Wren: No Chapman meeting planned
NEW YORK -- Braves general manager Frank Wren refuted an SI.com report that indicated his club is expected to meet with Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman's agent in the coming weeks.
"We don't have any plans to meet with him at this time," Wren said via e-mail Monday night.
The 21-year-old Chapman, whose fastball has been clocked at 102 mph, has reportedly drawn interest from the Orioles, Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, Yankees, Mets, Athletics and Cardinals.
Chapman defected on July 1 while the Cuban national team was participating in an international tournament in The Netherlands.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Morgan Hill 13U team wins Nations Baseball tournament
SANTA CLARA -- The Morgan Hill Mustangs took first place in last weekend's Nations Baseball Scarecrow Classic tournament.
The Mustangs, a 13U club, compiled a 3-1 record through two days at Wilcox High, capping their impressive run with a come-from-behind 10-5 victory over the Bay Area travel team in Sunday's championship game.
Composed of South County players who compete in Morgan Hill Pony Baseball leagues during the summer, the Mustangs won the title game after falling behind 5-2 against the Voodoo, a team from the Los Altos/Mountain View area. Morgan Hill chipped away at the deficit with runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Mustangs broke a 5-5 tie with five more runs in the top of the seventh inning before closer Justin Dziuba closed out the bottom half on just five pitches.
Morgan Hill opened the tournament with a slow and sloppy game but bounced back Saturday afternoon with a solid 9-5 victory over the West Valley Vikings. The teams met again Sunday with the Mustangs seeded No. 2 and the Vikings No. 3. Morgan Hill showed its first triumph was no fluke, winning 7-4.
Each of the Mustangs' victories was a team effort. The squad includes John Austin, Zach Clinger, Evan Dean, Richard Geraffo, Garrison and Graham Grisedale, Asa Jacob, Adam Jennings, Justin Nelson, Andrew Wilcox, Domenic Zanotto and Dziuba.
NOTE: If you would like to support the Mustangs, they will be holding a fundraising crab feed Nov. 21 at Poppy's, 30 E. Third Street in Morgan Hill. Proceeds will help send Morgan Hill's 12U team to the prestigious national tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., in 2010.
(c) MORGAN HILL TIMES.
Steriod use mars A-Rod's success
Baseball's autumn tournament seems to be about the redemption of Alex Rodriguez. He has gone from playoff choker to clutch performer. Pariah to messiah.
The way all these Yankees are changing their pinstripes, it's a good thing October belongs to Reggie Jackson in perpetuity or somebody would make A-Rod the man of the month.
Some transformations are easily explained. CC Sabathia lost the reputation he had in Cleveland for letting the big moments get the better of him. That's because the Indians never scored runs for him in the playoffs the way the Yankees have.
Other turnarounds take a little more convincing.
Rodriguez had it all except the ring: the biggest contract; a future so bright scouting reports on him in high school predicted a Hall of Fame career; a Yankees-Red Sox tug of war over him, which was like the Astors and the Rockefellers having their eye on the same "cottage" in Newport. All this and, said the gossip mill, Madonna and Kate Hudson, too.
Baseball fans pined for the day when A-Rod would pass Barry Bonds and become the all-time home run leader because he was clean. Except he wasn't.
He turned up as a steroid slugger in the first year of primitive testing. Of the steroids he admitted willfully taking from 2001 to '03, Rodriguez said he knew they weren't Tic Tacs. He meant the tiny breath mints, but how much of his career was built of ticky-tacky? How much was constructed of shoddy material? How much is as cheap and tawdry as Bonds' numbers in his final years?
Rodriguez should go down in history as Bonds with a better personality.
Not even Bud Selig believes anymore that the Home Run Fairy waved a Louisville Slugger over Bonds as he neared the age of 40 and turned back the clock on his body's natural aging process. Bonds was consumed by jealousy when test-tube behemoths Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire made the turnstiles spin during their home run derby in 1998. Bonds was a better all-around player than either of them ever thought about being. But he wanted all the records. And everybody dug the long ball.
As for Rodriguez, he said he felt unbearable pressure to perform, so he cheated. A player who was already considered one of the best there ever was couldn't settle for that?
(c) 2009 Cleveland Live, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Class A state baseball tournament
Fletcher 10 Latta 5
Fletcher's five-run fourth inning broke a 3-3 tie as the Wildcats eliminated Latta from the State Class A baseball quarterfinals at Dolese Park.
Josh Canfield's two singles led a six-hit Wildcats barrage in the decisive inning.
Latta posted a 3-1 lead after one inning, but reliever Billy Love slowed down their offense the rest of the way.
Oktaha 7 Sterling 3
Drake Lumpkin's two-run double in the bottom of the sixth keyed a six-run inning for Oktaha as the Tigers came back for a 7-3 win over Sterling.
Sterling led 3-1 before Oktaha's outburst.
Derrick Skinner added a double in the inning as well.
Silo 10, Okarche 0
Pitcher Shawn Hendricks struck out eight in five innings on his way to a 10-0 victory against Okarche.
Keech Ballard went 2-for-2 and scored three runs to pace Silo batters.
(c) 2009 Produced by NewsOK.com
On Baseball: A look at baseball's best of 2009
Six months of baseball have been completed, and the best - the October postseason tournament - is yet to come.
It's the final day of the regular season. Let's start some arguments and hand out a few awards - for entertainment purposes only.
The real awards, as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be announced in November.
National League MVP
The only suspense here is whether Albert Pujols will be a unanimous selection. He should be. The man who has become synonymous with the St. Louis Cardinals entered the final weekend leading the majors with 47 home runs. He has hit at least 30 homers in each of his nine seasons, and recorded 120 RBIs six times. Pujols leads the NL in runs, total bases, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. Entering the final weekend, he had more than 100 walks and just 63 strikeouts. Make it two straight for Pujols.
American League MVP
There are a bunch of good candidates here, but with apologies to Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera, Chone Figgins, Kendry Morales, and Kevin Youkilis, the award should go to Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer. After missing the first month recovering from back surgery, he came back and had seven hits in his first three games. He never stopped hitting and entered yesterday leading the majors with a .366 batting average, while adding 28 homers and 95 RBIs. No other catcher has ever won an AL batting title; Mauer is about to win his third. He also led the league in on-base percentage and slugging while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.
NL Cy Young Award
This is not an easy choice. A case can be made for Adam Wainwright or Chris Carpenter, both of St. Louis, or San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, who won last year. Lincecum is the league strikeout king. Carpenter is the ERA king. Wainwright might have lost some votes when he watched his potential 20th win evaporate Friday night. Still, we like the workmanlike season that Wainwright has had. He churned out an eight-inning, 130-pitch win in the NL Central clincher last week and will finish with league-high marks in wins (19) and innings (233), and a top-four finish in ERA (2.63) and strikeouts (212).
AL Cy Young Award
Before Zack Greinke took the mound against Minnesota yesterday, it was said that he was pitching for the AL Cy Young Award and to hurt the Twins' postseason chances. The way we see it, only the latter was true. Greinke, the Kansas City ace, took a major-league-best 2.06 ERA into the start and ranked second in the league with 237 K's. Greinke's detractors say he doesn't have enough wins (16 entering yesterday), but how many more would he have had pitching for a top team? He had a combined 16 losses and no-decisions. His team averaged 1.9 runs in those games. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in 24 of his first 32 starts.
NL Rookie of the Year
It's difficult to compare the seasons of a pitcher and a hitter, so we're wimping out on this one, folks. We're making it a tie between Phillies lefthander J.A. Happ and Florida outfielder Chris Coghlan. Happ has bounced between the rotation and bullpen and been an all-around stabilizer on the Phils' pitching staff. He enters today's start leading NL rookies in ERA (2.85), wins (12), strikeouts (118), and innings (164). Coghlan, who came up from the minors on May 8, leads NL rookies in batting (.317 entering yesterday), runs, hits, and on-base percentage. From the all-star break on, no major leaguer - none - had more hits than Coghlan's 108.
AL Rookie of the Year
There's a slew of good candidates, with Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, Oakland closer (and South Jersey product) Andrew Bailey, Oakland starter Brett Anderson, and Tampa Bay starter Jeff Niemann strong possibilities. We're going with Detroit starter Rick Porcello. Two years out of high school, at age 20, he jumped from the Florida State League to the toughest league in the world and went 14-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 30 starts. Tigers management could have hurt Porcello's development by pushing him. The young pitcher made the club look smart.
NL Manager of the Year
Jim Tracy took over the Colorado job from fired Cliff Hurdle on May 29. The Rockies were 18-28, 14 games out of first place in the NL West at the time. Entering last night, they were 74-40 since Tracy took over and were headed to the playoffs. Rockies players had been worn down by Hurdle's high-powered personality. Did the even-tempered Tracy make a difference? "I think the numbers speak for themselves," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said.
AL Manager of the Year
Angels skipper Mike Scioscia showed again why he is one of the very best in the game. The Angels' patient, wear-down-the-opposing-starter approach starts with his stressing that style of play. Scioscia's trusted leadership held the AL West champions together as they endured a number of pitching injuries and the tragic death of 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart.
(c) The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Japan prep star may bypass domestic draft to come to MLB
A major step could be imminent in the sometimes tenuous relationship between Major League Baseball and Japan's professional leagues.
Left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, the likely first pick in Japan's amateur draft next month, is getting plenty of attention from major league scouts in anticipation of a decision that could come this week whether he'll break precedent and skip Japanese pro ball to sign with an MLB organization out of high school.
Kikuchi, 6-foot-1 with a mid-90s fastball, has said several times since starring in Japan's national high school tournament this summer that he wants to play professionally in the USA and is strongly considering making the move now.
Hiroshi Sasaki, his coach at Hanamaki Higashi High School, told Japan's Kyodo News Service that "(Kikuchi) says he is about 50-50" and that a decision could come this week.
Amateurs must declare for Japan's Oct. 29 draft by Oct. 15. If Kikuchi wants to sign with a major league organization, he must convince all 12 Japanese teams not to draft him, otherwise he would face a three-year ban from Japan's major leagues should he ever choose to return to his homeland.
The 18-year-old struck out the side against ChukyUday Chukyo, the national high school champions, in his only inning Monday at Japan's National Sports Festival. Scouts from the 12 Japanese teams and eight major league teams attended, according to Kyodo.
Japanese news service reports have identified scouts from the Dodgers, Rangers, Mariners, Mets, Indians, Cubs, Giants, Tigers, Braves and Yankees watching Kikuchi in tournaments.
Major league clubs have little to say about Kikuchi, though Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik says, "Oh, we're certainly aware of him."
"A pitcher as good as he is, if he wants to go to the major leagues, it's our job to see him," Cleveland scout Dave DeFreitas told Kyodo.
So far, no Japanese high school players have bypassed their domestic draft to come to MLB. By staying, they lock themselves into nine seasons before they're eligible for free agency. They can leave only if their Japanese team allows them to enter the posting system in which MLB teams can bid for the right to negotiate with them.
MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said its agreement with Japanese clubs "does not preclude the signing of amateur players."
Boston signed pitcher Junichi Tazawa last winter before he played professionally in Japan. But he had played four seasons in an industrial league after finishing high school. His departure led to Japan's leagues putting in place the three-year ban.
(c) 2009 USA TODAY.
U.S. clinches a spot in Baseball World Cup championship game
Behind a dominant pitching performance from Todd Redmond, the U.S. (5-0) defeated Puerto Rico (2-3) 3-0 and guaranteed itself a place in the 2009 Baseball World Cup gold medal final. Redmond tossed 8 1/3 shutout innings, struck out four and walked only one for the win. Jason Childers recorded the final two outs for the save.
Team USA's leading hitter, Jon Weber, continued his torrid pace, going 2-for-4 with a home run, and leadoff man Buck Coats hit a home run as well, on a 3-for-3 night at the plate.
The victory keeps the U.S. perfect at 5-0 in Pool G, with Canada alone in second, two games back at 3-2. With only two pool games remaining and with the U.S. owning any tie-breaker against Canada (head to head in Round 2), the defending World Cup champions have punched their ticket to Sunday's final in Nettuno, Italy.
Preview of Thursday's round-robin games:
Cuba --- United States:
In a rematch of the 2007 Baseball World Cup, Thursday night promises to be an exciting rematch between the United States and Cuba, and a potential preview for the Championship game on Sunday. Cuba will look to avenge its loss to the USA in the 2007 World Cup Championship game, when the US beat them to take home the World Cup crown. Heading into the match, both teams are 2-0 in the Third Round so far. With the United States 5-0 record against teams in this round thus far this tournament, they are currently in first place in pool 2 and have already clinched a spot in the finals of the Baseball World Cup. Cuba has defeated Australia 2-1 and Chinese Taipei 8-0 in the Third Round thus far, while the USA has defeated Venezuela 6-3 and Puerto Rico 3-0.
Cuba is 4-1 in the tournament against the final 8 teams, putting them atop pool 1. Therefore, Thursday night's game has huge implications for the Cubans, who can put themselves in an ideal position to face the USA again in the finals with a win tomorrow night. Both teams have been very impressive so far this tournament, with both teams with an overall record of 11-1.
One of the most intriguing stories coming into this match-up is Justin Smoak of the USA (.341 AVG, 9 HR, 19 RBI) and Alfredo Despaigne of Cuba (.442 AVG, 9 HR, 15 RBI), are tied for the record of most HR's in a World Cup tournament at 9 apiece. Both have gathered lots of attention throughout the tournament.
***
Netherlands --- Canada:
The Netherlands and Canada both enter their third round matchup sitting in second place in their respective groups. For Netherlands, the game provides a chance to move one step closer to the championship match, while the Canadians look to improve upon their best ever finish, which was 5th in 1988.
The Netherlands, who are hitting a tournament leading .325 as a team, are led offensively by three players who are batting over .400; their double play combo of Sharlon Shoop (.464) and Hainley Statia (.417) and catcher Sidney de Jong (.435). Others who have been impressive include former major leaguer Randall Simon, who went 3-5 with 3 RBI's in the victory against Chinese Taipei, and first baseman Sharnol Adriana, who also added 3 RBI's in the win.
The Canadians are led by MLB Futures Game MVP Rene Tosini, who is hitting .388 with three home runs, 15 RBI's and two stolen bases. Teammates Adam Stern and Jimmy Van Ostrand are also hitting over .300. Amazingly, the Canadian pitching staff has two members who have yet to give up an earned run in extended work; Matt Kniginyzky (18.0 innings pitched) and Nick Bucci (14.1 innings pitched).
***
Venezuela --- Australia:
Day three of Round Three of the 2009 Baseball World Cup will see a slew of interesting games. Although Venezuela enters the game 0-5, they are stiff competition for Australia (2-3). Australia defeated the Netherlands 5-2 after losing tough games to the USA 4-3 and Cuba 2-1. In their game against the Netherlands, Liam Hendriks led the way by hurling six innings of scoreless baseball, while Luke Hughes provided the offense, hitting two home runs and knocking in four runs. Australia is led by Dushan Luzic who has a 0.00 ERA in 18 innings but remains at 1-1 because of 3 unearned runs. On the offensive side, Luke Hughes is hitting .313 with 4 home runs and 12 RBI's.
Venezuela (0-5) lost to Canada on Wednesday night 9-2. Orlando Perdomo took the loss for Venezuela when he was hit up for four runs in the second inning, and only lasted 1 2/3 innings. Rene Reyes provided the Venezuelan offense by hitting a two-run seventh inning home run, and now has 4 home runs and 18 RBI's in the tournament. Also leading the way for Venezuela is Lino Connel, hitting .370 over 12 games, and Luis Torres who has a 0.00 ERA over 10 innings.
***
Puerto Rico --- Chinese Taipei:
The third round of the 2009 Baseball World Cup has been a difficult road for Puerto Rico and Chinese Taipei. Both teams come into their Thursday match up with an 0-2 record, and face a hard road in order to advance further in this tournament.
Puerto Rico, who entered the third round with an 8-2 record, has dropped two straight to Canada and the United States respectively, and have yet to score a run, losing both matches by the score of 3-0.
Chinese Taipei has been outscored by a combined run total of 19-2 in their two third round match-ups. Prior to the last two games, they had won 5 of their last 7.
Puerto Rico's offensive attack is lead by power hitting Miguel Abreu and Luis Matos, who are both hitting over .300 for the tournament. Chinese Taipei is headlined by Han Lin, who boasts an impressive .409 batting average through 12 games.
***
2009 Baseball World Cup notes:
TWO TIED FOR THE HOME RUN LEAD: With his two home runs tonight against Chinese Taipei, Alfredo Despaigne has tied the Cuban record of 9 for a single World Cup. Orestes Kindelan also had 9 in Italy in 1990. Despaigne is also now tied with the United States Justin Smoak for the tournament lead.
WINNERS REMAINING IN THE FIELD: Of the eight teams advancing to the final round, four have won at least one of the 38 previous World Cups. Cuba is the leader with 25, followed by the United States (3), Venezuela (3) and Puerto Rico (1). The last European country to win was also the first, Great Britain in 1938. The last Asian team to win was Korea in 1982 and Australia's best finish was sixth in 2007.
CUP HISTORY: This is the 38th time the Baseball World Cup has been played...it was an annual event from 1938 until 1953 and then was discontinued until 1961 in Costa Rica...it went to an event every four years in 1965 and 1969 and then back to an annual event from 1969-1976...the format then moved to every other year from 1978-1990, became a four year event in '94 and '98, and starting in 2001 has been played every other year...two World Cups were also played in 1973, one hosted and won by Cuba and the other hosted by Nicaragua and won by the United States.
HOST DOES NOT FIND GOLD AGAIN: Italy's failure to reach the final eight continues a tough run for World Cup host countries. The host country won eight of the first nine titles (Great Britain, Cuba four times, Venezuela twice, Columbia), but since 1948 the host team has only won the Gold Medal eight times...Cuba ('52, '71,'73, '84,'03) Colombia ('65), USA ('74), and Korea ('82)...Cuba's win in 2003 was the only time in the last nine events the World Cup has been won by the host country and was also one of two times in the last nine the host country won a medal (host Chinese Taipei won Bronze in 2001).
(c) 2009 USA TODAY.
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