Baseball Notes: All-Star Game draws lowest-ever TV ratings
Baseball drew the lowest-ever television ratings for the All-Star Game, which the National League won, 3-1, Tuesday night. The game on Fox had a 7.5 household rating and an average of 12.1 million viewers, the Nielsen Co. said Wednesday.
Baseball drew the lowest-ever television ratings for the All-Star Game, which the National League won, 3-1, Tuesday night.
The game on Fox had a 7.5 household rating and an average of 12.1 million viewers, the Nielsen Co. said Wednesday.
The rating was down 15.7 percent from the 8.9 overnight for the 2009 All-Star Game. The lowest previous rating was an 8.1 in 2005, according to Nielsen, which lists data back to 1967, when the game drew a 25.6 rating.
Braves get Jays' Gonzalez. Atlanta acquired shortstop Alex Gonzalez and sent infielder Yunel Escobar to the Toronto Blue Jays in a five-player deal.
The Braves traded Escobar and lefthander Jo-Jo Reyes to the Blue Jays for Gonzalez, lefthanded minor-league pitcher Tim Collins, and minor-league shortstop Tyler Pastornicky.
The 33-year-old Gonzalez is hitting .259 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. He is tied for fifth in the American League with 43 extra-base hits.
Gonzalez began his career with Florida in 1998.
The 27-year-old Escobar is hitting .238 with no homers and 19 RBIs. Reyes, with triple-A Gwinnett, has a 5-15 career record with Atlanta.
Phils sign pitcher. Camden Riversharks lefthander Derrick Loop signed a contract with the Phillies and will join the single-A Clearwater Threshers.
Loop, a 6-foot-3 middle reliever, has a 1.72 ERA in 33 games. He has pitched in 311/3 innings, allowing just seven runs, and was selected for the Atlantic League all-star team.
The 26-year-old was drafted by Cleveland in 2006.
Ripken talking to O's. Cal Ripken Jr. is looking into joining the Baltimore Orioles as a part-time adviser, which would ease his transition into a permanent position after his son graduates from high school in 2012.
Ripken, who will turn 50 next month, has been meeting with Orioles owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. They want to find the Hall of Fame infielder a position in the front office for the O's, with whom he spent his entire 21-year career.