Sunday, February 24, 2002
Baseball notebook
Sabathia gets $9.5M deal from Indians
Enquirer news services
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Cleveland Indians signed left-hander C.C. Sabathia to a $9.5 million, four-year contract Saturday, rewarding their most consistent pitcher last season.
The contract, which contains a club option for a fifth year, could be worth up to $19.75 million over five years.
“It's been like a whirlwind,” Sabathia said. “Last year going in, I didn't even know if I was going to make the team. Now I'm getting a long-term deal.”
Sabathia, the Indians' No.1 pick in the 1998 draft, went 17-5 with a 4.39 ERA in 33 starts last season and finished second to Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.
Indians general manager Mark Shapiro called the contract unprecedented for someone as young as Sabathia, who turned 21 on July21.
“It's a tremendous burden for a person of his age, but we're confident he can handle it on and off the field,” Shapiro said.
Sabathia was one of the major reasons the Indians were able to win the AL Central last season. He tied for sixth in the league in wins, held opponents to a .228 batting average and recorded 171 strikeouts in 180 1/3 innings. Sabathia became the youngest pitcher ever to win an AL division series when he beat Seattle in Game 3.
Both the Indians and Sabathia took some risks with the contract. The Indians possibly are committing to a player with only one year in the majors and gambling that Sabathia won't get injured.
“In every situation, you weigh the risk versus the reward,” Shapiro said. “More important, you examine the person. We can live with the risk.”
Projecting what a young pitcher will do in the future also is difficult, as the Indians learned with right-hander Jaret Wright.
Following the 1998 season, the Indians signed Wright, who went 20-13 in his first two seasons, to a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year. Since then, he's 13-16, has had two shoulder operations the last two years and is a question mark going into this season.
FEHR VISIT:
With contraction on hold, baseball union head Donald Fehr said revenue sharing remains the biggest issue in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
“We have indications that, if you do your job reasonably well, it doesn't take the biggest payroll in the game to make the playoffs,” Fehr said Saturday after meeting with the World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks during his spring training swing.
“But the clubs have indicated that that's an issue they want to address through revenue sharing, and we're prepared, and have been, to negotiate.
“To be precise about what they have said, they said the union doesn't agree with the particular proposals they have been put forward to date. And they are be right about that. We don't.
“But I did indicate last week that we had made proposals to increase revenue sharing and we are certainly prepared to further discuss it with them. It's that we are not against revenue sharing. We are against increasing revenue sharing. How much it pays and in what amounts. Who receives it and in what amounts.”
BLUE JAYS:
Former Toronto manager Cito Gaston accepted a job with the team Saturday, becoming a special assistant to team president and CEO Paul Godfrey.
The team offered Gaston the post when he was dismissed as hitting coach at the end of last season.
Gaston is the team's winningest manager with a 681-635 record from 1989-1997. He won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992-93.
YANKEES:
Pitcher David Wells had another strong bullpen session and could be ready to pitch in early spring training games.
Wells is coming off back surgery in July and was not originally expected to resume throwing until late this month.
The left-hander already has thrown off a bullpen mound three times and had one batting practice session.
“I threw a little longer because I felt good,” said Wells, of his 15-minute session Saturday. “I'm right even with everybody else.”
Wells is now on target to make his spring debut during the first week of games.
“When that day comes, I'll be ready,” Wells said.
MATTINGLY HURTING:
Former New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly remained hospitalized with back pain Saturday, two days after being hurt during a spring training drill.
“He was up a little yesterday (Friday) and it tightened up,” Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said. “It's not a real serious thing at this point.”
Mattingly has spent two nights at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. It is not known when Mattingly will be released.
REMEMBER US?
Phillies manager Larry Bowa hopes two former stars from the franchise's 1980 championship team will make an impact on his young team.
“We want our players used to seeing some players who had success in this uniform,” said Bowa, who was also on the 1980 squad. “I think it's important. They won a World Series for us.”
Tug McGraw, the star closer with the Phillies from 1975 to 1984, started his 12-day coaching stint Saturday.
On Monday, Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt arrives to be a special hitting instructor for 10 days in what will be his first appearance in a Phillies uniform since retiring in 1984.
“I want those two guys because not only were they good players, they knew how to win,” Bowa said. “They were on winning teams. If Tug can talk to relievers about mindset, then he's done his job.
“Some of our guys may not even know Tug McGraw. As bad as this sounds, some of them might not even know Schmidt. Some of them just play the game and go home.”
METS:
An older and somewhat subdued Timo Perez reported to camp.
Perez experienced difficulties obtaining a visa after it was discovered he was two years older than records indicated. Perez will be 27 on April 8 as opposed to 25.
“I'm sorry for lying about that to my teammates and the organization,” Perez said through an interpreter. “It was a mistake I made.”
Perez was 19 when he signed with the Japanese Baseball Academy in 1994 and listed himself at two years younger.
“I can't blame anybody, I just wanted to help my family,” Perez said. “I was desperate at the time, but it's all over now.
PADRES:
Outfielder Trenidad Hubbard agreed to a minor-league contract.
Hubbard was signed eight days after outfielder Mike Darr was killed in a car crash.
Hubbard has played with Colorado, San Francisco, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Baltimore and Kansas City in his career. He is a career .267 hitter with 15 homers and 63 RBI in 377 big league games.
Reds Stories
DAUGHERTY: On Bob Huggins
Huggins achieved perfection in '72
Women: King has Bearcats poised for run
XU seeks end to road doldrums
Xavier women: A-10 tourney only hope for NCAA bid
Bengals Q&A with Mark Curnutte
NFL notebook
Defense drives Braves over Lions
Roundup: Boys
Roundup: Girls
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Indiana boys basketball scores
Indiana girls basketball scores
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Swimming: Ohio state boys
Swimming: Ohio state girls
Wrestling: West wins 1st district title
Gymnastics: Lakota West 2nd at district meet
Volunteers spread paint, spirit
'Bama rolls Florida, wins SEC
NKU women GLVC No. 1
No. 25 UCLA tops No. 10 Stanford
Savovic, OSU hold their ground
Smith, Ball State cruise past Miami
Top 25 roundup
Tristate schools
UC after No.1 seed
Wildcats rip Razorbacks
Wilmington having best season ever
Pound-for-pound boxing Top 10
Ricardo Williams budding superstar
Hoeppner pumped about Miami's schedule
UK athletic department helped solicit money for gift
Hamilton Co. Park courses swing into spring
Ideveter wins Valdale at Turfway to extend streak
Nash, Nowitzki help Mavs beat Kings
Parssinen powers Ducks in OT
Coming up this week
• Return to Reds front page...
Baseball notebook
