On this day in 1991, the Royals released leftfielder Bo Jackson after he suffered a serious hip injury in the NFL playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals. That was Jackson's final NFL game but the iconic athlete eventually returned to baseball in 1993 with the White Sox and played 75 games for the Angels in '94 before the players strike brought the season to an end. Here's a look at what's happening today..
- Angels outfielder Torii Hunter would "love to stay" with the Halos but understands that at age 37, and with Los Angeles having plenty of money on the books, this season may be his last, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The five-year, $90MM deal that Hunter signed prior to the 2008 season expires after this year.
- Free agent starter Javy Vazquez is not considering coming out of retirement, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- Free agent reliever Michael Wuertz will throw for teams on Thursday in Tempe, Arizona, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Twins are expected to be among the clubs in attendance.
- Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was willing to sign with the Cubs and had reason to believe that he might wind up in Chicago, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Ultimately, the Cubs offered six years for $36MM while the Athletics offered that same number for four years. The Cuban star also said that he was seeking either a four-year deal or one that was for eight years or more. Through a translator, Cespedes said that he probably would have wound up in Chicago had the Cubs offered him the same deal before the A's did.
- Rockies first baseman Todd Helton insists that he hasn't thought about retirement, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The 38-year-old has two years remaining on his contract.
- More from Renck as he writes that Esmil Rogers is a trade candidate for the club. Rogers, Edgmer Escalona, and Josh Outman are battling for the final spot in the bullpen. Rogers is out of options and could be moved.
- Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully addressed the club's ownership situation prior to yesterday's broadcast and said that he doesn't believe it is having any effect on the players at all, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News.
So
Yoenis Cespedes is saying that he would have rather played for the Cubs, but he just wanted more money? I appreciate the honestly, but I don’t that is the best way to start off in your new city.
Same money he just wanted either a short contract like his Oakland contract. Or a long term contract
Same money he just wanted either a short contract like his Oakland contract. Or a long term contract
or that article was published in the Chicago media. You know, to garner popularity among Cubs fans who may be unhappy that their team didn’t sign Cespedes.
most of us cubs fans didn’t think signing him made much sense, especially if he wanted a 4 year deal. we will be in a rebuilding mode and pretty bad (more than likely) for the next two years at least. concepcion and soler are younger and make a lot more sense than a quick fix type player who is already 26.
I don’t see what the problem is. He stated that if another team would have offered him the same contract before the A’s did (in this case, the Cubs) he would have accepted it. Considering he accepted 4/36 from the A’s, why would we assume he wouldn’t accept that same offer from another team? The Cubs offered him the same deal as Miami and he didn’t accept either in favor of a richer contract…so?
Haha of course the Bungals still find a way to get into the news of a baseball site. If only they had a decent owner, they wouldn’t be the laughsingstock of the NFL.
Vin also said that he was dropping Colorado from his broadcast schedule, so we’ll enjoy his dulcet tones for a few less games this season. Still, we are lucky to have him, and we can’t know for how much longer.
It seems like he’s moving more towards only calling the home games, which would still be a million times better than not having him call any games at all.
Ten games called by Vin are worth 100 by anybody else. Who else is going to save us from Steve Lyons?
Monotone man vs Psycho (Lyons playing time nickname, not an insult). I can’t imagine which would be worse to listen to.
I understand Scully is some kind of cult hero in LA and yep..he was a pleasure to listen to broadcasting games…30 years ago… But he is just not up to it anymore unless you are an avid Dodger fan.
I sometimes watch a LAD game on mlb.com and it’s hard as a baseball fan to listen to him anymore. maybe it’s more of what he once was than the boring, monotone way he does them now.
Vin is probably the only 84-year old broadcaster who I would offer a 10-year deal to. One of the very few remaining treasures of baseball. And I’m from New Hampshire!
He’s still just about as good as he ever was, IMO. Shows his age once in awhile, but I don’t know a single fan who doesn’t forgive him that. Vin is one of reasons I became a Dodger fan when I moved west more than 35 years ago. The younger sportscasters claim him as a role model, but it’s shocking to me how little they have learned from him.
I completely agree! I live in Dallas now and don’t get to hear him, but after watching a couple of games and having to put up with Steiner, last night’s game was awesome hearing Vin.
Ten games called by Vin are worth 100 by anybody else. Who else is going to save us from Steve Lyons?
It seems like he’s moving more towards only calling the home games, which would still be a million times better than not having him call any games at all.
cesepedes is going to be a bust
Do you have any proof for this statement?
haven’t you heard? spring training and SSS (dominican league) are perfect predictors for players!
I missed that, darn. I guess that means Joe Mather is the next great player because he is tearing up spring training this year! Lock him up Theo!
cesepedes is going to be a bust
Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Michael Jordan, or Jim Thorpe? Who is the most versatile athlete of all time?
Bo.
Bo.
As far as two sport stars go, Brian Jordan was easily the best baseball player of the group. Dave Debussechere pitched some innings for the White Sox too.
Michael Jordan stank at baseball and didn’t play in the highest league so he doesn’t really belong in the conversation. Greatest basketball player ever? Certainly. But not a multi-sport candidate.
If you ever hear from beat writers at the time he was playing in baseball they truly believe he would have become a decent hitter if he was given more time. You have to understand, Jordan NEVER played baseball, period. Those other athletes had experience.
Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Michael Jordan, or Jim Thorpe? Who is the most versatile athlete of all time?
Cespedes comments mean nothing until the context in which he made them is known. Considering his past, he surely will be very materially happy whether playing in Oakland or Chicago… It is hard to imagine that he was trying to make enemies for himself, before he has even played his first MLB game.
As for Vernon Wells, these over-the-hill players remind me so much of over-the-hill-politicos who stay well beyond their welcome, just to be in the limelight. Now, honestly, why would a 38-year old man, who has already made more than $100 million want to continue playing (thereby denying a younger player an opportunity) at the highest level of his sport, when he knows he cannot compete anywhere near the level he once competed at? Guys like Jorge Posada, Jason Veritek, Tim Wakefield, Derek Jeter etc…. They all have stayed on board at least 3 years after they should have retired or been cut loose. Who benefits? The fans? Certainly not. Owner’s pocketbooks? The IRS? Maybe.
Like golf, there should be a senior circuit, for aged MLB stars, where any player over the age of, say, 36, should be required to play. Baseball’s big stage, like golf, has only so many slots to fill. 20-25% of those slots shouldn’t be allowed to be filled each year by players whose performance is sub par (no pun intended) because of advancing age. The quality of the sport gets watered down, it reduces opportunities to inject new blood into the game, and it allows guys to make big money for years on the basis of the reputation earned years earlier, rather than on the basis of what they are capable of contributing to the sport today. How many young guys languish in the minor leagues or on the bench because some 38-39-40’year olds, are re-signed to play, year after year, because they have name recognition with the media or sell a lot of T-shirts with their mugs on the back.
Baseball should smarten up, and look around. There are many potential team owners, and/or cable stations that would love to sponsor a “senior level” baseball circuit. For that matter, MLB teams only draw fans to their ball parks for half of their teams’ regular season schedule. For 3 months of MLB’s 6-month regular game season, every stadium in MLB is completely empty, vacant and dormant. Does this make economic sense? Am I missing something here?
vernon wells is 34.
Torii Hunter is a boss. Still my favorite player of all time.