Monday, April 01, 2002
Colon blanks Angels
Notebook: Vets Raines, Orosco win big-league jobs
The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The new-look Cleveland Indians opened the 2002 major league baseball season with the pitching they've been looking for.
Bartolo Colon pitched a five-hitter to become the first Cleveland pitcher in 34 years to throw an opening-day shutout, and the Indians scored four first-inning runs in a 6-0 victory over the Anaheim Angels on Sunday night.
“We were aggressive and we played the kind of baseball I hope that we can play all year long,” said Cleveland's Travis Fryman, who hit the first home run of the season.
Navy SEAL members parachuted in to deliver the ball used for the ceremonial first pitch and President Bush delivered a videotaped message to the sellout crowd of 42,697.
A day ahead of other major league teams, Cleveland and Anaheim took the field to show off their new uniforms and the season began at 5:18 p.m. PST — 13 minutes late because of the ceremony.
Colon was among the many major leaguers who aged dramatically during the offseason, when new rules forced them to supply passports. At first he said he was 26, then said he was 27 and later admitted he was 28.
After throwing just one complete game in 34 starts last year, Colon allowed four singles and a double, struck out five and walked two. He needed just 99 pitches to throw the fifth shutout of his career.
“That's the way I imagined him pitching,” Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. “He threw all his pitches, mixed in some breaking balls, threw his fastballs on both sides of the plate, was aggressive.”
It was the first opening-day shutout in the major leagues since Dwight Gooden led the New York Mets over Colorado in 1993 with a four-hitter. It was Cleveland's first shutout in an opener since Sonny Siebert's two-hit, 9-0 win over the Chicago White Sox in 1968.
The Angels were blanked on opening day for the second time in their 42-year history. The other was when Mel Stottlemyre beat them 1-0 at Yankee Stadium, also in 1968.
Milton Bradley hit a two-run single in the first off Jarrod Washburn and Fryman, who slumped to just three homer last year after hitting 22 the previous season, had a solo shot in the third.
“They've been so few and far between the last year or so, it felt pretty good,” Fryman said. “Last year I had a very difficult year and didn't swing the bat well at any point.”
The Indians have won six of the last seven AL Central titles but are without a World Series title since 1948.
MIAMI — Tim Raines was added to the Florida roster, and will spend his 23rd major league season with the Marlins.
Raines, 42, will be used mostly as a pinch hitter, but will also provide the veteran leadership the Marlins lacked last season when they struggled to a disappointing 76-86 record.
Raines is coming back from a debilitating battle with lupus, which sidelined him in July 1999. He returned last year and played in 51 games for Montreal and Baltimore, batting .303.
DODGERS: The team purchased the contract of 44-year-old left-hander Jesse Orosco, who will be in the major leagues for a 23rd season.
Orosco pitched 12 innings in 11 spring games, not allowing an earned run. Orosco pitched in 35 games for the Dodgers last season. He came into the majors with the New York Mets in 1979.
BRAVES: Greg Maddux could be scratched from his opening-day start today because of a strained buttocks.
If Maddux can't go, Tom Glavine would take his place when the Braves play host to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Maddux will see how he feels this morning and then a decision will be made.
RED SOX: Rickey Henderson finally signed a major league contract with Boston Sunday, the day before the team opens the season against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We met with Rickey Henderson today after the workout, at which time he signed his 2002 major league contract,” Red Sox interim general manager Mike Port said. “Rickey had some questions relating to agreed upon major league contract, which were satisfactorily addressed.”
Henderson, 43, hit .295 during spring training. He got the 3,000th hit of his career Oct.7 in his final at-bat of the season.
Henderson is baseball's career leader in runs (2,248), walks (2,141) and steals (1,395).
RANGERS: Ruben Rivera, who lost his job with the New York Yankees after stealing Derek Jeter's glove and bat, signed a minor league contract.
Rivera was released March 11 by the Yankees after stealing the equipment from the locker of his All-Star teammate and selling them to a memorabilia dealer.
The Rangers brought Rivera to their minor league camp in Florida on March 24 with intentions of giving him a 10-day tryout.
“The report from our people is they like what they had seen on the field and off the field,” Rangers general manager John Hart said. “We have talked to him and have support people who will be in place to work with him daily in Tulsa.”
Rivera, 28, will start the season with Texas' Double-A team in Tulsa, Okla.
GIANTS: The Giants decided to open the season with second baseman Jeff Kent on the disabled list with a broken left wrist.
Kent has been playing in Arizona with the Giants' Triple-A team. On Saturday, he went 3-for-7 with a double, and played nine innings on defense.
Kent is eligible to be activated April 6. The Giants open their season Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
ORIOLES: Outfielder Marty Cordova was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained right quadriceps.
Cordova is eligible to rejoin the active roster on April 12.
“We didn't think rushing him was worth the gamble at this point,” Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. “He's still iffy.”
TIGERS: Outfielder Jose Macias closed out spring training with a 3-for-4 performance.
Macias batted .533 (16-for-30) in his final 10 games of spring training.
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Colon blanks Angels
