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Roundup Vizquel in Indians camp, Gonzalez OK
Updated: Friday February 23, 2001 10:29 PM
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Good news for the Cleveland Indians: Omar Vizquel is in camp and Juan Gonzalez is OK. Vizquel finally joined his teammates at spring training on Friday and immediately went to bed. Vizquel was the last player to get to Florida, arriving at the club's training facility after a red-eye flight from his home in Seattle. He dropped off his equipment bag and left to get some sleep. Indians manager Charlie Manuel joked that he might have something in store for Vizquel when he shows up for his first workout. "I'd hate to have to beat him up on his first day in camp," said Manuel, whose team completed its second full-squad workout Friday. Gonzalez, who bruised his right elbow when hit by a foul ball Thursday, took part in practice. "I saw him hit a couple of balls hard," Manuel said. Gonzalez, acquired this winter to fill Manny Ramirez's cleanup spot after he signed with Boston, was leaning against the batting cage when a ball hit by Russell Branyan struck him in the elbow. Gonzalez had been on the field for slightly more than an hour during his first practice with his new team when he was hurt. He had the elbow iced and still had it wrapped Friday. Vizquel has grumbled in the past about being underpaid and was thought to be upset after seeing fellow shortstops Alex Rodriguez ($252 million) and Derek Jeter ($189 million) sign large 10-year contracts. Vizquel, 32, signed a $21 million, six-year deal in 1995. Manuel has yet to speak with Vizquel, but planned to soon. He said Vizquel received permission to report after the voluntary date. The mandatory date is next Tuesday. "I didn't talk to him. If it had bothered me, I would have. I'll see what's going on," Manuel said. "I don't see where it's a problem. I'm not looking to make it a problem." Indians general manager John Hart said Vizquel's lateness isn't related to his contract. Vizquel voiced his displeasure with the contract two years ago and said at the time he'd like an extension for a higher figure. Hart has spoken with Vizquel's agent, Adam Katz, but won't elaborate about those discussions. Hampton's injury improving slightlyTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Camp began returning to normal for the Colorado Rockies on Friday. Two injured pitchers, Mike Hampton and Bobby Chouinard, threw to batters for the first time. Injured outfielders Larry Walker and Ron Gant both participated in hitting, although they skipped other drills. And catcher Brent Mayne returned to camp after missing the previous two days to be with his wife, who underwent surgery in California. On a cool, cloudy day, Hampton, who strained his left calf muscle a week earlier, took a normal turn on the mound throwing batting practice. "My arm is healthy," Hampton said. "My location isn't where it's going to be by the time we break camp, but it was a good start. "I'm throwing the same way I would if the calf wasn't injured, so I don't feel it's holding me back any. So long as my arm is in shape, I think everything else will follow." Hampton, who signed an eight-year, $121 million contract with the Rockies in December that made him baseball's richest pitcher, has continued throwing off a mound since the injury but has been held out of other drills. "I think the calf is better," he said. "We haven't tested it a ton. I've been riding the stationary bike. I think I'm going to do some light jogging [Saturday] and see how it goes. "As long as I can throw, that's all I'm concerned about. And I've been able to do that with no pain." Chouinard also showed no ill effects from his throwing session Friday. "I was more interested in seeing Chouinard than Hampton, quite frankly, because I was just more concerned about Bobby," manager Buddy Bell said. "Mike is going to be fine. "Bobby threw all of his pitches. I haven't talked to the trainers, but I'm sure he was fine, just from watching him." Walker, who has a strained left calf muscle similar to Hampton's injury, took batting practice, as did Gant, who has two tight hamstrings. Walker nearly nailed a car with a long homer over the fence. "That's good news," Bell said. "Like I said before, it's not that big of an issue right now. It's [Walker's cutback in drills] more precautionary than anything else." Trainer Tom Probst said Gant has done some light running and conditioning, in addition to hitting. "The only thing he didn't do was rundowns," Probst said.
Wells makes throwing debutTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- David Wells worked out with his new Chicago White Sox teammates for the first time Friday, throwing lightly and telling stories to some of the younger players.Wells, acquired last month in the controversial trade that sent Mike Sirotka to Toronto, reported Thursday, six days after Chicago's other pitchers. Wells, who usually does not throw much during spring training, went through stretching exercises, then threw long toss, played pepper and worked on pickoff drills. "I know what I need to do to get ready. I will get a couple of days of long tosses, and then some side work and then some BP," Wells said. "It is fun. I have one of those rubber arms, knock on wood." Wells, who says he has been working out on his own for about a week, has spent 14 years in the major leagues. The White Sox are content to have him work at his own pace. "I am not looking for him to be the best guy in the pitchers' fielding drills, or run the fastest sprints," manager Jerry Manuel said. "I just want him to get out of here healthy." Other White Sox pitchers joked with Wells as they walked from one field to another during a 2 1/2-hour workout. "It is nice to have a guy like that. He is a proven pitcher who the guys can stop and listen to," Chicago pitcher Cal Eldred said. "I think he will be a benefit."
Cubs still waiting for SosaMESA, Ariz. (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs are still awaiting Sammy Sosa's arrival."He's going to have to catch up to this group," manager Don Baylor said Friday. "I'd like for him to get here and see the flavor that's around this camp. It's probably something new for a lot of guys. It's a good camp. It's a working camp." Chicago's position players have worked out for four days, but Sosa isn't expected in camp until Sunday or Monday. The mandatory reporting day is Tuesday. Baylor doesn't think Sosa will be distracted by rumors of a possible trade involving Los Angeles outfielder Gary Sheffield, who wants to be dealt following the Dodgers' refusal to extend his contract beyond 2004. "I think it was one player who probably triggered a lot of thoughts about a trade," Baylor said, referring to Sheffield. "It didn't come from Sammy Sosa's camp. I don't think he wants to it be a part of his spring training, getting ready to play." Padres' Nevin seeks extensionPEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- San Diego Padres third baseman Phil Nevin, who was almost traded in the offseason, has asked the team about a possible contract extension. General manager Kevin Towers has said he would like to get the matter resolved before exhibition games begin. But considering no talks are under way with less than a week before the exhibition season begins, it's clear the Padres aren't terribly motivated to sign Nevin to a new deal just yet. "If we don't get something done, where does that put me in July?" Nevin said, referring to the trade deadline. "They've said they want me here. I don't know." Nevin, 30, asked about an extension during an uncertain offseason. He spent 72 hours in limbo when the Padres arranged a deal with Milwaukee in mid-November, then failed to sign Brewers outfielder Jeromy Burnitz to an extension that was key to completing the deal. Then came trade rumors -- from Seattle, primarily - that wouldn't die. Nevin hoped talking extension would increase his chances of remaining in San Diego. But he is signed for $1.5 million this year with a $2.6 million option for 2002, a bargain for a player who hit .303 with 31 home runs and 107 RBIs last year. Nevin's current deal gives the Padres plenty of time to weigh their options. With top prospects Sean Burroughs and Xavier Nady on the horizon at third base, the Padres could choose to move Nevin and address greater needs. If they don't trade him this season, his value could diminish because he would be only a year away from free agency. "I'm 30 years old," Nevin said. "I'm not going to say I'm going to make A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez] money or something like that, but I'm probably going to have just one chance to sign something that's going to set my family for life. "I hate to say it, but this is our job. We can't play until we're 55 years old." Nevin said he'd like to spend the rest of his career in San Diego, where he resurrected his career. "This is where I became a man, where I became a baseball player," he said. "You get into a comfort zone in one spot. I couldn't imagine now going to another organization and playing for a different manager." Nevin recently hired a new agent, Barry Axelrod, who is good friends with Towers. "However it happens, I'm not going to be upset," Nevin said. "The thing that's weird for me is that two months ago, three months ago, they were ready to move on without me. I was going somewhere else. I'm here now, and I'm happy to be here. But the bottom line is they traded me." Olympic hero Sheets fighting for spot in rotationPHOENIX (AP) -- Ben Sheets doesn't even know where his gold medal is, only that his mother is safeguarding it.What he does know is that his three-hitter to beat Cuba at the Sydney Olympics six months ago won't do him any good when he begins facing major league hitters next week. "Big league hitters aren't going to let you strike them out just because you won a gold medal," Sheets said. "It's something to be proud of, but it doesn't mean anything up here." And it won't help the 22-year-old hard-throwing right-hander earn one of two available spots in the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation, either. "I've got to go out and prove myself all over again," Sheets said. "It's something that will be nice to look back on, but it's time to turn the page." Brewers manager Davey Lopes doesn't know as much about Sheets as Tommy Lasorda, whose club of minor league players defeated Cuba 4-0 for the American's first-ever gold medal. "To be honest with you, I really haven't seen much of Ben Sheets. I watched him throw today, but that's batting practice," Lopes said. "I saw him throw last spring, he threw in one game for us. He did very well, showed both the physical tools and the intangibles that you like to see in a pitcher: very poised, very confident, not intimated. Plus, quality stuff. Other than that, I really can't tell you much." Sheets made three Olympics starts, surrendering just one run in 22 innings for an ERA of 0.41. "I saw a couple of pitches on TV," Lopes said. "That's a tremendous honor and a tremendous accomplishment. But that really doesn't mean anything to making this ball club. He knows that, and he doesn't expect any special favors. "So, if he makes this club it's because he deserves to make this club, not because of what he did in the Olympics." Sheets is among nearly a dozen pitchers vying to join Jeff D'Amico, Jimmy Haynes and Jamey Wright in the Brewers' rotation. Sheets and Paul Rigdon, who had 12 solid starts for Milwaukee after coming over from Cleveland last year, are the early favorites to emerge from a group of 11 pitchers all hoping to break camp with the club and head to its new, $400 million retractable-roofed Miller Park. After beating the two-time defending champion Cubans last year, Sheets jetted to Milwaukee to participate in the closing festivities at County Stadium, where he received a rousing ovation from 56,000 fans. The next day, David Wilder, the team's vice president of player personnel, proclaimed that the right-hander with a mean, tricky fastball would be in the Brewers' rotation in 2001. "It's good to hear them say it, but you've still got to go out there and take care of your business,' Sheets said. "Some people say, `Yeah, it's your spot to lose.' But you've got to have a spot before it's your spot to lose, you know? I have never played in the big leagues." You wouldn't know it by watching him. "He's like a sponge," pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "He wants to learn. He asks questions. And he's athletic. He has fine aptitude. When you talk to him about something you can see the attempt to apply it. In that sense, he has all the ingredients of a fine major league pitcher."
Orioles' Rivera has shoulder tearFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Orioles pitcher Luis Rivera could be facing season-ending surgery for a slight tear in his right shoulder discovered during an MRI exam on Friday.Rivera, 22, who was competing for a spot in the rotation, cut short his workout on Thursday after complaining of weakness in the shoulder. Rivera hasn't been able to throw with a fluid motion since arriving at camp, but has not reported any pain. The Orioles said Rivera would travel to Birmingham, Ala. to be examined by Dr. James Andrews on March 5. If enough damage is found, Andrews could perform arthroscopic surgery that same day. "He doesn't have pain, but he can't find a comfort level, so he's shut down for now," said manager Mike Hargrove. "I don't think any of us expected this because there was no pain." Syd Thrift, the club's vice president of baseball operations, classified Rivera's injury as a 'temporary setback' and stressed that it's not career threatening. How he injured the shoulder is not clear. The Orioles received a report on Rivera, dated Dec. 8, that clocked his fastball at 94 miles-per-hour while pitching in the Mexican Winter League. He went 2-4 with a 4.35 ERA in eight appearances, including five starts covering 33 innings. "We all agree it couldn't have been there in Mexico," Thrift said. One possibility is that Rivera tore the labrum, connective tissue lining the shoulder socket, in his final appearance in Mexico. He also could have suffered the injury while exercising over the winter. Rivera had been using heavier cuff weights than recommended by the Orioles while also increasing his routine every day. Rivera has been a health riddle since being part of a three-player package acquired from the Atlanta Braves on July 31 for outfielder B.J. Surhoff and reliever Gabe Molina. Rated among the Braves' top prospects, Rivera was limited to three starts at Class AAA Rochester after the trade because of shoulder tendinitis. He pitched once for the Orioles, going two-thirds of an inning in a Sept. 20 game against the Oakland Athletics. Rivera was among four players signed by the team on Friday. The Orioles also signed second baseman Jerry Hairston, infielder/outfielder Chris Richard and pitcher Matt Riley. Riley most likely will miss the 2001 season after undergoing ligament-transplant surgery in September. Hairston batted .256 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 49 games last season. Richard batted .276 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs in 56 games after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on July 29. Davis hopes to beat Gonzlaez for Padres' catching spotPEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- Ben Davis wants to be the San Diego Padres' everyday catcher. Barring that, he believes someone must be No. 1. "I think one guy needs to step up," Davis said. "I think this pitching staff needs that. They don't want to see a different guy back there every time they throw. The more they throw to a certain person, the more comfortable they're going to be. "The more comfortable they are with that person, the more they can talk with that person. You can work together. You'll know what I'm going to do. I think this staff needs that." As the Padres held their first full-squad workout Thursday, Davis has every opportunity to grab the bulk of the playing time. Wiki Gonzalez is in the picture, but he has an uphill battle. The Padres have devoted more time and energy to developing Davis, the No. 2 pick of the 1995 draft, and they want this to be the year it pays off. "Of all the young guys who are getting a chance," general manager Kevin Towers said, "I think he could have the best season." Said Davis: "I'm only 23, but I've been waiting for this opportunity. I'm going to try to grasp it and run with it." Davis batted only .223 with three homers in 130 big-league at-bats last year. He was batting .149 when he went on the disabled list in August because of a strained oblique muscle. He then finished with a .321 final month. All the while, he said, he was playing with a stress fracture of a bone in his foot. That's why he defied Towers and chose not to play winter ball. Gonzalez, meanwhile, played for Caracas in his native Venezuela. He batted .276 in 82 games while correcting a flaw that developed last year in San Diego. He got 72 starts but batted only .232 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. Instead of handling outside pitches and using right field, Gonzalez was trying to pull just about everything. "I think it's going to help me have a real good year," Gonzalez said of his winter job. "Last year, I had a lot of trouble with the outside pitches. "In the winter, I kept working on hitting it to right field. I didn't do that last year." Manager Bruce Bochy, while expressing confidence in both catchers, said neither should take a roster spot for granted. And the Davis-Gonzalez battle might not be truly settled in Arizona. "Ultimately," Bochy said, "how they play in the regular season will decide things." Rupe, three others sign with Devil RaysST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Right-hander Ryan Rupe, who's expected to be part of Tampa Bay's starting rotation, was one of four players who signed one-year contracts with the Devil Rays on Friday. Pitcher Dan Wheeler and outfielders Randy Winn and Alex Sanchez also agreed to terms, leaving the club with seven unsigned players on the 40-man roster. Rupe split last season between Tampa Bay and Triple-A Durham. He went 5-6 with a 6.92 ERA in 18 starts for the Devil Rays before spending most of September on the disabled list because of a blood clot above the right biceps. Smoke from brush fires doesn't stop Royals' businessHAINES CITY, Fla. (AP) -- When Kansas City Royals manager Tony Muser arrived at the practice field Friday morning, he thought it would be an abbreviated practice because of smoke from the nearby brush fires. "At seven o'clock the smoke was stinky and ugly, eyes were burning and you couldn't breathe," Muser said. "I thought, 'Oh no, we were going to have to bang this practice or make it an abbreviated day, maybe an hour outside of work with the smoke.'" "But a breeze came up and blew it out and we got in a full day, a long day. I'm glad the smoke got out of here." The Royals held a four-hour session, which included Shawn Sonnier throwing batting practice to regulars Jermaine Dye, Mike Sweeney and Joe Randa. Sonnier logged 21 saves and had a 2.25 ERA last season with Class AA Wichita. The Royals want to take a long look this spring at Sonnier, who is a candidate for one of the four vacant bullpen spots. Royals general manager Allard Baird halted a conversation to watch Sonnier pitch. "He's very uncomfortable for hitters," said Royals top scout Brian Murphy, who also watched Sonnier. Veteran Doug Bochetler, who has a new sinker, was also impressive in pitching against the Royals regulars. Right-hander Blake Stein is penciled in to start the Royals first exhibition game on March 2 against Philadelphia in Clearwater, Fla. Rookie pitcher Junior Guerrero is the only Royal still not in camp. Guerrero ran into visa difficulties in the Dominican Republic, but the club is hopeful he will arrive in time for the Saturday workout. Baird said there are no truths to the stories circulating that the Royals have interest in acquiring Gary Sheffield from the Los Angeles Dodgers. "We couldn't afford a $10 million player," Baird said.
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