2008 – The judge overseeing the BALCO case rules that Barry Bonds’s testimony should be made public.
2008 – The judge overseeing the BALCO case rules that Barry Bonds’s testimony should be made public.
2008 – The judge overseeing the BALCO case rules that Barry Bonds’s testimony should be made public.
The White Sox wear Northern Illinois University baseball caps in their spring training opening game to honor the victims of a shooting rampage on the school’s campus earlier this month. After the contest, the players autograph the hats, which will be auctioned off at NIU to benefit a scholarship fund set up in memory of the five students killed in the attack.
The Mets, who had not gone to arbitration with a player in 16 years, come out on the short end of the hearing when southpaw Oliver Perez (15-10, 3.56) gets a favorable decision in his case from arbitrators Steven Wolf, Robert Bailey, and Elizabeth Neumeier. The southpaw is awarded $6.5 million for this year, rather than the club’s offer of $4,725,000.
2008 – Ryan Howard equals a new record for a first-time eligible player by winning a salary of $10 million through arbitration. Alfonso Soriano had previously won $10 million in arbitration as well.
2008 – The first full day of spring training is a rough one for a trio of Astros. Outfielder Hunter Pence arrives with cuts all over his hands and knees after crashing through a sliding glass door while leaving the hot tub of his rental home. Shortstop Miguel Tejada is grilled by the press about his legal troubles stemming from the Mitchell Report and infielder Mark Loretta learns he has lost his arbitration case, receiving $2.75 million in salary instead of the $4.9 million he sought.
In a deal which includes a club option worth $10 million, sophomore Ian Kinsler (.286, 14, 55) signs a five-year, $22 million contract with the Rangers. With the signing of the 24 year-old second baseman and last season’s contract extension for All-Star shortstop Michael Young, Texas has locked up the middle of their infield through 2013.
In a much anticipated congressional hearing, Roger Clemens and his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, testify for four and a half hours concerning the allegations of the Rocket’s use of performance-enhancing drugs. Although no definitive conclusions are reached, Republicans appear to believe the seven-time Cy Young Award winner while Democrats seem to favor his chief accuser’s account of events.
2008 – Mark Kelly, a former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand, throws a one-hit shutout of the New South Wales Patriots in game two of the Claxton Shield finals to give the Western Australia Heelers the title. Kelly allows only a Gavin Fingleson single in shutting down a lineup which includes former California League batting champion Brendan Kingman. Mitch Graham’s solo homer off Pitcher of the Year Tim Cox is the only run of the contest. Kelly is named MVP of the 2008 Shield.
After auditioning for about two-thirds of the teams in the major leagues last month and considering offers from four clubs, Keith Foulke comes out of retirement, signing a $700,000, one-year contract with the A’s. The 35 year-old reliever, best known for throwing the last pitch in the 2004 World Championship for the victorious Red Sox, retired prior to the 2007 season after signing a deal with the Indians.
2008 – The Baltimore Orioles deal Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for prospects Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio. Bedard was leading the American League in strikeouts before a rib injury cut his season short. Jones is a former first-round pick who hit 25 home runs in AAA at age 22. Tillman was Seattle’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2007.
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