High & Inside: Baseball Notes
Does he know what he's getting into? Clint Hurdle guided the Colorado Rockies to their only World Series appearance, in 2007, a year Phillies fans recall all too sadly. Now he's taken the reins with Pittsburgh, a team that has endured 18 consecutive losing seasons.
Does he know what he's getting into?
Clint Hurdle guided the Colorado Rockies to their only World Series appearance, in 2007, a year Phillies fans recall all too sadly. Now he's taken the reins with Pittsburgh, a team that has endured 18 consecutive losing seasons.
"I'm not afraid to work, and I'm not afraid of a challenge," he said, bravely.
That's good, because here's the challenge - the incredibly bad Pirates were last in the National League in hitting, pitching, and defense last season.
Talk about your triple crowns!
Line drive takes manager's eye
Atlanta Braves minor-league manager Luis Salazar has lost an eye, a result of being struck in the face by a line drive while watching a spring training game on March 9.
Braves general manager Frank Wren said Wednesday that doctors were unable to save Salazar's left eye after the accident. The former major-league player is otherwise recovering from his injuries and expects to manage Lynchburg of the Class A Carolina League this season.
Could Strasburg be on the way back?
Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery last August and was scheduled to be out for 12 to 18 months.
But the flame-throwing righthander already is pitching from 90 feet on flat ground, and according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, is slowly regaining his arm strength.
Ladson even suggested Strasburg might be able to return in September.
Noteworthy
Marty Marion, the 1944 National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals and a former manager of the Cardinals and St. Louis Browns, died Tuesday of unknown causes in St. Louis, a team spokesman said. He was 93.
One of the great glove men of the era, Marion was an eight-time all-star and led NL shortstops in fielding four times. He managed the Cardinals in 1951, then was player-manager for the Browns in 1952-53. He also managed the Chicago White Sox for part of the 1954 season and all the 1955 and '56 seasons.
John Smoltz is going from the mound to the first tee. The former Braves star has accepted a sponsor's exemption to play in the South Georgia Classic next month on the Nationwide Tour. The righthander, who excelled at both starting and closing, tried U.S. Open qualifying last year, and has played several casual rounds in Florida with Tiger Woods. Whether that qualifies him to play on a pro tour remains to be seen, but the South Georgia Classic starts April 28 at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta.
Elsewhere: Houston manager Brad Mills said he would soon name his opening day starter, which will almost certainly be former Phillie Brett Myers. Roy Oswalt, now with the Phillies, started the Astros' last eight season openers. . . . Boston manager Terry Francona named lefthander Jon Lester to start on opening day at Texas on April 1. . . . Ian Kennedy will start for the Arizona Diamondbacks on opening day in Colorado, manager Kirk Gibson said. . . . Tigers second baseman Carlos Guillen (knee) and reliever Joel Zumaya (elbow) will open the season on the disabled list, manager Jim Leyland said.