BASEBALL NOTES
From Wire Reports
With his name seeming to pop up in a new trade rumor every hour, Cleveland first baseman Jim Thome said Friday he has not been asked by the Indians to waive his no-trade clause.
"Nobody has come up to me and asked me to be traded," Thome said. "I don't want to be traded. I want to stay here."
And what would happen if the Indians told him they had reached a deal? Would he waive his no-trade clause?
"As of right now, no," he said. "Nobody has approached me. Next week, it might be different, and in two weeks it might be different."
Now that the Indians have traded ace Bartolo Colon to Montreal for first baseman Lee Stevens and three minor-league prospects - in effect giving up on the 2002 season to rebuild - there is growing speculation that Thome could be dealt next.
The Indians' career home run leader can become a free agent after the season. After talking with the club about a new contract during spring training, Thome called off negotiations and told the team he wanted to wait until after the season.
Thome said he's sticking with that plan.
Thome's teammates, meanwhile, were still trying to adjust to the Colon trade.
"I don't think there are too many happy people around here right now," shortstop Omar Vizquel said.
"You always hurt when you see one of the members of your family you grew up with gone. I don't think they're done yet, either. Anything can happen at this point."
Cleveland entered Friday night seven games behind first-place Minnesota in the American League Central.
The Expos got minor-league pitcher Tim Drew from the Indians to complete the six-player trade for Colon. Drew, a first-round pick of the Indians in 1997, was 8-4 with a 3.27 earned run average in Triple A this season.
Briefly
Mets pitcher Mark Corey waited to hear from doctors on what caused his seizure near Shea Stadium and refused comment on his reported marijuana use shortly before his collapse. Corey was stricken Wednesday night shortly after the Mets' 6-3 loss to the Braves. On Friday, Newsday said the player admitted smoking marijuana just before falling ill in a parking lot outside a hotel. The reliever, now on the 15-day disabled list, underwent tests and hoped to get the results within the next day.
The Angels placed reliever Al Levine on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right shoulder and demoted left-hander Scott Schoeneweis to the bullpen. The Angels replaced Schoeneweis in the rotation with right-hander John Lackey, a former standout at UT-Arlington. Lackey pitched the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington, giving up three runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings.
The Yankees placed pitcher Sterling Hitchcock back on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained lower back and recalled reliever Randy Choate, who had been down Thursday.
Tigers catcher Mitch Meluskey will miss the rest of the season with back problems. He has gotten just 27 at-bats in two seasons with Detroit.
Twins relievers entered Friday night's game having pitched 289 innings, tops in the majors. The second most-used bullpen, that of the Cincinnati Reds, has pitched 271 1/3 innings -- nearly 18 fewer innings than the Twins relievers, who have a 3.39 ERA.
The Twins coaches know that the bullpen can't maintain that load. That's why there is talk of returning to a 12-man pitching staff. That's why Juan Rincon, a starter in the minors, was called up this week, to absorb some innings.
J.T. Snow felt pain in his foot when he pivoted on a play in the fourth inning of Friday's game. He ended up leaving after five innings.
Snow will have X-rays on the foot Saturday.
J.D. Drew was out of the starting lineup again Friday night with tendinitis in his right knee.
KC Carlos Febles was not in the starting lineup for the third straight game Friday night because of tightness in his left hamstring.
Febles is day-to-day. Also KC Carlos Beltran, who has a bruise under his big left toe and possible strained ligaments, was the DH for the second straight game Friday night.
Beltran is scheduled for a MRI exam of his foot Saturday.
Carlos Hernandez, who missed Thursday's start with a stiff shoulder, had a good throwing session Friday.
From Wire Reports
With his name seeming to pop up in a new trade rumor every hour, Cleveland first baseman Jim Thome said Friday he has not been asked by the Indians to waive his no-trade clause.
"Nobody has come up to me and asked me to be traded," Thome said. "I don't want to be traded. I want to stay here."
And what would happen if the Indians told him they had reached a deal? Would he waive his no-trade clause?
"As of right now, no," he said. "Nobody has approached me. Next week, it might be different, and in two weeks it might be different."
Now that the Indians have traded ace Bartolo Colon to Montreal for first baseman Lee Stevens and three minor-league prospects - in effect giving up on the 2002 season to rebuild - there is growing speculation that Thome could be dealt next.
The Indians' career home run leader can become a free agent after the season. After talking with the club about a new contract during spring training, Thome called off negotiations and told the team he wanted to wait until after the season.
Thome said he's sticking with that plan.
Thome's teammates, meanwhile, were still trying to adjust to the Colon trade.
"I don't think there are too many happy people around here right now," shortstop Omar Vizquel said.
"You always hurt when you see one of the members of your family you grew up with gone. I don't think they're done yet, either. Anything can happen at this point."
Cleveland entered Friday night seven games behind first-place Minnesota in the American League Central.
The Expos got minor-league pitcher Tim Drew from the Indians to complete the six-player trade for Colon. Drew, a first-round pick of the Indians in 1997, was 8-4 with a 3.27 earned run average in Triple A this season.
Briefly
Mets pitcher Mark Corey waited to hear from doctors on what caused his seizure near Shea Stadium and refused comment on his reported marijuana use shortly before his collapse. Corey was stricken Wednesday night shortly after the Mets' 6-3 loss to the Braves. On Friday, Newsday said the player admitted smoking marijuana just before falling ill in a parking lot outside a hotel. The reliever, now on the 15-day disabled list, underwent tests and hoped to get the results within the next day.
The Angels placed reliever Al Levine on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right shoulder and demoted left-hander Scott Schoeneweis to the bullpen. The Angels replaced Schoeneweis in the rotation with right-hander John Lackey, a former standout at UT-Arlington. Lackey pitched the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington, giving up three runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings.
The Yankees placed pitcher Sterling Hitchcock back on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained lower back and recalled reliever Randy Choate, who had been down Thursday.
Tigers catcher Mitch Meluskey will miss the rest of the season with back problems. He has gotten just 27 at-bats in two seasons with Detroit.
Twins relievers entered Friday night's game having pitched 289 innings, tops in the majors. The second most-used bullpen, that of the Cincinnati Reds, has pitched 271 1/3 innings -- nearly 18 fewer innings than the Twins relievers, who have a 3.39 ERA.
The Twins coaches know that the bullpen can't maintain that load. That's why there is talk of returning to a 12-man pitching staff. That's why Juan Rincon, a starter in the minors, was called up this week, to absorb some innings.
J.T. Snow felt pain in his foot when he pivoted on a play in the fourth inning of Friday's game. He ended up leaving after five innings.
Snow will have X-rays on the foot Saturday.
J.D. Drew was out of the starting lineup again Friday night with tendinitis in his right knee.
KC Carlos Febles was not in the starting lineup for the third straight game Friday night because of tightness in his left hamstring.
Febles is day-to-day. Also KC Carlos Beltran, who has a bruise under his big left toe and possible strained ligaments, was the DH for the second straight game Friday night.
Beltran is scheduled for a MRI exam of his foot Saturday.
Carlos Hernandez, who missed Thursday's start with a stiff shoulder, had a good throwing session Friday.
