Ben Maller’s Sports Rumors & Notes

Rumors Archive for May 16, 2007

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NBA Rumors & Notes

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Point guard Baron Davis said Tuesday that he wants to remain a Warrior and that he would love nothing more than to be locked up for the long term with a contract extension this offseason. The NBA collective bargaining agreement allows for players to receive extensions with two years left on a six-year deal. After this season, Davis will have two years remaining on the six-year, $84 million deal he signed with the Charlotte Hornets in 2003. If the Warriors don't extend Davis this offseason, they risk losing him after next season, when his opt-out clause kicks in. He could become a free agent available to the highest bidder. If he has a breakout season, his stock will skyrocket. There is also a risk for the Warriors in committing six years to a player who has missed 140 games the last five years, mostly because of injury. Beginning July 1, the Warriors can add up to an extra four years to the end of Davis' contract, as players are allowed to be under contract for a maximum of six years.

As part of Shaquille O'Neal's studio appearance during TNT's telecast of Monday's playoff games was a question-and-answer session with the Heat center that was broadcast only on NBA.com. O'Neal was asked by studio analyst Kenny Smith who he would pick as an additional sidekick alongside Wade. "I'm going to have to go with Vince ... 'cause Vince is there," O'Neal said, with Nets guard Vince Carter having the right to become a free agent in the offseason. "I think he needs a player like me that can get him to the next level. I can get him to the next level." When studio analyst Charles Barkley suggested O'Neal was guilty of tampering, with Carter under contract to New Jersey at least through June 30, O'Neal replied, "I'm just answering your question."

Former Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers coach Rick Adelman met with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander last week and remains the only candidate to have emerged as a potential successor to Jeff Van Gundy, three individuals with knowledge of the team's decision-making said Tuesday. As general manager Daryl Morey has compiled information about coaches who could be options, many names have been considered. But no interviews with other potential candidates are scheduled, a person close to the process said. Van Gundy said after the Rockets' first-round playoff loss to the Utah Jazz that he was considering whether to return. Morey would not comment about potential successors, citing "scenarios" in which Van Gundy could be back.

The Suns didn’t lose Tuesday’s decision without at least making their own case. The Suns made sure that NBA decision-makers were aware that the Spurs’ Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen left the bench in Game 4 of their Western Conference playoff series when teammate Francisco Elson dunked early in the third quarter and hung on the rim, only to have the Suns’ James Jones inadvertently undercut him as he headed up court. Elson fell to the floor. According to the Suns, Duncan jumped off the bench and walked onto the court with Bowen following him to get him back on the bench. The Suns hoped — without result as it turned out — this incident either would discourage the NBA from suspending Amaré Stoudemire and Boris Diaw or else would get Duncan suspended as well. This was different, NBA vice president Stu Jackson said. Duncan “should not have been on the court,” he said. But, “There was no altercation.”

Lakers minority owner Magic Johnson sat in the first row at the Meadowlands on Monday night and it's unclear if he was scouting Jason Kidd for Jerry Buss. During the All-Star Break, when talks with the Lakers heated up, Kidd sounded upbeat about playing for the Lakers, raising speculation he initiated the talks.

Heat coach Pat Riley said choosing between free agents James Posey and Jason Kapono, if it comes to that, will be a ''hard'' call, but noted Kapono needs to learn to create his own shot.

Lakers forward Lamar Odom had the torn labrum in his left shoulder surgically repaired Tuesday, but it remains possible he will be limited at the start of next season. The Lakers are hopeful Odom will be fully ready this time for training camp, which starts in 4 1/2 months on Oct. 2 in Honolulu. Odom, who postponed surgery to play the Lakers' last 23 games of the season, is wearing a sling and will begin therapy in a week and a half.

Has Robert Horry played his last NBA game? Horry has previously said he will consider retiring at the end of this season, which could end Friday if the Spurs lose the next two games of their Western Conference semifinal series against Phoenix. Now that Horry is suspended for those two games, he likely won't want his last act on a basketball court to be his takedown foul on Suns point guard Steve Nash.

The Indiana Pacers interviewed assistant coach Johnny Davis and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw for their vacant head coaching position Tuesday.

The Pacers gave Sacramento permission to talk to assistant coach Chuck Person about the Kings' head coaching vacancy. Person also met with Pacers officials Friday about the Indiana job.

Because Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw have been paid in full this season, the suspensions without pay will affect their playoff earnings or next season's salaries. If applied to next season, Stoudemire would lose $120,545, and Diaw would lose $81,818.

The Pacers have yet to ask Toronto for permission to speak to coach Sam Mitchell. Raptors president Bryan Colangelo is not allowing teams to talk to Mitchell, who is under contract until June 30.

Denver does not have a draft pick for the first time since the franchise became part of the NBA in 1976, but that could change. The Nuggets could reduce salary by trading a player to a team under the cap for a draft pick. This year's draft is projected to be one of the deepest in NBA history. Are the Nuggets looking to get back into the draft? "We're open for business, like the rest of the teams in the league," Rex Chapman said. "We're preparing as if we have picks. That's about all I can say."

Past injury issues have no bearing on whether the Nuggets believe center Marcus Camby should accept an invitation to play with the USA Basketball team this summer, Rex Chapman said. Camby's agent, Rick Kaplan, said Tuesday that Camby is undecided. "It's a terrific honor for Marcus to be considered," Chapman said. "I'm as proud as I can be personally, and for the organization, to be mentioned with those great players. It's well-deserved. He had an unbelievable season."

Upon further review, the Cavs are mad, and they're accusing the Nets of trying to hurt Sasha Pavlovic. LeBron James, the normally reserved Cavs star, said yesterday the Nets were intentionally going after Pavlovic in the past two games of their best-of-seven playoff series, and it has riled him. "In Game 3 there was some shots they took at Sasha," James told reporters here at practice yesterday. "I guess the intent was to go at Sasha in a harmful manner in Game 3. I didn't notice it until I watched film the next day. They tried to do the same thing in Game 4. It really ticked me off that they would try to do something to Sasha and try to hurt him. I had to stick up for my teammate. I didn't like it ... at all."

Bulls coach Scott Skiles says it is only fair to judge athletes based on their postseason performances. "I don't know why it's unfair," he said. "You try to be the best team you can be and that means you play the regular season to get your playoff seeding. Then you go into the playoffs and go as far as you can. Reputations are made in the playoffs--that's absolutely true. I wouldn't put everything on it. If I'm correct, there are a lot of All-NBA selections at home right now. How would we judge them?"

Longtime Phoenix Suns TV broadcaster Gary Bender, joined Ben Maller on FOX GameTime Live Tuesday and gave his reaction the suspensions: "I'm not surprised but, I'm very upset. It seems that they've rewarded bad behavior. Robert Horry took down two players with him for a despicable thing, and it was quite flagrant. In defense of David Stern and the NBA, they're trying to hold up the spirit of the law, but if you look at common sense, it's terrible."

A defiant Baron Davis on Tuesday accepted the punishment the NBA handed down to him for an incident in Sunday's Game 4 with Jazz guard Derek Fisher — then had the audacity to blame the media for his troubles. League disciplinarian Stu Jackson tagged Davis with a post-game flagrant-2 foul, which would have meant automatic ejection had it been called during the game, but carries with it no automatic suspension — leaving Golden State's starting point free to play in Tuesday's Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series. "I think it's fair. I didn't intend to hurt nobody out there — especially a good friend in Derek Fisher," said Davis, a former teammate of Fisher's with the Warriors. "But it's playoffs. There is a lot of contact going on. And I think a lot of times the media and people who have nothing to do with the game overreact, because they're not in it."

Bulls coach Scott Skiles has been grilled on talk radio shows and in chat rooms for everything from his dismissal of the effects of the Pistons' zone defense to his refusal to give rookie Tyrus Thomas more playing time. Ultimately, the judgments that matter to Skiles are his own and that of general manager John Paxson. "We're in that business of evaluation," Skiles said. "So I should be evaluated every day."

Kurt Rambis has served as an assistant coach the past five seasons in Los Angeles and the club has granted permission for the former workhorse forward to interview with the Sonics for their vacant coaching position, a Lakers spokesman said. Sonics president Lenny Wilkens also received permission to speak with Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons, a well-traveled coach who had a brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks in the mid-1990s. According to a Lakers insider, Cleamons spoke with Wilkens this week and was told he would be interviewed next month, after the organization hires a general manager. So it appears the Sonics are intent on filling the GM slot first and then coach.

Their black road uniforms finally fit their persona. And if the Spurs beat the Suns tonight, most will stick an asterisk on Game 5 bigger than 1999. And if they lose? Given the sentiment in the air, that's a real possibility. Two men are responsible for this. Robert Horry and David Stern. Horry could have grabbed Nash and avoided everything, and Stern could have grabbed some common sense.

Did You Know? When the Bulls avoided getting swept, it marked the 29th straight best-of-seven series in which they weren't swept since the Celtics swept them out of the 1981 Eastern Conference semifinals.

A billboard picture of Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich has been erected at 325 N. Wells next to the Merchandise Mart. Hinrich signed with Converse after the 2003 NBA draft. The billboard features a close-up of Hinrich, a red drawing of the Chicago skyline and the words, "The Future Looks Good." Hinrich, who generally demurs when attention is drawn to him, reacted to the news of the huge billboard with a typical shrug. "I heard about it, but I haven't seen it," he said before the game. "I feel good about it if we win. That makes everything better."

No Spurs players were made available on Tuesday, but before departing on the team flight for Phoenix from San Antonio, Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said he didn't think Robert Horry's foul warranted a flagrant foul, much less a suspension. "It was just an end of game foul and Steve fell down," Popovich told reporters in San Antonio. "I didn't think it was such a big deal."

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MLB Rumors & Notes

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Astros left fielder Carlos Lee, whom the Giants tried to sign before they agreed to terms with Barry Bonds, confirmed Tuesday that he spurned a potentially bigger contract from San Francisco to sign a six-year, $100 million deal in Houston. "I didn't know the exact numbers, but I think their numbers were bigger," Lee said of the Giants, "but it worked out better here. It came down to my family. A lot of teams were talking, but not really serious talking. Three teams were strong, but when it got down to the end, I had to make a decision." Had he accepted the Giants' offer, the team probably would not have re-signed Bonds, and one wonders if the organization would have had enough left to give Barry Zito $126 million.

Everyone wants the Tigers to grab Todd Helton from the Rockies, although they tend to forget what he is owed: $92 million through 2012. It's safe to say he won't be coming to Detroit.

When MASN play-by-play broadcaster Gary Thorne asked O's executive vice president Mike Flanagan, Flanagan said he didn't think it was appropriate to comment on manager Sam Perlozzo's day-to-day status.

Alfonso Soriano may have seen his last day as a leadoff hitter for the Cubs. Soriano, the regular leadoff hitter for each of his four major-league teams since 2002 with the New York Yankees, is not expected to return to the leadoff spot even after No. 3 hitter Derrek Lee returns to the lineup. Manager Lou Piniella was evasive when asked about it Tuesday, but an organization source said a move toward the middle of the order was discussed even before Soriano batted in the injured Lee's spot Monday and Tuesday. Especially with Soriano's touchy left hamstring keeping him from being the full-speed baserunning threat the Cubs envisioned, the idea is to take better advantage of his ability to drive the ball and bolster the middle of the order by batting him in the second spot in front of Lee and Aramis Ramirez.

Does Marlins 3B Miguel Cabrera have a weight problem? He said he's at 250 and hopes to trim at least 10 additional pounds. The Marlins have spoken with him, but no one in the organization is interested in addressing the matter publicly, considering how sensitive Cabrera is about it. Plus, it's difficult to slam your best player when he has hit well over .300 most of the season. "Up to now it hasn't affected me," Cabrera said. "[The Marlins] always tell me, but I have to take things easy." What has affected Cabrera is the 0-for-15 skid he brought into Tuesday's game.

Several Orioles said yesterday that the near fistfight between Melvin Mora and Jay Payton after Monday's loss was an isolated incident and not an indication that the clubhouse is dividing. "It's a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing," designated hitter Jay Gibbons said. "Stuff happens. It was forgotten about in like five minutes. [The clubhouse] is the same as it was a month ago. We had a group of eight for lunch today. That's how it is. Everybody likes each other. We're scuffling right now, but we're still having fun." Payton, who made the last out Monday, was upset at Mora for taking third base on a 1-1 pitch in the ninth inning with the Orioles trailing by two runs. The two had words in the dugout, and it continued outside the visiting clubhouse as several Orioles restrained the two from getting after each other. Mora apologized to Payton later, and the two, who became friends when they were teammates with the 1999 and 2000 New York Mets, hugged in the clubhouse.

The Red Sox will make a decision on Josh Beckett’s status as Friday’s starter no later than tomorrow, but early indications point to the major league leader in victories not being OK’d to open the season’s first inter-league series against the Atlanta Braves. Beckett suffered a cut on the pad of his right middle finger while delivering a fourth-inning pitch Sunday. ... Beckett, who celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday, continues to throw but with a bandage on the finger. He threw off the bullpen mound before last night’s game but Sox manager Terry Francona said there is no need to rush to a decision. “It could be 10 minutes before the game, just before you give the lineup card, but, obviously, we won’t need to do that,” he said. The most likely scenario involves reliever Kyle Snyder filling in Friday with Beckett being skipped for one turn.

There are whispers that one of the many players the Angels are possibly interested in — they are always looking for offense — is Royals outfielder Emil Brown. That certainly would be a win-win situation for Emil and for the Roya

The Cardinals added a struggling power arm to their bullpen Tuesday when they secured righthander Todd Wellemeyer on a waiver claim from the Kansas City Royals. The Royals jettisoned Wellemeyer, 28, after he compiled a 10.34 ERA and a 0-1 record in 12 games. While the struggling Royals saw a hard thrower with unsatisfactory command, the Cardinals were willing to take a chance on channeling Wellemeyer's velocity into an effective relief role. "He's somebody we've had an eye on for a while. We've always liked his arm," manager Tony La Russa said. ... La Russa declined to project Wellemeyer's immediate role, but his addition would seem to jeopardize Brian Falkenborg's standing.

Manager Ozzie Guillen provided an amusing solution to bringing New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez to the White Sox. "A-Rod is going to play for the city of Chicago," Guillen deadpanned. "He's going to talk to Mayor [Richard] Daley. When we're in town, he's going to play for the Sox. When we leave town, he'll play for the Cubs. When we play against each other, and we're home, he'll play for us; when we play at Wrigley, he'll represent the Cubs. "Say it's so. Mr. Daley will pay the Cubs, just to make everybody happy in Chicago. Now he's a savior for both teams."

As if his 1-for-40 slump at the plate weren't bad enough, things suddenly got worse for the Rays CF Rocco Baldelli in the first inning Tuesday. Baldelli left with a left hamstring strain after visibly favoring his left leg halfway up the first-base line during the Rays' 4-3 10-inning win over the Rangers at the Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Baldelli, who has battled hamstring injuries in the past, will see team orthopedic physician Dr. Koco Eaton today and be re-evaluated.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said he is not sure who will replace Kevin Millwood in the pitching rotation Saturday in Houston. One possibility is long reliever Willie Eyre. The Rangers could also call up John Koronka, Bruce Chen or Josh Rupe from Oklahoma, although none of them have an ERA of less than 4.00.

The Dodgers designated infielder Wilson Valdez for assignment. Valdez, 28, the Dodgers' second utility infielder, was rendered expendable by the development of Tony Abreu at Las Vegas. Valdez hit .417 through April 15 and .097 thereafter. The Dodgers have 10 days to trade him, release him or assign him to the minor leagues; Colletti said he would try to trade him. "There is some interest in him," Colletti said. "He deserves to have another major league opportunity."

Indians third baseman Andy Marte might not be the Indians' third baseman after his rehabilitation assignment at Buffalo concludes Friday. After that day, the Tribe must decide whether to activate him or option him to Triple-A. Manager Eric Wedge has said all along that ``whenever Marte is ready, he will be back up here.'' Now, Marte's future isn't quite so definitive. ``He had a real good game last night,'' Wedge said Tuesday. ``But we're going to give it this week. More than likely, we'll look to get him back up here, but we want to give it all the time we can.'' ... Casey Blake has played third exceptionally well, and it's difficult to make a case that the team has missed Marte's production. At the time he got hurt, he was batting .179 with one homer and eight RBI in 39 at-bats. If Marte returns, Blake will go back to platooning in right with Trot Nixon and sharing first base with Ryan Garko.

Pitcher Ian Snell wishes fans at PNC Park would stop booing Adam LaRoche, who went into last night's game batting .168. "I think they need to just lay off him," Snell said Tuesday. "He's gonna hit; it's just a matter of time. The booing's just gotta stop. That puts stress on us, too, that they're booing a guy that hasn't really been here, around this environment."

The biggest trade in Atlanta Braves history is due to go down Wednesday night. ... Wednesday's trade — to be completed if Major League Baseball approves it during a late-afternoon meeting — would send the Braves franchise, a group of craft publications and about $1 billion in cash from team owner Time Warner to Liberty Media in return for a huge block of Time Warner stock long held by Liberty. If MLB owners approve, the transaction — designed to be tax-free — will be quickly closed so as to beat a midnight change in the federal tax code. The deal would make Liberty — a publicly traded, Colorado-based corporation with vast holdings in the media, entertainment and electronic commerce industries — the 100 percent owner of the Braves, who have been owned for a decade by Time Warner and for two decades before that by Turner Broadcasting (now a Time Warner division). "My expectation is very, very high that the deal gets done [tonight], because I don't think all of the parties would have let it get to this stage ... without everybody putting their hands on the Bible and saying 'I do,' " Braves Chairman and President Terry McGuirk said.

Seeing the name “J.D. Drew” associated with the word “injury” is something the Red Sox and their fans would rather not have to deal with. Further word on how long they will have to hear about the back injury sustained by Drew last night will have to wait until the right fielder is examined today. ... Drew’s health status will always be a matter of close scrutiny, given his track record of getting hurt as well as the five-year, $70 million contract he inked over the winter. This season, Drew has battled the flu and missed a total of four games. With a week to go in April, the left-handed hitter was batting .350. Since April 23, however, his average has plummeted 100 points to its current .250.

Jim Tracy and everyone else in the Pirates' clubhouse is aware that third baseman Jose Castillo's agent requested a trade if his client does not play more. But, if any friction has arisen as a result, it is difficult to detect. There certainly appears to be no issue in the manager's office. "If you walk out there right now and ask him if he's thrilled with his situation, he'd tell you he's unhappy about it," Tracy said. "That's what you would expect to hear. But the manner in which he's dealing with it, I tip my cap to him." Tracy also praised Castillo for what he described as better approaches at the plate and the best defense he has shown since Tracy arrived in Pittsburgh.

Veteran Joe Mays exercised an escape clause from his Las Vegas contract, and the Dodgers released him rather than promote him to the majors. With Kuo and Billingsley available as rotation insurance, the Dodgers had no need for Mays. In eight starts at Las Vegas, Mays was 1-2 with a 5.16 ERA.

If the Phils still want Ron Villone, they will have to trade for him, but that might be tough. How dry is the trade market for bullpen help? "Oh, it's dry," Ruben Amaro said. "You will see very little movement unless somebody decides they're going to send two or three of their best prospects in their system for a middle reliever. It's supply and demand."

Dontrelle Willis' postgame comments Monday created enough of a buzz in the Marlins clubhouse Tuesday that the team held a players'-only meeting before batting practice. Following the 7-0 loss, Willis said the team wasn't "showing up to play" and that maybe they were a little complacent.

Even though Byung-Hyun Kim will begin his tenure with the Marlins in the rotation, one veteran National League scout said Kim is better as a reliever, but no longer good enough to close: ''He threw harder when he was in Arizona a few years ago. Now he's relying more on deception. It's hard to correct guys with unique deliveries.''

Ron Villone pitched well for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he had the option of becoming a free agent on Tuesday if the Yankees did not promote him. They did, optioning Sean Henn to Scranton and welcoming back a pitcher who made 70 appearances last season. “I thought I did what I needed to do, and a lot of people saw me,” said Villone, who had a 1.90 earned run average in 17 games for Scranton. “But this is where I wanted to be in the first place, the reason I went to Scranton.”

White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker's job already has been declared safe by general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen, but he has come under fire in the court of public opinion. Walker isn't one who carries his resume with him, but he did feel the need to defend the success the offense has had under his watch. ''We're the guys that can get this done this year, and if we get it turned around, then we'll be the most focused team in baseball,'' Walker said. So what if the struggles continue and Walker is the fall guy? ''I'll say, 'Thank you for the opportunity,' and ask them if they want me to go pick up the next guy at the airport so I can give him a report on these guys,'' Walker said. ''You never say never about working somewhere else because I've got a lot of good friends in this game, but right now, this is my family.''

Twins outfielder Rondell White has checked the schedule to figure out when he'll rejoin his teammates after recovering from a slightly torn right calf muscle. He's eyeing the June 1-6 trip to Oakland and Los Angeles. "I brought clothes, just in case, for the West Coast trip," White said, "but I don't want to jinx myself."

Ever so slowly, Orlando Hernández is nearing a return to the Mets. He threw about 60 pitches yesterday in a simulated game at Port St. Lucie, Fla., and he is on track to pitch one more before rejoining the team in Miami next weekend, when the Mets play the Florida Marlins. Manager Willie Randolph said Hernández, who has been sidelined for two weeks with shoulder bursitis, would not need a rehabilitation start in the minor leagues. Minaya even allowed for the possibility that Hernández could be ready to pitch in the majors after yesterday’s simulated game.

Former Diamondbacks outfielder Quinton McCracken, who had been doing postgame work for FSNAZ, is not done playing. He is expected to sign with Bridgeport of the independent Atlantic League.

Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels made his big-league debut on May 12, 2006, in Cincinnati. In 31 career starts, he is 14-9 with a 3.90 ERA. That's notable when stacked up against the first full seasons of future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson. Maddux was 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA in 1987; Glavine, 7-17 with a 4.56 ERA in 1988; and Johnson, 7-13 with a 4.82 ERA in 1989.

Otis Elevator Company won a $5 million contract to supply and install its environmentally friendly and energy-efficient Gen2 elevators for Citi Field, the new world-class home of the New York Mets, scheduled to open in 2009.

The gap between the Pirates' top two starters and everyone else: Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny are a combined 8-4 with a 2.37 ERA. ... Paul Maholm and Zach Duke, the other two in what the franchise hopes will be a formidable foursome for years to come, are a combined 3-9 with a 5.64 ERA. And Tony Armas, owner of the ugliest numbers in the National League, is 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA.

Barry Bonds' contract reportedly requires him to hold a news conference the first time the Giants visit a city, but it cannot make him talk about home runs. In fact, Bonds declared the topic off-limits to a large throng of reporters Tuesday. "I haven't been giving any interviews about myself, guys, and I'm not going to start now," Bonds said. "If you want to talk about the team, fine. I'm not going to do any interviews about me."

The Orioles signed outfielder Tike Redman, 30, who played parts of five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, to a minor league contract and sent him to Triple-A Norfolk.

Giants OF Fred Lewis' cousin, former major-leaguer Matt Lawton, drove to Houston from Gulfport, Miss., to watch him play.

Former Dodgers outfielder Raul Mondesi attended Tuesday's game. He was shown on the video board and roundly booed.

Thirty-three games into the Mariners season, Jason Ellison has three at-bats. That is the fewest at-bats of any position player in the big leagues all season. Ellison has mostly been a pinch runner and a late-inning defensive replacement for Jose Guillen in right field. Last year with the Giants, Ellison performed the same roles, running when needed and playing defense for Barry Bonds in left. But the National League game is different. In a league where the designated hitter is king, a role like Ellison's naturally produces fewer at-bats when there are no pitchers to pinch-hit for and there are no midgame double switches. "In the NL there are more opportunities to get into games," Ellison said Tuesday. "It's been a tough go, but it is what it is. It would be tough if this went on for two or three months, but I'm here to do what they need for me to do."

All signs point to first baseman Ryan Shealy returning from the disabled list in time for tonight’s game against the A’s. Shealy has been out since May 1 because of a strained left hamstring but is eligible to be activated today from the 15-day list. The Royals are expected to clear roster space by optioning outfielder Billy Butler to Class AAA Omaha. Butler has started just one of the last five games and hasn’t played in the field since May 8. Butler entered Tuesday batting .243 after getting just two hits in his last 21 at-bats.

Byung-Hyun Kim joined the Marlins and will start on Friday against Tampa Bay. His agent, Scott Boras, believes pitching in a home park with a big outfield like Florida's will help Kim.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry was upset with a Tribune report Tuesday that stated he and former manager Dusty Baker did not shake hands before Monday's game. Baker confirmed that after an initial meeting on the field in which they exchanged hellos and didn't shake, they later met near the batting cage, shook hands and had a brief conversation. Hendry characterized the report as an attempt to present an inaccurate portrayal of their relationship. Baker had no comment on their relationship.

Who Knew? Daisuke Matsuzaka’s complete game in his eighth major league start was the quickest ever for a native of Japan. Hideo Nomo did so for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his 11th big league start in 1995.

Did You Know? In 87 games since Aug. 7, Andrew Jones has hit .228 (69-for-302) with 21 homers, 61 RBIs, 58 walks, 73 strikeouts, one stolen base, a .367 OBP and an .867 OPS. Folks, that’s .228 for more than half a season by the 2005 MVP runner-up.

The only negative aspect of Tuesday's game for Atlanta was the eighth-inning performance of reliever Mike Gonzalez, who gave up a run and was removed with two outs after manager Bobby Cox became concerned he might be hurt. "He says he feels 100 percent," Cox said. "We were worried. He shook a lot of breaking balls off, and his fastball was going around 82-84 [miles per hour]. I don't know if the gun readings fooled me or what, but I wasn't going to take any chances." Gonzalez missed the last five weeks of the 2006 season for Pittsburgh with elbow tendinitis, and last month he had an MRI on his sore elbow. The MRI showed no damage, and Gonzalez had pitched 10 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts since then to lower his ERA to a staff-best 1.10 before Tuesday.

When the Phillies moved Brett Myers to the bullpen, the decision seemed a little shocking. After all, how many times has a team converted its Opening Day starter into a reliever? More often than you might think. In fact, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) member Jim Sweetman discovered eight occasions since saves became an official statistic in 1970 in which a pitcher who started the first game of the season for a team ended up with three or more saves in the same year. Coincidentally, the record is held by Tom Gordon, 11 for the Red Sox in 1997. ... Here are the other Opening Day starters who went on to have some success out of the bullpen in the same season: Bud Black, nine saves for the 1986 Royals; Al Holland, five for the 1982 Giants; Andy Messersmith, five for the 1970 Angels; Jerry Koosman, five for the 1981 Twins; Dustin Hermanson, four for the 2000 Expos; Mike Parrott, three for the 1980 Mariners; and Koosman, three for the 1982 White Sox.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella doesn't have the power to release struggling middle relievers Scott Eyre and Bob Howry, both of whom are in the middle of lucrative, three-year deals. He can bury them in the bullpen for a while, but sooner or later the Cubs must find a way to get their two key setup men back on track. The Cubs were ranked sixth in NL relief pitching on Tuesday with a 3.61 earned-run average, but led the league with 10 losses. Their seven blown saves was second worst in the league to Colorado's eight.

The Cubs promoted the 26-year-old Mike Fontenot from Triple-A Iowa and sent right-hander Rocky Cherry to Iowa. To make room for Fontenot on the 40-man roster, Kerry Wood was put on the 60-day disabled list. The call-up was necessary because of the uncertain status of Mark DeRosa, who strained a ligament in his right ring finger while playing first base during Monday night's loss.

Gil Meche has not allowed an earned run in 27 innings in his four road starts but has just one victory to show for it. The Royals are 6-3 overall in his nine starts. “If I keep us close and we win,” he said, “who cares if I get the win?”

1B James Loney is 23. Can the Dodgers consider playing him at first base if the power does not come? "It depends upon the composition of the club," Colletti said. In recent years, he noted, the Chicago Cubs' Mark Grace and the San Francisco Giants' J.T. Snow played first base without much power, but Grace had Ryne Sandberg at second base and Snow had Jeff Kent.

Orlando Cabrera used to catch flak for his footwear in Montreal, a pair of modified basketball sneakers — high-tops with spikes — that he wore on Olympic Stadium's unforgiving artificial turf. "Everyone made fun of me," said Cabrera, who played 6 1/2 years in Montreal, "but we played on cement, and those shoes saved me. Out of all the guys I played with, I'm the only one who hasn't had knee problems." One of those guys was current Angels teammate Vladimir Guerrero, who played seven years in Montreal and is still paying the price.

Did You Know? Atlanta Braves right-hander John Smoltz has just two losses in nine starts this season. Both came against the Nationals.

When the Nationals activated Cristian Guzman from the disabled list, Acta said he expected the shortstop to need a few days to adjust to major league pitching. "It did take a few days," Acta said. "But not many of them." Guzman entered play last night batting .450 (9 for 20) in his last five games. The hot streak has come after Guzman went 1 for 8 in his first two games back.

Who Knew? Since moving into PNC Park for the 2001 season, the Pirates' record when leading after seven innings, when there is almost always a reliever in the game, is 340-37. That's not a misprint. The Pirates, as bad as they have been, are 303 games over .500 when leading after seven innings since 2001.

Well, someone ask Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit: In 2006, his average wound up .208 after 149 at-bats spread over 61 games. This year, he is batting .397 through 63 at-bats. What has he changed? "Not a thing, dude," he said. "It's all confidence. Confidence is key. When you know you're going to be in there on a consistent basis. It's nothing mechanically. My approach hasn't changed. It's just getting a chance to get in there and play. That's all it is."

Minneapolis' Jim Anderson, who manufacturers MaxBats in Brooten, Minn., was asked this spring by San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds to send samples of his maple bats. Anderson did but hasn't heard back. "That would have been nice," Anderson said of the possibility that Bonds would use his bats in pursuit of Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755. However, the Philadelphia Phillies' Jimmy Rollins, who is among the National League leaders in home runs, is using Anderson's bats. "Jimmy said he wanted something 'explosive,' " Anderson said.

A painting of Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki completing his triple play against the Atlanta Braves was given to him last weekend. Brad Hawpe hung it in the clubhouse, but Tulowitzki will take it home in the offseason.

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NFL Rumors & Notes

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Sean Taylor's absence last week prompted some Redskins teammates to wonder whether he was unhappy with his contract. Taylor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not return phone calls seeking comment. "No truth to that at all," Taylor told the team's official Web site, when asked after the workout yesterday if he was upset about his contract. "I have a seven-year contract. I've played three years of that contract and I'm fine." Team sources indicated that during parts of the offseason, the Redskins and Taylor had discussed a contract extension without resolution. Adding to the potential tension, teammates said, was the Redskins' decision last month to draft safety LaRon Landry, who could stand to earn a sizable contract.

LB Greg Ellis thinks he gave up money by staying with the Cowboys and being a team player when he didn't become a free agent. Now Ellis would like the Cowboys to be fair with him. "Going back to when we signed the contract, they said 'be a team guy,'" Ellis said. "I did it because I am a team guy and this where I wanted to be. I know Bill [Parcells] sold Jerry on me not getting a $10 million signing bonus. But I go for the $4 million. And then things changed." ... Ellis wants the Cowboys to put their money where their mouth is.

Surry County (Va.) Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter will meet with Sheriff Harold Brown and investigators Monday to review evidence of dogfighting discovered at a property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Poindexter told the Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that he was recently contacted by Brown to schedule a meeting, the first time he had been approached by investigators to review evidence. Police initially went to the property owned by Vick on April 25 in a drug investigation involving Vick's cousin. Evidence of dogfighting, including nearly 70 dogs, mostly pit bulls, was collected over several days. Charges have yet to be filed. A grand jury convenes in Surry County on Tuesday. However, Poindexter said it was unlikely a review of the evidence would be completed in time to submit it to the grand jury at that time. Dogfighting is a felony in Virginia and is punishable by up to five years in prison. In regard to Vick, at this point he is being viewed as nothing more than the property owner unless evidence reveals that he could be involved in illegal activity, Poindexter said. Poindexter would not say if he expected charges to be brought. Without reviewing the evidence, Poindexter declined to say if Vick was a focus of the investigation.

Though Brett Favre told a newspaper in Mississippi he won't attend the Green Bay Packers' minicamp this weekend, it appears he and the team haven't made that decision yet. The Biloxi Sun Herald reported on its Web site Tuesday that Favre said he'll miss the camp, because his recovery from offseason ankle surgery won't allow him to participate in practice. He prefers to remain in Mississippi to work out, rehabilitate his injury and take part in activities surrounding his oldest daughter's graduation from high school. Coach Mike McCarthy was unavailable for comment Tuesday but through a team spokesman gave no indication that Favre has been excused from the mandatory camp, at least not as of Tuesday evening. All signs suggest Favre and McCarthy will talk before making the decision. The minicamp runs Friday through Sunday. "As far as (McCarthy) is concerned, it's a mandatory minicamp," said Jeff Blumb, the Packers' director of public relations.

Estimates of Bears DT Tank Johnson's punishment, expected to be announced next week, have ranged from a suspension of six games to the entire 2007 season. Any punishment beyond a four-game suspension Johnson would have received under the NFL's previous policy, still in place at the time of his last arrest in December, will illustrate just how much power the NFL players union has ceded to Goodell. In theory, Johnson might have a legitimate legal challenge to present against the league and seek to recoup a portion of the stack of $30,000 paychecks he will forfeit for each game he misses in 2007. He could argue that Goodell's new, no-tolerance policy punishes him retroactively when he should have been subject to the old rules. As noted sports agent and criminal lawyer Steve Zucker pointed out, in the real world if Johnson had been arrested for a crime in December and Illinois laws stiffened Jan. 1, his penalties would have been bound by the previous state statute. In other words, Goodell is tougher on crime than your local judge.

Very quietly, veteran kicker Mike Vanderjagt worked out for the Giants last month. But the Giants opted to sign Marc Hickok, who previously kicked in arenafootball2, the minor league for the Arena Football League. Vanderjagt's agent, Gil Scott, said his client's workout for the Giants went well; Vanderjagt connected on 11 of 13 field-goal attempts. It was just that the Giants opted to go with the younger -- and much less known -- Hickok. Now Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, is a man without a team. This offseason, he has worked out for the Saints and Giants, but hasn't received any offers -- a baffling development.

When Bengals cornerback Deltha O'Neal failed to show Tuesday, his absence was noted. O'Neal had told head coach Marvin Lewis he would be there. O'Neal and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh were the only projected starters missing. "T.J.'s absence was not a surprise, but Deltha told me he would be here today, so ..." Lewis said after the Bengals practiced for almost two hours Tuesday. O'Neal struggled last season and had just one interception after grabbing 10 and tying for the NFL lead in a Pro Bowl season in 2005. The Bengals, meantime, have spent their last two first-round draft picks on cornerbacks, Johnathan Joseph in 2006 and Leon Hall in 2007. O'Neal is a projected starter opposite Joseph, who will replace free-agent departure Tory James.

Saints RB Reggie Bush said he "was a little shocked" that the Saints drafted running back Antonio Pittman in the fourth round, "But Coach (Sean) Payton is the head coach, and he's doing what's best for this team. I'm behind him 100 percent."

Vikings Pro Bowl nose tackle Pat Williams also could be coming in with a new contract extension befitting an 11-year veteran who is both a valuable team leader and someone who is still at or near the top of his position in the league. He is due to make $2.65 million in the last of a three-year contract he signed with the Vikings when he left Buffalo via free agency after the 2004 season. "We had preliminary discussions just to let it be known that the Vikings want Pat beyond this season, and that Pat wants to finish his career as a Minnesota Viking," said Angelo Wright, Williams' agent. "Now we're just waiting for an offer. We expect some kind of offer probably before training camp." Williams, 33, said he would like to play another four years and then retire to Monroe, La., where he finished building a new home last month.

The Bears clearly have plans for Garrett Wolfe, regarded by many teams as too small to be anything but a returner. But the Bears see him as a running back with receiving skills, and those skills were in evidence at the rookie minicamp earlier this month. Wolfe became the first 2007 draft choice to sign on Tuesday, with a four-year contract worth approximately $2.3 million that includes a $623,000 signing bonus.

Sean Taylor's arrival means that cornerback Shawn Springs is the only starter who has not yet reported to Redskins Park. Springs, who is working out in Arizona, said last week that he told Williams and secondary coach Jerry Gray that he would arrive in about two weeks.

Reggie Bush said he has been working with personal trainer Kappel Clarke since mid-February, having weighed the options of staying near home in Los Angeles against coming to New Orleans to train with his teammates. "Obviously," Bush said, "you'd like to be here with your teammates working out and being with the guys. At the same time, your offseason is your time to kind of relax and be normal, just be a person and just let your hair down and not be a football player 24/7. "I think sometimes it's good to just take a break. In that respect, me being from California, I do like being out there and working out at the same time. But I like coming back and working out with my teammates. It's kind of a touchy subject, because you want to please both parties."

Lions coach Rod Marinelli regards the front four as the franchise's foundation. Marinelli coached Tampa Bay's defensive line for 10 years before being hired as coach of the Lions in 2006. Marinelli expects to have a strong trio of tackles. Cory Redding and Shaun Rogers are the starters, with Shaun Cody the third man.

Though Bengals QB Carson Palmer became the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season, his completion percentage suffered, falling 5.5 points from 67.8 in 2006 to 62.3, which ranked seventh in the AFC among qualified passers. Palmer, now back on the field after a routine winter, aims to make up those 5.5 percentage points and more. "We want to be in the 70s. We're shooting for the 70s," Palmer said after firing the ball around the Paul Brown Stadium practice fields for almost two hours.

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor arrived for voluntary workouts yesterday morning, joining his teammates after missing the first week of offseason training sessions. Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs was not made available to discuss Taylor's arrival, but planned to discuss it during his weekly meeting with reporters after the team workout tomorrow, according to team officials.

Although Dolphins brass continues to rave about tight end David Martin, the person he replaced, Randy McMichael, asserted, ``I'm the best tight end ever to play for this team. It's their loss. I'm at a better place now [St. Louis].''