding, and the team finished 33-49 last season. He could have signed with Dallas and been a reserve on one of the best teams in the NBA, or he could have signed with Houston and possibly been a starter for another one of the Western Conference's top teams.

Jason Kapono's strong play for the Heat could make re-signing him this offseason a challenge. Because the team will be over the salary cap, it can offer him up to the value of next season's mid-level exception ($5.2 million this season), plus annual 10.5 percent raises. Even if Miami re-signs Kapono, it still would retain its mid-level exception to use on another player if it wishes. That amount could be enough to keep Kapono, but also would make re-signing James Posey difficult unless owner Micky Arison is willing to pay a luxury tax, which he opposes. (Or unless a team under the cap takes Antoine Walker or Michael Doleac, which is unlikely.) ''It's probably shocked a lot of people,'' Kapono said of his emergence. ``Anytime you see a 15th-man scrub in a suit all the time [now] scoring 20 points -- that's pretty crazy.''

It will be interesting to see if the Timberwolves, seeking inside help for a guard, make an offer to the Toronto Raptors for former Gopher Kris Humphries.

While Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, 30, believes he has plenty of good seasons left, he's not sure he'll be playing when he reaches Sam Cassell's age. "I think I could probably be playing as good as he is, and doing that, but I don't know if I would be playing at 37," Billups said. "I don't think I'll be doing that."

No one is quite sure when the Suns’ two best playmakers — NBA assist leader Steve Nash and Boris Diaw — will be able to play again. The Suns have just one game before the All-Star break (Wednesday night in Seattle) and it’s possible one or both will sit again to take advantage of an eight-day break in the schedule to recover. “At this point, they would play if they are completely well,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “If not we’ll go the other way.” Unlike the past when teams had to place players on the now-defunct injury reserve list for five games, the NBA has no rules that would prevent Nash from skipping the All-Star game and then returning to action with his team immediately after.

LeBron James' assertion that his toe injury won't heal until summer, combined with earlier statements about needing more rest in the offseason, indicate he's leaning toward not playing for Team USA in this summer's FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Las Vegas. The toe alone is reason enough to beg off, but he'll likely put pressure on himself to take part because he is one of the team's captains.

Kyle Korver has seen his usually reliable shot affected lately by two sore feet, pain that he hopes will go away during the all-star break. The 76ers' sixth man has turf toe on his left foot and plantar fasciitis in his right. He isn't certain exactly when his feet started hurting him, but the statistics show he has struggled in the last nine games covering two weeks. Since Jan. 24, Korver is shooting just 33.0 percent from the field overall and 38.6 percent from three-point range.

The Wizards coach and the star player are now officially feuding over philosophy. ("We're focusing on the wrong things right now," Gilbert Arenas said, meaning defense. "Focus on what got us here.") The role-playing centers traded haymakers in practice on Friday (Brendan Ali-Etan Frazier II was put on the Arenas-Jordan undercard yesterday). And, almost unnoticed, Eddie Jordan also took a shot at his roster, which we all know was put together by Ernie Grunfeld. "First of all, we didn't have the leadership out there that we needed with Antawn out," he said in his scorched-earth, postgame news conference. "And no one else has stepped up into a leadership role. And frankly, we didn't have enough talent out there on the floor."

Bulls guard Andres Nocioni, battling plantar fasciitis in his right foot, says he's on course to return after the All-Star break. "It's better, but I still have pain," he said.

Former Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen said a Hall of Fame vote for Dennis Rodman would be a no-brainer. "The Hall of Fame is not built on offense, it's built on greatness, and Dennis was one of the greatest I've ever played with," Pippen said. "Maybe you could have made the argument before he joined the Bulls that he didn't have the credentials. But with our team, night in and night out, he proved his greatness … In my mind, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer." Isiah Thomas, who played with Rodman on two Detroit title teams, agreed. "There is no question in my mind that Dennis belongs in the Hall of Fame," he said. "He gave credibility to being a rebounder. He made it a job, that before him, no one really wanted."

How About That? The Suns are 4-11 (.267) in the 15 games Steve Nash has missed over the past three seasons. When he plays, they are 151-49 (.755).

Cavs coach Mike Brown has been sending in video clips to the league office recently, believing LeBron James isn't getting as many foul calls as he should. He's taken another step, one that's personally costing him money. Brown has been getting on game officials more and more, seemingly getting technical fouls on purpose in an effort to make a point after what he believes are noncalls. He had only gotten a handful of them in a season and a half, but earned three on the homestand alone, including one Sunday after getting one Friday night. Brown has the reputation of not getting emotional, so he's literally had to stomp onto the court to get hit with them.

Did You Know? Jermaine O'Neal's block of Clippers small forward Corey Maggette with 8:02 left in the game moved him past Rik Smits as the franchise's all-time leader. O'Neal, who is second in the league in blocks this season, had four Sunday to give him 1,113 with the Pacers.

In the four games in five days last week, Dwight Howard was at his offensive best, playing again with that earlier spring in his legs, making an incredible 44 of his 52 shots (84.6 percent). Not since Wilt Chamberlain has anyone in the NBA shot so well in a four-game span.

Did You Know? Sacramento's Kevin Martin remains a top candidate for the league's Most Improved Player award. He is the only player to be averaging more than 20 points while taking less than 14 shots per game, and his 10.2-point difference between his scoring average last season (10.8) and this season (21.0) is the most in the league.

Celts captain Paul Pierce plans to watch the All-Star Game from his home in Los Angeles and suggested that Caron Butler send him flowers because he effectively took Pierce's place in the contest.

Coach Doc Rivers on what he told the hopeless Celtics, their 18-game losing streak ranking among the league's all-time worst: "In two or three years, if Gerald Green's a Kobe Bryant and Al Jefferson is whoever you want him to be and you're winning games, you're not going to [care] what happened." Could he have borrowed that from Rick Pitino, who warned everyone that Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish weren't coming through the door?

At 7 feet 9 inches and 370 pounds, Sun Ming Ming is playing for the Maryland Nighthawks of the ABA. But physical problems will probably keep him out of the NBA.

Nuggets coach George Karl is lamenting the trade of Andre Miller. "I think the two guys who miss Andre the most are [Carmelo Anthony] and me," Karl said. Little known is Karl's objection to the trade for Allen Iverson, who has ankle problems and said he might skip the All-Star Game. Karl is said to be concerned about Iverson's record of running through coaches.

There was a changing of the guard for the Timberwolves Sunday, with rookie Randy Foye starting at point guard in place of Mike James. For Foye, it was his second NBA start. He got into the starting lineup of the Wolves' game at Phoenix on Jan. 21 thanks to Ricky Davis' one-game suspension. For James, meanwhile, it marked the first time in 51 games that he did not start. One guy was a lot happier than the other, as one might expect.

The Pistons officially requested a review from the league on Rasheed Wallace 's 15th technical foul from Saturday. They expect to hear back today.

David Lee, who was drafted 22 spots behind Channing Frye and 9 behind Nate Robinson, is the Knicks most productive member of the 2005 draft class. Lee remains a reserve but plays 30 minutes a night, cutting into the playing time of Frye and Jared Jeffries.

Rashad Phillips is 28 and still hasn't been able to stick with an NBA team. When asked why, he said, "I don't know." In college with the Titans, Phillips was a big-time player. In his senior season in 2001, he averaged 22.5 points and won his second conference player of the year award. He also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, honoring the nation's outstanding senior collegian 6-foot or under. (He's 5-9). Phillips and his family were sure he was going to get a phone call from an NBA team. The phone never rang. "The last seven years hurt triple times than that night," said Phillips, who has played most recently in Portugal. "People don't get drafted. It's not the end of the world." Phillips doesn't want to hear about paying dues. He's led two countries in scoring (Italy and France). In his first game in Italy in 2003, Phillips scored 51.

The "D League" All-Stars will also compete in Vegas this coming weekend. But the top players in the developmental league are not getting the red-carpet treatment, exactly. They're going to be flown in on Saturday, play their game, and immediately fly back out. Ex-Celtics star Dennis Johnson, now coaching Austin in the D League, has three All-Stars.

The Magic really liked John Amaechi, the former journeyman center who went public about being gay this past week. When Orlando had a chance to send Amaechi or another big man to Detroit as part of the Grant Hill sign-and-trade in 2000, they kept him over Ben Wallace.

Steve Nash, driving the Phoenix Suns at breakneck speed, has been the NBA's Most Valuable Player the last two seasons. And since the award is based on regular-season performance, could this be Dirk Nowitzki's turn? Where does he fit in the MVP race? "If I was going to vote, I would vote for Nash," Kyle Korver said, "but I would think whichever team has the better record in the end is my guess to win between those two. You can throw a couple other guys in there, but [Nowitzki and Nash] are by far the two best players on the two best teams."

Did You Know? The Cavs are 8-1 against Western Conference teams at home and 12-7 overall, that's the best record of any team in the East vs. the West.

The Wizards were showered with boos for one of the few times all season yesterday. "The fans are going to be here and support us no matter what, but when you do not play up to your capabilities, you will hear about it," Butler said. "We have to stay strong mentally and bounce back. If you do not put on a good show, you will get booed, and we understand that."

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jordan Farmar wears No. 5 because that's how many teams he believes passed on him in the draft in June. The Cavs are last on the list. Farmar worked out for them in Cleveland, but they took Shannon Brown one slot ahead of him.

Willie Green was excused from the Sixers' practice on Saturday so that he could attend ceremonies at Detroit Mercy dedicating the men's basketball locker room, which was refurbished thanks to his donation to his alma mater. "It was my first time in there and it was real nice, way better than when I was there," Green said. "Everything is brand new. I was happy to see it the way it was. I felt like it was a token of my appreciation for what the university allowed me to do when I was there." The locker room was renamed the "Willie Green Men's Basketball Locker Room."

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MLB Rumors & Notes

Monday, February 12, 2007

Less than a week before they take him to arbitration, the Marlins delivered an early salvo at their most productive player, All-Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera. In front of hundreds of fans and season-ticket holders during the weekend, Marlins President David Samson and General Manager Larry Beinfest made a point to voice their disappointment that Cabrera blew off the team's pre-season promotional events. "(Owner) Jeffrey (Loria) and the rest of us are extremely disappointed that he's not here with every one of his teammates. All the players are here except Miguel,'' Samson said Saturday at FanFest at Dolphin Stadium. Samson made similar remarks from the podium Friday night at a $200-a-plate awards dinner. Beinfest publicly noted Cabrera's absence from the podium at a Town Hall meeting on Saturday. A source who has spoken with the Cabrera camp said part of the reason he didn't show up is that he is not happy that the team is taking him to arbitration on Friday over a $700,000 difference. Cabrera, who made $472,000 last year, wants $7.4 million. The team has offered him $6.7 million. "If he wins, he'll be a very rich man and if he loses he'll be a very rich man. And we'll all fly back to start spring training,'' Samson said.

Yanks GM Brian Cashman was asked if there are any plans to address Joe Torre's contract situation once the regular season begins. "There are no plans on that," he said yesterday. "I'm going to do the same thing I'm sure Joe is going to do, and what we want our players and coaches to do: Focus on '07. Which is my way of saying we'll worry about '08 when the '07 season is concluded." Does Cashman think Torre, who is 66, wants to manage beyond this season? "I honestly don't think he's thought that far ahead," Cashman said.

Twins CF Torii Hunter, who has been the team's front man for several years, enters the final year of his contract this season and is highly unlikely to remain with the Twins after 2007. Even Hunter said last year that he now considers Mauer the face of the franchise.

No matter what, Roger Clemens is the wild card out there, and while no one knows whether he'll sign with the Sox, Yankees, or Astros, Sox insiders envision a scenario that could help bring Clemens to Boston. At the moment the Sox are committed to Papelbon as a starter. Despite his brilliance in the role of closer last season, a late-season right shoulder injury convinced the Sox to make him a starter, largely so they can manage the shoulder more easily. With a deep rotation the Sox don't seem quite as desperate to sign Clemens as they were last spring. However, if Pineiro flops and the Sox can't find a reliable closer, there will be pressure to return Papelbon to the bullpen, which in turn will create a greater need for Clemens. On the other hand, the minute Pavano pulls up lame this spring with another injury, the Yankees' brain trust will be on Steinbrenner's private jet to Houston to start the begging in person for Clemens. Camps are about to open. Let the intrigue begin.

For now, Shane Victorino is pre-approved as the Phillies everyday right fielder, but rumors persist that Aaron Rowand still could be traded, opening the center field job. Either way, the small-ball plan is on, with Rowand back, healthy and always willing to dirty his uniform.

If Byung-Hyun Kim is traded, the Rockies' projected rotation - Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis, Lopez, Josh Fogg and Hirsh - was 45-57 with a 4.97 ERA last season. That record must be reversed, or something close, or this season will be as enjoyable as, say, a mouthful of fruitcake.

Mark Pieper, the agent for Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, has turned down a deal similar to Joe Mauer's. For now, Morneau will be paid $4.5 million for this season, a deal he agreed to earlier this month. Because of a difference in service time, Morneau can't become a free agent until after the 2010 season while Mauer could have become free a year earlier.

The Phillies have six starters for their five-man rotation, which means they have one too many. The front office has said there is a chance they could open the season with six starters, which means they would move somebody to the bullpen. But officials acknowledge that's a long shot. So Jon Lieber could be traded at some point. But when? Where? It's too early to say, but there seems a good chance that some team will suffer a serious injury to its rotation this spring or some team will realize its rotation is much worse than anticipated. Lieber could be attractive at that point. He won 17 games in 2005, and, although he went 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA last season, he's in a contract year and could have something to prove.

Without contract extensions in place, how will Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and general manager Dan O'Dowd deal with the pressure? Hurdle said he will manage more aggressively, and not bunt as often. They both believe they have the right pieces in place to contend, but it's up to them to make the right personnel decisions in Tucson to field a winning team.

GM Ned Colletti has the Dodgers poised for an NL West title run while still entertaining offers for starter Brad Penny.

If the Twins determine that they can't afford to re-sign two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana and end up trading him this year, it's a near cinch that they would require several pitchers in return.

Josh Phelps began workouts at the Yanks' complex more than a week before position players are scheduled to report for spring training and could be part of the team's first-base platoon. Lefty Doug Mientkiewicz probably will play against righthanded pitchers and Phelps will compete with Andy Phillips to see who plays against lefties. Jason Giambi is slated to be the Yanks' full-time designated hitter. The Yankees selected Phelps from Baltimore in the Rule 5 draft over the winter and figure he'd be well worth the $50,000 price tag if he remains on the active roster all season. If Phelps doesn't stay on their roster, the Yankees must offer him back to the Orioles for $25,000, so they're basically paying $25,000 for an extended look at him.

The Red Sox will have to deal with their first arbitration case in general manager Theo Epstein’s five springs in charge, unless progress is made on negotiations with outfielder Wily Mo Pena in the next few days. The case is scheduled to be heard before an arbiter on Friday in Phoenix.

In addition to B.J. Upton playing shortstop and third, the Rays will have him work at second and in the outfield this spring to explore the possibility of turning him into a super-utility-type such as the Angels' Chone Figgins. And they hope he will establish himself as the impact offensive player he was supposed to be.

Baseball will take a small step toward universal humidors this season, with all 30 clubs storing their baseballs in climate-controlled environments. And for the first time, according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's director of on-field operations, clubs have been ordered to use only baseballs purchased for the current season in games. "I think humidors for everyone is the wave of the future, but it's not mandatory," Solomon said. "The only humidor is still in Denver." While a few other clubs will store the baseballs where they have humidity control - Solomon didn't have the exact number - only the Rockies will be required to file paperwork each week documenting the size and weight of the baseballs used. "The fact that you are keeping an eye on it, I can assure you we are keeping the same critical eye," Solomon said.

Are the Mets committed to Shawn Green? There really aren't any starting position battles in spring training. Or are there? Shawn Green has a year left on his hefty $9.5 million contract - which includes a $10 million option for '08 with a $2 million buyout. (Arizona sent the Mets $6.3 million as compensation). It appears likely that Green will be in right field for the Opener in St. Louis on April 1. Beyond that, however, Chavez and Ben Johnson - acquired from the Padres - could significantly cut into Green's playing time as the season progresses. Still, Johnson may start the season at Triple-A if David Newhan claims Willie Randolph's final bench spot. Green waived a no-trade clause to join best friend Delgado in Flushing last season after not being happy in Arizona. But he didn't show much range in right field at Shea. With Green likely to hit seventh, defense may be more important for the Mets at this spot.

While the Yankees have Yogi Berra in spring training, the Rays will do yoga, having scheduled thrice-weekly morning classes.

According to the last official U.S. Census (2000), only 127 of Fort Myers’ 57,585 residents are of Japanese descent. By the end of this week, however, that number could double due to the impending arrival of Daisuke Matsuzaka for the start of his first spring training with the Boston Red Sox. Matsuzaka, who is expected to land on Wednesday and hold a press conference at 5 p.m. on Thursday at City of Palms Park, is likely to draw well over 100 members of the Japanese media, giving the Sox their first full taste of the crush felt in past years by the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees following their respective additions of Ichiro Suzuki (2001) and Hideki Matsui (2003). The team is prepared. The number of media trailers brought in to the minor league complex, where the first two weeks of workouts are held, has been doubled from two to four, while a media tent for Matsuzaka to conduct interview sessions is due to be erected nearby.

Astros OF
Carlos Lee has about 14,000 cattle, about 10,000 of them heifers or cows, and 15,000 acres total for his nine ranches. He owns eight 18-wheelers for his beer-distribution center. He breeds quarter horses at Hacienda Lee, where all of the studs were imported from the U.S. Until recently, he was a competitive calf-roper. Calf roping was deemed too risky for a man with a $100 million price on the power derived from his sturdy, 6-foot-2 frame. "He fell off his horse and was almost hurt," the eldest Lee said. "I told him not to rope anymore. I told him his time for that was later. I told him his time now is for baseball." The slugger didn't argue. For now, he will settle for sponsoring a calf-roping team.

Four seasons removed from his last big-league appearance and two years since he last threw in a game of any kind, Jim Parque is coming back. At 31, he signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners last week and leaves tomorrow for Peoria, Ariz., where he fully intends to compete for a spot in manager Mike Hargrove's starting rotation. This would be a remake of Disney's movie "The Rookie," if not for the fact Parque has competed in the big leagues before. He's been there, torn that, having ripped his rotator cuff and labrum in those 2000 playoffs.

This is where it all starts for the Mets: The fate of the 2007 club rests on how well the pitchers develop this spring and into the season. For all those fans on the ledge regarding the staff, pitching coach Rick Peterson offers some comforting words. "As much as everyone questions our staff, I believe we're in a much better position this year than we were last year at this time," Peterson told me yesterday. "We have a pretty good recipe. And we're going to have com petition, which is always a great motivator. "Hopefully, we'll turn out some good meals."

A-Rod says he's committed to playing in New York, but could another October disappointment change his thinking? Only A-Rod knows the answer to that, though he is unlikely to reveal that answer for about eight or nine more months. Unfortunately for A-Rod, his regular-season performance in 2007 - no matter how good it may be - will do little to silence critics. Only a strong October and a Yankees World Series win can do that.

The Royals have the second overall pick in this year’s draft behind Tampa Bay — the result of avoiding baseball’s worst record last season by winning their final three games in a sweep at Detroit. That closing weekend’s success probably cost them a chance to select Vanderbilt left-hander David Price, who is generally viewed as the best available player. There is no clear No. 2 — unlike two years ago when they grabbed third baseman Alex Gordon with the second overall pick. “The position players as a group this year, collegewise, are extremely weak,” Deric Ladnier said. “The high school pitching crop is exceptionally good — probably the best I’ve seen. And I think there are good-quality college arms.” That suggests the Royals could again gamble their first-round pick on a high school pitcher; something they tried with little success during 2000-02 in selecting Mike Stodolka, Colt Griffin and Zack Greinke.

Red Sox insiders say the club privately is banking on Joel Pineiro, the 28-year-old righthander who teased the Mariners for six seasons as a starter with a power arm and who pitched to a mediocre record of 58-55. Sox scouts believe Pineiro will be more effective as a reliever because he'll rely more on his live fastball rather than trying to trick hitters with his assortment of breaking pitches.

Jered Weaver, who wore No. 56 when he was 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 19 starts as an Angels rookie last season, has switched to No. 36, the number his older brother, Jeff, wore with the Angels until he was designated for assignment in June. "That was my number in college," Weaver said. "I'm comfortable with it."

It is hard to see George Steinbrenner giving Joe Torre the ax during the season, even if the Yankees get off to a slow start. After all, the team stumbled out of the gate in 2005 and didn't get off to the hottest start last season, yet the Bombers have reached the postseason in each of Torre's 11 years. Knowing that Torre's contract is up, Steinbrenner could wait until the end of the season and make a change without the bad PR that would come with a firing.

The commissioner whines that all the current critics are Johnny-cry-latelys who had no issue when the deeds were being done. That simply isn't true. Plenty was written and said about the obvious cheating in baseball at the time, but that misses the point. Whose job was it to protect the integrity of the game? It was Bud Selig's and he failed miserably.
Yes, the players' union would have fought him on testing, but he could have invoked the best-interests-of-the-game chip that every commissioner keeps in his breast pocket and let the rats try to fight him in court. It was better, though, to take the money and hope the bad things never came out. Well, here we are. Barry Bonds is about to crush the career home-run record of Hank Aaron, Selig's lifelong hero, the player he idolized while he was still just a Milwaukee car salesman. Aaron has already said he won't be present when Bonds gets the record, and who can blame him? Selig, however, has to be there. He will have made the moment possible. It wouldn't be right if he didn't take a bow as well.

The Braves plan to use the durable Oscar Villarreal in the bullpen, though he would be a candidate for the starting rotation if needed there.

Twins owner Carl Pohlad said he was shocked when he was first informed that there's a chance the new ballpark might not be built because of the outrageous demands of the landowners of the site near Target Center. "It is going to be very difficult to compete with other franchises if we don't get the stadium deal done," said Pohlad, who couldn't understand how a ballpark deal could progress so far without control of the land. He made it clear he wasn't going to add to the $100 million the club is contributing to the project.

How About That? Here's a list of the top nine hitters in the National League in striking out in 2006: Adam Dunn (194), Ryan Howard (181), Bill Hall (162), Alfonso Soriano (160), Jason Bay (156), Mike Cameron (142), Austin Kearns (135), Jeff Francoeur (132) and Chase Utley (132). Those nine hitters averaged 35 home runs, 101 runs, 100 RBIs, roughly a .360 on-base percentage and a .524 slugging percentage.

The Twins had a payroll of $13.3 million when they won the 1987 World Series. When they won it again in 1991, salaries had increased to $22.5 million. Payroll was $24.3 million in 2001. It jumped to $40.2 million in 2002, $55.5 million in 2003, $53.5 million in 2004, $56.1 million in 2005, $63.4 million in 2006 and now $70 million.

The change will be obvious inside the walls of the Carpenter Complex when Phillies pitchers and catchers report for duty Thursday, though. For the first time since 1980, somebody else (Scott Sheridan) will be the athletic trainer. For the first time since 1972, Jeff Cooper won't be in Clearwater. The almost-invisible man was anything but to those with whom he worked side-by-side for all those years. "Coop has done so many things ahead of his time. It's mind-boggling to me," said senior adviser Dallas Green. "He was even ahead of the doctors. He did the organization a great service. It's amazing to me that we don't recognize these guys, including the minor league trainers, when they handle millions of dollars of inventory and don't get the money or credit they deserve. They do it because they love what they do and have a genuine interest in making things better. "I saw him, broke in with him, at the minor league level. He always impressed me as a very creative, innovative, intelligent guy in his area. Even as a youngster he was willing to try to learn new things." He kept records of pitchers' velocity; a sudden dip could signal arm problems. He pinpointed the times in a season when injuries occur in clusters - mid-June and mid-August - so the manager would know when to start resting his regulars. He spent part of one vacation operating on cadavers to better understand the inner workings of the shoulder. He helped found the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society and served two terms as its president.

New Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez expects this batting order: Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Miguel Cabrera, Josh Willingham, Jeremy Hermida, Mike Jacobs, Miguel Olivo, center fielder and pitcher. He listed Alex Sanchez, Reggie Abercrombie and Eric Reed as candidates to start in center, with Alfredo Amezaga ''an option if the other stuff doesn't pan out.'' ( Joe Borchard and Cody Ross said they also would like a chance to compete for the job.)

After retiring from the San Francisco Giants because of post-concussion syndrome, Mike Matheny will begin his coaching career at the Little League level. The father of five will enjoy working with kids and initially spending summers as a regular dad in suburban St. Louis. ... Matheny has a rare combination of leadership skills, and hopefully the Cardinals will bring him back into the family as a coach. Matheny has a year left on his Giants contract and has volunteered to serve the organization as a catching instructor this season. But after Matheny fulfills his obligations to the Giants, he should wear the birds on the bat again.

Rays CF Rocco Baldelli's January trip to Switzerland was interrupted when he had to be treated by EMTs for what he thought was food poisoning and they said was altitude sickness. "We'd been to the top of the Matterhorn that day," he said.

The Red Sox’ equipment truck will be packed up today and immediately sent off on the expected two-day journey south.

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols continues to be busy. In addition to becoming a U.S. citizen, he completed a humanitarian mission in the Dominican Republic; hosted a golf tournament in Mobile, Ala., to raise money for a Christian ministry; and hosted a batting-instruction clinic for kids in Pleasant Valley, Mo., near Kansas City. Pujols was also featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Latino; he was named Best Baseball Player of the Year.

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NFL Rumors & Notes

Monday, February 12, 2007

There is no question that the Colts organization would like to retain Dominic Rhodes, but there are a number of teams who are likely to come calling. ... One team to keep an eye on is the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals will be in the market for a change-of-pace back because their own RB Kenny Watson is an unrestricted free agent himself. ... With the uncertainty surrounding the return of RB Kevin Jones for the 2007 season, the Detroit Lions are another team that could have an interest. ... According to a team source, the Rams will be in the market for a backup running back like Rhodes in free agency and the draft. Steven Jackson and Rhodes would make for a nice pair in the Rams' backfield. So add the Rams to the list of teams who will have their eyes on back.

Circle April 28 on your calendar. That's the NFL draft, and unless something strange happens, David Carr will be traded around that time. Texans GM Rick Smith's toughest job will be creating a market for Carr. I'm guessing he's going to have to settle for a fifth-round draft pick, but it only takes one motivated buyer to drive the price up. As for who is going to replace Carr, I think it'll be Jake Plummer. Problem is, there is a market for him. The Texans probably are going to end up paying more than they'd like to pay.

Former Raider Lincoln Kennedy is making a comeback to football with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. When asked about why he abruptly retired from the NFL in 2003, Kennedy offered a direct response: "I left the game because I was burned out, not because I was injured. I just needed a break because I had been doing it for so long. Once I got my energy back, I knew that I could do it again. All I needed was a shot." Since the Desperados are owned by the Dallas Cowboys, should Kennedy do well, it would leave open the possibility of him getting a shot with America's Team. One of the biggest questions for the Cowboys in 2006 was their offensive line.

A Cowboys source said the team will try to sign Tony Romo to another longer contract extension this season to prevent him from becoming a free agent after the '07 season. It will not be cheap to tie down and lock up a Pro Bowl quarterback long term, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knows the value Romo brings. Romo might be able to get more money if he were to have another Pro Bowl year and hit the market. But Romo also feels a sense of loyalty to Dallas, the team that signed him out of Eastern Illinois as an undrafted free agent.

Lions sources said they now expect to lose running back Kevin Jones for at least half the 2007 season due to the Lisfranc injury he suffered in December that required surgery on his left foot three days later. Up until now, there had been questions surrounding when Jones might be able to return. Now the Lions are hoping Jones will be able to return six to eight weeks into the 2007 season, which means that Detroit must revise its offseason priorities. A running back now moves near the top of the list of Detroit's needs. The Lions will explore the free-agent market and take a look at San Diego's restricted free-agent running back Michael Turner and Arizona's unrestricted free-agent running back Marcel Shipp.

There is a report out there that the Lions "now'' believe they'll lose Kevin Jones for up to half of the 2007 season. The report makes it sound like there's been some new information about his Lisfranc injury, but that's just not true. Jones just returned from two weeks in Florida, partly to take part in some of the Super Bowl activities. Jones remains in a boot, but has already started the early process of his rehabilitation. He is right on schedule to return for the start of training camp in July. Now, even if Jones gets cleared to play at that point, it's extremely unlikely the Lions will do much with him until mid-August. There's no point in rushing things and they can afford to give him as much recovery time as possible. Yes, the Lions are looking to acquire a veteran running back in free agency as insurance -- as they should -- but, right now, every indication is that Jones will be back for the start of the season.

The Dolphins have interviewed Terry Shea for their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach position, a source said Sunday. Shea was fired last month as Kansas City's quarterbacks coach. He was a head coach at San Jose State (1990-91) and Rutgers (1996-2000) before joining the Chiefs in 2001. Shea, 60, served one season as Chicago's offensive coordinator in 2004 before being fired and returning to the Chiefs.

Forget the Vikings-Raiders Randy Moss trade rumors. After having to deal with Terrell Owens in Philadelphia, the last thing Minnesota coach Brad Childress needs is Moss.

It would hardly be an upset if San Diego also hired former Vikings defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell in some kind of capacity, possibly as the team's linebackers coach. Cottrell has been working in the NFL office, and Chargers general manager A.J. Smith worked with Cottrell in Buffalo.

Negotiations between the Tennessee Titans’ chief operating officer Steve Underwood and Mike Reinfeldt continued last week progressing toward getting Reinfeldt on board as the team’s new general manager. There do not appear to be any major hurdles preventing contract from being completed. However, despite the progress toward a deal, there were still a few details late last week remaining to be ironed out before Reinfeldt takes the position and heads to Nashville.

The Vikings still are banking on Tarvaris Jackson becoming their starting