Roundup

Mexican businessman makes bid to move Expos

NEW YORK (AP) -- Add the city of Monterrey, Mexico, to the list of places trying to lure the Montreal Expos for the 2004 season.

Carlos Bremer, chief executive officer of the Value Grupo Financiero, led a group that submitted a bid to Major League Baseball on Friday hoping to host all of the team's 81 home games next year.

In 1999, San Diego and Colorado played the major league season opener before a sellout crowd of 27,104 at Monterrey. The Padres and New York Mets played a three-game series in the city in 1996.

There also were exhibition games in the city of nearly 3.5 million in 1991 and 1993.

Bremer and Monterrey mayor Felipe Cantu met with baseball officials Tom Ostertag and John McHale in New York on July 21. Discussions between the sides started before the All-Star break last month.

Expos fans cheer again for Carter

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Expos paid tribute to Gary Carter, the team's first Hall of Famer, with a pre-game ceremony and presentation.

Carter received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes as he was introduced to the Olympic Stadium faithful.

Carter waved and thanked the crowd which erupted again when he unveiled a replica of his No. 8 jersey on the right-field wall.

Carter addressed the crowd with part of his speech in French.

During his speech, Carter said his only disappointment in Montreal was that he never won a World Championship for the city.

Four elected to Rangers Hall of Fame

ARLINGTON, Texas -- They saved the loudest and longest cheers for Johnny Oates.

Former players Nolan Ryan, Jim Sundberg and Charlie Hough were also inducted into the new Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. But what made the night emotional was the appearance of Oates, the former manager who has a brain tumor.

Oates, who led the Rangers to their only three division titles, said he still dreams of the Rangers playing in the World Series.

"The only thing I ask is, Buck make it quick. I want to see it," Oates told the crowd of about 30,000 while accepting his plaque.

Dodgers place Ishii on DL

ATLANTA -- Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a sprained left knee.

Ishii (9-5, 3.35 ERA) was scheduled to start Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. The left-hander has been bothered for a while by a sprained ligament, but remained in the rotation in hopes of helping the Dodgers get back into playoff contention.

The Dodgers recalled left-hander Victor Alvarez from Class AAA Las Vegas to fill Ishii's spot on the roster, then announced after a 6-4 loss to the Braves that another left-hander, Scott Mullen, would be called up from Las Vegas to start Sunday.

Giants call up Hermanson

CINCINNATI -- Right-hander Dustin Hermanson was called up Saturday from CLass AAA Fresno to start the final game of the San Francisco Giants' series in Cincinnati.

The Giants optioned reliever Jeff Urban to Fresno to open a spot for Hermanson, who will pitch Sunday night. Urban was called up before the start of the series on Friday, but didn't appear in either game.

The left-hander also spent three days with the Giants in April without getting into a game.

Hermanson went 1-2 with a 5.46 ERA in 23 relief appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this season. He faced the Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 5, started the bottom of the ninth and gave up a leadoff homer to Aaron Boone as Cincinnati won 5-4.

Cubs waive all-time pinch-hits leader

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs waived utilityman Lenny Harris on Saturday and recalled right-hander Sergio Mitre from Class AA West Tennessee.

Harris batted just .183 with the Cubs with a homer and seven RBIs in 75 games. He is the all-time major league leader in pinch-hits with 177.

"I just had tough luck this year. A lot of things didn't happen for me, I had some tough games where I should have had some hits," Harris said.

Harris went 4-for-32 (.125) as a pinch-hitter for the Cubs.

 

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