59-year-old Billy Crystal makes an appearance in a spring training game, playing for the New York Yankees. He strikes out on a full count from Paul Maholm after hitting one ball just foul.
The benches clear in a rare spring training brawl when Shelley Duncan slides into second base, with his spikes aimed at Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura after being thrown out by a wide margin. The incident was precipitated by Tampa Bay’s aggressive play four days ago which resulted in a home-plate collision which injured Yankee catcher Francisco Cervelli.
Replacing the $3,925,000, one-year contract signed in January, Brad Hawpe and the Rockies agree to a $17,425,000, three-year deal. The Colorado right fielder becomes the team’s fourth young player of the National League champs to receive a long term deal from the club.
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.
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