Friday, May 31, 2002
Rays deny they're contraction target
Baseball notebook
The Associated Press
If Tampa Bay is next on commissioner Bud Selig's hit list, no one has told Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli.
“We have never been a candidate for contraction,” he said Thursday. “We're not on the list right now. We will not be on the list in the future.”
During Wednesday's owners meeting, some wondered where the sport's contraction plan was headed following Selig's decision to attempt to settle a lawsuit by guaranteeing the existence of the Minnesota Twins, who along with the Montreal Expos had been targeted for elimination from the major leagues, through the 2003 season.
Attorneys for the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, the Twins and Major League Baseball are close to a settlement that would resolve a lawsuit over the team breaking its lease on the Metrodome, but a deal probably won't be finalized until next week.
Several owners, among them Jerry Reinsdorf of the Chicago White Sox, John Moores of San Diego and Stan Kasten of Atlanta, spoke during the meeting and asked what was next, according to two high-ranking baseball officials who attended the session and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“We're going to have to find a new partner,” an official quoted Selig as saying.
During his April 9 testimony in the grievance against contraction by the players' association, Selig was asked what team would replace the Twins on his contraction list if Minnesota was not on it, one of the officials said. Selig responded that the Devil Rays were next, as first reported Thursday by the New York Times.
Bob DuPuy, Selig's chief lawyer, later said Tampa Bay was one of several teams under consideration, the official said.
PADRES: Slugger Phil Nevin has a broken left arm and is expected to be out for six weeks. The third baseman was hurt Wednesday while diving for a grounder in the Padres' win over Colorado.
Trainer Todd Hutcheson said Nevin broke his upper arm bone near the shoulder. He said Nevin will start doing range-of-motion exercises within the next two weeks.
“Just like any fracture, you give it time to heal,” Hutcheson said. “Once it heals stronger, and strengthens him up, he should be fine.”
Nevin, the Padres' MVP the last three seasons, is hitting .293 with five homers and 21 RBI this year.
Last year, when he was named an All-Star for the first time, he hit .306 with 41 homers and 126 RBIs, all career-bests.
Nevin has resurrected his career with the Padres, who obtained him as a third-string catcher late in spring training in 1999. He was the first pick overall in the 1992 draft by Houston, but nearly played himself out of the majors.
TWINS: Right-hander Brad Radke, activated from the disabled list hours earlier, reaggravated his right groin injury in the first inning Thursday against Anaheim. The Twins didn't immediately know the severity of the injury.
ANGELS: Anaheim activated infielder Benji Gil from the 15-day disabled list. He had been on a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake after spraining his left ankle April 5.
Manager Mike Scioscia didn't expect that Gil would need much time to readjust after the lengthy rehab assignment.
“He's ready to go and play,” Scioscia said.
BRAVES: Left fielder Chipper Jones returned to the lineup Thursday, two days after fouling a ball off his right calf. Gary Sheffield, who has missed seven straight starts due to a pulled left hamstring, said he expects to be back in the lineup today against the Reds.
He pinch-hit Wednesday, but still was having trouble running.
“It's not great, but it's good enough,” Jones said before the game against Montreal. “It can't get any worse unless I do it again, and I don't see that happening.”
RANGERS: Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who is on the disabled list because of a herniated disk in his back, went 4-for-6 in an extended spring training game Thursday. The 10-time All-Star hasn't played for the Rangers since April 15 and can't rejoin the team until late next week.
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Rays deny they're contraction target
