Cleveland Sports Forum

Royals release Jeremy Jeffress. One of those guys that everyone wanted included in the CC trade.

Red Sox Press Release
11/05/2012 3:43 PM ET


Red Sox and David Ortiz agree on two-year extension

Eight-time All-Star to return for 11th and 12th seasons with Boston

BOSTON —The Boston Red Sox and star slugger David Ortiz agreed today on a two-year extension through 2014. Known to all as “Big Papi,” Ortiz, 36, played key roles in the World Championships of 2004 and 2007 and has amassed 401 lifetime home runs. In 10 years with the Red Sox, he has been an All-Star eight times.

“David Ortiz has made immeasurable contributions to the Red Sox for the past decade,” said Executive Vice-President/General Manager Ben Cherington, who made the announcement. “He is an historic figure, a beloved hero, and an important player as we build our team for 2013 and beyond.”

In 2012, he batted .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI, despite being limited to 90 games due to an injured right Achilles. The left-handed batter, primarily a designated hitter, led all Major Leaguers (with at least 350 plate appearances) in slugging percentage (.611) and led the American League in OPS (1.026). His eighth All-Star season in the past nine years ties him with Derek Jeter for the most in Major League Baseball during that time.

On July 4 in Oakland, he hit his 400th career home run to become just the sixth ever to reach that mark while playing for the Red Sox.

“David Ortiz has been one of the most positive influences in Red Sox history,” said Principal Owner John Henry. “He has been a leader among his teammates, a favorite among the fans, and a powerful force in the middle of lineups that have produced so much joy and happiness for New England. He has our gratitude and respect as he continues a career that could culminate in Cooperstown.”

At the time he first went on the disabled list in 2012, Ortiz’s 65 runs scored were tied for the Major League lead. Among AL leaders, his extra-base hits ranked second (48), his home runs seventh (23), his RBI tied for 10th (58), his walks tied for fourth (56) and his total bases third (195).

“We have all had the good fortune to have been Red Sox fans for more than ten years and to have seen David Ortiz transform from a baseball player into a revered hero,” said Chairman Tom Werner. “He connects with people, he cares about people, and is a role model not just for New England but for all of baseball. We are all thrilled that he will be continuing his stellar career with the Red Sox.”

With the Red Sox, Ortiz has hit 343 home runs, a total that trails only Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, and Dwight Evans. His 1,088 RBI trail that same group plus Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr.

“Signing David Ortiz was a critical piece of our off-season planning,” said President/CEO Larry Lucchino. “It was one of our highest priorities. We hope and trust he will complete his career as a member of this franchise and will be associated with the Boston Red Sox for years to come.”

Ortiz also ranks in the Red Sox Top 10 in extra-base hits (5th, 730), total bases (6th, 2,899), doubles (6th, 374), walks (6th, 825), runs scored (9th, 909) and hits (9th, 1,470).

He ranks fourth in team history (min. 3,000 PA) with a .573 slugging percentage and a .962 OPS behind only Williams (.634, 1.116), Jimmie Foxx (.605, 1.034) and Manny Ramirez (.588, .999).

Since joining the Red Sox in 2003, Ortiz ranks second among Major Leaguers in slugging (min. 3,000 PA), trailing only Albert Pujols (.612). The Red Sox signed him as a free agent on January 22, 2003, after Minnesota released him.

Ortiz earned 2004 ALCS MVP honors after winning Games 4 and 5 with walk-off hits in Boston’s historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series versus New York. He is the Red Sox career leader in postseason runs (39), hits (61), doubles (15), homers (12), RBI (43), total bases (116) and walks (41).

Ortiz, Pujols, and Alfonso Soriano are the only three Major Leaguers to tally at least 20 homers in each of the last 11 seasons (starting 2002). He is the only Red Sox player ever to record at least 20 home runs in 10 consecutive campaigns (starting 2003). He has hit at least 30 home runs in six seasons with the Red Sox, tied for second on the club’s all-time list behind Williams (8). His 10 grand slams with Boston rank second in club history after Williams (17) while his 37 multi-homer games are tied with Williams for the team record.

Ortiz owns a .285 batting average (1,863-for-6,539) with 482 doubles, 16 triples, 401 home runs, 1,326 RBI, 1,124 runs and 1,011 walks in 1,832 Major League games over 16 seasons with the Twins (1997-2002) and Red Sox (2003-12). His 401 home runs rank 50th on baseball’s all-time list, ninth among active players and 20th in American League history. Among actives, only Jim Thome (13) has more regular season walk-off home runs than Ortiz’s 10.

Ortiz garnered three consecutive Thomas A. Yawkey Awards as the Red Sox MVP from 2004-06 in a vote of Boston BBWAA members, and was the only player to rank among the top five in AL MVP voting in each season from 2003-07. This past September, Ortiz was named as the starting designated hitter on the All-Fenway Park Team as part of the ballpark’s 100th Anniversary season.

Among designated hitters, he is the all-time Major League leader in doubles (410), home runs (353), extra-base hits (778), total bases (3,101) and RBI (1,147). Ortiz has earned the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award a record six times from 2003-07 and 2011. His five Silver Slugger Awards as DH (2004-07, 2011) are the most ever at the position.

He won the 2005 AL Hank Aaron Award, given to the top offensive performer in each league, after leading the Majors with 148 RBI. In 2006, he received the Josh Gibson Award, presented by the National Negro Leagues Museum to each league’s home run champion, after breaking Foxx’s Red Sox single-season home runs record with 54.

Known as much for his heart as his brawn, Ortiz won the 2011 Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball’s highest honor for those who best represent the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field. That same year, he won the Boston BBWAA’s Tim Wakefield Award for his charitable spirit.

He created the David Ortiz Children’s Fund to provide critical pediatric services in New England and in his native Dominican Republic. In the Dominican, he has hosted an annual eponymous golf classic the past four years to benefit his foundation. In Boston, he has provided his time and other resources to Mass General Hospital for Children, donating tickets to patients from the hospital over the last four years as part of his “Papi’s Pals” program.

From Boston.com

Ortiz and the Red Sox agreed to a new contract on Friday, just hours before he could have shopped his services on the free agent market to any team. Instead Ortiz, who will turn 37 on Nov. 18, will stay in Boston on a two-year deal worth $26 million.

Worthless signing. Not much without steroids.

He did pretty well for me on my fantasy team this season.

Just discovered a bit of information that I was unaware of regarding a former OTHER THAN Tribesman of no particular distinction via baseballtrivia.net. The bottom line is the surprise. Glad the Internet is available to share valuable information.
[http://www.baseballtrivia.net/player_st ... =murreiv01]

Ivan Murrell
Year Team Avg G AB H R 2B HR RBI SB
1963 HOU 0.200 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 0
1964 HOU 0.143 10 14 2 1 1 0 1 0
1967 HOU 0.310 10 29 9 2 0 0 1 1
1968 HOU 0.102 32 59 6 3 1 0 3 0
1969 SDP 0.255 111 247 63 19 10 3 25 3
1970 SDP 0.245 125 347 85 43 9 12 35 9
1971 SDP 0.235 103 255 60 23 6 7 24 5
1972 SDP 0.143 5 7 1 0 0 0 1 0
1973 SDP 0.229 93 210 48 23 13 9 21 2
1974 ATL 0.248 73 133 33 11 1 2 12 0
Totals 0.236 564 1306 308 126 41 33 123 20

Ivan Murrell was born on 4-24-1943 in Bocas del Toro,
He died in 2006.

Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Height: 74.0 in - Weight: 195 lbs
Ivan Murrell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

? what hall of fame are you talking about, CIV?

If it's on the internet, it must be true.

Beane named Executive of Year by Sporting News

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 11/08/12 7:46 PM ET

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. --

A's vice president and general manager Billy Beane has been named Executive of the Year in Major League Baseball for the 2012 season. It's the second time he has been given the prestigious award by the Sporting News.

The award has been handed out since 1936 and was presented here on Wednesday evening during the annual dinner among the GMs, who are gathered here this week for three days of meetings.

The voting was conducted by their peers and had to be submitted before the end of the regular season. Beane, also a minority owner of the franchise, has been Oakland's GM for 16 years. He won 31 votes to finish ahead of Mike Rizzo of the Nationals (13) and Jon Daniels (six) of the Rangers.

Beane also won the award in 1999. During his tenure, the A's have been to the American League Division Series five times, including this year's five-game loss to the Tigers, and the AL Championship Series once.

"It's always an honor to be voted on by your peers," Beane said with a laugh after the general managers emerged from an afternoon session on Thursday. "It reminds me that some of the years you're smart and some of the years you're dumb. The fact of the matter is that [this year] I've been just lukewarm."

The A's had a marvelous season catapulting into contention in the second half and winning the AL West on the final day with a come-from-behind victory over Texas in front of a raucous crowd at the O.co Coliseum. After Beane totally remade the team, it finished 94-68 following a 74-88 season in 2011. Their 72-38 record after June 1 was the best in the Major Leagues.

Beane started this past offseason by trading three of the team's top players: Starters Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill and closer Andrew Bailey. But the players he received in those deals from the D-backs, Nationals and Red Sox became the core of the club surrounding free-agent signee Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban player, whom he signed for three years and $36 million and proved to be one of the top young talents in the Majors this past season.

Recent winners of the Sporting News award have been Dave Dombrowski of the Tigers and Doug Melvin of the Brewers -- co-winners last year -- Walt Jocketty of the Reds, who won for the third time in 2010; Dan O'Dowd of the Rockies in 2009; Andrew Friedman of the Rays, who won in '08; and Mark Shapiro of the Indians, the winner in '07 and '05. Terry Ryan of the Twins won the award in 2006.

But the players he received in those deals from the Nationals and Red Sox became the core of the club surrounding free-agent signee Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban player, whom he signed for three years and $36 million and proved to be one of the top young talents in the Majors this past season.

The Indians dropped out of the bidding for Cespedes when they found out how much Beane offered. I guess Cespedes didn't quite meet the VORP criteria or whatever criteria they use these days to select players they deem fit to wear the red, white, and blue.

J.R. wrote:? what hall of fame are you talking about, CIV?

I don't know but that's what it says at http://www.baseballtrivia.net/player_st ... =murreiv01

Dodgers make additions to international scouting

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 11/12/12 3:50 PM ET

LOS ANGELES

Two weeks after hiring former Seattle executive Bob Engle as vice president of international scouting, the Dodgers on Monday announced the hiring of six international scouts from the Mariners: Pedro Avila, Gene Grimaldi, Patrick Guerrero, Pat Kelly, Jamey Storvick and Mike Tosar.

The Dodgers also hired Josh Bard as special assistant, player personnel and professional scouts Willie Fraser and Scott Groot. Former Dodgers third baseman Bill Mueller, who served as special assistant, player personnel, will become a full-time professional scout.

Avila will be coordinator of Venezuela operations, Grimaldi will be coordinator of European operations, Guerrero will be coordinator of Latin America, Kelly will be coordinator of the Pacific Rim, Storvick will be the special assignment scout in the Pacific Rim and Tosar will be coordinator of Cuba and Mexico.

The international hirings are the latest in a string of decisions aimed at boosting the Dodgers' presence outside North America, a stated priority of new ownership.

Avila has been scouting Venezuela for 16 years, working with Toronto (1996-99), Seattle (2000-08) and the Texas Rangers (2008-12). He was instrumental in the signing of Felix Hernandez. Grimaldi returns to the Dodgers, where he began as an international scout from 1990-2000. He also scouted for the Minnesota Twins (2000-07), the Cincinnati Reds (2008) and the Mariners (2009-12).

Guerrero had been with the Mariners since 2000. The son of legendary scout Epy Guerrero worked for Toronto in 1995, the Baltimore Orioles from 1996-98 and returned to Toronto in 1999 before joining the Mariners. Guerrero was instrumental in the signing of right-hander Michael Pineda. Kelly, who resides in Adelaide, Australia, returns to the Dodgers, where he was Pacific Rim coordinator from 2000-05. He left the Dodgers to join the Mariners for the past seven years. Kelly played nine seasons in the Majors with the Yankees, Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Storvick, the first American scout based in Taiwan, had been with the Mariners since 1999. His role was expanded in 2008 to include South Korea. Storvick is a graduate of Faulkner State College and Oklahoma City University and a native of Anoka, Minn. Tosar played in the New York Mets, Yankees and Montreal Expos organizations from 1991-95. He was a coach in the Twins organization in 2002 and turned to scouting the following year and eventually scouted for the Mariners from 2005-10.

Bard caught for 10 years in the Majors (2002-11). He joined the Dodgers in 2012 and was a backup for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. Fraser comes to the Dodgers from the Angels, where he has scouted since 2010. Fraser pitched parts of eight seasons in the Majors with the Angels (1986-90), Blue Jays (1991), Cardinals (1991), Marlins (1994) and Expos (1995). He also pitched three years in Japan.

Groot returns to the Dodgers, where he worked from 1998-2004. Prior to joining the Dodgers, he started his scouting career with Minnesota (1991-98). After 2004, he worked as a sports management consultant and teacher and returned to scouting for Kansas City (2010-12). Mueller, who played 11 years in the Majors, joined the Dodgers in 2009 as an assistant to general manager Ned Colletti. He will join the Dodgers' scouting staff in 2013.

Jays, Marlins agree to mega-trade
Updated: November 13, 2012, 9:01 PM ET
ESPN.com news services

Marlins' Fire Sale To Blue Jays

Buster Olney

The Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a multiple-player trade that would send shortstop Jose Reyes and pitcher Josh Johnson to Toronto, according to sources.


Also going to Toronto would be pitcher Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck and infielder-outfielder Emilio Bonifacio.

"Just about any (Marlins) player making money is going to Toronto," a source told ESPN.

"It's a good day to be bluejay!" a tweet from Toronto's Jose Bautista read.

While Bautista was elated with the proposed trade, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton voiced his frustration via Twitter.

"Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plan & Simple," Stanton tweeted.

Major League Baseball will have to examine the amount of money and contracts changing hands before signing off on the deal.

The Blue Jays are sending shortstop Yunel Escobar, two top prospects -- outfielder Jake Marisnick and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria -- and possibly more to the Marlins.

Reyes (six years, $106 million) and Buehrle (four years, $58 million) just signed long-term deals with the Marlins last offseason. Buck has one year remaining at $6 million, Johnson has one year at $13.75 million, and Bonifacio is eligible for arbitration after making $2.2 million last year.

Information from ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney was used in this report.

7:14pm: As it stands now, the Marlins will send right-hander Josh Johnson, left-hander Mark Buehrle, shortstop Jose Reyes, outfielder Emilio Bonifacio, and catcher John Buck for shortstop Yunel Escobar, infielder Adeiny Hechavarria, right-hander Henderson Alvarez, left-hander Justin Nicolino, outfielder Jake Marisnick, catcher Jeff Mathis, and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, tweets Morosi.

6:44pm: The Marlins are chipping in $4MM in the trade and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will be a part of the trade, a source tells Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter).


Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#FXDf6RJS2AeOAYyD.99

Ramirez homers on 1st pitch in Dominican debut
The Associated Press – 5 hours ago

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Manny Ramirez homered on his first pitch of the Dominican winter league season.

Thousands of cheering fans stood and cheered as Ramirez came to bat in the bright yellow jersey of the Eagles, a team from the northern region of Cibao. Ramirez then drove his first pitch over the right-field fence.

The Eagles went on to lose Wednesday night's game 3-2 to the Escogido Lions.

Ramirez had last played in his Dominican Republic nearly 20 years ago. He served his second 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy last year, then was released from his minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics. in June without making it back to the big leagues.