Rangers closer John Wetteland, who amassed 295 of his 296 career saves during the 1990s, was named the Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Decade, edging out Dennis Eckersley, who retired after the 1998 season. Wetteland, who pitched for Los Angeles, Montreal, the New York Yankees and the Rangers during the decade, finished with 793 points, 20 ahead of Eckersley. Randy Myers, who has pitched for five different teams during the decade, finished third.
Major League Baseball and Rawlings will introduce newly designed official baseballs for the 2000 season, it was announced today at the SGMA Super Show in Atlanta, Georgia.
The new baseballs, which will be used throughout the 2000 Championship Season, will feature the trademarked MLB Silhouetted Batter logo and the signature of Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig stamped in blue ink. The redesigned baseballs are part of Major League Baseball’s branding strategy to use the Silhouetted Batter logo on all authentic, on-field equipment and apparel that is available for retail purchase. To mark the change, Major League Baseball will issue a special Millennium Opening Day Baseball, which will be used at the home openers of each team except the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, who will use a special baseball to commemorate the Opening Series 2000 in Tokyo, Japan, on March 29 and 30. The Millennium Opening Day Baseball will be similar to the regular season ball, but will have “2000” embellished in silver ink above the Silhouetted Batter logo. “The newly designed regular season baseballs and the 16 special event baseballs are great collectibles and another way to bring our fans closer to the game,” said Tim Brosnan, Senior Vice President, Major League Baseball. “In addition, the new design of the regular season baseballs will help us continue to promote the Silhouetted Batter logo as a symbol of authentic Major League Baseball merchandise.”
In addition to the redesigned regular season baseball and the Millennium Opening Day Ball, Major League Baseball will introduce 15 other special baseballs throughout the 2000 season to highlight such events as the 4th of July, the All-Star Home Run Derby, the All-Star Game and the World Series.
In the past, special event baseballs used by Major League Baseball were made available primarily to the clubs and players. All of the special event baseballs manufactured for use in 2000 will be available in retail with release dates throughout the 2000 season. Fans and collectors will be able to obtain the new baseballs at any authorized Major League Baseball retailer or on majorleaguebaseball.com. The baseballs will be sold separately and will also be available as a packaged set. The physical makeup of the official Major League Baseball game ball (not less than five ounces nor more than 5 ¼ ounces; not less than nine nor more than 9 ¼ inches in circumference) will not be affected by the redesign. “Major League Baseball’s official baseball has undergone very little change since the early days of the game,” said Steve O’Hara, President, Rawlings. “We have served as the official supplier since 1977 and expect to deliver more than one million balls to major league clubs each year.”
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Outfielder Scarborough Green, released by Texas last month to make room on the roster for pitcher Darren Oliver, agreed Friday to a minor league contract with the Rangers.
Green, 25, hit .308 in 18 games with the Rangers last season, and batted .248 in 104 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In addition to Green, the other non-roster players invited to spring training are right-handers Matt Miller and R.A. Dickey; catchers Reed Secrist, Luis Taveras and B.J. Waszgis; infielders Edwin Diaz, Tom Evans, Carlos Pena and Jon Shave; and outfielders David Hulse, Jason McDonald and Pedro Valdes.
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training Feb. 20. The rest of the team reports Feb. 23.
This was a curveball the Seattle Mariners weren’t expecting.
His deal with Baltimore coming apart over his physical, Aaron Sele quickly agreed Monday night on a $15 million, two-year contract with the Seattle Mariners.
“This thing is like a star falling out of the sky,” new Mariners general manager Pat Gillick said. “We’re satisfied Sele is as healthy as he was when he finished the season with the Rangers. He underwent a physical on behalf of us with another physician, and our physician talked with that doctor and is satisfied.”
Sele, a 29-year-old right-hander with one of baseball’s best curves, reached a tentative agreement last Friday on a $29 million, four-year contract with the Orioles, a deal that contained $8 million in payments deferred without interest.
But that agreement was subject to his passing a physical, and the contract was never completed. The Orioles considered changes after the medical tests and were still talking to Sele’s agents on Monday.
In the meantime, the pitcher who lives in Kirkland, Wash., turned his attention to the Mariners, one of baseball’s busiest teams this winter.
Seattle spent much of the offseason considering trades for Ken Griffey Jr., but now seems likely to keep him. He is eligible for free agency after the season, and the Mariners considered deals so they wouldn’t wind up losing him for nothing next fall.
Instead, having already signed free agents John Olerud, Arthur Rhodes, Mark McLemore, Stan Javier and Japanese reliever Kazuhiro Sasaki, Gillick and the Mariners might be sending Griffey a message that they are trying to win now.
“We do mean business and we do want to be competitive,” Gillick said. “As we all know, the Yankees and Cleveland are the cream of the crop in the American League. But you never know what happens. If you win your division and get in the playoffs, you never know what happens.”
Gillick — a former GM for Baltimore owner Peter Angelos — began talks after Adam Katz, one of Sele’s agents, called him Monday. Just 6 1/2 hours later — after discussions over deals of two years, two years and an option, two years and two options, and three years — he completed negotiations to get Sele, who went to Washington State.
The contract calls for a $1 million signing bonus and annual salaries of $7 million, with none of the money deferred.
According to another of Sele’s agents, Tom Reich, there was a difference on interpretation with the Orioles on medical tests. Sele has never undergone arm surgery but was limited to six starts in 1995 because of shoulder tendinitis.
“The dealing with Baltimore were very cordial from beginning to end and just didn’t work out,” Reich said. “To me, Peter Angelos is a good guy.”
Angelos did not return a telephone call seeking comment. After the 1998 season, the Orioles reached a $2.7 million, two-year agreement with reliever Xavier Hernandez, but the deal came undone when the Orioles said he had a shoulder injury. He then signed a $250,000 agreement with the Astros and won $2 million in a grievance.
Gillick said Sele had a new physical Monday in California — with Angels physician Dr. Lewis Yocum, according to one source — while negotiations were taking place by telephone.
“There is going to be normal wear and tear,” Gillick said. “You really have to rely on your medical people. They know which bumps along the road you have to watch for and which you can work through.”
The Mariners, third in the AL West last season at 79-83, head into spring training with perhaps the top starting rotation in their division, a group that includes Jamie Moyer, John Halama and Freddy Garcia.
“It’s great talk in the winter,” Gillick said. “You have to do it on the field.”
Seattle tried to sign Chuck Finley, wanting a left-hander who could beat the best AL teams, but the Indians got him for $27 million over three years.
Last year, the Mariners were just 1-9 against New York, 3-7 against Cleveland and 5-8 against Texas.
Sele was 18-9 with a 4.79 ERA with the Texas Rangers last year after going 19-11 with a 4.23 ERA in 1998. In his two years with Texas, Sele missed only one start, and that was because of flu symptoms.
He spent the first five years of his major league career with the Boston Red Sox and has a 75-53 career record.
“I think this is a business where timing is very important. You only have a very small window,” Gillick said. “You have to react very quickly. Those who hesitate, as they say, are lost.”
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers continued their tilt toward a left-handed rotation Wednesday, agreeing with Darren Oliver on a $19 million, three-year contract.
Oliver, traded to St. Louis by Texas two years ago for shortstop Royce Clayton, joins a rotation that already had added left-handers Kenny Rogers and Justin Thompson. [ From Joe: We also traded Fernando Tatis with Oliver for Clayton & Sottlemyre ]
Rogers was signed Dec. 29 and Thompson was acquired in the November trade that sent Juan Gonzalez to Detroit. Texas had only four games started by left-handers last season.
Oliver’s deal includes a $6 million signing bonus, with $1.5 million payable in each of the 2001 and 2002 seasons and the remaining $3 million in 2003.
He’ll make $3 million this year and $5 million each of the next two season.
Oliver was 9-9 with a 4.26 ERA in 30 starts for St. Louis last season.
Oliver, 29, came up through the Rangers’ organization, reaching the majors in 1993. At one point he was being groomed as a closer, but his future would be as a starter.
In parts of six seasons with Texas, Oliver was 41-27 with a 4.68 ERA. He struck out 365 and walked 269 in 580 2-3 innings.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) — Free agent lefthander Darren Oliver is headed back to the Texas Rangers.
Filling a need with the departure of Aaron Sele, the two-time defending American League Western Division champions today signed Oliver to a three-year contract. The Rangers have a news conference at 6 p.m. EST to make the official announcement.
Financial terms were not disclosed. Oliver earned $3.55 million with the St. Louis Cardinals last season.
Oliver, 29, spent parts of six years with the Rangers, posting a career-high 13 wins in 1997 before being shipped to the Cardinals on July 31, 1998 with third baseman Fernando Tatis for shortstop Royce Clayton and right-hander Todd Stottlemyre.
Oliver was second on the Cardinals in wins last season, going 9-9 with a 4.26 ERA in 35 games, including 30 starts. He allowed 197 hits over 196 1/3 innings with 74 walks and 119 strikeouts.
Sele signed a two-year contract with the Seattle Mariners on Monday after a previous deal with the Baltimore Orioles fell through. He won 37 games for the Rangers over the past two seasons, including a 18-9 record in 1999.
The Census Bureau recruited Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez and several other baseball stars in its campaign for a full count in next year’s national statistical survey (aka “The Census”). Network television, broadcast outlets in all 28 baseball markets and Sports Illustrated will run ads starting in February. In addition to the air time and the five SI pages, the bureau paid $150,000 for the baseball marketing package. Other players making the Census Bureau pitch include Derek Jeter of the NY Yankees and Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants.