Baseball – Page 21 – North Platte Post Archive

All 10 Baseball Hall Candidates Fall Short

Posted on December 8, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The baseball Hall of Fame’s Golden Era committee has failed to elect any of the 10 candidates from a group whose primary contributions were from 1947-72.

The Hall announced the results Monday as the annual winter meetings began.

Dick Allen and Tony Oliva each received 11 of 16 votes, one shy of the 75 percent needed for election. Jim Kaat appeared on 10 ballots, Maury Wills nine and Minnie Minoso eight.

Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Billy Pierce and Luis Tiant each received three or fewer votes, as did the late Cincinnati Reds general manager Bob Howsam.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce its vote Jan. 6. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz are the top newcomers. Craig Biggio, who fell two votes short of the 75 percent needed in the 2014 balloting, tops the holdovers.

Baseball Meetings to Open, with Stress on Offense

Posted on December 7, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — When baseball officials last gathered in San Diego for the winter meetings, no free agents reached agreements and players claimed collusion, leading to the first of three grievances against owners and eventually a $280 million settlement.

The annual get-together is back starting Monday. This time, the average salary has soared from $372,000 to about $3.5 million. But one thing hasn’t changed from 1985: the Kansas City Royals are defending AL champions.

Since then, offense has boomed with the Steroids Era and then gone bust in a new Age of the Pitcher. With offense at the premium, teams have pursued hitters with greater urgency this offseason, leaving pitchers Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields still searching for deals.

Royals’ Hochevar to Begin Throwing off Mound Soon

Posted on December 5, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar hopes to begin throwing off a mound later this month as he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of last season.

Hochevar, who signed a $10 million, two-year deal to remain in Kansas City this week, had the surgery after feeling a twinge in his pitching elbow in spring training. He wound up watching from the dugout as the Royals surged to the World Series.

Hochevar said on a conference call with reporters Friday that he had other offers in free agency but he wanted to stay with the Royals after watching their success this past season.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick said he feels better now than he did before the surgery.

Royals Announce 2-Year Deal for Reliever Hochevar

Posted on December 4, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Luke Hochevar and the American League champion Kansas City Royals have completed a $10 million, two-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2017.

The team announced the move Thursday.

Hochevar will earn $4 million next season and $5.5 million in 2016 with a $500,000 buyout, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the club does not release contract details.

The Royals decided to sign the former No. 1 overall draft pick to a multiyear deal in part because he is coming off Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss last season, and it is unclear just how quickly the right-hander will be back to full strength.

AP Source: Royals, Hochevar Agree to 2-Year Deal

Posted on December 3, 2014December 4, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Right-hander Luke Hochevar and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $10 million, two-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press.

Hochevar will make $4.5 million this season and $5.5 million for the 2016 season, the person said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because Hochevar must pass a physical to complete the agreement.

Hochevar missed last season after Tommy John surgery.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick struggled for years as a starting pitcher, going 11-11 with a 4.61 ERA in his best season. But when he was dynamic after shifting to the bullpen and went 5-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 2013.

Adderall Caused Most MLB Positive Drug Tests

Posted on December 1, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — While 113 big leaguers had exemptions in the past year to use otherwise banned substances to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Adderall caused eight of the 10 positive tests for stimulants under Major League Baseball’s drug program.

A report released Monday by MLB’s independent program administrator detailed the findings. Dr. Jeffrey M. Anderson’s report showed that theraputic use exemptions given to 40-man roster players to treat ADHD were down from the 119 in the year ending with the 2013 World Series.

Among the TUEs for ADHD, there were 11 for new players, down from 21 the previous year and the lowest total since 2008, a person familiar with the data told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those figures were not in the report.

Big Ten Football Sets Single-Season Attendance Record

Posted on December 1, 2014

Rosemont, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference set a new single-season record for total attendance during the 2014 football season with 6,359,218 fans attending home games. In addition, nine Big Ten schools produced increases in average attendance, including a boost of more than eight percent for Maryland and Rutgers in their first seasons as members of the conference.

The Big Ten surpassed the six-million mark in total attendance for just the third time in conference history and the third time in the last four seasons, breaking the single-season record of 6,061,514 set last season. While average attendance decreased following the addition of two 50,000-seat stadiums, Maryland and Rutgers combined to fill their stadiums to 95 percent capacity in conference matchups. The two teams combined for five sellouts in conference games this season, compared to only two sellouts in conference competition the previous four seasons.

The Terrapins saw the biggest increase in average attendance among Big Ten schools, with a 13.8 percent jump from the 2013 season for all games, including two sellouts. In Big Ten home games, Maryland filled Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium to 91 percent capacity this season. Two of the Terrapins’ four Big Ten home games drew crowds of 50,000 or more patrons, after eclipsing 50,000 people in a conference home game just once over the previous four years. In addition, Maryland’s average attendance in Big Ten road games was more than 82,000, after facing an average attendance of just over 50,000 in conference action the season before.

The Scarlet Knights ranked second in the Big Ten with an 8.8 percent increase in average attendance for all games with three sellouts. Rutgers’ conference home games were filled to 99 percent capacity at High Point Solutions Stadium. The Scarlet Knights drew crowds of more than 50,000 people three times during conference play this season, after seeing that mark achieved on only three occasions in conference home games the previous four seasons. Rutgers also played in front of an average crowd of more than 76,000 in Big Ten away games, compared to road conference attendance of less than 40,000 the previous year.

Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin each saw average attendance increase by as much as 5.2 percent from the 2013 Big Ten football season.

The Big Ten is one of two conferences with more than two teams ranked among the top 22 in the nation in average attendance, with seven schools comprising that group. Ohio State leads the nation in average attendance at 106,296, followed by No. 3 Michigan (104,909), No. 5 Penn State (101,623), No. 10 Nebraska (91,249), No. 18 Wisconsin (79,520), No. 20 Michigan State (74,681) and No. 22 Iowa (67,512).

Earlier this season, Big Ten school attendance records fell in four consecutive weekends as Nebraska, Ohio State (twice) and Rutgers saw record crowds. In all, four Big Ten schools broke or matched single-game attendance records this season: Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State and Rutgers.

The 2014 Big Ten Football Championship Game will feature Ohio State facing Wisconsin on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and will be broadcast nationally on FOX with kickoff set for 8:17 p.m. ET. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of the six bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff, including the Rose Bowl Game.

Royals Trade Crow to Miami; give Frasor $1.8M Deal

Posted on November 28, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former first-round draft pick Aaron Crow has been traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Miami Marlins for left-hander Brian Flynn and right-hander Reid Redman.

In another move Friday, Jason Frasor and the Royals agreed to a one-year contract with a 2016 mutual option that guarantees the reliever $1.8 million.

Crow, a 28-year-old right-hander taken with the 12th overall pick in 2009, was 6-1 with a 4.12 ERA and three saves in 67 relief appearances this year. The Topeka, Kansas, native did not pitch in the postseason.

Flynn, 24, was 8-10 record with a 4.06 ERA ERA in 25 starts at Triple-A New Orleans and also had one start and one relief appearance for the Marlins, a year after making four starts for Miami in his first big league season. He played at Wichita State in 2009 and ’11.

MLB Minimum Salary Rises to $507,500 from $500,000

Posted on November 26, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s minimum salary is rising to $507,500 next year from $500,000.

The sport’s collective bargaining agreement called for a cost-of-living adjustment based on the yearly increase through October of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, rounded to the nearest $500. There will be a similar adjustment for the minimum in 2016, the final season of the labor contract.

The commissioner’s office said Wednesday that the minor league minimum for a player signing a second major league contract goes up to $82,700 from $81,500. The minor league minimum for a player signing an initial big league contract rises to $41,400 from $40,750.

Dodgers Acquire Juan Nicasio from Rockies

Posted on November 24, 2014November 24, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-hander Juan Nicasio from the Colorado Rockies on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Nicasio will be added to the 40-man roster and infielder Ryan Jackson was designated for assignment to make room, said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations.

The 28-year-old Nicasio was 6-6 with a 5.38 ERA for the Rockies last season, his fourth in the major leagues.

He had 14 starts but came out of the bullpen exclusively during the second half of the season, posting a 3.48 ERA in 19 games.

The native of the Dominican Republic is 21-22 over 88 career games, all with Colorado from 2011-14.