That's pretty good!

OK! I think it's just about time that the League makes Chris Davis pee in the cup.

Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun's ears should be burning -- baseball investigators are about to sit down with the whistleblower who claims he can prove they purchased performance enhancing drugs from a Miami clinic ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge of Major League Baseball's investigation tell us MLB officials will be meeting with Porter Fischer in Florida this week ... and he's expected to reveal his detailed records from the Biogenesis clinic.

Fischer is an ex-employee at Biogenesis and claims to have the goods on more than 100 baseball players -- among them Braun and A-Rod -- who allegedly obtained banned PEDs from the clinic's owner Tony Bosch.

The Yankees just cleared Rodriguez for his first on-field action this season -- a minor league game -- as he continues to rehab from hip surgery.

We're told the MLB meeting was brokered by Fischer's attorney, Ray Rafool -- and that MLB will pay Fischer a "consultant" fee in exchange for his cooperation.

Bottom line -- if Fischer has the mother lode he claims ... MLB could soon be handing down major suspensions.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com#ixzz2XuTXUfKy
Visit Fishwrapper: http://www.fishwrapper.com

Re-Live the Homer Bailey no-hitter in 5 minutes.

If you haven't seen the key play, check out Votto's heads up play at first. With Blanco on second, a slow chopper to second cut off by Votto, Bailey slow to get off the mound, Votto anticipated no chance to get the batter sees Blanco heading for third, Votto throws to third, Blanco caught in a run down gets tossed out.

I hope Bailey bought Votto the dinner of his choice!

Five minute recap:

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?topic_id=4348 ... d=28543079

Rangers sign Manny to Minor League deal

By Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 7/3/2013 5:10 P.M. ET

ARLINGTON -- Manny is back.

The Rangers agreed to terms with Manny Ramirez on a minor league contract Wednesday. Ramirez, 41, will report to Triple-A Round Rock Thursday to workout, but he's not expected to be activated for a few days. Ramirez will be the club's designated hitter.

"We'll evaluate him as we go," Daniels said. "No deadlines, no end dates. If he's productive and we feel he fits our culture in the clubhouse, then we'll give him an opportunity. If either of those ends don't pan out, then no harm, no foul."

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the club did not have a scout in Taiwan, where Ramirez began the year with the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He hit .352 (64-of-182) with eight home runs and 43 RBIs in 49 games before Ramirez left the club on June 19.

"We're really just going off of resume here a little bit, and it's a no-risk flyer in a lot of ways," Daniels said. "With our history, we like giving people second chances. We know on-and-off the field the good and the bad of Manny's career. We're inclined to give him an opportunity here."

Daniels said he talked to a few staff members that worked with Ramirez during his career before the signing, including hitting coach Dave Magadan. He hasn't contacted Ramirez much in the last five years since coaching the 12-time All-Star for three season with the Red Sox. While Magadan recalls the "turmoil" the Red Sox went through during Ramirez's final season, both Magadan and Daniels have heard Ramirez has changed his "Manny being Manny" behavior. Daniels said Ramirez agreed to cut his famous dreadlocks to comply with the Rangers' minor league rules on discipline and appearance.

"Manny is a personality," Magadan said. "He's been in the game for a long time, and he's been on a lot of good winning teams. I don't see why he wouldn't get along (in the clubhouse)." If Ramirez cracks the major league roster, he'd bring his right-handed bat to a lineup that's left-handed heavy. The Rangers signed Lance Berkman in the offseason as the designated hitter, but Ramirez's presence would likely cut into his playing time.

"Those are the kind of things that are down the road," Berkman said. "I think he has to be productive in Triple-A and show he's capable of producing like he did in his career, which I assume he'll definitely be able to do that. Then it becomes a matter of what these guys want to do. It gives us some lineup flexibility. I don't think it's a bad thing if he's productive."

Ramirez has finished in the top six in MVP voting on seven different occasions. He has a .312/.411/.585 career slash line and only one of six players in major league history with those minimums in each category with at least 3,000 plate appearances. He ranks 14th all-time with 555 home runs and 18th all-time with 1,831 RBIs.

"The way everyone talks about (Miguel) Cabrera now is the way everyone talked about Manny then," Magadan said of his time with Ramirez in Boston. "He had a nose for driving in runs. He's a guy, as far as my sandbox is concerned, did all the work asked of him. He was always the first one in the cage and worked his butt off."

He last played in the majors for the Rays in 2011 before he announced his retirement in April. He started last season in the A's organization with Triple-A Sacramento, but he requested his release on June 15. Ramirez served a 50-game suspension for violating MLB's drug policy during his time in the minors, and he would be clear to play if the Rangers called him up.

"Awesome," Elvis Andrus said of the signing. "It was amazing (to watch him play), especially when he used to play for one of my favorite teams back when I was a kid with the Cleveland Indians. It'd be amazing just to talk to him and hopefully he can share some of his knowledge, especially about hitting, with us. If he has that desire that he used to have, he can help us a lot."

Master Tesfatsionis an associate reporter for MLB.com.

What's the over/under on how many hours until KENM tells us he is the answer to all the Indians problems, even though he has twice been suspended for PEDS?

Just looking at the All Star rosters. One heck of a lot of former Indians, several actually develop by our much justly maligned developmental staff. They are:

2b: Brandon Phillips (from Montreal for Colon), traded for the illustrious Jeff Stevens
2b: Marco Scutaro (our signee) traded with lots of others to the Mets for Jeremy Burnitz about 20 years ago
ss: Jhonny Peralta (our signee) traded to Detroit for Giovanni Soto who was pitching OK in AAA until he got hurt
OF: Coco Crisp (got him from the Cardinals with another OF/1b) for who was the veteran pitcher? This was well before Jake Westbrook trade for Kluber.
P: Cliff Lee (came with Phillips) traded to Phillies for a bunch of guys who stink the best of whom is Carrasco
P: Colon (our signed) traded for lots of very good players to Montreal
P: Edward Mujica (our signee) DFA before he really had a chance to prove himself; the move was popular in the Forum but I knew better

Drew Pomeranz, according to this post, LOOKS like a pitcher. He just happens to pitch more like Ubaldo on his bad days,


Drew Pomeranz got shelled Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Some of it was self-imposed, as Pomeranz issued five walks. The rest of the punishment was administered by the Arizona lineup. The result was an ugly line for Pomeranz: four innings, five earned runs and 93 pitches to get there. After two bad starts his ERA sits at 9.72. As for the game, he set the Rockies on their way to an 11-1 loss.

At the moment Pomeranz joins Juan Nicasio, Roy Oswalt, and Jeff Francis as the starting pitchers who have taken the ugliest beatings for the Rockies this season. Still, of that entire group, I have the highest hopes for Pomeranz.

Why? The dreaded eye test.

I know, I know. To say something like, “he just looks like a stud starting pitcher” is to subject one’s self to derision and other forms of abuse. That kind of talk is not allowed, lest you be associated with the scene in Moneyball where the scouts shoot down a prospect because he doesn’t look like a ball player or has an ugly girlfriend.

Knowing that, I cannot shake the visual of a Drew Pomeranz fastball on the outside corner. Granted, last night that was a rare sight as Pomeranz labored through his outing. But when Pomeranz, a tall, imposing left-handed pitcher, reaches back and throws one 94 mph and it goes where it is supposed to go, you understand why he was a first round pick and why he makes baseball fans and coaches alike salivate.

Pomeranz looks like a stud pitcher. He has not pitched like one yet; as such I imagine there is little to no statistical support at this point to support the argument that he is anywhere near being a competent starting pitcher, let alone an ace. So yes, it’s the eye test, but when you see a well-executed fastball or snappy curve ball from Pomeranz, you can imagine that the Rockies’ coaches are going to give him a lot of chances to get it right.

There are moments when you see why, even on a night like this. Even on a really, really ugly night like last night’s blowout loss there are those moments. Let’s just hope that the Rockies, in desperate need of help in the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation, see more consistent signs of Pomeranz’s talent soon.

FINAL VOTE! SEND PUIG TO THE ALL-STAR GAME

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=28 ... 6&c_id=mlb

Voted for Freeman.

Joey Votto Brought a Fan With Terminal Cancer to the Homer Bailey No Hitter Game Two Days Before He Passed Away

July 9th. 2013, 12:20pm
Now for something positive and heartbreaking at the same time. With news of arrests and misbehavior and controversy often dominating what the public is interested in seeing, we often forget that athletes are a reflection of not only the worst, but the best in all of us. Many athletes do things behind the scenes that never see the light of day to use their prominence to bring joy to others–I have personally witnessed this with my son and acts done to help through a rough time. While there are large charities prominently displayed at times, many of these acts come anonymously, without expectation of public adoration. I’m sure Joey Votto is no different, but well, because it appears on a publicly available personal blog, you might be interested in this story from last week.

Jeff Crews was diagnosed with a Stage IV Glioblastoma brain tumor and given 4 to 6 weeks to live, less than a month ago. The family started a blog to chronicle the celebration of the end of his life. One of the last things he got to do was attend a Cincinnati Reds game. A family friend who knew Joey Votto contacted him, and Jeff and his family went to a game with Votto, getting to go on the field before the game, attend batting practice, and talk with Votto for a long time. Then, he sat right behind the dugout for the game.

The game? July 2nd, last Tuesday. The game that Homer Bailey threw his 2nd no-hitter in ten months. It just so happened that Jeff Crews was also in attendance for the first no hitter as well, in Pittsburgh the previous year, for his anniversary.

Jeff Crews passed away two days later, on the fourth of July. Condolences to the Crews family, and heartfelt thanks to Joey Votto and the Reds organization for as great a final act as possible under the circumstances. Continue to carry on small acts of kindness away from the spotlight.

• The White Sox have had scouts watching the Diamondbacks at a time when Arizona is looking for a starting pitcher who will be under team control past 2013 -- a pitcher like Jake Peavy, who is working his way back from injury. Peavy has deep ties with the Arizona organization: General manager Kevin Towers was with the Padres when Peavy was drafted, developed and promoted, and Towers has always loved Peavy’s competitiveness. There is a perception within the Arizona organization that the rotation could use a veteran stabilizer -- someone who can work with younger pitchers such as Ian Kennedy and Trevor Cahill -- and this is what Peavy has done for Chris Sale in Chicago.

Peavy is on the disabled list recovering from a rib fracture, and he threw a simulated game earlier this week. Like teammate Jesse Crain, he’ll need to demonstrate before the trade deadline that he’s healthy, and Peavy is expected to throw in a minor league game Sunday, before being activated after the All-Star break. Peavy, 32, threw 219 innings last season and posted a 3.37 ERA for the White Sox. He is making $14.5 million this year, and will make $14.5 million next season.

Whether it’s coincidence or not, the White Sox scouts saw the Diamondbacks on a night earlier this week when Randall Delgado pitched. Arizona, like the Cardinals, has some pitching depth, with Tyler Skaggs, Archie Bradley and others, and Delgado could be a trade chip.

Arizona has talked internally about other pitchers, including Yovani Gallardo, who had an OK outing against the D-backs Thursday, allowing three runs in six innings.

• Alex Rios is among the outfielders the Rangers are considering. Rios, 32, is hitting .277 with 11 homers, is making $12.5 million this year and will make $12.5 million next year, with a club option at $13.5 million for 2015 and a $1 million buyout. Norichika Aoki is another on that list.

• There is some buzz in the industry that the Rangers and Cardinals are the teams most likely to land Matt Garza, but really, it will all come down to which team is willing to surrender a high-end package requested by the Cubs. After a rush of trade talk in late June, it has been quieter in a lot of corners lately. One talent evaluator suggested there are a handful of reasons for this.

“First, uncertainty,” he wrote. “There are so many teams still in the race with the expansion of the second wild card; teams don't want to give up hope and sell and seeing the way teams' fortunes can change so quickly -- look at where the Dodgers were even a week ago -- with more opportunity it is harder to raise the white flag and sell.

“Second, more uncertainty. MLB is expected to announce suspensions for Biogenesis stuff after the All-Star break but before the trading deadline.

“Third, money. The longer you wait on a player the less he will cost you because more days fall off the calendar and the pro-rated amount of any contract drops. That might not matter for teams like the Dodgers or Red Sox, but a lot of teams in races are constrained by dollars like the Braves, Orioles, Rays, and Pirates ...

“Sellers can shoot for the moon now and wait for teams to feel more strongly or players to get injured and for the market to grow stronger. If somebody takes their offer now, great; if not, they can adjust prices later and still move the players they want to move. Seems especially true of a club like the White Sox.”

The White Sox are looking for major league ready or near major league ready prospects in their talks, sources say. About a dozen clubs are looking for relief help, with varying degrees of urgency.

• The Astros are said to be willing to talk about pretty much anybody on their 25-man roster.

Red Sox acquire Matt Thornton from White Sox in trade
By Matt Snyder | Baseball Writer
July 12, 2013 10:54 pm ET



The Boston Red Sox have acquired left-handed relief pitcher Matt Thornton in a trade from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor-league outfielder Brandon Jacobs and cash considerations, the Red Sox announced Friday night.

Thornton, 36, has a 3.86 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 28 innings this season. He was one of the better setup men in baseball from 2008-10, making the AL All-Star team in 2010.

Thornton may not be dominant, but he's still tough on lefties, having held left-handed hitters to a line of .173/.232/.385 this season.

The Red Sox were in need of adding a left-handed bullpen piece after losing Andrew Miller for the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

Jacobs, 22, is hitting .246/.334/.444 in 83 minor-league games this season (81 in High-A, two in Double-A). He has 24 doubles and 11 homers in 341 plate appearances.

Report: A-Rod, Braun and others may consider plea deal with MLB

By Mike Axisa | Baseball Writer
July 13, 2013 11:22 pm ET


According to Bill Madden and Teri Thompson of the New York Daily News, Alex Rodriguez's legal team is internally discussing a possible plea deal in the wake of Friday's interview with MLB's investigators regarding the ongoing Biogenesis scandal. It is believed the league broached the subject of settlements during their meetings with Ryan Braun and other players as well.

From the Daily News report:

According to the sources, a 150-game suspension might be the best that could be expected for Rodriguez, who is rehabbing from hip surgery with high Single-A Tampa and was chastised by the Yankees Saturday for failing to report to the team's complex for Friday night's game following a four-and-a-half hour meeting with MLB officials who outlined their case against him.


According to another source, Rodriguez's meeting with MLB ended at about 4 p.m., and a clearly shaken Rodriguez then met with MLB Players Association reps for an hour and a half to discuss what had been outlined by MLB officials. When Rodriguez didn't show up at the Yankee complex, GM Brian Cashman then tried to reach the three-time AL MVP, who told him that he “just couldn't make it.”

Meanwhile, an A-Rod spokesman told The News Saturday night in reference to a possible plea deal that “nobody from Alex's team has made any such comments, and as we have said before, we are respecting the process and following the procedures as outlined in the joint agreement."

Under the Joint Drug Agreement, players are suspended 50 games for their first violation, 100 games for the second, and a lifetime ban for the third. A 150-game suspension is not specified in the agreement.

It is believed that MLB, who is working with Biogenesis chief Anthony Bosch, has extensive evidence that A-Rod "committed multiple violations of the Joint Drug Agreement, including acquiring performance-enhancing drugs from Bosch for several years."

“I can see a scenario where if they've got multiple offenses (against A-Rod) that rather than going for his career with an arbitrator, baseball might settle on something like 150 games,” said one of the Daily News' sources. Another said: "The bottom line is (MLB) wants these guys out of the game ... In (A-Rod's) case, 150 games would sufficiently accomplish that.”

Rodriguez, 37, is working his way back from offseason left hip surgery and has not played this year. He is currently on a minor league rehab assignment that expires one week from Monday. No player is paid during a drug-related suspension. A-Rod still has four years and nearly $100 million remaining on his contract after this season.

Biogenesis, an anti-aging clinic in South Florida, has been under investigation by MLB for potential ties to performance-enhancing drugs. Bosch agreed to cooperate with the investigation after being threatened with a lawsuit.

J.R. wrote:The Boston Red Sox have acquired left-handed relief pitcher Matt Thornton in a trade from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor-league outfielder Brandon Jacobs and cash considerations, the Red Sox announced Friday night.

Thornton, 36, has a 3.86 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 28 innings this season. He was one of the better setup men in baseball from 2008-10, making the AL All-Star team in 2010.

Thornton may not be dominant, but he's still tough on lefties, having held left-handed hitters to a line of .173/.232/.385 this season.

Jacobs, 22, is hitting .246/.334/.444 in 83 minor-league games this season (81 in High-A, two in Double-A). He has 24 doubles and 11 homers in 341 plate appearances.

I would have liked to make that pickup for Cleveland.