BenMaller.com - Rumors & Notes

Big Ben's Sunday Rumors & Notes

Baseball Rumors & Notes

Some members of the Yankees organization already are talking about the possibility that Roger Clemens will leave at the end of this season and pursue his 300th career victory in the uniform of the Texas Rangers or the Houston Astros. And that's why the Yankees already have had internal discussions about what it would take to sign one of the Atlanta Braves' two impending free agents, Tom Glavine or Greg Maddux.

During the July trading season, Pirates slugger Brian Giles heard persistent rumors he was going to Oakland. What he really wanted to hear was San Francisco. Giles said Saturday that he would love to play for the Giants and manager Dusty Baker

According to Sammy Sosa, all those days games are killing the Cubs. "We can win more games if players are rested the way they are when they play night games," Sosa said. "If you bring a player here from another team that has played night games most of the time, it's going to be tough for him to adjust. Suddenly, he has to get up early in the morning."

Don't penalize him for his contract. Don't penalize him for his lousy teammates. Don't penalize him for last place. Alex Rodríguez has been the best player in baseball this season, and his awful team's place in the standings doesn't change that distinction.

The Rays, as has become commonplace, were ripped in the national media for not making any deals with a 35-70 record. More upsetting to team officials were reports they continually seek too much in trades. Various reports had the Rays seeking at least two top-quality prospects for Yan, pitcher Jason Marquis from the Braves for Cox and multiple players from the Dodgers' 25-man roster for Randy Winn.

Commissioner Bud Selig said Saturday that the Twins' success this season has no bearing on their status as a candidate for elimination and that contraction remains an option for the owners in solving the sport's economic problems. Selig also suggested that the stability of the franchise would be assured only by renewed efforts to get a new ballpark built.

Jerry Royster, whose credibility with his players sank after Mike DeJean showed him up on the mound two weeks ago, will not be retained as Brewers manager next season. The Brewers will probably make another run at Willie Randolph, a favorite of commissioner/Brewers owner Bud Selig.

Jeff Weaver is heading to the New York Yankees bullpen.

Red Sox pitchers, whose 3.81 ERA was second only to Seattle's 3.73 in the American League entering last night, have hit 66 batters this season, the most in the majors. Only the Devil Rays (64) are close. What's more, Sox pitchers have drilled 23 batters in the last 21 games.

Numbers, please: San Diego has used the most players in the big leagues this year with 51. Detroit is second at 49 and the Indians and Texas are third with 45. The Padres also lead the list with 30 pitchers, followed by Detroit and Texas with 24 and the Indians with 23.

Reds general manager Jim Bowden had deals in place to acquire pitcher Kenny Rogers, Finley and Rolen. Rogers invoked a no-trade clause and remains in Texas, but Cincinnati owner Carl Lindner decided against making trades for Rolen and/or Finley because of payroll concerns.

The Seattle clubhouse is still trying to figure what prompted ESPN to report Edgar Martinez was retiring about the time he was hitting a two-run homer to fuel a comeback win over Detroit Monday. Manager Lou Piniella even spoke with ESPN and shot down the rumor, and still the cable station aired it.

The Scott Rolen era is over.Let the Pat Burrell era begin. Before the Phillies go to spring training next season, their management has one overriding task: to sign its burgeoning young superstar to a long-term contract. Nothing else on the priorities list is even close.

Talk in the Japanese leagues is that Giants outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo could return to the Hanshin Tigers, perhaps as soon as this winter. Shinjo remains immensely popular back home, even with the success Ichiro has had over here.

A day after Javy Lopez went on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder, Andruw Jones was scratched from the Braves lineup Saturday with a sore left shoulder. "His shoulder is killing him and has been for some time," manager Bobby Cox said of his All-Star center fielder, one of Atlanta's most durable players. "It's something we're a little concerned about." Jones, who came off the bench and singled in the eighth, is considering a cortisone shot after tonight's series finale against St. Louis.

The Cardinals acknowledge three constants about Atlanta Braves baseball in August: The Braves will be leading the NL East; they will be playing in dripping humidity; and the mere mention of a Braves pitcher, particularly Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, causes the plate to expand. Careful not to blame Friday's strike zone for an 11-5 loss, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa called the wide plate traditionally given Glavine and Maddux "a hell of a distraction."

It turns out that Manager Luis Pujols wasn't the only one who spoke to Randall Simon about the baserunning blunders he's made on the Tigers' trip. Bobby Higginson did, too, but in a way that Simon didn't like. Angry words were exchanged between the two players Friday night before the Tigers' 3-1 victory over the A's. No punches were thrown. But it was ugly enough that Pujols saw fit to speak to Higginson about it.

Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe have 29 victories between them and are well on pace to win 20 games each. If they do, it would be the first time that two Red Sox pitchers won 20 or more games in the same season since Mel Parnell (25-7) and Ellis Kinder (23-6) did it in 1949.

Evolution of Tommy John surgery gives pitchers hope, second chance.

Did Larry Dolan and Mark Shapiro dismantle the Tribe too soon?

Since the 1978 Red Sox lost the American League East to the New York Yankees, only two teams have lost a division title after taking a lead of five or more game into August. Those clubs were the 1995 Angels and the 1993 Giants, though in the case of the latter, they would have made the playoffs had the wild card been in existence.

When was the last time you heard a player from Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee or another perennial non-contender rail against the problems of competitive imbalance between big-market and small-market clubs? It doesn't happen often, does it? The reason for this is one of the players' darkest secrets: Playing on a bad team isn't all that bad.

Brian Buchanan is starting all over again. The outfielder was on hand for the Twins' rebuilding years, but was dealt last month to San Diego, where he's part of a team that has some good veterans, but largely is waiting for young players to come around. "This San Diego team is in the same situation the Minnesota Twins were in two or three years ago," Buchanan said. "It's almost a mirror. They have some good pitchers, some good players. This team here in a couple of years is going to be battling for some spots."

Did You Know? The Dodgers finished with a 123-118 mark at Cinergy Field-Riverfront Stadium, making them the only team besides the Reds to have a winning record at the soon-to-be-demolished flying saucer.

You thought steroids or Human Growth Hormone was the end of the story. It's only the beginning. The next wave is gene doping, also known as gene splicing.

Ever wonder how baseball trade waivers work?

Darrin Fletcher, who played for the Phillies in 1990 and 1991, retired last weekend, walking away from $1.3 million left on a $3.8 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Fletcher, 35, had spent an off day at home in Illinois picking blackberries with his two children. He was at the airport, ready to fly to Minneapolis to join his teammates, when he decided he had had enough.

A barometer of where the so-called national pastime ranks these days: Ozzie Smith's induction into the Hall of Fame was shown on ESPN Classic last Sunday, while ESPN and ESPN2, which play to much wider audiences, were showing an Arena Football League game and the World's Strongest Man competition.

Did you know? If the Angels win the AL West, they'd become only the 14th major-league team to finish first after trailing by at least 10 1/2 games. The last team to do that: the 1995 Mariners, who beat the Angels in a one-game playoff after trailing by 13 games.

Since their inception in 1961, no team -- not the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians or any other celebrated can't-win-the-big-one franchise -- has antagonized its fans more than the Angels.

What are the Marlins going to do with the 15,000 Ryan Dempster bobblehead dolls they were forced to eat when they traded the pitcher to the Cincinnati Reds? ''We'll find something creative to do with them,'' spokesman P.J. Loyello said. ``We're not going to burn them, that's for sure.''

Fan Letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer: Scott Rolen and J.D. Drew together at last - perfect together: a pair of overhyped millionaires batting .260 each. Perhaps Rolen can still lead the Cardinals hitting into double plays the way he did for the Phillies. The idea that Philly fans would boo such a superstar. Outrageous!

NFL Rumors & Notes

The Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI win over the St. Louis Rams triggered a seven-figure bonus in coach Bill Belichick's five-year agreement with the team, according to a source familiar with the contract.

The Vikings have a plan for 40% of their passes this season going to Randy Moss. It's called the Randy Ratio. "If we had done this my rookie year, we'd have some jewelry around here," Moss said.

Now that Ray Lewis has his massive contract extension and Peter Boulware is soon to extend his deal, the Baltimore Ravens finally might add some talent. The wish list includes defensive tackle Sam Adams, receiver Antonio Freeman, fullback Sam Gash, free safety Eric Brown and offensive lineman Ben Coleman.

Rams running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery, the former Eagles All-Pro, thinks Ricky Williams, not Bledsoe, will prove to be the most significant offseason acquisition in the AFC East. ``He's going to take that offense to another level,'' Montgomery said. ``I can see him doing for (Miami) what Marshall Faulk did for us four years ago.''

The Texans signed safety Eric Brown on Saturday and waived linebacker Kenny Harney, keeping the roster at 97 players. Brown, a native of San Antonio, played the last four seasons with the Denver Broncos. He started all 16 games at free safety last year. In 2000, he started 16 games and had a career-best 102 tackles.

So far, Kurt Warner of the Rams is proving that his thumb feels good. But when asked about Warner's overall performance, Mike Martz couldn't resist the opportunity to have some fun with his quarterback. "He hasn't thrown a spiral yet, which is normal," Martz said, with a smile. "I think that by the end of camp we're due to see two spirals."

An X-ray has revealed that the Eagles have lost their off-season gamble on the return of Hollis Thomas. Thomas, the veteran defensive tackle, on Friday suffered a break to the same bone in his right foot that was fractured in December. He is to see a specialist in Chicago tomorrow to determine whether to have surgery on the fifth metatarsal again. It is unclear how long Thomas will be sidelined, but the Eagles know they can't count on his returning this season.

Tight end Tony Gonzalez and first-round draft pick Ryan Sims, a defensive tackle, remain unsigned. Chiefs team president/general manager Carl Peterson said there has been no communication between the team and Sims' agent

Has Chiefs' president Carl Peterson let ego get in way of building contending team?

Hold those Jets Super Bowl reservations, at least until tomorrow. John Abraham, the Jets' Pro Bowl defensive end and their most important defensive player, suffered what was thought to be a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee during yesterday's simulated game at Hofstra and will undergo an MRI exam tomorrow.

Ed Reed's nine-day holdout resulted in a monetary gain and, for the time being, a lost starting job. The 24th overall pick in the NFL draft, Reed signed a $6.2 million, five-year contract with the Ravens last night that included a $3.625 million signing bonus. With incentives, the deal could be worth as much as $8.7 million.

Defensive tackle Daryl Gardener did something unprecedented last week. After being waived by the Dolphins, He signed with the Redskins. The went home to Coral Springs, Fla., to pack for Washington and invited three newspaper writers who cover the team to his house. Gardener showed the writers around his $2 million house, including the weight room with $40,000 worth of equipment, and answered questions for an hour. Then he handed the writers three pages of explanation about his situation. They called it the "Gardener Manifesto." Among other things, Gardener criticized coach Dave Wannstedt and linebacker Zach Thomas.

Perhaps the Bucs' most impressive rookie in the first week of training camp is a player who wasn't among this year's 250-plus draft picks: free-agent linebacker Ryan Nece, who signed with Tampa Bay out of UCLA. Nece, the son of Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott, showed some of his father's legendary hard hitting, upending fellow rookie Travis Stephens Saturday. In six days, he's made an impression on his coaches.

The Washington Redskins believed they were making progress toward a contract agreement with first-round draft choice Patrick Ramsey and remained intent upon completing a deal with the quarterback early in the week, sources close to the situation said.

Paul Boudreau, the Carolina Panthers' new offensive line coach, has watched rookie defensive end Julius Peppers practice for more than a week. Peppers' agility and quickness remind him of someone -- former Lions running back Barry Sanders. Boudreau was a Lions assistant from 1994-96.

Bengals QB Jon Kitna impresses in competition with Gus Frerotte.

Rob Johnson lined up with the Bucs first-team offense for red-zone drills, but coach Jon Gruden reiterated that Brad Johnson, who also got significant reps, is his starter and not to read anything into which quarterback lines up where. "Brad is the starting quarterback. I don't speak Spanish or Russian or all these other languages, but if I did, I'd let the world know he's our starting quarterback."

Indianapolis Orphans? Eighteen years after the Colts left Baltimore in a fleet of Mayflower vans, they still aren't the darlings of Indianapolis. It's not just that they haven't been consistent winners. Owner Jim Irsay is pitching for increased revenue (read: new stadium) and the fans aren't receptive.

Texans' coordinator Chris Palmer has put Browns firing behind him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden's "Gulf Coast" offense, with Michael Pittman as the featured back, will also turn loose fullback/tailback Mike Alstott. Alstott will line up as a single back, a fullback, and an I-back in different formations. "I'll be able to catch the ball more," Alstott said. "Not big routes, not routes down the field, but routes that you can turn into big plays."...

Okay, so Trent Dilfer looked good in his limited action last season. But Seattle coach Mike Holmgren is talking about not only making Dilfer the starter, but giving him almost free rein.

Former Florida State star Chris Weinke's rookie season as quarterback of the Carolina Panthers ended with a record 15-game losing streak. But in terms of milestones, his first trip through the league had several notable moments.

The numbers are lining up favorably for Lions middle linebacker Chris Claiborne -- from addition and subtraction. Claiborne has lost 16 pounds from his reporting weight last season, and he feels quicker and more comfortable at 252 pounds.

George Allen, who died of a heart attack in 1990 at age 72 never had a losing season in 14 years as a professional head coach and dramatically changed the Redskins' fortunes during his tenure from 1971 to '77, including the first Super Bowl team in 1972. Allen was enshrined in Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Insiders in the NFL are starting to criticize the Browns for overpaying their players. What other Cleveland pro franchise has to answer to those charges? At the urging of owner Al Lerner and coach Butch Davis, the Browns have gone "the extra mile" to end brief holdouts staged the past two summers by top draft picks Gerard Warren last year and William Green this year.

Bryce Paup would like to formally retire as a member of the Green Bay Packers, and the team intends to let him have his wish. Paup made his request to Reggie McKenzie, the club's director of pro personnel, during the spring. McKenzie has checked with coach Mike Sherman and received approval. Paup, 34, has seen two of his former teammates in Buffalo, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed, re-sign with the Bills in order to retire after their careers petered out in other places.

A random act of hate. T.J. Duckett's attack linked to racism

Steve Spurrier´s teams averaged more than 35 points and about 460 yards per game during 12 immensely successful seasons at the University of Florida, and one of the biggest questions in the NFL this year is whether his scheme will work at the professional level

Final word comes from ex-Chargers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst on the retirement of QB Ryan Leaf, the second pick overall by San Diego in 1998: "He retired when he got the $12 million signing bonus. He just announced it last week."

NBA Rumors & Notes

Hearing that the Nets offered three starters - but no stars - for Kevin Garnett, the Mavs are prepared to jump into the Garnett derby with a better offer for the first-team All-NBA power forward. The Mavs believe they can top Jersey's offer of Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn. The problem for the Nets, Mavs and everyone else coveting Garnett is, as much as he hasn't been able to get Minnesota out of the first round, and with all the money he's making, the Timberwolves aren't likely to move him.

The Celtics are praying a decent point guard falls through the cracks and takes the veteran minimum contract they're offering. Among those in the possibility pool is the pride of Springfield, Travis Best, most recently of the baby Bulls.

Gary Payton's agent says trade remark was out of context

Saturday was a dubious anniversary in Orlando sports history. On Aug. 3, 2000, Grant Hill signed a seven-year, $93 million contract to rebuild the Orlando Magic. He signed the contract by pushing his crutches to the side. Hill was recovering from ankle surgery, but it was supposed to be just a minor thing. Two years, two more surgeries and only 18 games later, Hill is still trying to get healthy enough to rebuild the Magic.

If Stephen Ambrose decides to write ''Undaunted Courage, Part II,'' he might use agents Bill Duffy and Lon Babby as his NBA Lewis & Clark. Their mission: to go where no man has gone before - into Clippers owner Donald Sterling's wallet for big, fat contracts. Duffy represents Michael Olowokandi, Babby represents Miller, who also is seeking a maximum deal.

Another Cavs embarrassment Trajan Langdon? Yes, one could buy a replica of the bench warmer's jersey last season at CavsTown in Gund Arena. But one couldn't purchase a jersey of the team's leading scorer, forward Lamond Murray. Murray's frustration with that surfaced in a statement he released Friday, indicating he wanted to be traded. Cavs publicist Ed Markey said a separate company controls the team store, but obviously the Cavs have input.

Cavs' housecleaning won't be complete until Lamond Murray is gone

The Indiana Pacers are the leader in the NBA's X Chromosome category with 47.0% female following, with the San Antonio Spurs (46.2%), Utah Jazz (46.1%) and Portland Trail Blazers (43.4%) near the top.

College Rumors & Notes

The Virginia Tech Hokies Have QB Quandary. Grant Noel returns from injury while freshman Marcus Vick tries to follow in his brother Michael Vick's footsteps.

After two seasons of struggles both on and off the field, Penn State's players have decided to do a better job policing themselves. "There's a different attitude now," defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy said. "Guys are saying, 'We're not partying. If you're partying, you're getting kicked off the squad — not by Joe (Paterno), but by the players.'

SEC football capsules

Florida State officials are in contact with the NCAA to determine whether starting split guard Milford Brown is eligible. Brown took some courses at Alabama State University, a Division I school, during the 1997-98 school year before attending East Mississippi Community College from the 1999 spring semester through the fall of 2000.

At Ole Miss, Eli Manning Is Following Father's Fabled Footsteps.

With less than four weeks to go before the Maryland Terrapins begin their 2002 campaign and defense of their ACC title, the school is on track to post its highest levels of both season ticket sales and average attendance since the mid-1980s.

Odd Notes & Stuff

The Rock could have taken the easy way out. He could have followed the paths of Sable and Chyna, the femmes who struck a fatal blow to their careers when they left the WWF. The Rock, however, hasn't forgotten.

Rey Mysterio has made one of the most impressive debuts in federation history and could be on his way to big things. Fans have not popped for a newcomer this way since Chris Jericho debuted in Chicago three years ago.

Horse trainer Bob Baffert married his longtime girlfriend, former television broadcaster Jill Moss, yesterday in San Diego.

Eric Desjardins has had his detractors in the last two years. His quickness on the ice has noticeably diminished, and he resigned his Flyers captaincy last fall, something you seldom see. At the time, it appeared that giving up the captaincy concerned the quality of his play - his inability to focus on his own problems, let alone worry about the team's.

North Carolina is not just the domain of NASCAR and college basketball anymore. The Hurricanes' run to the Cup finals helped grease the skids on a new radio deal, which means the club's games won't be preempted by Duke basketball, as they were on their former station.

Hasim Rahman claims that Lennox Lewis is refusing to return the world title belts that Lewis won back from him earlier this year. permalink