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MLB - Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee broke two bones in his right wrist in a collision with the Dodgers` Rafael Furcal. The wrist will be placed in a cast for six weeks after which Lee will likely undergo 2-4 weeks of rehab, sidelining the All-Star for 8 to 10 weeks. The reigning NL batting champion and a two-time Gold Glove winner fractured the distal radial and distal ulna bones in a freak play during the seventh inning Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Furcal led off with a bunt single to the right of the mound. Reliever Scott Eyre dove for the ball and flipped it toward first base with his glove.
The ball sailed over Lee`s glove as Furcal collided with him. ``Obviously, Derrek`s a great player, great person, great teammate,`` general manager Jim Hendry said Thursday. ``We feel badly, but we`ve got to move on.`` Lee was examined by Cubs physicians Thursday in Chicago and is expected to go on the disabled list on Friday. The injury occurred less than two weeks after the 30-year-old Lee and the Cubs agreed on a $65 million, five-year contract that calls for a $13 million annual salary and contains a no-trade clause.
He is batting .318 with three home runs and 10 RBIs, after hitting .335 with 46 homers and 107 RBIs runs last season - his eighth in the majors and second with the Cubs. Lee had never batted above .282, hit more than 32 home runs or driven in more than 98 before that. With Lee out, the Cubs could move Todd Walker over from second base or use veteran utility player John Mabry, manager Dusty Baker said after Wednesday`s game. The Cubs acquired Lee before the 2004 season in a trade with Florida, after he helped the Marlins beat Chicago in the NL championship series and then win the World Series. The Cubs visit the St. Louis Cardinals on today as +163 road underdogs. The total is set at 9.
MLB- It’s difficult to quantify the exact value of a franchise player like the Chicago Cubs’ Derrek Lee. But with the first baseman out 8-to-10 weeks with a fractured left wrist, oddsmakers had to come up with something. Lee suffered the injury in Wednesday’s tilt with the L.A Dodgers and will miss his first game when the Cubs visit the St. Louis Cardinals today. “I would equate Lee`s worth to his team to be about eight cents,” says Belmont.com oddsmaker Peter Childs. “So for (Friday’s) game, if Lee was going to play then the Cardinals would have been around –160. But with him out for the game then the Cards are around –175.”
Eight cents is a significant moneyline adjustment and sharp bettors agree it covers his individual numbers at the dish. Lee is currently hitting .318 with three homers and 10 RBI this year. What it doesn’t cover is the effect his presence has on the rest of Cubs’ order. “Lee really changes the way the pitchers throw at the guys around him, especially in those one or none out situations,” says Covers Expert Scott Spreitzer. “He has seven stolen bases this year, so once he’s on base it really affects pitchers too. They’ll really go after the guy that replaces his spot in the rotation.” Opposing batters will probably go after the gap between first and second base as well. Lee has snagged more than his fair share of web gems during his tenure at first. In 2005 he committed just six errors in 1,450 chances, good enough to earn a Gold Glove to go along with his Nation League batting title.
MLB- Arizona shortstop and leadoff man Craig Counsell was removed from the lineup shortly before Thursday night`s game against San Francisco. The club said Counsell had experienced tightness in his right hamstring. He will be re-evaluated Friday. Center fielder Jerry DaVanon, originally the No. 2 hitter, batted leadoff. Damion Easley batted second and played shortstop.
MLB- Nationals pitcher wins 100th game: If it weren't for the shiny new putter sitting on his desk, Frank Robinson probably would've ignored his latest accomplishment. Robinson got his 1,000th win as a manager Thursday night, with Nick Johnson hitting a pair of homers in the Washington Nationals' 10-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The 70-year-old Robinson is 1,000-1,095 in 16 seasons with Cleveland, San Francisco, Baltimore and the Montreal-Washington franchise. He became the 53rd manager to reach the milestone. "It was a 4-2 road trip I was looking at it," said Robinson, a Hall of Fame player who ranks sixth on the career list with 586 homers. "I forgot all about it. One thousand wins means you've been around a while and you've had a few good teams."
MLB- Julio Franco doesn't intend to slow down any time soon. Franco became the oldest player in major league history to hit a home run when he connected for a two-run, pinch-hit shot in the eighth inning Thursday night to help the New York Mets rally for a 7-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Franco, 47, drove a 1-0 pitch from reliever Scott Linebrink (1-2) into the home-run porch down the right-field line at Petco Park. That gave the Mets a 3-2 lead and Franco the spot in the record book that had been belonged to Athletics pitcher Jack Quinn, who was 46 years, 357 days old when he homered on June 27, 1930. Franco already was the oldest player to hit a grand slam, a pinch-hit homer and have a multihomer game. "That won't be the last home run I hit, and I hope I hit one when I'm 50," said Franco, who has four career pinch-hit homers.
MLB- Big rallies and series wins are commonplace these days for the Baltimore Orioles. Erik Bedard remained unbeaten, Miguel Tejada homered and drove in three runs and the Orioles rallied for a 9-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday. Javy Lopez, Jeff Conine and Tejada each had two RBIs during a six-run sixth that erased a 4-3 deficit and gave Baltimore its sixth win in eight games. "It was a big inning for the team, it was a big relief for me that I was able to contribute to the team," Lopez said. Minor injuries and inconsistency at the plate have hampered Lopez's transition from catcher to designated hitter. But a 5-for-13 series against the Indians may represent a turning point.
MLB- The New York Yankees became the first baseball team valued at more than $1 billion in the annual estimates made by Forbes magazine. The Yankees' value increased 8 percent to $1.026 billion, the magazine estimated in its May 8 issue, which was released Thursday. New York had revenue of $354 million last year before paying $77 million in revenue sharing and $34 million in luxury tax.
Forbes estimated the Yankees had a $50 million operating loss before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Boston Red Sox were pegged with the second-highest value at $617 million, followed by the New York Mets ($604 million), Los Angeles Dodgers ($482 million), Chicago Cubs ($448 million) and Washington Nationals ($440 million). MLB Free Picks- D'ray's @ Red Sox recap: Scott Kazmir tried shaking out the pain in his left hand, and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon knew it was time for another slow walk to the pitcher's mound. "I went out there very slowly," Maddon said. "You just don't know. You just don't want another bit of bad news." Kazmir left in the sixth inning with muscle cramps in his left thumb, but the Devil Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Thursday night thanks to two homers from Jonny Gomes and a go-ahead passed ball against otherwise tough Tim Wakefield. Kazmir (3-1) held Boston to four hits and a walk, allowing Dustan Mohr's solo homer while striking out seven in 5 2-3 innings to stop Boston's four-game winning streak. He was pulled after 101 pitches -- reluctantly -- with a 2-2 count on Manny Ramirez. "I knew it was a cramp," said Kazmir, who told reporters he had a similar problem in high school but gave Maddon contradictory answers when asked if it had ever happened before.
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MLB Free Picks - Reds @ Brewers Recap: Brandon Phillips finally knows what it feels like to hit a grand slam. "That was my first ever grand slam. I never even hit one in little league," Phillips said. "It really felt good. I just have to find someone to give the ball to other than myself." Phillips, a career .216 hitter, also had his first two-homer game to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 12-8 on Thursday night. Trailing 6-2, the Reds scored 10 straight runs to make it 12-6, including five in the sixth capped when Phillips, who was acquired by the Reds from Cleveland for cash or a player to be named later on April 7, hit his two-out grand slam off reliever Mike Adams. "I was just trying to make contact and put that ball in play," Phillips said. "When you do that, nice things can happen." .
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