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Home , Alex Cora, Joe Kelly (pitcher), Lane Thomas, Mike Shildt, Phillip Evans (baseball), Pitch clock

4B Sunday, February 24, 2019 • Telegraph Herald • TelegraphHerald.com major league

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Fowler looking for spike in production Cardinals outfielder A that broke his foot end- “With Dexter, I want that mil- Shildt has already announced that ed Fowler’s season in early August, lion-dollar smile to be more con- Fowler will second in the line- hopes to bounce back. limiting him to 90 games — his sistent,” Shildt said. “I want him up, between Matt Carpenter and lowest -season total since the to appreciate and enjoy what he’s . BY CHUCK KING year he broke into the big leagues. doing and get back to a place that “From an on-base standpoint The “You learn from it and move on,” he’s coming from, that he has a lot he’s one of the elite on-base guys Fowler said. of records from, and that’s a place in the league,” Carpenter said. JUPITER, Fla. — Dexter Fowler Now 32, Fowler is entering the of success — not only individually Carpenter has reached base at is taking the best piece of hitting third season of a five-year, $82 but in team settings.” no less than a .374 clip in five of the advice he has ever received and million contract. An All-Star with Jose Martinez, not Fowler, will past six seasons. Goldshmidt has applying it to his entire spring Chicago in 2016 when he posted start in right field on Saturday driven in at least 110 runs three training approach. a .393 on-base percentage to help when the Cardinals open presea- times during his career. Ozuna “Have a short memory,” Fowler lead the Cubs to their first World son play against the Miami Mar- drove in 124 runs in 2017 with the said. title in more than a century, lins. Left fielder Marcel Ozuna, Marlins. Fowler had a 2018 worth forget- Fowler scored 186 runs during a working his way back from offsea- Unlike previous seasons, Fowler ting. two-year stint with Chicago prior son shoulder surgery, will be the most frequently hit in the sixth or A career .262 hitter with an on- to joining St. Louis. in the opener seventh spot last season. KEITH SRAKOCIC • The Associated Press base percentage of .360, Fowler Cardinals and isn’t expected to play the field “I’m accustomed to being in the The St. Louis Cardinals’ Dexter Fowler is hit only .180 with an on-base per- is seeing a rejuvenated, more up- for the first couple of weeks. top of the lineup,” Fowler said. “I’ve entering the third season of a five-year, centage below .300 while battling beat Fowler compared to the play- Fowler will make his Grapefruit always been a guy who’s tried to get $82 million contract. Fowler is hoping to nagging injuries much of the year. er who struggled last season. League debut on Sunday, and on base.” increase his production this season.

TRENDS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Cardinals sign Jose Martinez

Outfielder agrees to will start open- 2-year contract. ing day at Milwaukee on March 28. Mikolas returned BY STEVEN WINE to the major leagues last year The Associated Press after three seasons in Japan, became a first-time All-Star JUPITER, Fla. — Jose Mar- and went 18-4. tinez’s teammates with the St. “A year ago, saying Miles Louis Cardinals applauded would be our opening day his new contract Saturday, starter this year would have and the deal gave his family been a shock to everyone,” reason to cheer, too. general manager Mike Girsch The outfielder/first base- said. “He pitched amazing last man signed a $3.25 million, y e a r.” two-year contract to remain Martinez, 30, led the Car- with the Cardinals, who es- dinals with a .305 average last sentially bought his first year and had 17 homers and year of arbitration after this 83 RBIs. He played 887 games season. in the minors before reaching Martinez said he would the big leagues, and has since send some of the money to hit .309 over parts of three sea- GERALD HERBERT • The Associated Press relatives in his native Ven- sons. Cale Coshow prepares to training game against the on Saturday ezuela, which has been “He has had a unique ca- as the pitching clock winds down during a spring in Fort Myers, Fla. plagued by food and medi- reer path and has been a huge cal shortages and a political part of our team the last cou- crisis. ple of years,” Girsch said. “We “It’s not even for me, just felt the right thing to do was to for my family,” Martinez said. give him some certainty.” “It’s a tough situation there. Martinez said he was sur- Baseball rolls out clock You have a little incentive for prised by the contract offer, Pitch clocks to be used in management decided on its own to two walks and sent the tying sure.” which included incentives. experiment with pitch clocks during to the plate in the ninth, a boy in a The deal was announced “If you are a good team- spring games to help MLB this year. They have the T-shirt in the front before the Cardinals’ spring mate, good things will happen speed up its tempo. right to implement them for the regular row near the Boston lazily training opener against the to you,” Martinez said. “I’m season but would prefer to reach an threw a ball against the protective . Manager just trying to get to that prom- BY JIMMY GOLEN agreement with the union. netting. Mike Shildt said the popu- ised land — trying to win the The Associated Press veteran Rich “In spring training, the game is lar Martinez received “two .” Hill threw seven pitches in the first going to slow down,” Red Sox manager hearty rounds of applause” He’ll compete with Dexter ORT MYERS, Fla. — Baseball is and retired the Chicago White said. from teammates when they Fowler and Tyler O’Neill this on the clock. Sox in order. Many players around the Grapefruit were told the news. spring for the right field job. F The traditionally timeless “I didn’t notice the pitch clock,” he and Cactus Leagues said they talked “It was really an honor to He could also back up Marcell sport implemented a pitch clock in said. “I’m against it, but I think it’s just about the clocks in their pregame be able to say that in the club- Ozuna in left. major league spring training for the really a fundamental thing for me. meetings, but they didn’t pay much house,” Shildt said. “He’s an “Jose is going to get at-bats first time on Saturday in an attempt to That’s it, period. It’s there, great, maybe attention to them on the field. important part of what we’re somewhere,” Girsch said. “We hurry up both and hitters and we can be aware of it. But if it’s going At Boston’s spring training ballpark doing.” just don’t know how it’s going keep the modern fan from tuning out to dictate the outcome of the game, I in Fort Myers, there is a clock behind The Cardinals also an- to work out. And I’m sure he’ll the increasingly lengthy games. would hope everybody who loves the home plate, one near third base and nounced that right-hander continue to hit.” Sixteen games across Florida and game and watches baseball would be one in center field. It counted down Arizona were scheduled to be played against it for that reason only.” the time between , or when a under the new rules, which were being “If it’s out there and it’s, ‘Hey, we entered the game, and phased in without threat of penalty for have to pick it up, we’re using the clock switched to a pitch clock starting with the first few days or more. There were to use as a warning or a guideline,’ that the second pitch to a batter. no notable incidents in the afternoon, would be fine. But I didn’t really notice Yankees Aaron when three of the six games ap- the clock. I usually pitch with pretty Hicks, one of the few regulars to play proached or surpassed 3 hours. decent pace anyways,” he said. on Saturday, said he was aware of “I hope it gets the tempo up,” Mar- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the clock but it didn’t make him feel Santana, Tucker lins manager said after who has two of the slowest pitchers in rushed. the St. Louis Cardinals beat Miami, the game in and Pedro Baez, “I’m looking, I’m looking. I just 11-1, in 3 hours, 15 minutes. “It sounds said he thinks they will figure it out. wanted to make sure I was on time,” he like at the minor league level they get “They have to adjust,” he said. said swiveling his head around in the join White Sox used to it, and that’s the way you go.” “That’s just the way it goes. We’ll have visitor’s clubhouse after leaving the Baseball has long billed itself as a those conversations with those guys. game. “Out of the corner of my eye, I The Associated Press played for Atlanta and Cin- timeless sport, but as average game I think with spring training, it’s a good noticed it a couple of times but it was cinnati last year, .229 times creeped over 3 hours that has opportunity for these guys to make an still pretty early” in the countdown. GLENDALE, Ariz. — The with six homers and 27 RBIs become less a badge of honor and adjustment.” Under the phase-in designed to Chicago White Sox have fi- in 97 games. more a reason for some young or short They’ll need to hurry. allow teams to get used to the concept nalized minor league deals The White Sox announced attention span fans to turn to other Of the six early games on Saturday, without fear of penalty, pitchers and with right-hander Ervin San- the contracts on Saturday. forms of entertainment. three finished at 2:30 and under and batters who were taking too long in tana and outfielder Preston Santana made his major Since taking over as commission- three were at 2:56 or more. The Boston Saturday’s games were merely warned Tucker. league debut in 2005 with er, has made speeding Red Sox and New York Yankees — a to hurry up. (When the policy, which The 36-year-old Santana the . He is up games one of his primary goals. rivalry that has repeatedly resulted has been used in some minor leagues made five starts with Minne- 149-125 with a 4.06 ERA in 384 Last year, the average length of a in four-hour regular season games since 2015, is phased in, a ball will be sota last season after having career games with the Angels, nine-inning game fell to 3 hours — five ending at or near midnight — finished charged to pitchers who do not begin surgery on his right middle Royals, Braves and Twins. minutes shorter than the previous in 3:06 in 85-degree heat in front of a their motion in time.) finger two weeks before spring Tucker is a .222 career hit- season, but still 36 minutes longer than half-empty ballpark. “In the minors, we had a pitch clock training. The two-time All- ter with 23 homers and 68 a typical game in 1976. Each team scored two runs and like that,” Orioles starter Yefry Ramirez Star is looking to win a spot in RBIs over parts of three sea- After pushing for an agreement used two relievers to get through the said through a translator. “So I was Chicago’s rotation. sons. He broke into the majors with the players last season, baseball eighth inning. As the Yankees drew already used to that rhythm.” The 28-year-old Tucker in 2015 with Houston.

SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP Bryant homers, Cubs beat Milwaukee in spring debut Telegraph Herald Milwaukee in the top of the second, the Championship Edman and also had RBI ground out in the bottom of the but Chicago answered back with two Series. The Cubs’ season ended in three hits for St. Louis. eighth lifted Oakland. Yoan Monca- Kris Bryant belted a two-run ho- runs in the third and fourth innings the NL Wild Card game. Dodgers 7, White Sox (ss) 6 — da, Yeyson Yrizarri and Seby Zava- mer in his first of to pull away in the spring training Cardinals 11, Marlins 1 — At Ju- At Phoenix: homered la collected two hits apiece for the spring training, and the Chicago debut for both teams. Both teams piter, Fla.: Ramon Urias hit a three- for Los Angeles, and J.D. Peterson White Sox. Cubs rolled to an 8-4 victory over finished with 10 hits. run homer in the fifth inning, and hit one out for Chicago in the spring Orioles 7, Twins 2 — At Saraso- the on Saturday Last season, the Brewers defeat- Max Schrock belted a two-run shot debut of both teams. Chicago scored ta, Fla.: Chance Sisco drove in three afternoon in Mesa, Ariz. ed the Cubs in a one-game playoff an inning later as St. Louis rolled in twice in the bottom of the ninth to runs to lead Baltimore to the victo- Bryant and Phillip Evans collected at Wrigley Field for the National its spring opener. Schrock was one make it close. ry. Jake Cave and Nick Gordon had two hits each for Chicago. League Central Division champion- of three Cardinals with three hits as Athletics 6, White Sox (ss) 5 two hits apiece for Minnesota in the Corey Ray hit a two-run homer for ship before falling to Los Angeles in St. Louis outhit Miami, 20-3. Tommy — At Mesa, Ariz.: Dustin Fowler’s loss.