Francisco Rodriguez has a three-year, $37 million contract with the Mets. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez's alleged Citi Field smackdown of his girlfriend's father could cost him more than a couple days pay and some court fines. K-Rod suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb, presumably in the assault, and had season-ending surgery Tuesday, prompting the team to start the process of voiding his contract until he can pitch again.
Rodriguez's contract calls for $3 million more this year and $11.5 million in 2011. There's a $17.5 million vesting option that'll become a non-issue (it's based on games finished) if next year's deal is nixed.
Officially, the animated right-hander is on the "disqualified" list, allowing the club to hold his paychecks. But for how long? The players union came out swinging in the right-hander's defense, filing a grievance with the commissioner's office.
The fight came after last Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Rockies. He was arrested that night, released without bail a day later and suspended two days without pay (to the tune of $125,000-plus) by the club. Rodriguez returned to pitch a scoreless inning Saturday in what might just be his final appearance in a Mets uniform.
He's due back in court Sept. 14.
Rodriguez, 28, signed a three-year, $37 million contract after saving a single season-record 62 games for the Angels in 2008. He's 7-8 with a 3.02 ERA and 60 saves in 72 chances in two seasons with the Mets.
Safety first
The Twins weren't sure what to expect in Kevin Slowey's first start since missing a turn with a sore elbow. But they sure weren't banking on seven no-hit innings against the A's on Sunday.
He didn't get a chance to make history, though, as manager Ron Gardenhire braved the shower of boos at Target Field in pulling the right-hander. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Slowey became the eighth starter in the last 50 years to be taken out of a game despite a no-hitter in progress through at least seven innings, the first since Braves right-hander Damian Moss in May 2002.
(Like five of the other seven, the no-hitter was broken up against the reliever, this time when Oakland's Cliff Pennington doubled off Jon Rauch with one out in the eighth inning.)
Slowey, 26, who's 11-5 with a 4.22 ERA, understood Gardenhire's reasoning -- that one start, however great, isn't worth risking the rest of this season (and maybe postseason) or even worse.
"I don't think it would be possible not to be a little disappointed," Slowey told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "But more than anything, I was encouraged. I was encouraged by the way it was presented to me, I was encouraged by the fact that Gardy and Andy (Rick Anderson, pitching coach) care a whole lot more about me as a person and as a pitcher in the long term than they do about winning one game, or having one accomplishment. I think that says a lot about them, and a lot about our organization."
As for Gardenhire, he didn't take the fans' displeasure personally, quipping, "I'd boo me, too."
Taking over Texas
One thing new Rangers owners Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg don't want to hear about anymore is how much the Arlington heat affects the ballclub's ability to sign or retain key players, specifically pitchers (ahem, Cliff Lee).
"You take April and May here and it's as enjoyable to play here as anywhere in the country," Ryan said on a conference call last week. "For players, you may play 50 games or less at home when it's hot. For a starting pitcher, who is pitching maybe 20 games at home, you may have four or five starts in extreme heat. When you start analyzing it, the heat situation is blown way out of proportion."
Said Greenberg, with an eye on the playoffs: "We intend to play late into October a lot. I'd ask the question this way of a pitcher: Do I want to be pitching somewhere where it's 39 degrees and raining at the most important time of the year or do I want to pitch somewhere where the weather is really comfortable then. For most of the year, including the most important time of the year, the weather here is a positive situation."
By the way, one of the new ownership's first orders of business, after beating Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the back-and-forth bidding, was to ease the fans' wallets. The price was lowered 50 cents to a buck on several concession items, including hot dogs, soda and beer, the latter perhaps Ryan's idea. After all, as club president (a position he'll keep), he's been seen sitting behind home plate sipping a cold one.
Parking and merchandise prices also were cut.
Draft dialogue
The Brewers (Dylan Covey), Diamondbacks (Barret Loux) and Padres (Karsten Whitson) didn't sign their first-round picks, all right-handed pitchers, by Monday's midnight deadline, meaning they'll get a compensatory pick in the first round next year.
Covey (San Diego), who recently was diagnosed with diabetes, and Whitson (Florida) will head off to college. Loux, a Texas A&M star, failed a physical and was declared a free agent by commissioner Bud Selig, effective Sept. 1.
... LSU coach Les Miles was just raving about the arm strength of his big-time quarterback recruit, Zach Lee. Surprisingly, Lee's gonna use that right arm to pitch for the Dodgers organization, instead, after signing for $5.25 million, more than double the club's previous high payout to a draft pick (Clayton Kershaw, $2.3 million in 2006). Many analysts suspected the Dodgers, seemingly thrifty these days while owners Frank and Jamie McCourt slug it out in divorce court, only picked Lee because he'd be unsignable.
... The Rockies and outfielder Kyle Parker, the only player in Division I history to hit 20 homers and throw 20 touchdown passes in the same academic year, struck an interesting deal: He gets $1.4 million and still gets to quarterback Clemson this fall. If he's hurt playing football, the Rockies will recoup some cash.
... Looking to the 2011 class, Rice third baseman and reigning college player of the year Anthony Rendon is a popular pick to go No. 1, if he bounces back nicely from last month's surgery on his broken ankle. He'd be the second Rice player to go No. 1; the other, of course, was reliever Matt Anderson to the Tigers in 1997.
Not so fast
In case you're wondering, no, the No. 1 overall pick, 17-year-old super slugger Bryce Harper, won't be the first player to make his major league debut before his 18th birthday since Astros pitcher Jay Dahl (17 years, 295 days) in 1963.
After signing with the Nationals for $9.9 million, he told Baseball America he'll head to instructional camp, then will play in the Arizona Fall League.
Help on the way?
Felipe Lopez's two errors Tuesday gives him 10 in just 52 games at third base, so no doubt the Cardinals will push their way to the front of the line should the Tigers make Brandon Inge available.
With Chipper Jones (torn ACL) out for the year, the Braves needed help at the hot corner, too, but they went another (better) direction, reportedly acquiring slugging first baseman Derrek Lee on Wednesday afternoon. That should eventually shift Troy Glaus from first to third, his original position, once he comes off the DL (knee).
Around the horn
Twins DH Jim Thome hit his 12th career walk-off homer Tuesday, tying the MLB record shared by five Hall of Famers.
... Yankees ace CC Sabathia hasn't lost at Yankee Stadium in more than a year, since last July 2. That's 20 home starts ago.
... Anyone wondering if Bobby Cox will have a change of heart and return to manage the Braves next year should check with his wife, Pam, who already has booked and paid for a cruise that sets sail next April 11, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Feelin' blue ... again
The Blue Jays have gone nearly 20 years since their last no-hitter (Dave Stieb, 1990), but they've come so close this season. On Monday, their starter took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the fifth time this season, the most of that length since the 1992 A's. Here's how the Blue Jays' bids were broken up:
April 5: Shaun Marcum -- seventh inning, one out (single by Vladimir Guerrero, Rangers)
April 13: Ricky Romero -- eighth inning, no outs (home run by Alex Rios, White Sox)
May 3: Brett Cecil -- seventh inning, two outs (single by Jhonny Peralta, Indians)
Aug. 8: Brandon Morrow -- ninth inning, two outs (single by Evan Longoria, Rays)
Aug. 16: Shaun Marcum -- seventh inning, no outs (home run by Conor Jackson, Athletics)
Source: Elias Sports Bureau, Detroit News research
Little League World Series
* When: Friday-Aug. 29, South Williamsport, Pa.
* Who: U.S. -- Auburn, Wash.; Columbus, Ga.; Fairfield, Conn.; Hamilton, Ohio; Pearland, Texas; Plymouth, Minn.; Toms River, N.J.; Waipahu, Hawaii; International -- Chitre, Panama; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei; Manati, Puerto Rico; Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Tokyo; Vancouver, Canada
* Notable: U.S. teams have won five consecutive World Series (California last year, as well as Georgia twice and Hawaii twice), the nation's best run since winning eight straight from 1959-66. ... Thirty-five current or former major leaguers have played in the World Series, including Tigers minor league outfielders and Jeff Frazier (1995) and Clete Thomas (1996), and hitting coach Lloyd McClendon (1971). ... Patrick Griffin of Galesburg, Mich., is a member of the umpiring crew. ... A Michigan team has played in the World Series nine times, but not since Jenison in 1998.
* TV: For complete listings, visit espn.com.
Diamond digits
36: Games Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has missed since suffering a concussion in an on-field collision July 7.
25-11: Twins record in his absence.
7: Games Twins have made up in the standings, from two games down to four games up.
He said it
"Champagne stings, too. Wait until you get that." -- Stan Kasten, Nationals president, talking to his celebratory-pie-in-the-face victim, GM Mike Rizzo, after signing No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper. The deal gives the upstart franchise yet another "once"-in-a-generation talent, following Stephen Strasburg last summer. Between the two, the Nationals have committed $25 million, which should in short order be reimbursed by an increasingly intrigued fan base.
He said it II
"The most important thing was to create a winning environment, and most of that goes to Kirk Gibson. His intensity has no chance but to rub off on those 25 players in the room." -- Jerry Dipoto, interim Diamondbacks general manager, talking about the interim manager, whose team has won 10 of its past 18 games. Overall, the D-backs are 16-25 since Gibson took over for fired A.J. Hinch early last month.
Tony's top five
* 1. Tampa Bay (1): Rays have had MLB's best record for 68 days, 28 more than first 12 years combined.
* 2. N.Y. Yankees (2): A.J Burnett has lost six of his 21 career complete games, including each of his last four.
* 3. Atlanta (3): Call him tough-luck Tommy. Hanson hasn't won in his last eight starts, despite a 1.93 ERA.
* 4. San Diego (4): Miguel Tejada is hitting .314 since being traded, including .588 in the last four games.
* 5. Minnesota (6): Twins are 9-4 against the White Sox this season, including 6-1 in the last seven.
Tony's bottom five
* 26. Seattle (28): Chone Figgins is the only active player with 30 stolen bases in seven straight seasons.
* 27. Chicago Cubs (26): Closer Carlos Marmol is up to 100 Ks in just 55.2 innings, an absurd 16.2 per nine innings.
* 28. Arizona (27): Diamondbacks have allowed six steals in the last 18 games, 92 in 102 games before that.
* 29. Baltimore (29): Of the Orioles 42 victories, a major league-high 11 have come in extra innings.
* 30. Pittsburgh (30): Ross Ohlendorf is 1-9 despite a 3.95 ERA, thanks to just three runs a game of support.
For Tony Paul's complete power rankings, visit his Covering the Bases blog at detnews.com/sports.
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