Cnotes MLB 2019 Spring Traning News Notes and Rumors !

[StarDust Bum]

Kershaw to resume throwing next week
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers say ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw is expected to resume his regular throwing program next week.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Kershaw was feeling better.

Roberts gave Kershaw a chance to ''reset'' after two spring outings on the mound. The three-time Cy Young Award winner said he ''just didn't feel right'' after a live batting practice session on Monday and a bullpen on Wednesday.

''Right now, we're going to stick with the same program and see how he feels,'' Roberts said. ''I know talking to him, he feels better physically. When the training staff decides that we can ramp things back up, we will do so.''

Kershaw has dealt with back injuries the past three seasons and a shoulder injury last year. This week, Roberts announced Kershaw his opening day starter to face Arizona on March 28 at Dodger Stadium.

''Just in talking to him and seeing his disposition, he's encouraged by how his body is responding,'' Roberts said.

The 30-year-old Kershaw signed a three-year, $93 million contract in November after going 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA in 26 starts last season.

Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, who's been rehabbing from back surgery, he could only watch video of Kershaw's live batting practice session and could tell something wasn't right.

''I actually had a premonition after his throwing live,'' Honeycutt said Saturday, his first day in Dodgers camp. ''He didn't sound great that day. I know it's a very frustrating time for him right now.''

Honeycutt was glad to be back at work for the first time since undergoing back surgery on Feb. 12. Bullpen coach Mark Prior has been overseeing the pitchers while Honeycutt was sidelined and provided updates.

''Kersh is going to power through whatever,'' Honeycutt said. ''It wasn't like you saw anything that jumped out of the video that would say, `Whoa, something's not right.' What he's going through I think is a feel, it's a feeling of the throws being proper and it's not that you see something mechanical that's the issue. It's more just what's going on inside the joint right now.''

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Cashner and Cobb looking to rebound
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) In the new world of the Baltimore Orioles where youth and inexperience are the rule, there are two veteran pitchers hoping to prove they still have some skills.

Last spring training, the Orioles added two free agent pitchers, Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb, and both had substandard years.

Cashner, who signed a two-year $16 million contract, was 4-15 with a 5.29 ERA. Cobb, who late in spring training agreed to a four-year, $57 million deal, had the worst season of his career, going 5-15 with a 4.90 ERA.

''I don't want to touch too much on what we had going on last year,'' Cobb said. ''I felt like there were a lot of times where we were going into competition without a full arsenal, far behind the competition we were facing, and that's frustrating.''

Baltimore was derided in the past because they lagged far behind what had become industry standard in the information age.

''It's tough to go in there with a lot of confidence because you know how much more information is being given to the other side because I've been on the other side,'' Cobb said. ''I feel like it's an even playing field now.''

Under new general manager Mike Elias and new manager Brandon Hyde, the Orioles are not only more analytically oriented, but they're a lot looser. Even better for the 32-year-old Cashner, they added pitching coach Doug Brocail to the staff last month.

In 2017, Brocail was the Texas Rangers' pitching coach, and Cashner had one of his best seasons under him with an 11-11 record and 3.40 ERA. Brocail is a hard-nosed coach, but he and Hyde, who was the Chicago Cubs' bench coach last year, have brought a different tone to camp, adopting some of Joe Maddon's practices.

As the pitchers took the field for their first stretch on Feb. 13, suddenly loud music was blaring, a sharp difference from former manager Buck Showalter's tenure.

''It's kind of a lot more fun,'' Cashner said. ''I think it's kind of just trying to let everybody be themselves. It's not so much worrying about certain things as it is showing up and being the best ballplayer you can be. That's kind of the style (Hyde) had under Joe Maddon.''

Last season, Cashner missed time with a back strain, a neck strain and a knee injury that ended his season by mid-September. Good fortune and a new pitching coach could help.

''I think my biggest thing is health, first and foremost,'' Cashner said. ''I feel like I kind of struggled with that last year. Working with Doug is a treat for me, and it's special just because he played for so long and me and him mesh really well together.''

Along with Dylan Bundy, Cashner and Cobb are the most tenured starting pitchers Hyde has.

''I think experience is important,'' Hyde said. ''Especially the right experience, the right type of people, really good veteran guys do make a major impact in how they prepare, just watching them play.''

The 31-year-old Cobb had an awful start to his first season with Baltimore. Before the All-Star break, Cobb was 2-12 with a 6.41 ERA. He improved markedly in the second half with a 3-3 record and 2.56 ERA.

Cobb is confident that with new management, the Orioles are on the right track.

''I feel like we've got the guys that have been around the league, seen championship caliber organizations,'' Cobb said. ''When you have those guys come in and have seen that much success and tell you that your stuff is good, it does play; we need to tweak a few things here and there, it's not a full rebuild, it gives you confidence.''

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Cardinals sign OF Martinez to new deal
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) Jose Martinez's teammates with the St. Louis Cardinals applauded his new contract Saturday, and the deal gave his family reason to cheer, too.

The outfielder/first baseman signed a $3.25 million, two-year contract to remain with the Cardinals, who essentially bought out his first year of arbitration after this season.

Martinez said he would send some of the money to relatives in his native Venezuela, which has been plagued by food and medical shortages and a political crisis.

''It's not even for me, just for my family,'' Martinez said. ''It's a tough situation there. You have a little incentive for sure.''

The deal was announced before the Cardinals' spring training opener against the Miami Marlins. Manager Mike Shildt said the popular Martinez received ''two hearty rounds of applause'' from teammates when they were told the news.

''It was really an honor to be able to say that in the clubhouse,'' Shildt said. ''He's an important part of what we're doing.''

The Cardinals also announced that right-hander Miles Mikolas will start opening day at Milwaukee on March 28. Mikolas returned to the major leagues last year after three seasons in Japan, became a first-time All-Star and went 18-4.

''A year ago, saying Miles would be our opening day starter this year would have been a shock to everyone,'' general manager Mike Girsch said. ''He pitched amazing last year.''

Mikolas will join a list of Cardinals opening day starters that includes Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Dizzy Dean, Jesse Haines and Grover Cleveland Alexander.

''It's a huge, huge honor,'' Mikolas said. ''I'm very humbled by that.''

Following the announcement, Mikolas pitched two perfect innings against Miami.

''I might have missed a little bit in and out, but the ball was down, which was good,'' he said. ''As long as the fastball is down, good things are going to happen.''

Martinez, 30, led the Cardinals with a .305 average last year and had 17 homers and 83 RBIs. He played 887 games in the minors before reaching the big leagues, and has since hit .309 over parts of three seasons.

''He has had a unique career path and has been a huge part of our team the last couple of years,'' Girsch said. ''We felt the right thing to do was to give him some certainty.''

Martinez said he was surprised by the contract offer, which included incentives.

''If you are a good teammate, good things will happen to you,'' Martinez said. ''I'm just trying to get to that promised land - trying to win the World Series.''

He'll compete with Dexter Fowler and Tyler O'Neill this spring for the right field job. He could also back up Marcell Ozuna in left.

''Jose is going to get at-bats somewhere,'' Girsch said. ''We just don't know how it's going to work out. And I'm sure he'll continue to hit.''

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McCutchen, Realmuto, Segura debut for Phillies
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) While the Phillies wait to see whether Bryce Harper will sign with them, a trio of other big names took their first swings for Philadelphia.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto, outfielder Andrew McCutchen and shortstop Jean Segura all started Saturday in a 3-2 spring training loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Segura went 1 for 3 while McCutchen and Realmuto each went hitless in two at-bats.

Despite their debuts, Harper remains a focal point of discussion.

''I saw a helicopter circling around here the other day and we were joking like, `Hey, it would be funny if he just landed and got out,''' McCutchen said. ''We all know what he's capable of doing. He changes the team a lot for whatever team that he is on.''

Realmuto (.277, 21 homers, 74 RBIs), Segura (.304, 10, 63, 20 steals) and McCutchen (.255, 20, 65) should improve a lineup that finished last in the majors in batting average (.234), 22nd in runs (4.2 per game) and third in strikeouts (1,520).

The Phillies recently made a big trade to acquire the All-Star Realmuto from Miami. Segura was obtained in December while 2013 NL MVP McCutchen signed as a free agent.

Under first-year manager Gabe Kapler, the Phillies were a surprise contender for much of 2018 until falling apart the final two months. They led the NL East with the second-best record in the league one week into August before going 16-33 over the final 49 games to finish with a losing record for the sixth straight year.

''I just want to win a championship and I think this team is capable of that,'' McCutchen said. ''A good first half last year and added some pieces to the puzzle to be an even better team.''

MORE MCCUTCHEN

When asked why he signed with the Phillies, a smiling McCutchen said ''see what they offered me?''

McCutchen agreed to a $50 million, three-year contract. ''There's a lot that went into it, that being one of them,'' McCutchen said. ''It just felt like it was the right thing.'' McCutchen returns to the National League after finishing up last season with the New York Yankees. He spent his first nine seasons in Pittsburgh, joined San Francisco last year and then was traded to the Bronx.

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Scherzer: Pitch clock messes with 'fabric' of baseball
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) If three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has his way, Major League Baseball's pitch clock will die in the South Florida humidity.

''I know as players that's something that MLB is trying to negotiate,'' the Washington Nationals ace said Saturday night. ''I don't think there's negotiation here. As players, it just shouldn't be in the game. Having a pitch clock, if you have ball-strike implications, that's messing with the fabric of the game. There's no clock in baseball and there's no clock in baseball for a reason.''

After pushing for an agreement with players last season, management decided on its own to experiment with a 20-second pitch clock during spring training this year, part of the sport's effort to speed the pace of play. Owners have the right to implement the clock for the regular season but would prefer to reach an agreement with the union.

Under the phase-in designed to allow teams to get used to the concept without fear of penalty, pitchers and batters who were taking too long in Saturday's games were merely warned to hurry up.

When the policy, which has been used in some minor leagues since 2015, is phased in, a ball could be charged in certain situations to pitchers who do not begin their motion in time. Batters delaying the game might draw a strike.

Washington played its Grapefruit League opener Saturday night against Houston. Scherzer came close to using the full 20 seconds on a couple of occasions with runners on base, but the clock didn't expire.

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches features a pitch clock beneath the main outfield scoreboard and two at ground level behind home plate near each dugout.

''Now having to actually throw to it, I think it's more of a distraction than anything,'' Scherzer said. ''I get that there are parts of the game that we can clean up and I think that there can be meaningful changes. I'm fundamentally against this.''

A newly elected member of the Major League Baseball Players Association's executive board, Scherzer felt his first outing dragging a bit, attributing the slow play to a high amount of foul balls. He referenced an article published a few days ago by FiveThirtyEight citing an increase in foul balls as being a major reason for longer games.

''I'm not going to put my name next to this clock,'' he said.

Scherzer allowed one run on Jake Marisnick's homer, one of three hits he gave up in two innings. He struck out three and walked one while throwing 25 of 44 pitches for strikes.

The home run by Marisnick to straightaway center field led off the game and came on a 2-2 fastball.

''It's a fastball right down the middle, that's what it goes back to,'' Scherzer said. ''I've got to get that fastball to the edge.''

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Mariners' Hernandez gets off to shaky spring start
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

Felix Hernandez says he's all set for a bounce-back season.

Now pitching entirely from the stretch, King Felix made his spring training debut Saturday, giving up four runs in 1 1/3 innings as the Seattle Mariners lost to the San Diego Padres 6-4.

The six-time All-Star allowed four hits, only one of them solid. He didn't walk anyone, but hit a batter and threw just 23 strikes in 42 pitches.

''The most important thing is that my arm and my body feel good,'' Hernandez said. ''The pitches were moving, the curveball was really good.''

Hernandez turns 33 in April and is entering his 15th season in Seattle - and the final year of his seven-year, $175 million contract. The Mariners hold a team option for 2020.

Long the ace of the Seattle staff, he is coming off the worst year of his career, posting a 5.55 ERA in 155 2/3 innings and being removed from the rotation for the first time in his career.

During the offseason, Hernandez decided to work from the set position.

''I feel good from the stretch. I just feel like I'm going straight to the plate,'' he said. ''Not too much movement. From the windup, I got to do a lot of stuff.''

AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES

RED SOX 8, YANKEES 5

Gleyber Torres hit a solo home run for the Yankees. Rafael Devers had two hits for Boston and top prospect Michael Chavis hit a three-run homer.

METS 4, BRAVES 3

Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead single for the Mets and highly touted Pete Alonso homered on the first pitch he saw this spring. Touki Toussaint started for Atlanta, allowing two runs on two hits.

CARDINALS 11, MARLINS 1

St. Louis ace Miles Mikolas pitched two perfect innings. Sandy Alcantara threw two scoreless innings for Miami.

PIRATES 3, PHILLIES 2

Jean Segura went 1 for 3 in his first game with Philadelphia while fellow newcomers Andrew McCutchen and J.T. Realmuto were both hitless in two trips.

ORIOLES 7, TWINS (SS) 2

Chance Sisco hit a three-run homer for Baltimore and rotation hopeful Yefry Ramirez allowed a run on two hits and two walks in two innings. Jake Cave had two hits for Minnesota's split squad.

TIGERS 4, BLUE JAYS 0

Detroit starter Matt Moore pitched two scoreless innings and Niko Goodrum had a two-run homer. Teoscar Hernandez had two of Toronto's four hits.

ROCKIES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 3

David Dahl doubled twice for Colorado. Colton Welker, drafted by the Rockies in 2016 out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, hit a home run.

Steven Souza Jr. homered for Arizona.

CUBS 8, BREWERS 4

Kris Bryant hit a home run in his first spring at-bat and also singled for Chicago. The former NL MVP worked over the winter to strengthen the left shoulder that robbed him of his typical power last season.

Corey Ray, Milwaukee's first-round draft pick in 2016, homered and doubled.

INDIANS 3, REDS 3, 9 INNINGS

Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer in his Cincinnati debut. Tyler Naquin homered for Cleveland.

ROYALS 9, RANGERS 1

Alex Gordon doubled and singled for Kansas City and Jorge Soler added an RBI single.

Matt Davidson, signed to a minor league contract by Texas, started at third base and had a hit. He is slotted to work as both an infielder and a pitcher this spring.

DODGERS 7, WHITE SOX (SS) 6

Russell Martin marked his return to the Dodgers with an RBI double. He caught five seasons for LA and returned in a trade with Toronto. Joc Pederson homered for the Dodgers and Rich Hill pitched a fast inning.

D.J. Peterson homered for Chicago.

ANGELS 10, GIANTS 3

Taylor Ward hit a grand slam for the Angels and Peter Bourjos had a two-run single.

ATHLETICS 6, WHITE SOX (SS) 5

Stephen Piscotty homered for Oakland. Yoan Moncada had two hits for Chicago, driving in a run and scoring once.

PADRES 6, MARINERS 4

Jose Pirela doubled and singled for San Diego. Shed Long, a former Reds prospect acquired in a three-team trade with the Yankees, homered for Seattle.

NATIONALS 7, ASTROS 6

Anthony Rendon homered and Spencer Kieboom added a three-run shot for Washington. Jake Marisnick led off with a home run against Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who threw 44 pitches in two innings.

TWINS (SS) 10, RAYS 5

Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer and a two-run single for Minnesota. Nelson Cruz scored twice in his Twins debut.

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Tigers finalize 1-year deal with INF/OF Josh Harrison
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Tigers have finalized their one-year deal with free agent Josh Harrison.

Harrison, whose base salary will be worth $2 million, hit .250 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs last year. He missed time early in the season with a hand injury and played just 97 games.

Harrison spent his first eight major league seasons with Pittsburgh. He's played second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield.

Harrison hit a career-high 16 home runs in 2017.

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Astros' Hinch: Early split squads 'worst possible scenario'
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) A quirk in Houston's early spring training schedule will force manager A. J. Hinch to use veteran stars such as outfielders George Springer and Michael Brantley earlier than he'd like.

Hinch isn't pleased that his Astros will play split-squad games - at the New York Mets, home vs. Atlanta - on Sunday, the second day of their Grapefruit League play.

''Tomorrow we have a split squad, which is probably the worst possible scenario for the beginning of camp because I don't really love playing guys this early,'' Hinch said. ''As we push the season earlier - into March now - spring training games, now it feels like mid-February, and we're revving guys up. The position players don't need as long a time to get ready for a season.''

The 2017 World Series champion Astros field a veteran team and many of those guys entered camp with injury questions. Using the designated hitter spot as sort of a half day off, one of Hinch's toughest tasks, especially early in spring, will be choosing who gets those at-bats.

Springer, a two-time All-Star and the 2017 World Series MVP who is coming off a thumb injury, will make his debut on Sunday as a designated hitter. Brantley, a three-time All-Star who signed with Houston as a free agent, will DH the other game and won't play the field for at least a week. The 10-year veteran played 141 games last season but only 101 combined games in 2016-17 because of injuries.

Returning from offseason knee surgery, 2017 AL MVP Jose Altuve won't debut until Monday, when he'll DH instead of playing second base.

''We have a predominantly veteran team that's been around,'' Hinch said. ''We have a team where there's few questions and outside of a few health questions and a few decisions we have to make there's not a lot of stress going into this spring as to what we need to implement.''

Saturday night's lineup for the Astros' Grapefruit League opener against Washington wasn't exactly indicative of the team Hinch intends to field when Houston opens the season on March 28 at Tampa Bay, lacking any regulars from last season.

Outfielder Jake Marisnick, the closest thing to a regular in the lineup, led off the game by homering against Max Scherzer. Derek Fisher and Kyle Tucker completed the started outfield while the Astros regulars watched from the dugout.

''I have to play them tomorrow,'' Hinch said. ''Springer will player tomorrow, (Josh) Reddick will play tomorrow. Yuli (Gurriel) will play tomorrow. Everybody that you recognize is on our team will likely play tomorrow, minus the infielders.''

Third baseman Alex Bregman, who underwent offseason elbow surgery, isn't expected to make his Grapefruit League debut until the weekend. Unlike his other teammates, Bregman won't be eased back into Grapefruit League play by starting at DH.

''He'll play third base as soon as he's ready,'' Hinch said.

[StarDust Bum]

Anderson, Davies hoping to return to form with Brewers
February 23, 2019
By The Associated Press

MESA, Ariz. (AP) So far, all the talk about the Milwaukee Brewers adding a front-line starting pitcher has turned into absolutely nothing.

If Chase Anderson and Zach Davies can return to form, they might not need one.

Anderson, Davies and Jimmy Nelson were three of Milwaukee's top pitchers in 2017, but they were spectators for much of the Brewers' run to the NL Championship Series last year. Anderson was left off the postseason roster after he surrendered an NL-high 30 homers. Davies made just one relief appearance in the playoffs, and Nelson missed the whole season following surgery on his right shoulder.

Without Anderson, Davies and Nelson, manager Craig Counsell leaned heavily on his powerful bullpen last October. He might not have to do that as much this year if Anderson's mechanical adjustments pay off and Davies and Nelson can stay on the field.

''It's exciting, and I think the front office knows that, too,'' Davies said. ''I think they see that having down years and having injured years last year collectively that everybody comes back healthy and you know, Jimmy's going to start to get into some games and start to feel ready to get back. So I think the front office sees that. I think we see it as a group too that we're all excited for it.''

Anderson and Davies each pitched an inning in Milwaukee's spring opener Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. Anderson yielded a two-run homer to Kris Bryant in the first, and Davies retired the side in order in the second.

The 31-year-old Anderson had a breakout season in 2017, going 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts. But the right-hander had some trouble with his motion last year and was never able to get on track.

His final numbers - a 9-8 record and a 3.93 ERA in 30 starts - weren't too bad, but Anderson was disappointed. And he turned that disappointment into motivation for this year.

''That kind of fueled me in the offseason,'' Anderson said. ''It's kind have been my lifespan in baseball. I've been the underdog a little bit.''

Anderson has made some changes to his delivery, bringing his hands over his head to help keep them moving during his motion. He also is staying on top of the rubber to help his hips stay in the right place.

He was a little up on the pitch Bryant drove over the wall in left-center, but felt good about his first day.

''I was in the zone. That's the goal for your first outing is stay in the zone, come out healthy,'' he said. ''I felt like everything was crisp. The rhythm is starting to get going.''

Davies led the Brewers with 17 wins, 33 starts and 191 1/3 innings two years ago. He was hampered by injuries last season and finished with a 2-7 record and a 4.77 ERA in 13 starts.

Davies, who turned 26 on Feb. 7, and Anderson are part of a crowded field of candidates for Milwaukee's rotation. Nelson, Jhoulys Chacin, Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta also are in the mix.

However it shakes out, Davies thinks the Brewers will be in good shape.

''Innings, health and consistency is really what pitching is, and so I think as a group that's what all of us focus on,'' he said. ''You don't have to be the 300 strikeouts a year or the guy that throws 250 innings but as long as you're out there and giving the team a chance to win then that's really all you can ask for.''

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Before the Manny Machado signing, these were the six highest contracts ever given to a position player:

$325M Giancarlo Stanton

$248M Miguel Cabrera

$240M Albert Pujols

$240M Robinson Cano

$225M Joey Votto

$214M Prince Fielder

Total number of World Series games for these six guys after signing: Zero

Quote of the Day
“I think the Baltimore payroll was double what the Tampa payroll was last year. Close to double. There is a correlation, I’m sure there is a correlation, but it’s not as perfect. It’s very difficult to predict things in baseball, to predict player performance. Spending more money helps.”
Red Sox owner John Henry

Sunday’s quiz
How many current NBA head coaches have also been the head coach of a D-I college team?

Saturday’s quiz
Galen Center is USC’s home court for basketball.

Friday’s quiz
Gene Bartow replaced John Wooden as the basketball coach at UCLA; his son Murry is the interim coach at UCLA this season.

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Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Ole Miss is having a surprisingly good basketball season under first-year coach Kermit Davis; they were 18-8, 8-5 in the SEC heading into Saturday’s game with a Georgia team that had covered only one of its six SEC road games. Rebels seemed like a good bet at -11.

Except for this: during the day Saturday, about a mile from Ole Miss’ new arena, there was a pro-Confederate rally going on at Oxford Square. This is 2019, and there was a pro-Confederate rally going on in broad daylight. Awesome.

During the national anthem before the basketball game, eight Rebels took a knee to protest this rally going on. Captain Obvious reports that the Ole Miss team was distracted during this game; they blew a 13-point lead, took the lead again, and wound up hanging on for a 72-71 win.

Moral to story: I’d be wary of wagering on Ole Miss in home games going forward; hard to believe this issue is gong away anytime soon. It is one thing to take a knee in San Francisc0; whole ‘nother thing to do it in Oxford, Mississippi.

Feel bad for coach Davis; this is a mess that has nothing to do with him, but it ain’t going to be easy to clean up, no matter what the outcome is. Good luck with your recruiting when stuff like that is going on in your town.

12) 12-2pm:
— Virginia 64, Louisville 52- In first half, Cardinals were 10-16 on arc, 1-9 inside arc; in second half, Louisville was 2-17 on arc, 4-13 inside arc- they were outscored 37-15.
— LSU 82, Tennessee 80, OT— Tigers’ PG Tremont Waters (illness) sat this game out; refs in this game went to replay monitor constantly, Dick Vitale was, ummm….not happy about it.
— Oklahoma 69, Texas 67— Sooners (-4) led by 17 early in second half.

11) 2-4pm:
— TCU 75, Iowa State 72— Cyclones lost three of last four games; they’re in a funk.
— UMass 80, St Joe’s 79— Visiting Hawks led by 17 at the half.
— Kentucky 80, Auburn 53— Tigers started this season 11-2, but they’re 2-5 on SEC road. Disappointing for a team that is in top 40 in country in experience.

10) 4-6pm:
— North Carolina 77, Florida State 59— This snaps Seminoles’ 8-game win streak; not sure how good FSU is- they did beat LSU and Purdue in November.
— Dayton 70, Saint Louis 62— Flyers are 18-9, 10-4 in A-14; they’re in 3rd place right now. Top four in A-14 will have an easier path in A-14 tournament.
— Utah State 78, Boise State 71 OT— Big win for Aggies, whose next two games are San Diego State/Nevada. Need to at least split that pair to stay on/near bubble.

9) 6-8pm:
— Duke 75, Syracuse 65— Orangemen led by 5 at half, but were 5-23 on the arc.
— Oregon State 67, USC 62— Beavers go 3-1 against the LA schools this season.
— South Dakota State 94, South Dakota 89— Jackrabbits were down 11 at the half.

8) 8-10pm
— Texas Tech 91, Kansas 62— This game was 45-20 at the half. Wow.
— St John’s 78, Seton Hall 70— Red Storm led this game 28-5 out of the gate.
— Memphis 88, Wichita State 85— Wichita led this game by 16 early, then Memphis went on a great run, then Shockers tied it, but Tigers held on late. #3 on Memphis will play in the NBA soon; #3 on Wichita State is 3-37 on the arc this year. 3 for bleeping 37.

7) 10pm-midnight:
— UCLA 90, Oregon 83— Ducks led by 19 early in the second half, second time this season they blew a huge lead to the Bruins.
— Wisconsin 69, Northwestern 64— Badgers outscored Northwestern 11-5 over final 4:05.
— San Diego State 60, UNLV 59— Ugly last minute; Rebels missed three of their last five foul shots. UNLV rallied back from down 12, but couldn’t finish the job.

6) Upsets of the Day:
— Cleveland State (+16) 83, Northern Kentucky 77
— James Madison (+14.5) 104, Hofstra 99 OT

— FIU (+6) 79, Florida Atlantic 76
— Harvard (+6) 88, Yale 86
— UAB (+5.5) 76, Southern Miss 72 OT
— Central Michigan (+5.5) 64, Ball State 57
— Duquesne (+5.5) 79, George Mason 78
— Texas A&M (+5.5) 87, Arkansas 80

5) Baylor 82, West Virginia 75— Mountaineers called a timeout down 1 with 2:06 left; when they inbounded the ball after the timeout, they had six players on the court- not good.

Baylor outscored WVU 16-5 over the last 2:50 of the game; they won despite Makai Mason going 0-7 from floor. In Mason’s last four games, he is 5-30 from the floor, with two games missed mixed in during that time. Have to assume that Mason’s toe injury is still bothering him.

4) NHL’s Rangers beat New Jersey 5-2 during the afternoon in Madison Square Garden, then at night, St John’s played Seton Hall. Wonder how many people went to both games?

3) One of my pet peeves when I watch college basketball is play-by-play announcers who think they’re analysts too; there are some guys who never shut up. The play-by-play guy should be the point guard, who sets up the analyst (the basketball expert) to show his expertise.

2) Oregon State 67, USC 62— Beavers were 15-19 on the foul line, USC was 0-6. At home. In Thursday’s loss at UCLA, OSU was 1-3 on the line, UCLA 15-28. Go figure.

1) Bulls 126, Celtics 116— Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen are first pair of Bulls teammates with 35+ points in the same game since Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen on November 20, 1996.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

From Jason on Twitter: NFL leaders in dead money, from 2016-2019:

1. Bills- $125M

2. Browns- $111M

3. Saints- $102M

4. 49ers- $82M

5. Giants- $80M

6. Jets- $71M

Dead money is cap money that is left over after a contract is terminated/voided.

Quote of the Day
“I don’t think there’s negotiation here. As players, it just shouldn’t be in the game. Having a pitch clock, if you have ball-strike implications, that’s messing with the fabric of the game. There’s no clock in baseball, and there’s no clock in baseball for a reason.”
Max Scherzer


Tuesday’s quiz
What team did Max Scherzer break into the major leagues with?

Monday’s quiz
Of the eight head coaches in the AAF, five have also been NFL head coaches.

Sunday’s quiz
Three current NBA head coaches have also been the head coach of a D-I college team; Billy Donovan, Quin Snyder and Brad Stevens

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……

13) John S. Middleton owns 48% of the Philadelphia Phillies; he went to college at Amherst and then Harvard Business School, so he is a very smart human.

His family owned a retail tobacco shop in Philadelphia that evolved into a manufacturer and marketer of pipe tobacco and cigars; Middleton wound up selling the company for $2.9B, thats billion, with a B.

12) Middleton flew to Las Vegas this past weekend to try and help recruit Bryce Harper to play for the Phillies. Harper still hasn’t decided; spring training has been going on for a week.

If I’m Mr Middleton, I tell Harper and his scumweasel agent; enough already. You have one more hour to decide, either sign with us or we move on. Begging someone to take $300M isn’t cool. Sign on the dotted line or we’ll go in a different direction.

Regular season starts in 30 days; time to make a decision.

11) A 71-year old man in California was convicted of a double murder 40 years ago, but it turns out the guy didn’t do it, so he was released from prison in 2017, and was recently awarded $21M in a settlement with the city of Simi Valley.

What do you if you’ve been in jail for the last 40 years and all of a sudden you’re not only free, but rich as hell? Would make an interesting movie.

10) For 11 months out of 12, weekday television completely sucks; ESPN has hired so many nitwit talking heads it is difficult to keep them all straight. There is a lot of political talk on TV but that pretty much makes me want to puke. So during the day, it is either movies or music.

Except for the next month, when preseason baseball games are on TV every day, and that is a great thing. Who cares that the games don’t matter? It is live baseball; nothing wrong with that.

9) Saw Tim Tebow play baseball for first time over the weekend; he looked decent as a hitter. a lefty, he lined out to left one time, and then he hit a pretty good drive to left-center, but the CF for Houston made a great diving catch, saving a double or a triple. Sounds like he will start this season at AAA Syracuse; will be interesting to follow.

8) Giants-Cubs spring training game this weekend drew 9,277 fans in Scottsdale; spring training has become very popular. One of these years I may have to venture out to the desert to see some baseball. I’m guessing A’s spring training games don’t draw 9,000+.

7) This season is the Cincinnati Reds’ 150th anniversary; to celebrate, the Reds will wear fifteen different throwback uniforms. Thats right, 15 different sets of uniforms. Hopefully they’re giving their equipment guys a bonus for keeping all of that straight.

6) Looking ahead to conference tournament play in a couple weeks; Iona is 16-2 in its last 18 MAAC tournament games. Gonzaga has won its last 17 WCC tournament games; last time the Zags didn’t win the WCC tournament was in 2012, when they lost to Saint Mary’s.

5) Nets 101, Spurs 85— San Antonio has now lost seven of its last eight games; last time they missed the playoffs was 1996-97, the season Gregg Popovich replaced Bob Hill as head coach. Right now, San Antonio is 33-29, but seem headed in the wrong direction- if the season ended today, they’d be the #8 seed in the West.

4) It was so windy in beautiful upstate New York Monday, I fully expected to see the Wicked Witch of the West riding past my house on her bicycle, with a bunch of monkeys flying above (obscure movie reference— the Wizard of Oz). Very cold, but mercifully, no damage around my house and even better, no snow.

3) In the AAF, there are no kickoffs; if you want to “onside kick”, you have a 4th-and-12 on your own 28-yard line, and the game progresses from there. Happened for the first time this past week, and the team converted the first down, so they kept the ball.

2) Stumbled across one of my favorite movies this weekend; Searching for Bobby Fischer, a movie about a little kid who is a chess prodigy, starring Joe Mantegna as the kid’s father and Ben Kingsley/Lawrence Fishburne as the kid’s chess mentors.

If you ever get a chance to see this movie, it is worth your time.

1) Thanks to WeTV for running a Law and Order marathon every Sunday night; it came in especially handy after the Super Bowl, when I didn’t exactly feel like watching SportsCenter that night. One of the best TV shows ever made, Law and Order was on for 20 years; 456 episodes.

[StarDust Bum]

Roberts: Kershaw "didn't feel so great"
February 25, 2019
By The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Clayton Kershaw felt more soreness in his left shoulder playing catch Monday, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says the three-time Cy Young Award winner ''didn't feel so great.''

The ace left-hander was shut down late last week with discomfort in the shoulder. Roberts says the team will ''take a step back until he starts feeling better'' and the situation is ''not ideal.''

Kershaw was not scheduled for an MRI when Roberts spoke to reporters, but the manager added he would be in touch with the medical staff to determine a course of action Monday evening.

The 30-year-old Kershaw signed a $93 million, three-year extension on Nov. 3. The seven-time All-Star has been slowed by injuries the past two seasons, including a lower back strain that sidelined him for five weeks in 2017, biceps tendinitis in May 2018 and a lower back strain in June 2018.

During the recent offseason, Kershaw worked with Dodgers' strength and conditioning coach Brandon McDaniel and felt physically fit when he reported to camp two weeks ago.

[StarDust Bum]

Harper meets Dodgers, still no decision
February 25, 2019
By The Associated Press

Bryce Harper meets with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the very next day, a Brinks truck is parked right outside the team's spring training complex.

Coincidence or correlation?

With the first full week of exhibition games on deck, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed he joined club executives in meeting with Harper in Las Vegas on Sunday night.

Roberts said it was a good session and gave the sides a chance to ''get to know each other.'' Roberts says the Dodgers were ''vetting a certain process.''

Harper has been connected to the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants during a second consecutive slow free-agent market for the sport. Manny Machado, the other top free agent this winter, signed a $300 million, 10-year deal with the San Diego Padres on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Harper was the 2015 NL MVP and made six All-Star teams in seven big league seasons with the Washington Nationals. He batted .249 with 34 home runs, 100 RBIs and an .889 OPS last season.

[StarDust Bum]

Tulowitzki homers in 1st game for Yanks
February 25, 2019
By The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Troy Tulowitzki got some payback against the Toronto Blue Jays in his first spring training at-bat for the New York Yankees.

Tulowitzki homered on his first swing in a Yankees uniform and jawed at the Blue Jays dugout after rounding third base following his drive Monday off Marcus Stroman, a friend and former teammate.

''You know what happened, so no doubt about it, it was definitely extra, extra special,'' Tulowitzki said after the Yankees' 3-0 win. ''That was a team that basically told me I couldn't play anymore. It is spring training, it is what it is, but it was a big day for me.''

A five-time All-Star, who has not played in the major leagues since July 2017, Tulowitzki missed last season because of surgery on April 2 for bone spurs in his right and left heels. He was released by the Blue Jays on Dec. 14, then signed with the Yankees on Jan. 4 for the major league minimum $555,000. That will be offset against the $20 million he is owed this year by Toronto, which also is responsible for $18 million in future years.

He took a strike from Stroman leading off the bottom of the first, then homered down the right-field line on the next pitch, an opposite-field drive just inside the foul pole.

''It's the biggest spring training homer I've ever hit,'' a smiling Tulowitzki said. ''With that being said, I got a little pumped up there. People said I'll never make it back on a baseball field again. Anybody that tells you you're done, you've a little extra fire.''

Tulowitzki's five-year son Taz, who was at the game, was a motivating factor during dad's rehabilitation from surgery.

''He was 3 the last time he was watching games, and he doesn't remember that,'' Tulowitzki said. ''To get back out there and have him see me again, that what I thought about each and every day.''

A smiling Stroman said Tulowitzki homering off him is ''not going to happen in-season, I promise you that.''

''Tulo, I can't tell you how much work he's put in to get back to healthy,'' Stroman said. ''I've kind of been with him through a lot of that process. I couldn't be more ecstatic or more happy for someone than him because I've learned so much about the game of baseball and so much about life from that man.

''That's my guy,'' Stroman added. ''I would always love to compete with him. I would always prefer him on my team. I'm excited to see him somewhere being healthy, back out there doing that Tulo can do.''

Now 34, Tulowitzki is projected to start at shortstop while Didi Gregorius recovers from Tommy John surgery last Oct. 17. Gregorius is expected to return to the Yankees between June and August.

''He definitely seemed a little fired up,'' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. ''Look, he's had that kind of edge to him, something to prove really since we put eyes on him this winter. Happy for him because I know this day was a big deal.''

[StarDust Bum]

All eyes on Kikuchi during his debut
February 25, 2019
By The Associated Press

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) Yusei Kikuchi felt the nerves Monday that would normally accompany taking the mound in front of tens of thousands of fans in a major ballpark, not the few thousand who showed up for a spring training game in the desert.

''I've been pitching in Japan for the last nine years and I wanted to test what I was doing in Japan against major league hitters and I wanted to see how they reacted,'' Kikuchi said through an interpreter. ''So I was really kind of excited and also nervous about that.''

Kikuchi made his debut for the Seattle Mariners throwing two innings against the Cincinnati Reds in a start that featured a little bit of everything, from moments of dominance to Kikuchi working out of a jam.

The Mariners were pleased with what they saw.

''He had a little nerves, no doubt about it, but fastball was really good, he was up to 95 (mph), the breaking pitches we know are outstanding. Thought he handled it really, really well,'' Seattle manager Scott Servais said. ''He's going to take a little time to get his routine. You saw him throwing outside the dugout before, there's a few adjustments there, but really happy for him getting that first outing under his belt.''

Kikuchi's most notable at-bat was his lone strikeout, when he tied up Joey Votto on a deceptive 2-2 curveball that left the veteran slugger waving unsuccessfully. While Kikuchi has a fastball in the mid-90s, his breaking pitches and the ability to hide the ball in his windup add to the challenges of facing the lefty.

''It's spring training and I'm sure he's tuning up his swing as well but to strike out someone the caliber of Joey Votto, a hitter of that caliber, I'm really happy about the result of today,'' Kikuchi said.

The rest of the outing forced Kikuchi to do a little bit of everything. He had to scamper off the mound to cover first base on a groundout by Yasiel Puig. He faced the challenge of traffic on the bases after a rough second inning that featured a leadoff walk, two errors and giving up two runs - although both were unearned.

Kikuchi threw 29 pitches with 19 strikes, the first step in a transitional season.

''Obviously, when you're up on the mound you want to shut them down one, two, three when you're up there but after I let some guys on today I think I was able to keep my pitch count low and get some double play balls so I'm happy with what I did,'' Kikuchi said.

One of the biggest adjustments will be Kikuchi's pregame routine. Servais noted Kikuchi was on the field nearly an hour before first pitch and still figuring out the timing led to Kikuchi playing catch in front of the dugout several minutes before the team took the field.

''What we wanted to do is let him go through his normal routine,'' Servais said. ''He was out here probably 50, 55 minutes before the game started. That's what he normally does and over time, that's why we've got the four, five outings through spring to tighten up that routine and as the season goes on it will be a learning curve for him as well.''

The first outing for Kikuchi was documented from all angles by Asian photographers following his every move, from his warmup in the bullpen to the scrum after his outing with dozens of reporters.

Seattle wants to limit Kikuchi's innings during the regular season and make the first-year transition from pitching in Japan less arduous. But the Mariners also need to build up Kikuchi so he is ready to take on a starter's load when his innings won't be limited.

Kikuchi said he hadn't been told what comes next, but he's likely to get his second start sometime this weekend.

''It's my first start and I felt really good throwing the ball. Going into the game I was a little nervous, obviously, but it ended up well,'' Kikuchi said.