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Former great elected to MLB Hall of Fame D-backs ink veteran infielder Punto to Minor League deal By ArizonaSports.com By Cash Kruth / MLB.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1796476/Former-Arizona- http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105791568/d-backs- Diamondbacks-great-Randy-Johnson-elected-to-MLB-Hall-of- ink-veteran-infielder-nick-punto-to-minor-league-deal Fame

Arizona Diamondbacks agree to terms with Kept Promise Helped Colangelo Land Big Unit By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic By Eric Sorenson / Sports360AZ.com http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 http://www.sports360az.com/2015/01/kept-promise-helped- 015/01/07/arizona-diamondbacks-agree-to-terms-nick- colangelo-land-big-unit/ punto/21395463/ Duncan hired as Dbacks short-season hiring 200 workers for Diamondbacks season By Damien Alameda / Tucson News Now By Laurie Merrill / The Arizona Republic http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27787501/duncan- http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2015/01/07 hired-as-dbacks-short-season-manager /phoenix-chase-field-ushers-screeners-tickert-scanners-hiring- -season/21399983/ D-backs Offer Exclusive Presale To Tucson Residents Diamondbacks to have six new managers at minor league By Damien Alameda / Tucson News Now affiliates http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27787579/d-backs- By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic offer-exclusive-spring-training-presale-to-tucson-residents http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 015/01/07/diamondbacks-announce-managers-minor-league- Duncan leaving UA for shot to manage in minors affiliates/21391449/ By Greg Hansen / Arizona Daily Star http://tucson.com/duncan-leaving-ua-for-shot-to-manage-in- thinks politics have kept him out of the Hall minors/article_98880f56-938c-11e4-bfb3-1b973d0ffa16.html of Fame By Andrew Joseph / The Arizona Republic 2008 Tucson Sidewinders http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat- By James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star index/2015/01/07/curt-schilling-thinks-politics-keeps-him-out- http://tucson.com/sidewinders-p/image_c5fc6389-a32a-5a22- of-the-hall-of-fame/21402437/ 8e54-38374d420132.html

D-backs add veteran Punto; Navarro, Castillo possible D-backs Baseball Academy Continues Through January catching targets By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski / Nearby News By Jack Magruder / Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/d-backs-add-infield- Frye Awarded $5K Grant from D-backs depth-continue-to-seek--010715 By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski / Nearby News

The Pulse: 2001 was fans' favorite Randy Johnson Diamondbacks moment By ArizonaSports.com Big Unit showing more sides since retirement http://arizonasports.com/42/1796887/The-Pulse-2001-World- New Hall of Famer embraces photography, visits war zones, Series-was-fans-favorite-Randy-Johnson-Diamondbacks- opens up moment By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105859066/hall-of- Report: Arizona Diamondbacks agree to contract with IF famer-randy-johnson-showing-more-sides-since-retirement Nick Punto By ArizonaSports.com Day after vote, 'old goats' talk Hall of Fame, honor http://arizonasports.com/42/1796756/Report-Arizona- By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com Diamondbacks-agree-to-contract-with-IF-Nick-Punto http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105762364/day-after- vote-old-goats-talk-hall-of-fame-honor

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Popular infielder McDonald calls it a career Curt Schilling believes he didn’t make the Hall of Fame Listed at 5-foot-9, defensive-minded player enjoyed 16 years in because he’s a Republican bigs with eight teams By Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/07/curt-schilling- http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105823936/popular- believes-he-didnt-make-the-hall-of-fame-because-hes-a- infielder-john-mcdonald-calls-it-a-career republican/

Perseverant Johnny Mac leaves legacy in retirement Diamondbacks will retire Randy Johnson's this After 16-year MLB career, McDonald remembered fondly by all year By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com By SI.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105845610/anthony- http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/01/06/randy-johnson-hall-fame- castrovince-perseverant-john-mcdonald-leaves-fond-legacy-in- arizona-diamondbacks-retire-number retirement Arizona Diamondbacks All-Time Team: The Outfield Davis clearly remembers homer served up to Big Unit By Tony Fischer / SI.com Former Brewers lefty allowed only blast by Hall of Famer http://heatwaved.com/2015/01/07/arizona-diamondbacks- Johnson in 2003 time-team-outfield/ By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/105852172/doug- Randy Johnson's number to be retired by D-Backs in 2015 davis-remembers-clearly-home--served-up-to-randy-johnson- By Ethan Finkelstein / SI.com in-2003 http://fansided.com/2015/01/07/randy-johnsons-number- retired-d-backs-2015/ Warm up with the official release of spring slate By Adam Berry / MLB.com Diamondbacks sign Nick Punto to minor league deal http://m.mlb.com/news/article/105805538/warm-up-with-the- By Chris Cotillo / SB Nation official-release-of-spring-training-schedule http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/1/7/7509303/diamondba cks-sign-nick-punto-to-minor-league-deal Hall vote epitomizes the essence of election By Mike Bauman / MLB.com http://m.mlb.com/news/article/105906792/mike-bauman-hall- vote-epitomizes-the-essence-of-election announce 2015 coaching staff By NBC 4-Reno D-backs sign infielder Nick Punto http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Reno-Aces- By announce-2015-coaching- http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12133105/arizona- staff/FJY5_3kHb0uaRQzv0djVQg.cspx diamondbacks-sign-nick-punto-minor-league-contract Returning as Aces Manager Baseball's Hall of Fame in midst of unlikely growth spurt By ABC 8-Reno By Joe Lemire / USA Today http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Phil-Nevin- http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/01/07/hall- Returning-as-Aces-Manager-287846461.html of-fame-2015-pedro-martinez-randy-johnson-john-smoltz-craig- biggio/21398237/ Reno Aces announce 2015 coaching staff By FOX 11-Tucson Curt Schilling says he lost Hall of Fame votes because he's http://www.foxreno.com/news/features/top- a Republican stories/stories/reno-aces-announce-2015-coaching-staff- By Mike Oz / Yahoo! Sports 4388.shtml http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/curt- schilling-says-he-lost-hall-of-fame-votes-because-he-s-a- republican-192514435.html Mobile BayBears, Arizona Diamondbacks announce Diamondbacks To Sign Nick Punto BayBears' coaching staff for 2015 By Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors By Tommy Hicks / Mobile Press-Register http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/ http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/mobile_baybears _arizona_diamon_1.html The greatest generation The of the Selig Era were the best in baseball history Robby Hammock named new BayBears manager By Joe Posnanski / NBCSports.com By FOX 10-Mobile http://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/the-greatest-generation/ http://fox10tv.com/2015/01/07/robby-hammock-named-new- baybears-manager/

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Former Cub Grudzielanek to manage 2015 By Kane County Chronicle http://www.kcchronicle.com/2015/01/07/former-cub- grudzielanek-to-manage-2015-kane-county-cougars/a22pfob/

Ex-big leaguer Mather named Osprey manager By Bill Speltz / The Missoulian http://missoulian.com/sports/osprey/ex-big-leaguer-mather- named-osprey-manager/article_e4dee358-7a59-5125-bf57- 49a0c693e00d.html

MLB NEWS January 8, 2015 • MLB.com http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_ind ex.jsp

ASSOCIATED PRESS January 8, 2015 • Sports.yahoo.com http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews

MLB TRANSACTIONS January 8, 2015 • MLB.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

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Of those, about 100 will operate the new metal detectors that will be installed at the ballpark before the Arizona D-backs ink veteran infielder Punto to Minor League deal Diamondbacks season begins in April. By Cash Kruth / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105791568/d-backs- Most of the other hires will work in guest services as ushers and ink-veteran-infielder-nick-punto-to-minor-league-deal ticket scanners.

The D-backs have signed veteran infielder Nick Punto to a Suns organization is doing the hiring; it manages Minor League deal with an invite to their big league Spring both US Airways Center and , according to Karen Training camp, according to a baseball source. The club has not Rausch, Suns vice president of human resources. confirmed the signing. "We do manage two facilities," Rausch said. "We are gearing up Punto, 37, has played multiple infield positions in his 14-year right now for baseball." career, and he will combine with Chad Pennington to back up third baseman Yasmany Tomas, shortstop and The Diamondbacks season runs from April 6 through Oct. 4. second baseman Aaron Hill. Last year, the Major Baseball League announced that metal Punto has posted a lifetime slash line of .245/.323/.323 with the detectors would be mandatory at all 30 MLB parks by 2015 to Phillies, Twins, Cardinals, Red Sox, Dodgers and A's. He hit .207 comply with U.S. Department of Homeland Security with two homers and a .589 OPS in 73 games with Oakland in requirements. 2014. The organization is hiring security personnel to operate the Arizona Diamondbacks agree to terms with Nick Punto metal detectors as well as to conduct ongoing bag searches. By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 "It takes a lot of manpower to do that," Rausch said. 015/01/07/arizona-diamondbacks-agree-to-terms-nick- punto/21395463/ Ticketholders for Phoenix Suns and games already are required to undergo metal-detector screenings at US The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with veteran infielder Airways Center and University of Phoenix . Nick Punto on a minor league contract that includes an invite to major league camp. Rausch stressed that these are part-time, not seasonal jobs, and the company's goal is for employees to stay with the Punto, 37, will come to camp looking to win a roster spot. If he organization year round. The jobs pay about $9 and $10 an hour. does, he'll provide the Diamondbacks depth at multiple positions on the infield. Many people work at the sports venues to supplement other income, and many also return annually to work just one sports He's spent parts of 14 seasons in the majors, the majority season a year, Rausch said. coming with the . A career .245 hitter, he has regarded as a solid defender at second base, third base and "Most of our employees have other lives," Rausch said. shortstop, and is valued by teams for his leadership ability and clubhouse presence. Apply for jobs at http://www.nba.com/ suns/contact/careers.

Prior to last season, he signed a two-year deal with the Oakland The Phoenix Suns is one of more than a dozen Arizona Athletics. But after hitting .207 in 198 at-bats, the A's released companies hiring 100 or more employees in January. Punto last month despite being on the hook to pay him $2.75 million in 2015. Diamondbacks to have six new managers at minor league affiliates If Punto makes the team, the Diamondbacks will only be By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic responsible for paying him the league minimum salary http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 ($507,500). 015/01/07/diamondbacks-announce-managers-minor-league- affiliates/21391449/ Phoenix Suns hiring 200 workers for Diamondbacks season By Laurie Merrill / The Arizona Republic The Diamondbacks will have six new managers at minor league http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2015/01/07 affiliates for 2015, the team announced Wednesday. /phoenix-chase-field-ushers-screeners-tickert-scanners-hiring- baseball-season/21399983/ Phil Nevin, who was said to be a finalist for the Diamondbacks' major league manager position, will return to manage at -A About 100 will operate the new metal detectors that will be Reno. installed at the ballpark before the Arizona Diamondbacks season begins in April. Former Diamondbacks catcher Robby Hammock, who spent last season as the manager in High-A Visalia, will take over at The Phoenix Suns are hiring more than 200 part-time ushers and -A Mobile after Andy Green was named the major league security workers for Chase Field and US Airways Arena. club's third base .

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Schilling finished 240 votes short of Hall of Fame election, and J.R. House will move from short-season Hillsboro to Visalia, he told radio show Dennis & Callahan on Wednesday where he will replace Hammock. that him being a Republican has cost him votes.

The team will have four first-time managers in the system. Mark Former Diamondbacks Randy Johnson made the Hall of Grudzielanek, who played 15 seasons in the majors, will take Fame along with , and Pedro Martinez. over at Kane County, the club's new Low-A affiliate in the Schilling was particularly critical of Smoltz's candidacy as a first- Midwest League. ballot Hall of Famer.

Shelley Duncan, the son of longtime pitching coach Dave He said to the WEEI: Duncan, will replace House at Hillsboro. Duncan played parts of seven seasons in the big leagues. "I think he got in because of [Greg] and [Tom] Glavine. I think the fact that they won 14 straight pennants. I think his Joe Mather, who attended Mountain Pointe High and appeared 'Swiss army knife versatility,' which somebody said yesterday, I in the majors in parts of four seasons, will be the manager in think he got a lot of accolades for that, I think he got a lot of rookie-level Missoula. recognition for that. He's a Hall of Famer. And I think the other big thing is that I think he's a Democrat and so I know that, as a The club's rookie-level Arizona League manager will be Mike Republican, that there's some people that really don't like that." Benjamin, an Arizona State product who played 13 seasons in the major leagues. The problem with Schilling's theory is that Smoltz actually isn't a The full staffs are as follows: Democrat. Smoltz has actively supported conservative candidates in the past. Smoltz campaigned for Republicans Triple-A Reno: Phil Nevin, manager; , pitching and Karen Handel, as Masslive pointed out. coach; , hitting coach; and Luis Urueta, coach. Schilling will have more chances, but it's hard to believe that his Double-A Mobile: Robby Hammock, manager; Wellington political beliefs are keeping him out of Cooperstown. Cepeda, pitching coach; Jason Camilli, hitting coach. D-backs add veteran Punto; Navarro, Castillo possible High-A Visalia: J.R. House, manager; Gil Heredia, pitching catching targets coach; Jonathan Mathews, hitting coach. By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/d-backs-add-infield- Low-A Kane County: Mark Grudzielanek, manager; Doug depth-continue-to-seek-catcher-010715 Bochtler, pitching coach; Vince Harrison, hitting coach. PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks on Wednesday agreed on a Short-season Hillsboro: , manager; Doug minor league deal with veteran infielder Nick Punto, a deal Drabek, pitching coach; Javier Colina, hitting coach. expected to include a spring training invitation and further deepen the middle infield. Rookie-level Missoula: Joe Mather, manager; , pitching coach; Tack Wilson, hitting coach. At the same time, the D-backs continue to survey the catching market after trading Miguel Montero and could find a match in Rookie-level Arizona League: Mike Benjamin, manager; Larry Toronto's or the Cubs' Welington Castillo, Pardo, pitching coach; , hitting coach. according to industry sources.

Dominican Summer League: Wil Tejada, field coordinator; Juan Navarro is an intriguing possibility. He hit .274 with 12 home Ballara, manager; Jose Tapia, pitching coach; Manny Garcia, runs and 69 RBI in 139 games as the Blue Jays' starter last season assistant pitching coach; Rolando Arenado, hitting and outfield but lost his job when the Jays signed free agent Russell Martin to coach; Elvis Pena, infield coach; Sergio Mendez, catching coach. a five-year, $82 million deal this winter.

Curt Schilling thinks politics have kept him out of the Hall Navarro is in the final year of a two-year contract that will pay of Fame him $5 million in 2015. The D-backs appear to have enough By Andrew Joseph / The Arizona Republic wiggle room in their payroll to make that fit. It is uncertain if the http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat- teams have the pieces to make a deal work, however. index/2015/01/07/curt-schilling-thinks-politics-keeps-him-out- of-the-hall-of-fame/21402437/ With Montero gone, and Rule 5 selection Oscar Hernandez are the two on the 40-man roster. Former Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling was not elected into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, and he thinks he knows why. Navarro, 31 in February, spent a few hours with the D-backs in 2005, when he was acquired in the Jan. 11 deal that sent Randy Politics. Johnson to the for principals Javier Vazquez and . The D-backs flipped Navarro to the Dodgers the same say in a package with two other minor leaguers for . 5

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On May 18, 2004, history was made, as Johnson pitched a Navarro is a career .255 hitter with 66 homers in 11 major league against the . The moment earned the seasons. He's thrown out 28 percent of potential base-stealers, third most votes. right at league average. Four percent of the vote went to Johnson's 20- game Castillo has 21 home runs and 60 RBI as the Cubs' primary against the on May 8, 2001. catcher the last two seasons, but he appears to be available because the Cubs' acquired Montero in a deal and also signed A few voters believed neither of the four moments mentioned free agent and favorite as a backup. above qualified as their favorite during his time in Arizona. Castillo is in his first year of arbitration eligibility this winter. Report: Arizona Diamondbacks agree to contract with IF Even after trading , the D-backs are deep in the Nick Punto middle infield with Chris Owings, , Aaron Hill and By ArizonaSports.com Cliff Pennington, but Punto provides an extra layer of protection http://arizonasports.com/42/1796756/Report-Arizona- in the event of a trade or if the D-backs decided Ahmed would Diamondbacks-agree-to-contract-with-IF-Nick-Punto be better served to open the 2015 season in the minor leagues. The Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly added some infield Owings is expected to start, likely at second base, but if Aaron depth. Hill takes that spot Owings could move to shortstop, where he has spent most of his minor league career. ---- ✔ @JonHeymanCBS Punto, 37, has played for six teams in his 14 major league seasons and spent last season in Oakland, where D-backs nick punto agrees to deal with #diamondbacks manager Chip Hale was the bench coach. Punto hit .207 with ---- two home runs and 14 RBI in 73 games with the A's last season, where he played primarily second base. He has started 299 The 37-year-old appeared in 73 games for the Oakland A's last games at second base, 282 at shortstop and 273 at third base season, batting .207 with two home runs and 14 RBI while during a career spent largely in Minnesota but that also included stealing three bases. stops in St. Louis, Boston and the . A career .245 hitter, Punto is primarly a second baseman, but has Because of a 2015 option that vested because of his tome on the also played at third base, shortstop, first base and all three A's roster last season, Punto is to be paid $2.75 million this outfield positions. season. The D-backs will pay none of that. A veteran of 14 MLB seasons, he has also played for the The Pulse: was fans' favorite Randy Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Johnson Diamondbacks moment and Los Angeles Dodgers. By ArizonaSports.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1796887/The-Pulse-2001-World- Former Arizona Diamondbacks great Randy Johnson Series-was-fans-favorite-Randy-Johnson-Diamondbacks- elected to MLB Hall of Fame moment By ArizonaSports.com http://arizonasports.com/42/1796476/Former-Arizona- Every day, ArizonaSports.com asks readers a question. It's the Diamondbacks-great-Randy-Johnson-elected-to-MLB-Hall-of- Sanderson Ford Poll Question of the Day, and it can be found Fame midway down the right side of our home page. It was announced Tuesday that Randy Johnson, who pitched for Tuesday, we asked what your favorite Randy Johnson the Diamondbacks from 1999-2004 and then again from 2007- Diamondbacks moment was. 08, will be part of the 2015 MLB Hall of Fame class. Johnson earned 97.3 percent of the vote. A total of 841 votes were submitted, and 68 percent of voters chose the 2001 World Series as their favorite moment. He is joined by Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio.

Johnson went 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 19 in two Johnson's 22-year career saw him pitch for six different teams, starts and one relief appearance against the New York Yankees though he experienced arguably his most success in Arizona. in the D-backs' first and only World Series victory. With the Diamondbacks, Johnson won four NL He and fellow Curt Schilling were named co- Awards as well as his only World Series championship. MVPs of the seven-game series. If Johnson chooses to be enshrined wearing a D-backs hat, he The second most votes went to this incident from 2001: will be the first player to do so.

Poor bird. For more on Johnson, you can check out a ranking of his top five D-backs moments here as well as a look at his Arizona career, By the Numbers, here.

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Kept Promise Helped Colangelo Land Big Unit HILLSBORO, OR - The defending By Eric Sorenson / Sports360AZ.com champion (@HillsboroHops) will be managed http://www.sports360az.com/2015/01/kept-promise-helped- in 2015 by former major league outfielder Shelley Duncan. The colangelo-land-big-unit/ third-year franchise's coaching staff will include 1990 N.L. -winner , who returns to Hillsboro Without there would be no Arizona for his third year as Hops pitching coach; and Javier Colina, who Diamondbacks. spent 14 years as a minor-league infielder, including parts of four years at Triple-A. Hillsboro native and former major leaguer Ben No Randy Johnson. Petrick will be with the Hops for his third year as consultant. The announcements were made Wednesday by Hillsboro's No 2001 World Series Championship. parent club, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It’s no wonder the man who wooed “The Big Unit” to the new- "I've heard nothing but amazing things about the team, about born franchise back in 1999 smiled like a proud father when it the organization, the city, the whole atmosphere up there," said was announced Tuesday afternoon Johnson was a member of new Hops Manager Shelley Duncan. "I'm extremely excited the 2015 National Baseball Hall of Fame class. about getting the opportunity to manage, and to do it up in the Northwest, in the Portland area, is great. My wife Elyse and I Colangelo took some time Wednesday morning to talk about came to Portland for the Triple-A All-Star Game in 2009, and how their unique friendship and was born well over 15 years we've loved it ever since." ago. Duncan played at the University of Arizona and was drafted by “We related to one another,” Colangelo told Sports360AZ.com the Yankees in the second round in 2001. Six years later, he in a phone interview. “There was a trust between players and made his major league debut with New York, appearing in 34 myself because the various roles in sports that I had played…we games, hitting .257 with seven home runs, and going 2-for-4 in hit it off well. I had great respect for him. As strong as of a the Yankees' four-game Division Series loss to Cleveland. He competitor as I’ve ever seen in sports…I couldn’t be more spent parts of seven seasons in the major leagues-three with the proud of him.” Yankees (2007-09), three with Cleveland (2010-12) and one with Tampa Bay (2013), totaling 330 games. This will be his first At the time Johnson signed, the Diamondbacks were in the season as manager. infancy of their existence just coming off their first full season. A year which they nearly lost 100 games (97) under manager Buck While with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, Scranton/Wilkes- Showalter. Barre in 2009, Duncan came to Portland to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game. He also participated in the Triple-A Colangelo shrewdly used one of his pro franchises at the time to Derby, advancing to the finals. ultimately help benefit the other. "We look forward to adding Shelley Duncan's major-league “His agents called me and said Randy was building a home in experience and his especially his postseason experience with the Phoenix and Randy wanted Suns season tickets..on the floor,” he Yankees to our staff," said Hops General Manager K.L. explained. “We were just getting started as a baseball franchise Wombacher. "Doug Drabek is one of the best pitching coaches and were still a couple of years away from reality. I at any level, and we're really fortunate to get him back. And accommodated him but I told his agent, ‘now you owe me Javier Colina and have a wealth of baseball something.'” experience and knowledge they will bring to our young players."

Colangelo continued. Drabek enters his sixth year with the Diamondbacks, and his third with Hillsboro. Last season, his championship-winning “A couple of years go by and now he’s a free agent so I called pitching staff had the lowest ERA in the Northwest League the agent and said, ‘here’s what I would like. I want to be the (3.64). He spent 13 seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the first one in to meet with him and his family and his agents, but Pirates and Astros, going 22-6 with a 2.76 ERA in his Cy Young- also the last one out.’ In other words, two bites of the apple.” winning season with the 1990 Pirates. In the postseason, Drabek was at his best, logging a 2.05 ERA in seven playoff starts. Four consecutive Cy Young Awards and a World Series Championship and co-series MVP later it’s safe to say the Colina's professional playing career was spent mostly in the decision worked out just fine for both parties. Rockies and White Sox organizations. He hit .271 in more than 5,000 at-bats, seeing his last action as a player in 2012. This will “Randy was the premiere free-agent out there and many of the be his second year in the Diamondbacks organization, having skeptics said it was too big a contract, he was too old, he wasn’t spent 2014 as the hitting instructor for the D-backs' affiliate in going to last,” he lamented. “He proved everyone so wrong it the Rookie-level Arizona League. was unbelievable.” Duncan hired as Dbacks short-season manager Petrick, a lifelong Hillsboro resident, returns to the Hops' By Damien Alameda / Tucson News Now coaching staff for his third year. A second-round draft selection http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27787501/duncan- of the out of Glencoe High School in 1995, hired-as-dbacks-short-season-manager 7

│ he spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the By Greg Hansen / Arizona Daily Star Rockies and . http://tucson.com/duncan-leaving-ua-for-shot-to-manage-in- minors/article_98880f56-938c-11e4-bfb3-1b973d0ffa16.html J.R. House, the Hops' title-winning manager in 2014, has been promoted to Visalia, the D-backs' affiliate in the Advanced-A Shelley Duncan, the UA’s career home run leader, will be leaving California League. Hitting coach has been elevated his position as an Arizona undergraduate baseball coach to to the parent Diamondbacks' big-league staff, where he will become manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Rookie League serve as assistant hitting instructor. team in Hillsboro, Ore. Check back in 10 years: Duncan has the personality and acumen to be a big-league manager. Duncan, a The Hillsboro Hops open the 2015 season on Thursday, June 18 CDO grad who retired from baseball last summer, will hold his in Spokane. Opening Night at in Hillsboro annual Tucson Youth Baseball Association camp Saturday from will be Tuesday, June 23 against South Division-rival Salem- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the . Among those Keizer. Season tickets, mini-plans and flex plans are now who will serve as instructors are Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy and available at www.hillsborohops.com, or by calling 503-640-0887. Tigers second baseman . Information: tucsonyouthbaseballassociation.org. D-backs Offer Exclusive Spring Training Presale To Tucson Residents 2008 Tucson Sidewinders By Damien Alameda / Tucson News Now By James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27787579/d-backs- http://tucson.com/sidewinders-p/image_c5fc6389-a32a-5a22- offer-exclusive-spring-training-presale-to-tucson-residents 8e54-38374d420132.html

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today Tucson fans got a firsthand look at Randy Johnson when he that Tucson residents will receive 50 percent off all 2015 Spring began the 2008 season with a rehabilitation start for the Training games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick which are Sidewinders against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on opening purchased during an exclusive one-day offer this Friday, Jan. 9. night at Tucson Electric Park.

The offer, which is available at dbacks.com/spring, will take D-backs Baseball Academy Continues Through January place from 10:00AM (MT) until midnight on Friday. By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski / Nearby News

The promotional code 15PIMA must be used in conjunction (PDF attached) with a Pima County zip code when purchasing the tickets online. Frye Awarded $5K Grant from D-backs The promotion is good for up to eight tickets per account in By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski / Nearby News select sections. (PDF attached) Tickets for all 20 D-backs Spring Training home games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick go on sale to the general public on Saturday, January 10. Big Unit showing more sides since retirement Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, a shared Spring Training New Hall of Famer embraces photography, visits war zones, complex between the D-backs and Colorado Rockies, exceeded opens up 300,000 fans in 2014 for the fourth consecutive season and is the By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com only Spring Training venue to do so in . http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105859066/hall-of- In addition, the D-backs set a single-game attendance record in famer-randy-johnson-showing-more-sides-since-retirement 2014 with 12,871 fans on March 16 versus Milwaukee. NEW YORK -- The many facets of Randy Johnson were on Pitchers and catchers will report to Salt River Fields on Feb. 19 display Wednesday as the Class of 2015 was introduced by the with their first workout on Feb. 20. Position players will report National Baseball Hall of Fame during a media conference. on Feb. 24 with the first full-squad workout on Feb. 25. Photographer, USO volunteer, new special assistant with the D- Workouts are open to the public, and fans may park in the backs, former left-handed pitcher for six teams -- Arizona twice Desert Lot on the north side of the complex, which is best -- and now utterly eloquent. accessed via 90th Street off of Via de Ventura. "I was really naïve about all of this," Johnson said during a post- The D-backs open their 18th Spring Training on March 3 at Salt conference scrum. "I had a real nice press conference with the River Fields at Talking Stick with an against media in Arizona yesterday. And if you New York people can Arizona State University as part of an annual Collegiate Series. believe it, I was really funny. They were laughing. As I told them: The collegiate series will take place each year for the next six 22 years and the expectations that came along with it as I came seasons and the D-backs will rotate opponents between into my own, I enjoyed moments. And I wish I would have Arizona's three Division I NCAA baseball programs - ASU, shared more moments outwardly. I guess that just wasn't me." University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University (GCU). For more information, and to purchase tickets for Spring Training, But this is where Johnson, at 51, is now. He'll be inducted into visit dbacks.com/spring. the Hall on July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with fellow Duncan leaving UA for shot to manage in minors pitchers John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez and the multi- 8

│ positioned, 3,060-hit lifetime member of the Astros, Craig Biggio. It's the largest class elected by eligible members of the And so it now seems to be the case with the sometimes and Baseball Writers' Association of America since 1955 when Joe onetime irascible Johnson, who's not afraid to share his opinions DiMaggio highlighted that quartet. anymore. Asked who he thought should be in the Hall of Fame, Johnson didn't hesitate, saying former Mariners teammate Edgar Consider this Johnson's reintroduction to the sport he Martinez "because he's the best hitter I ever saw; he's the first dominated for more than two decades, winning 303 games, player on the ballot that would get my vote." striking out an all-time second-best 4,875 batters, pitching a perfect game, capturing five Cy Young Awards and co-sharing Johnson's viewpoint evidently has changed. the 2001 World Series MVP with D-backs teammate Curt Schilling. "When I was slightly removed from baseball, I was involved with real moments I could share with [fans] who would come up Johnson may be most identified for his eight years and two stints to me and say, 'Hey, I saw you pitch in , early in the with the D-backs, who on Tuesday made him a front-office ,'" he said. "And that meant a lot. But more member and said they would retire his No. 51 this season or importantly, it means a lot what you're doing, just giving back. next in the wake of the Big Unit's election with 97.3 percent of I'm just trying to get across what I was occupied with. I wasn't the vote. But Johnson also was brought up by the Expos, played on a deserted island. I was just enjoying life." 10 years with the Mariners, went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in 11 late-season 1998 starts for the Astros, won 34 games (17 and 17) And now, he says, he'll try to help the D-backs "in some in two seasons for the Yankees and recorded his 300th career capacity," just like Luis Gonzalez has already, working in the win in 2009 with the hometown Giants. He grew up in nearby community alongside Hall and filling in on television broadcasts Livermore, Calif. when necessary. Gonzalez, whose walk-off base hit against Yankees ended Game 7 of the 2001 It's not clear at this point whether any of those logos will appear World Series in Arizona's favor, is the only D-backs player to on Johnson's plaque, but what he made clear Wednesday was have his number retired. Gonzo wore No. 20 and sometime that after all those years competing at the highest levels of Major soon, Johnson's No. 51 will join those digits on the facade of the League Baseball, he needed a break. right-field upper stands of Chase Field.

"When I retired from San Francisco, I didn't cut my ties from It's a whole new life. baseball because baseball has meant too much to me," he explained. "I was in constant contact with , the "I'm very excited about that," Johnson said about working with president of the D-backs, various teammates and players and all the D-backs. "I'll still do my travel and my photography. But the that, but really after 26 years of doing anything, you need a little Hall of Fame and who's on the ballot was the furthest thing bit of time with your family and basically a little bit of time to do from my mind. I didn't even know how it all worked and how the things you want to do." the wheels were spinning. Now being thrown into the fire, I'll probably pay a little more attention. Now being part of this [Hall A photo journalism major at USC, Johnson set out all over the of Fame] family, I'll watch how things operate." world shooting pictures of places he longed to see, going to Africa and hitting the road with musician friends. He took seven Day after vote, 'old goats' talk Hall of Fame, honor tours with the USO, visiting military camps in some of the By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com hottest war spots in the Middle East. http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105762364/day-after- vote-old-goats-talk-hall-of-fame-honor "It took me out of this surreal world that I lived in," he said. NEW YORK -- For the Class of 2015, the next stop is The 6-foot-10 Johnson made a large target during visits to Cooperstown, N.Y. Germany where wounded soldiers are transported before they are sent back to the U.S., to Afghanistan where he dodged an Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio incoming mortar attack, to South Korea where he stood on the were officially introduced by the National Baseball Hall of Fame border of North Korea in the Demilitarized Zone, to Bahrain as the latest inductees during a Wednesday news conference at "where kids slightly older than my oldest child were carrying M- the Waldorf Astoria. 16s." Martinez called the trio of first-ballot pitchers and the 24th "If that's not going to be eye-opening to you, nothing will be in member of the 3,000-hit club a "bunch of old goats." All of life," Johnson said. "It puts things into perspective." them will be inducted four hours to the north in the tiny hamlet nestled on the banks of Lake Otsego on July 26. And so, like several other players who were somewhat recalcitrant during their on-field careers, Johnson has returned a Smoltz has been there before. little older and much wiser. and are two others who became chatterboxes since their elections to "Last year, working for MLB Network was the greatest feeling," the Hall. Both maintained they tried to make themselves said Smoltz, who was on hand this past July when Braves inaccessible to the media during their playing days because they manager and Atlanta rotation mates didn't want to expend the energy needed to attain and maintain a and were among the six people inducted. "I've level of acute proficiency. been to great sporting events: the Super Bowl, Final Four, you 9

│ name it. Nothing topped last year. It was the greatest event I've "I'm sure it's a little bit bigger now," Johnson said. "Obviously ever been a part of." being mentored by some Hall of Fame players during my 22-year career and meeting Hall of Fame players along the way, I'm very And that's saying something since Smoltz played in the World excited to be on the stage and be in their presence. I'm now in Series five times with the Braves, helping to defeat the Indians in one of the greatest fraternities of all sports." a six-game series in 1995 and losing a classic Game 7 in '91, 1-0, in 10 to the Twins and , who pitched a Biggio, who grew up on Long Island, said he hasn't been back to . Smoltz was not the other pitcher of record after Cooperstown since he was a little boy, although his wife and pitching 7 1/3 shutout innings of his own. youngest son have since toured the museum.

Between now and the summer, each player will have his "I don't really remember a lot about it," he said. "My youngest individual orientation tour of the red-brick museum on Main son went up with my wife and played in a Little League World Street, and they will determine what, if any, team logo will Series thing, and they shared their experience. [Hall president] appear on his plaque. For Biggio and Smoltz, there is no Jeff [Idelson] took them [in the archives] under the Hall of Fame decision. Biggio played his entire 20-year career with the Astros, and showed them some stuff we have in there. They wouldn't amassing 3,060 hits, including a record 668 doubles as a right- shut up when they got home about all the things that they'd seen handed hitter. Smoltz pitched the first 20 of his 21 seasons with and the plaques and some of the people they heard about. I'm the Braves, finishing about evenly with 15 starts for St. Louis looking forward to getting back there and seeing all the history and Boston in 2009. again and being part of that. It's crazy. We're part of history now." For Johnson and Martinez, the choice is difficult. Martinez is most identified for his seven years with the Red Sox, although he Martinez has been to the museum several times and actually came up with the Dodgers, was traded to the Expos, signed as a pitched in the Hall of Fame Game last year at Doubleday Field, a free agent with the Mets and finished in 2009 with the Phillies, stone's throw down Main Street from the museum. Martinez is losing Game 6 of the World Series in the Bronx to the Yankees the first player to play in Cooperstown one year and then be and in his finale. inducted the next.

Johnson may be most identified for his eight years in two stints "When I first got a chance to go, I was an Expo, a young Expo," with the D-backs, who made him an executive vice president said Martinez, the second native of the Dominican Republic set and said they would retire his No. 51 this season in the wake of to be inducted, joining . "I always was a guy who the Big Unit's election with 97.3 percent of the vote from eligible likes to search and learn and see history. I got glued to members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America on everything I saw in Cooperstown. My eyes were glued to every Tuesday. But Johnson also was brought up by the Expos, played statue, every plaque from everybody. I couldn't help but to look 10 years with the Mariners, went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in 11 at the gloves we used back then. I couldn't imagine how they late-season starts for the Astros in 1998, won 34 games (17 and could catch a ball hit off a bat that fast. 17) in two seasons for the Yankees and recorded his 300th career win in 2009 with the Giants. "It was a tremendous experience. I went looking for Marichal's plaque, and I got a lot more. I'm extremely honored to be going Both pitchers could take the route chosen last year by Maddux back and being part of it and being looked at as an old goat. and , who both went into the Hall with no logo That's what we became: We're a bunch of old goats now." on their plaques, because they didn't want to offend any of the organizations they worked for. Maddux pitched 23 seasons for Aside from his experience last year, Smoltz played with the four teams, playing 11 years with Smoltz on the Braves and 10 in Braves in what was then an annual exhibition game between two stints with the Cubs. La Russa managed 33 years for the Major League teams that for years was staged on Monday, a day White Sox, A's and Cardinals, making the playoffs with all three after the induction. teams and winning six pennants and three World Series titles between Oakland and St. Louis. "We came through here when they used to do that, and it was a blur [of a trip]," he said. "[Last year] was seeing my teammates Thus far, Johnson has not committed, but they all will be asked that I knew, seeing my manager who I basically played for my for their input. whole career, and I had a smile on for five hours. It was such a surreal feeling. This was something that I felt for the first time: "Right now, I'm just celebrating the 22 years that I played and 'What if?' Everyone kind of assumes the three of us together and being inducted in the Hall of Fame," said Johnson, who pitched links us together. Everyone assumes we got six inches off the a perfect game, was co-MVP of the 2001 World Series and won plate [from the umpires] -- I didn't, by the way. four of his five Cy Young Awards with the D-backs. "That's out of my control. It's more of a Hall of Fame decision. I'll cross "Having seen it come around full circle, I never said anything to that bridge in the next couple of days, from what I understand." Tommy or Greg after that day. I never asked them what it was like, where they stayed, none of that stuff. I pretty much kept Unlike Smoltz, Johnson said he hasn't been to Cooperstown this process as pure as possible. Finding out that I'm going to go since 1985, when he pitched for Jamestown as a 21-year- there on July 26 is probably the only way it could have topped old in the New York-Penn League and visited the museum. last year."

Popular infielder McDonald calls it a career 10

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Listed at 5-foot-9, defensive-minded player enjoyed 16 years in Upon turning 40 on Sept. 24, McDonald talked about how bigs with eight teams surprised he was that he even played past 30. By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105823936/popular- "At some point I wanted five years service time, and then seven infielder-john-mcdonald-calls-it-a-career and a half would've been great, 10 would've been great," he said. "And then, as I kept on playing, I was like, 'Man, I'm only a ANAHEIM -- John McDonald, who willed his way through a couple years away from 40. It'd be nice to still be playing the 16-year career with eight different teams as a backup infielder, game at 40.' Sitting here now, it's a nice little sense of has decided to retire from the game at age 40. News of his accomplishment." decision spread Wednesday, when four teams -- the Indians, Blue Jays, D-backs and Angels -- offered up congratulations ---- through their individual Twitter accounts. Blue Jays-Official ✔ @BlueJays

McDonald was that popular. Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. Job well done to one of the all-time good guys in the game He was only 5-foot-9, never had much power, didn't possess ---- great arm strength and couldn't even run that fast, but he established himself as an ideal backup infielder thanks to Along the way, McDonald feels he proved something. lightning-quick hands, a slick glove, unmatched work ethic and innate smarts. He was a favorite in every clubhouse, popular "There's a lot of reasons that go into why you keep someone like among beat reporters all over the country and was cheered at me around," he said, "which I think bodes well for the next guy almost every ballpark he returned to as a visitor. who's in my shoes."

McDonald played in 1,100 games from 1999-2014, spending McDonald is married with two children, Jacqueline and seven years each with the Indians and Blue Jays. He backed up Anthony, whom he'll now spend a lot more time with -- unless in Cleveland, played on four teams in 2013 -- another team scoops him up as a coach. He sensed the end was Pirates, Indians, Phillies, Red Sox -- and also made stops with near on Sept. 28, during the regular-season finale at Safeco Field. the D-backs, Tigers and, lastly, Angels. ------Arizona Diamondbacks ✔ @Dbacks ✔ @Indians Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. Job well done to one of the all-time good guys in the game Job well done to one of the game's all-time good guys. ------McDonald entered in the fifth and laced an RBI double in The Connecticut product won a job with the Angels in Spring the ninth, ensuring that the Angels would go an entire season Training -- after agreeing to his first Minor League contract -- without getting shut out on the road. and spent the entire regular season on their active roster, primarily serving as a late-game defensive replacement for third McDonald kept the ball and fought back tears after the game. baseman . "It's a good feeling to get one more hit," McDonald said, just McDonald always felt the game would be the one to retire him. before learning that he wouldn't crack the Angels' postseason roster. "It might have more meaning later." "I never really thought it was up to me to retire," McDonald said as the 2014 season was winding down. "I always thought the 30 Perseverant Johnny Mac leaves legacy in retirement teams would retire me when they decide I'm no longer worthy of After 16-year MLB career, McDonald remembered fondly by all one of those spots." By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/105845610/anthony- ---- castrovince-perseverant-john-mcdonald-leaves-fond-legacy-in- Angels ✔ @Angels retirement

Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. The inside joke was that John McDonald didn't want to upstage Job well done to one of the all-time good guys in the game Tuesday's Hall of Fame announcement. And so it was ---- Wednesday afternoon that four Major League clubs simultaneously used their official Twitter accounts to spread the McDonald averaged only 41 starts per season, but continually news of McDonald's official retirement from the big leagues. found work thanks to his sharp defensive skills and winning personality. He produced a .233/.273/.323 slash line with 28 Think about that. Four clubs -- the Indians, D-backs, Angels and homers in 2,651 career plate appearances, but he had 15 Blue Jays -- felt fond enough about this scrappy little Defensive Runs Saved in 1,376 innings at second base, and 51 journeyman utility guy that they all wanted some part of his Defensive Runs Saved in 4,082 innings at shortstop. goodbye.

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And sure, it was just a tweet. And sure, John McDonald's 'Man, this is helping me an awful lot. This guy is extremely retirement is no seismic announcement. But guys like Johnny secure in his job. He has no fear anybody is ever going to take Mac are what many of us love about this game. Guys generously his job.' From that moment on, I thought, 'Why can't I have that listed at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds. Guys who use their great glove same attitude? I know I'm never going to be the same player he and their pleasant personality to survive in a brutally competitive was or is, but why can't I have that same mentality of teaching climate, in spite of uninspiring offensive stats. Guys who bounce younger players in Spring Training about their footwork or ways from team to team and yet leave a lasting mark with the many to become a better player?' And then, every year, I was one of men and women behind the scenes. those guys who ended up on the big league club. I don't think that was a coincidence. You get what you give." ---- Arizona Diamondbacks ✔ @Dbacks What McDonald gave, invariably, was his time and attention to the little people -- the security guys, the clubhouse attendants, Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. the bat boys and, yes, the reporters who crossed his path. Job well done to one of the all-time good guys in the game ---- "Everybody who walks into those buildings wants to win a championship as much as the players and coaches do," he said. There's no Hall of Fame for guys like Johnny Mac, but I, for one, emitted an audible, "Wow!" when I called up his Baseball ---- Reference page Wednesday and realized he participated in 16 Cleveland Indians ✔ @Indians big-league seasons. Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. That's survival. That's impressive. Job well done to one of the game's all-time good guys. ---- "I went 16 years without ever getting released!" he told me proudly. "That's awesome. I don't know how that happened." Indians PR man Bart Swain became so close to Johnny Mac that Swain asked him to be the godfather of his son. Actually, here's how it happened: McDonald learned, quickly, that while being one of the last guys on a roster does mean your "His best friends in the game are all guys that are non-uniform," job is under constant threat from others in the organization, it Swain said. "He treated clubbies and PR guys and traveling shouldn't preclude you from being a good and helpful teammate secretaries like they were equals. And he's one of those guys who and dispensing whatever knowledge you can. And just because wasn't an everyday player but was still considered a leader. That's you're one of the guys who take the field, it doesn't mean you an amazing asset to have." should lose sight of the value of those who don't. Not that McDonald didn't have assets on the field. There was People noticed that. People liked Johnny Mac. And Johnny Mac this thing his Double-A team, the Akron Aeros, would post on kept sticking around. the scoreboard whenever he snared a would-be hit in the hole and fired over to first or started a double play with second ---- baseman : Blue Jays-Official ✔ @BlueJays "You've just been Johnny Mac'd!" the scoreboard would read. Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. Job well done to one of the all-time good guys in the game "Somebody sent me a picture of that after a play I turned on ---- Doug Mientkiewicz," McDonald said. "I showed it to him once, and he said, 'I hated that!'" McDonald was a 12th-round Draft pick who signed with the Indians in 1996, looked around the clubhouse his first day in McDonald would inspire similar hate in the big leagues, where rookie ball at Watertown and knew this was going to be an uphill his glovework was always reliable all around the infield. Ever see battle all the way. that 720-degree putout he made on Yangervis Solarte last season? Fun stuff. "There were so many kids," he said. "You're thinking, 'This kid played at Pepperdine, this kid was at , how the And though his .596 career OPS obviously didn't lend itself to a heck am I going to fit into this?'" multitude of heroic offensive feats, Johnny Mac did have one of the more memorable home runs of recent history. Five days And he'd have that thought every year. Maybe the Indians would before Father's Day in 2010, his dad, Jack, succumbed to an draft a shortstop in an early round. Or maybe the Angels, the eight-month battle with liver cancer. And on Father's Day, in his final team the 40-year-old McDonald played for, would call up a first game back with the Blue Jays, McDonald went deep in the hungry and talented kid like Grant Green. For a guy like Johnny ninth, thinking of his dad every step in that trip around the Mac, there were always threats to what little, if any, job security bases. he had. But it was a conversation with Omar Vizquel early in his big league days that helped him realize the bottom line. "That was unique in a lot of ways," he said. "Having my teammates in the organization having a sense of we were all in "We were talking about infield play," McDonald recalled. "He that one together. Everybody in the organization and the people was teaching me things, showing me things, and I'm thinking, 12

│ in the stands were all kind of hoping and breathing hard to get Davis was surprised that Johnson would swing in a 2-0 count. that one over the wall for me. That was pretty special." Johnson appeared surprised that the baseball sailed all the way to the over the left-field wall, since he sprinted out of the Another special moment came in the midst of last season, when batter's box and around first base before settling into a trot. He'd the Red Sox, for whom McDonald played all of six games in found the perfect spot to hit a baseball out of hitter-friendly 2013, received a World Series from the club. His wife, Miller Park. Maura, a Boston native, had the honor of picking it up for him during a game at . It was a big thrill for the family. The D-backs' erupted, but Johnson remained stone- faced. Donald never expected any of this. He watched the video cassette of his first big league hit, in 1999, one day recently. He "When he touched home plate, I could tell he wanted to smile, saw himself give a little head nod and exhale. And he remembers but he didn't want to show me up out there on the mound," said what he thought after that game: "What do I do now?" His goals Davis, who noted that Johnson threw him a diet of sliders in were modest, but McDonald kept hanging in there, year after subsequent at-bats, unwilling to give Davis an opportunity to year. And when he notched one last double in the ninth inning answer. of the Angels' final game of the regular season, his teammates, knowing this was probably the end for the Little Infielder That The smile came later. Davis and Johnson played together in Could, gave him a hearty round of applause. Arizona in 2007-08, and Johnson greeted Davis with a big smile when the two met for the first time in Spring Training. It took They appreciated what all of us should: You don't have to be a only a few days before the home run came up in conversation. Hall of Famer to be a success in this game. Mere survival is pretty impressive on its own. "I was like, 'I knew that stuff was going to come up!'" Davis said. "Randy was dry and sort of quiet, but we joked about it. He Congrats, Johnny Mac. never rubbed it in or anything like that. It's part of baseball. I gave up a lot of home runs to hitters, pitchers -- it didn't matter ---- who it was." Angels ✔ @Angels How's this for a coincidence: Davis also surrendered the first Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. career home run of Brewers pitcher 's career. Job well done to one of the all-time good guys in the game Gallardo, in turn, is the only pitcher ever to homer off Johnson. ---- Davis enjoyed a long career of his own that spanned 17 Davis clearly remembers homer served up to Big Unit professional seasons, including parts of 13 years in the Major Former Brewers lefty allowed only blast hit by Hall of Famer Leagues with five teams. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer Johnson in 2003 in 2008 but pitched in the Majors through 2011 and By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com professionally through '12 before retiring. http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/105852172/doug- davis-remembers-clearly-home-run-served-up-to-randy-johnson- Davis has remained busy as a father of four and remains golf in-2003 buddies with a number of former and current Brewers, including Chris Capuano, Manny Parra, Kameron Loe and . MILWAUKEE -- Former Brewers pitcher has a good sense of humor about his unique place in Hall of Famer Warm up with the official release of spring slate Randy Johnson's career. By Adam Berry / MLB.com http://m.mlb.com/news/article/105805538/warm-up-with-the- "I'm happy I was in a position to help him out, I guess," Davis official-release-of-spring-training-schedule said. It's been a busy offseason packed with blockbuster trades and Johnson pitched 22 seasons in the Major Leagues, won five Cy big free-agent signings, and there are still more moves to come. Young Awards, struck out more batters than any left-handed But we're now less than two months away from the familiar sight pitcher in history and hit one home run -- off Davis at Miller of games on the field, as Major League Baseball announced the Park on Sept. 19, 2003, when Johnson was with the D-backs. 2015 Spring Training schedule on Wednesday.

Davis still remembers it clearly. The exhibition schedule in Florida will begin on March 1, with the Phillies taking on the University of Tampa at Bright House "I'm proud I was able to pitch against Randy," Davis said by Field in Clearwater. Clubs in Arizona will begin taking the field telephone on Wednesday, while Johnson, Craig Biggio, Pedro on March 3, most notably a Bay Area showdown between the Martinez and John Smoltz were in New York being introduced Giants and A's at the renovated HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa. together as the Hall of Fame's class of 2015. "I don't really know how I feel about [the Johnson home run], but it doesn't bother All 30 teams will be on the field on March 5. That's when we me. It was a 2-0 cut that went from out to in, pretty should get our first real glimpse at the new-and-improved Padres much right over the plate. I think he was just as surprised as and the revamped Red Sox. We'll see Joe Maddon perched at the everybody else." end of the Cubs' dugout, perhaps with Jon Lester on the mound. We'll see familiar faces -- and a few new ones in different 13

│ uniforms -- as each club begins to round into form for the 1. In the cases of the four players who were elected, there regular season. shouldn't be any serious dissension about any of these Cooperstown-bound individuals. And the voters didn't exhibit We'll also see a flashback to October, as the defending World any first-ballot hesitation. The three newcomers to the ballot Series champion Giants will face the champion were all received on the basis of merit, rather than their status as Royals on March 22 at , and again on March 23 rookies in the Hall voting process. at Scottsdale Stadium. This is the toughest Hall to enter in North American Amid the usual Grapefruit and Cactus League action, some professional sports. In any given year, there will always be viable teams will travel outside the sunny confines of Florida and candidates who aren't elected. This is the nature of the National Arizona. The Cubs and A's will play two split-squad games in Baseball Hall of Fame. The election of four candidates for the Las Vegas on March 13-14. The Dodgers and Rangers will send first time in 60 years shows that the election process, while still split squads to San Antonio on March 20-21. And the split-squad very difficult, has not lapsed into the impossible. Rockies and D-backs will take the field in Hermosillo, Mexico, on March 29. 2. Two candidates, who had Hall-worthy credentials but who have been damaged by rumors of performance-enhancing Several clubs have yet to announce when they will officially substance usage, finished with a majority of votes, but not the 75 begin Spring Training, but the Phillies, Pirates, Reds and Indians percent necessary for induction. are among those who will see their pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 18. Rumors shouldn't be enough to disqualify a candidate, which is why and get my vote on an annual As the regular season draws nearer, some clubs will make their basis. In the absence of factual evidence, the presumption of way to Major League and Minor League ballparks from April 2-4 innocence should still apply. Piazza gained considerable support to wrap up their spring slate. The Dodgers and Angels will from last year to this year. Both of these candidacies should square off in their home parks, the Giants and A's will play back eventually prevail. in the Bay Area, and the Astros will play their Minor League club in Corpus Christi, Texas, to name a few. 3. Then we have four more players associated with the use of performance-enhancers, including one admission of usage. That all leads up to Sunday, April 5, when the Cubs will host the Cardinals at to open the 2015 regular season on Two of the most prominent performers of their era, Roger ESPN's "" at 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen more Clemens and , continue to receive less than 40 games are scheduled for April 6, with eight more to come on percent of the vote for their third straight year on the ballot. April 7 before the first full slate of 15 regular-season games on Mark McGwire is down to 10 percent of the vote and Sammy April 8. Sosa narrowly retains ballot eligibility at 6.6 percent.

Hall vote epitomizes the essence of election But this is where the difficulty enters, no matter which side of By Mike Bauman / MLB.com the argument a voter chooses to take. These candidates all have http://m.mlb.com/news/article/105906792/mike-bauman-hall- Hall of Fame credentials. So these cases require a voter to make vote-epitomizes-the-essence-of-election not a baseball choice, not a statistical choice, not even an advanced analytics choice. These cases require a moral choice. The Hall of Fame voting process is not broken. It is simply more difficult than it used to be. These cases require the voters to at least contemplate the rules of this election, which include this prominent passage: There was considerable gnashing of teeth two years ago when the voters elected no one. It was unfair, it was unjust, it was "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, maybe even un-American. It wasn't much fun, either. Elections integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the are generally not held with the expectation that no one will win. team(s) on which the player played."

But we are on ground that seems much solid today, as the voters Integrity, sportsmanship, character; I don't find that there is any in the 2015 Hall of Fame election, eligible members of the room in there for steroid use. But there are people for whom I Baseball Writers' Association of America, most of the same have great professional respect who vote the other side of this individuals who elected no one in 2013, elected four completely issue. deserving candidates; Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio. These sorts of disagreements are what make elections, and horse races, and in a larger way, democracies. Voting in this election Being one of the voters in this process for more than two remains a rare privilege and a solemn obligation. It is now a decades, I may not be completely impartial in this judgment. But more complex undertaking than it once was, but that doesn't I thought the outcome of this election made perfect sense, at mean it is no longer a workable process. least in some ways. We all have candidates who we wish would receive more votes. Let us examine that premise in three categories of results in this There will always be arguments that the Hall is not inclusive election. enough. That is the nature of every Hall of Fame election. But

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│ this year's election illustrated that the underlying process still increasing amounts of scrutiny, both with regard to statistics and makes sense and still remains viable. their legitimacy.

D-backs sign infielder Nick Punto Though the writers failed to vote in any player two years ago, By Associated Press they just voted in four for the first time in 60 years. It's been just http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12133105/arizona- as long since they had selected seven over two years, which diamondbacks-sign-nick-punto-minor-league-contract includes last year's induction of pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas. PHOENIX -- Infielder Nick Punto has agreed to a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks that includes an The writers have never elected 10 in a three-year span. Yet on invitation to spring training. next year's ballot, Ken Griffey Jr. is a first-ballot lock while Mike Piazza was just 28 votes short this year and closer Trevor Arizona announced the deal Wednesday. Hoffman is another strong first-time candidate

If the Diamondbacks add Punto to their 40-man roster, they will Additionally, among players currently eligible, and have to pay him only the major league minimum of $507,500 -- Jeff Bagwell both reached 55% this year, while pitchers Mike or a prorated share if he's added after Opening Day. Punto is Mussina and Curt Schilling have vocal minority support. guaranteed $2.75 million from the , who , Ivan Rodriguez, , , released him in December. Scott Rolen and Andruw Jones all become eligible in 2017 or '18.

Punto has played for six clubs in parts of 14 major league This list doesn't even include many of their peers with seasons. He has a career .243 batting average. Last season, he historically great numbers — Barry Bonds, , appeared in 73 games with the A's, hitting .207. Rafael Palmeiro and , among others — whose suspicion of steroid use was too overwhelming. Punto spent time with Philadelphia, Minnesota, St. Louis, Boston, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland. In other words, despite all the fan handwringing and Internet Baseball's Hall of Fame in midst of unlikely growth spurt scorn pillorying writers' ballots, the Hall is growing rapidly By Joe Lemire / USA Today through the enshrinement of players who starred in the '90s and http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/01/07/hall- '00s without the inclusion of many of the era's top statistical of-fame-2015-pedro-martinez-randy-johnson-john-smoltz-craig- performers. There seem to be so many deserving candidates biggio/21398237/ falling short each year that the BBWAA has asked the Hall of Fame to consider a proposal to allow writers to vote for up to 12 NEW YORK - Pedro Martinez revealed that, as an 18-year-old candidates each year instead of 10. minor leaguer, he spent the last $250 he had saved to buy a ball autographed by . Randy Johnson spoke with "I'm not saying how people should vote, but you'd think there reverence about talking shop in the Yankees clubhouse with would be the people that are here and obviously several more and . that were on that ballot all deserving," Johnson said. "I don't really know how the whole political voting kind of thing goes, These are but two examples of the respect the new class of but I know this is something that I never imagined." Baseball Hall of Famers — pitchers Johnson, Martinez and John Smoltz, as well as versatile position player Craig Biggio — have After all, Johnson noted, Cooperstown enshrinement isn't on for the bygone legends of their game. any player's mind in the early stages of their careers. "You don't play to go to the Hall of Fame," he said. Of course, after concurrently dominating the sport for the better part of two decades apiece, there's also tremendous appreciation Martinez said that he visited the Hall for the first time as a young for each other. Expo and was entranced by everything he saw, from countryman Juan Marichal's plaque to the antique gloves players used a "What a class to go in," Martinez said, before addressing his century ago. fellow electees on the dais at the Waldorf-Astoria in Midtown Manhattan: "Don't forget, you guys, you have give me an "I've always been the guy who likes to search, to learn, to see autograph before you leave." history," Martinez said. "I got glued to everything I saw in Cooperstown." As early as summer 2004, commissioner declared that baseball was in a "golden age," though it is now understood as That was back before Martinez won his three Cy Youngs and one inflated by and conflated with the Steroid Era. Many of the five ERA titles; before Johnson won 303 games or struck out record-breaking statistics from the late and early 2000s 4,875 batters, second-most all-time; before Smoltz won 213 require a bit of recalibration. games and saved 154 others; and before Biggio racked up 3,060 hits and 668 doubles, fifth in history, while making All-Star In light of various bits of evidence, a few confessions and a games as both a catcher and second baseman. whole lot of (at times unwarranted) suspicion, the Baseball Writers Association of American — the electorate charged with The odds are against all players back then. At this post-election deciding players' Hall of Fame fates — now holds candidates to press conference each year, Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson

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│ likes to remind everyone that only about 1% of the roughly 18,500 major leaguers are inducted into the Hall. Lest you think Schilling was just joking or being goofy, he was asked in a follow-up whether he thought he would have gotten A rush from the 'Golden Era' at least 100 more votes if weren't an "outspoken Republican." His response: The writers are on track, however, to send a disproportionately high number of ballplayers into the Hall from the '90s and '00s. “Absolutely. When human beings do something, anything, Given the distance of time, there seems to be a maturing there's bias and prejudice,” Schilling said. “Listen, nine percent perspective that, even though a lot of the record-breaking of the voters did not vote for Pedro. There's something wrong statistics were distorted by performance-enhancing drugs, there with the process and some of the people in the process when also may have been an abnormally large number of great players. that happens. I don't think that it kept me out or anything like that but I do know there are guys who probably will never vote Those obviously fueled by PEDs are being excluded. Those for me because of the things I said or did. That's the way it inducted, on the other hand, are in only after extremely rigorous works.” vetting, and there's no reason for them to apologize for playing in the era they did. Schilling is outspoken about this beliefs — any ol' belief really, not just politics — but he did publicly endorse George W. Bush "Who knows what the best era is," Smoltz said, before extolling during the 2004 election against John Kerry. But let's be real: the the offensive explosion that happened during his career — and logjammed Hall of Fame ballot, which was deep with starting yet five starting pitchers from that time period were successful pitchers, had more to do with Schilling's vote total than anything enough to be elected in the past two years after only one starter, about him personally. , had been elected over the previous 14 years. We're not going to sit here and say Hall of Fame voters don't As Biggio marveled, the importance of Tuesday's vote dawning have odd agendas. There's the guy who thought Pedro Martinez on him, "We're part of history now." And the players of his era was a "punk," for example. But picking on someone's politics may come to be known as some of the best. Perhaps the Steroid seems iffy. Era and a golden age of great players are not mutually exclusive but, rather, can coexist in the halls of Cooperstown. Even though it might not always seem like it, our nation is pretty evenly split, thus the pool of American baseball players is the Curt Schilling says he lost Hall of Fame votes because he's same. Has there been a problem of Republican players getting a Republican Hall of Fame votes before? Not that we've heard of. Tom By Mike Oz / Yahoo! Sports Glavine's a Republican, maybe just not as outspoken about it. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/curt- is. Many athletes are, just like many citizens of this schilling-says-he-lost-hall-of-fame-votes-because-he-s-a- country. republican-192514435.html Not voting for Schilling because he's a Republican would be like Curt Schilling doesn't believe in evolution, but he apparently giving him a sympathy vote because he recently beat cancer — believes this: Some Hall of Fame voters didn't put a checkmark in this conversation, neither matters. next to his name because he's an outspoken Republican. UPDATE: Schilling said Wednesday afternoon on Twitter that Well, that's certainly one theory, Curt, isn't it? was just joking.

There's a legitimate reason to wonder why Schilling didn't get @MoRings42 Listen to the interview, then shut your pie hole. It anywhere near the support from voters that John Smoltz did. was said in jest you dink. Their numbers aren't that different, except for Smoltz's total. — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) January 7, 2015 @h20gony Listen to it, said in jest and laughed about. But folks Smoltz was elected on his first ballot, earning 82.9 percent of the get butthurt on things they want to, so they can yell like 12 year vote. Schilling, meanwhile, got 39.2 percent on his third ballot. olds. The JAWS Hall of Fame evaluation method, however, says Schilling is better than Smoltz, 64.5 vs. 54.2 on the JAWS scale. — Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) January 7, 2015

Schilling appeared Wednesday on Boston radio station WEEI, Diamondbacks To Sign Nick Punto telling the Dennis and Callahan show that he thinks his political By Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors leanings certainly didn't help. Asked why Smoltz did so much http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/ better than him on the ballot, Schilling said: 12:10pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that it’s "The fact that [the Braves] won 14 straight pennants. I think his a minor league contract with an invite to big league camp 'Swiss Army knife versatility,' which is what somebody said (Twitter link). yesterday. I think he got a lot of accolades for that. I think he got a lot of recognition for that. He's a Hall of Famer. The other big 11:49am: The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with veteran thing is, I think he's a Democrat. I know that as a Republican utilityman Nick Punto, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that there's some people that really don't like that.” (Twitter link). He is represented by agent Jeff Caulfield. 16

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Mark McGwire’s titanic batting practice home runs played to Punto, who turned 37 in November, hit just .207/.296/.293 in enormous crowds. You know the era. Right? 224 plate appearances for the Athletics last season after signing a one-year, $2.75MM contract. Nonetheless, Punto received John Gardner, the former Secretary of Health, once said this: enough playing time in Oakland and stayed healthy enough that “History never looks like history when you are living through it.” he had a $2.75MM option vest for the 2015 season. However, Oakland ultimately elected to release Punto in December when And it turns out the Selig Era was about pitching all along. they needed to clear a 40-man roster spot. He’ll still be paid the $2.75MM from the A’s, but it’s unclear at this time if his * * * contract is a Major League or minor legaue deal. Here’s a funny thing about baseball pitchers: Most people will Though Punto has never hit much outside of a solid 2006 season tell you the truly great ones pitched 100 years ago. This concept with Minnesota and a small sample of 166 plate appearances would be ridiculous for any other kind of player in any other with the 2011 Cardinals, he’s historically been a very capable sport. The greatest NFL quarterback obviously didn’t play 100 defender at second base, third base and shortstop. His defense years ago – there was no NFL. The greatest NBA point guard has slipped a bit as he’s aged, but the switch-hitter is likely still obviously didn’t play 100 years ago – there was no NBA. capable of backing up the D-Backs at three infield spots. Of course, the same could be said about the much younger Cliff The 100-meter world record was 10.6; that is now not fast Pennington. It’s possible that the D-Backs will look to flip enough to qualify a runner for the U.S. Olympic trials. Pennington and his $3.275MM salary to a team with an infield need, but Punto could also merely be a depth piece that will The Olympic 100-meter freestyle was 1:00.4. That is now come to camp and compete for a job. significantly slower than the national record for 11-12 year old girls. The greatest generation The pitchers of the Selig Era were the best in baseball history The best college player in America was probably By Joe Posnanski / NBCSports.com George Levis, a forward who stood less than 6 feet tall and http://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/the-greatest-generation/ averaged 9 points per game for Wisconsin.

Let’s talk about the greatest era for starting pitchers in baseball The best player was probably Harvard’s Eddie history. Well, before we do that, let’s begin with a few things you Mahan. He weighed 165 pounds, played halfback, defensive back probably know about the Bud Selig Era, which, for our and kicker (he also played some offensive and defensive line) purposes, we will say was between 1994-2004: and as an amateur pitcher, he also once threw a shutout against the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game. 1. More runs were scored in that period than at any time in baseball history. This had a lot to do with expansion – more Point being – it was a different time in sports. The world keeps teams means more runs – but it also was because of a wave of spinning. Athletes keep getting stronger, faster, taller, bigger. offense not seen in baseball since the 1930s, when there were many fewer teams and a shorter schedule. And yet, if you ask a representative group of baseball fans to name the best pitcher ever, you’re probably going get somebody 2. More home runs were hit during that stretch than at any time from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Let’s put it this in baseball history. Before 1994, there had only been one season way: here were the Top 5 pitcher on Baseball Reference’s Elo – that crazy, juiced-ball season in 1987 – when teams averaged a Rather just two weeks ago (the Elo Rater is a system that allows homer per game. Between 1994-2004, teams averaged at least fans to rank players; it often changes): one homer per game every single season. 1. 3. Before 1994, a total of 18 players had 50-plus homers in a season – that’s in the long history of baseball – and nobody had 2. hit more than 61 in a season. From 1994-2004, another 18 players hit 50-plus homers, and players hit 63, 64, 65, 66, 70 and 3. 73 home runs in single years. 4. Grover Cleveland (Pete) Alexander 4. For thirty seasons – 1964-93 – the major-league ERA was 3.74. From 1994-2004, the major league ERA was 4.49. 5. Cy Young

None of this is surprising. You already know that the Selig Era – Of these, only Grove was too young to pitch 100 years ago. He that turbulent time with labor strife and small strike zones and didn’t start his career until 1925. hitters wearing body armor, that turbulent time without drug testing or humidors or excessive defensive shifts – was famous For his 2001 Baseball Abstract, ranked the 100 for offense, for home runs, for unbearably long 11-9 games, greatest players in baseball history. Here were the Top 5 usually played in . You already know that the most pitchers: distinctive features of the Selig Era were Barry Bonds home runs that landed in the Bay, and Sammy Sosa kisses to heaven, and 1. Walter Johnson

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2. Do you remember the “Saturday Night Live” skit where Michael 3. Lefty Grove Jordan went back in time to play basketball with those guys in the 1950s? 4. Pete Alexander Yeah, it probably would be something like that. 5. Cy Young No, the greatest starting pitchers in baseball history didn’t pitch Satchel Paige began his pitching career around the same time as 100 years ago, and it’s time for us to stop saying that. Those Lefty Grove. pitchers were marvelous for their time, but the greatest pitchers in baseball history, well, we were all lucky enough to see them. Why is it like this? In what other category of American life does anyone believe that the very best happened a century or so ago? They were the starting pitchers of the Selig Era. Music, maybe? Politics? Why have baseball fans so stubbornly clung to this preposterous illusion that pitchers from an era * * * when they made 40 or 50 starts a year, when were dead, when black players were banned, when hitters swung fat How did it happen? In the last two years, FIVE pitchers – Greg tree branches were the best ever? Maddux, Tom Glavine last year; Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz on Tuesday – were first-ballot selections to the There are a couple of obvious answers. One answer is the Baseball Hall of Fame. That’s the most of any era; only 15 numbers. Deadball Era pitchers used heavy, muddy, dirty pitchers in baseball history have been voted in their first year. baseballs (balls were not constantly replaced like they are now), And that list of five doesn’t even include Roger Clemens, who and they spit on those balls a lot, and hitters were at a crazy might have been the best of the bunch, or Mariano Rivera, who disadvantage. Because of this, pitchers of the time put up will enter the Hall moments after he is put on the ballot. numbers that are simply unimaginable now: How did it happen? It was an era so tilted to offense that – Cy Young won 511 games. That’s lunacy. Nobody’s touching Congress held hearings; and yet it will be remembered as the that record. Renaissance for baseball starting pitchers.

– Walter Johnson had a sub-2.00 ERA every year from 1910-16 Maybe it comes down to the cliche: Extraordinary times call for – seven years in a row. And the Big Train AVERAGED 355 extraordinary measures. Pitchers faced a ridiculous challenge in innings per year; last year’s league leader, , threw 248 the Selig Era. They had to deal with strike zones the size of innings. keychains, ballparks with fences moving in like the garbage compactor in Star Wars, batters wearing enough body armor to – Pete Alexander won 30 games in three consecutive seasons; in be knights, anti-gravity baseballs. They had to deal with so much, one of those seasons he had 16 shutouts. Pedro Martinez had and one of the wonderful things about being human is that the seventeen shutouts in his entire career. best of us respond to impossible conditions.

And so on. The numbers from that time were so overwhelming Greg Maddux responded with unparalleled control, pitches that that players in the last 100 years cannot compete with them. juked and jived, and a savant-like mind for pitching. Teammates tell story after story about Maddux’s almost supernatural ability But there’s another thing … nostalgia. Baseball drips with to predict what would happen next. “He will foul off two pitches nostalgia; we baseball fans so desperately want the game to be to the right side then hit a grounder through the hole between timeless, a game frozen on the space-time continuum so that we short and third,” Maddux would mutter when watching one of can close our eyes and imagine facing the his teammates was hitting, and it would happen. Bambino or Mike Trout hitting against the Big Train. We baseball fans irksomely wax about the enduring magic of 90 feet, Randy Johnson was a force of nature. The first time I saw him the perfect distance between bases, a ground ball to short was an pitch was in 1987, when he was pitching for Class AA out in 1915, and it’s an out today. Jacksonville. The pregame notes made a big deal about him being the tallest professional pitcher in baseball history at 6-foot- And that’s all well and good, but pitchers were playing a vastly 10 … and there was something circus-like about him. World’s different game 100 years ago in countless ways – conditions, Tallest Pitcher. He towered over the mound, and he threw training, instruction, travel, openness to the world – and the ridiculously hard, but he couldn’t throw strikes, and the whole wistfulness for those pitchers and their unmatchable numbers geometry of things seemed off. He walked 128 batters in just can make us miss the obvious: Nobody in 1915 would have hit 140 innings that year, hit nine more, threw 12 wild pitches; the . Are you kidding me? Could you even imagine Bob next year in Indianapolis he had TWENTY balks. There had Gibson going out there on the mound against those guys never been a pitcher quite like him, and so there was no telling choking up on 45-ounce bats? Nobody would stand a chance. how it would work out. ? ? Juan Marichal? How do you think players in 1915 would have dealt with Juan Marchial’s leg kick He was called up to Montreal in 1988 and lost his first four and ever-shifting fastball? What do you think ’s decisions, and the Expos shipped him off to Seattle for three- exploding would have done to those hitters’ early 20th time strikeout leader . Had the Expos held on to century minds? It would be like showing them an iPhone. him for a few more years, they might have had a 1994 pitching 18

│ staff with Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. Of course, even All of those things – the great stuff, the beautiful mind, the then, the season still would have ended in a strike and the team talent for inciting – made Pedro Martinez all but invincible at his would have ended in Florida. height. His 1999 season, inning for inning, might be the best ever for a pitcher. Then, by some measurements, his 2000 Randy Johnson unwound slowly; he did not have his breakout season was even better that 1999. And that means his THIRD year until he was 29 when he went 19-8 with a 3.24 ERA and best season was when he went 17-8 with a 1.90 ERA and a .932 finished second in the Cy Young balloting. He was about to WHIP in 1997 for Montreal. Or it was when he went 20-4 with a begin the greatest decade of left-handed pitching since Lefty 2.26 ERA, a .923 WHIP and a six-to-one strikeout to walk ratio. Grove. And it was just as the Selig Era was beginning. Or it could have been 2003 when the American League hit 2,500 home runs, but only seven of them off Pedro. Johnson dealt with all that offensive power with power of his own – high and hard sliders that plummeted out of He was bigger than life. One teammate when he was in Boston sight at the last instant. Johnson used to say the harder he threw said of him: “Sometimes I watch him, and I feel sorry for his slider, the harder it dived to the ground … so he threw his hitters.” Kansas City’s once told me, “I had a sliders HARD, especially with two strikes. Because of that, he dream that I was facing Pedro Martinez. He struck me out in my was probably the greatest strikeout pitcher in baseball history. own dream.” Pedro Martinez used his legend the way He struck out 4,875 batters, and while that was 850 fewer than gunslingers in the Wild West did. Nolan Ryan, Johnson did it in many fewer innings. Johnson’s 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings is a strikeout higher than Ryan’s The fourth pitcher on the Selig Era Mount Rushmore is rate and the highest among baseball starters. probably not Smoltz or Glavine, even though they were both first-ballot Hall of Famers. It’s probably not Curt Schilling or He overpowered. Right-handers were overmatched but lefties , though the two have Hall of Fame cases as good were simply helpless. They hit .199 against the Big Unit over his as Smoltz and Glove. career. No, the fourth Beatle is Roger Clemens, who might have been Pedro Martinez overpowered in a different way. His father, the best pitcher of the incredible group. Clemens dominated the Paulino, had been a sinkerball pitcher back in the days when it Selig Era with sheer competitive rage. So much of his legacy has was hard for a Dominican pitcher to get noticed by the Major been clouded with steroid accusations but baseball has never Leagues. His sons Ramon and Pedro became pitchers seen a pitcher like him. He was part Nolan Ryan, part Bob themselves. They used to pitch oranges and doll heads for Gibson, part Roberto Duran, part Cool Hand Luke. He threw practice; this is how much baseball means on the island. fastballs that seemed to jump up to your eyes, and he threw split- fingered fastballs that fell into trap doors. And you were never Ramon was the older brother and the first phenom in the family; quite sure which was which. All the while, he glared. he was a 6-foot-4 beanpole and at 22 he won 20 games, led the league in complete games and finished second in the Cy Young It’s hard to break Clemens down with numbers because many voting. people discount everything he did based on the steroid accusations he fought with the same dark-eyed hunger that he Pedro was pitching in Great Falls, Montana, then. He was a had displayed on the mound. But Clemens won SEVEN Cy much shorter version of his older brother – he threw hard, and Young Awards – his first at age 23, his last at 41. In truth, he he overpowered hitters right away, but he was listed at 5-foot-10, could have won three or four more. 135 pounds (he has somehow grown in inch since then). rather famously thought Pedro was too short to be a He led the league in: great starting pitcher, and Pedro only made three starts for the Dodgers before he was shipped off to Montreal for Delino – Wins four times. DeShields. – Win-loss percentage three times. Pedro’s greatness was some combination of Johnson and Maddux. He had a mid-90s fastball, a nasty breaking pitch and – ERA seven times. one of the great in baseball history … so he had the terrific arsenal of pitches. He had an instinctive knack for – Strikeouts five times. pitching, like Maddux. – Wins above replacements seven times. And then, on top of that, there was his own special Pedro flavor. He was passionate. He was funny. He was angry. He was boiling – Shutouts six times. water. It’s fair to say that a lot of people didn’t like Pedro Martinez, thought he was a headhunter and a punk and other – Fielding Independent Pitching (an effort to separate pitching things. , one of the nicer men in the game, once from defense) nine times. charged Martinez for hitting him five outs away from throwing a perfect game. Martinez had already come close to hitting him He withered hitters with his power, his control and, more than twice before. “It was just a normal day,” Martinez chirped after anything, his will. Clemens always looked angry. He hit Mike the game; his greatest superpower might have been his power to Piazza in the with a pitch and later threw a jagged irritate people. broken bat in his direction. He threw inside all his life. He played as if on fire – this was probably truer than you would think as, 19

│ please forgive the image, it was reported in ’s “The think he got a lot of accolades for that, I think he got a lot of Yankee Years” that he had a hot liniment rubbed on his testicles recognition for that. He’s a Hall of Famer,” Schilling said. “And before games until he was “snorting like a bull.” I think the other big thing is that I think he’s a Democrat and so I know that, as a Republican, that there’s some people that really And that was how the four greats did it, how they beat the Selig don’t like that.” Era: Maddux with brains; Johnson with brawn; Martinez with style and Clemens with bull-like rage. Actually, Smoltz is not a Democrat. He has been reported to be “an avowed Republican,” and has been courted for political No group of starting pitchers dominated their time like those office in the past by the Republican party. Here are Smoltz’s four did. political contribution records. Note the little “Rs” next to the candidates’ names. Oh, and Smoltz once compared gay marriage * * * to beastiality, which tends not to be a pinko-liberal stance.

It’s only right to list off my ten best pitchers in baseball history So, shockingly, Curt Schilling is full of crap about something. I since I was dubious that the greatest pitchers of Deadball were know that may be hard to accept, so if you need a minute to really the best of all time. This list will probably be even more gather yourself, please, take it. mocked, but if I had to choose my Top 10 pitchers when looking over their entire careers (hurting short career guys like UPDATE: Schilling is tweeting now that he was just kidding Pedro Martinez and Sandy Koufax) it would look something like about that, but go listen to the interview (relevant part starts at this: the 6:45 mark). While, yes, the hosts laughed when he said it, there is no suggestion that he was just joking. And then, 1. Roger Clemens immediately after that, he goes into a non-joking thing about how the media is biased against people like him, suggesting that 2. Walter Johnson he does in fact have a persecution complex about all of this.

3. Satchel Paige Diamondbacks will retire Randy Johnson's number this year 4. Greg Maddux By SI.com http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/01/06/randy-johnson-hall-fame- 5. Randy Johnson arizona-diamondbacks-retire-number

6. Lefty Grove The Arizona Diamondbacks will retire Randy Johnson's No. 51 this year, team CEO Derrick Hall told reporters Tuesday. 7. Cy Young Johnson, who was announced as a 2015 inductee into the 8. Tom Seaver Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, was also named a special assistant to the team's president and CEO. 9. Bob Gibson Johnson played eight seasons with the Diamondbacks, from 10. Pedro Martinez 1999 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2008. He had a 118-62 record with 2,077 strikeouts in 233 games for Arizona. He and Which leads to the question: If Roger Clemens won seven Cy Curt Schilling helped lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series Youngs, how many Roger Clemens would Cy Young win? championship in 2001.

Curt Schilling believes he didn’t make the Hall of Fame Johnson threw a perfect game at the age of 40 on May 18, 2004, because he’s a Republican the only perfect game in franchise history. By Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/07/curt-schilling- Only one other Diamondbacks player has had his number believes-he-didnt-make-the-hall-of-fame-because-hes-a- retired by the franchise. The team retired Luis Gonzalez's No. 20 republican/ in 2010.

Curt Schilling: wonderful pitcher. But a guy who probably needs Arizona Diamondbacks All-Time Team: The Outfield to stop, you know, saying things. By Tony Fischer / SI.com http://heatwaved.com/2015/01/07/arizona-diamondbacks- The latest thing he said was that he didn’t get the Hall of Fame time-team-outfield/ votes John Smoltz got because the voters are biased against him because he’s a Republican. Here he is on WEEI today, trying to In their relatively brief franchise history the Arizona get his head around John Smoltz’s support: Diamondbacks have had some great players patrolling the outfield in the desert. Heatwaved selected best the of the best an assembled them into an all-time Arizona Diamondbacks team. “I think he got in because of [Greg] Maddux and [Tom] Glavine. I think the fact that they won 14 straight pennants. I think his This article focuses on an outfield that contains two members of ‘Swiss army knife versatility,’ which somebody said yesterday, I the 2001 World Series Champions. This group has it all! Power, 20

│ clutch hitting, basestealing ability and gold glove defense are the Gerardo Parra – Bench hall marks of the Arizona Diamondbacks all time outfield. Parra bring defense and versatility to our all-time team. He I hope you can imagine all of these players in their prime ability to play all three outfield positions is validated by the two roaming the same outfield and terrorizing opposing pitchers at gold gloves her earned while wearing an Arizona Diamondbacks the plate. We hope you enjoy this list as much as we do. uniform. Parra was traded to at the trade deadline but because of his fiery play and versatility he lives Luis Gonzalez – Leftfield forever on our all-time Diamondbacks team.

Luis Gonzalez spent 8 years in a Diamondback uniform from Randy Johnson's number to be retired by D-Backs in 2015 1999 to 2006. Gonzo had a monster of a season in 2001 when By Ethan Finkelstein / SI.com he hit 57 home runs and 142 RBI while batting .325. That http://fansided.com/2015/01/07/randy-johnsons-number- season he provided the muscle in the middle of the line-up for a retired-d-backs-2015/ squad that went on to beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. The Arizona Diamondbacks will retire Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2015 inductee Randy Johnson’s number during the In fact it was Luis Gonzalez who plated the game winning run upcoming MLB season. for the Arizona Diamondbacks securing their first world series title. With one out and on third base, Gonzo blooped a On Tuesday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted four single to left off Mariano Rivera completing a two run bottom of new members; Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, Pedro Martinez, and the ninth comeback win. Randy Johnson. All of these men transcended the game and stood above the majority of their peers for quite some time. The Gonzalez had his best years in Arizona racking up 224 dingers a latter, perhaps, was arguably the greatest left handed pitcher of 774 ribbies while wearing the Diamondback pinstripes. In the all time. And the most dominant stretch in his brilliant career short history of the franchise he is clearly the best outfielder ever came as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. to play in Arizona. It is because of this that the team will retire Johnson’s number – Centerfield 51 at some point in the 2015 Major League Baseball season. During his eight years with the organization, the “Big Unit” Another member of the 2001 World Series champion ball club, compiled a record of 118-62, to go along with 2,077 strikeouts, Steve Finely patrolled centerfield in Arizona for 6 seasons. and a 2.83 ERA. All three statistics are franchise records. He was While a Diamondback, Finely had two 30 + home run seasons an integral part of the D-Backs championship team in 2001, and was on his way to a third before being traded to the Los sharing World Series co-MVP honors with fellow starter Curt Angeles Dodgers for a trio of prospects at the trade deadline in Schilling. From 1999-2002, he won four consecutive National 2004. League Cy Young Awards, matching a feat only previously accomplished by class of 2014 inductee Greg Maddux (1992- Finley was a stellar fielder earning five gold gloves for his play in 1995). In 2002, he won the NL’s pitching , leading centerfield, three of which came as an Arizona Diamondback. the league in wins (24), strikeouts (334), and ERA (2.32). On For his abilities both at the plate and in the field, Steve Finely May 18, 2004, Johnson became the oldest pitcher in history to earns his spot on the HeatWaved All-Time Arizona complete a perfect game. It was his second no-hitter overall, Diamondbacks team. with the first coming back on June 2, 1990.

Justin Upton – Rightfield Johnson’s number 51 is also retired by the with whom he pitched from 1989-1998. During his time in Seattle, he Upton broke into the majors as a member of the 2007 Arizona accumulated a record of 130-74, with 2162 strikeouts (a Diamondbacks at the age of 19. That year Upton played in 43 franchise record), and an ERA of 3.42. He also won the 1995 games hit .283 with 13 extra base hits (including 2 home runs). American League Cy Young Award. He earned a permanent spot on the club in 2008 went on the have a succesful 6 years in the Diamondback’s uni. Johnson’s legendary career is simply eye-popping in virtually every regard. Playing the overwhelming majority of his career The two-time all-star’s best season to date came in 2011 when he during the most prolific offensive era in baseball history, the hit 31 home runs 88 RBI while recording a career high 6.1 WAR. “Big Unit” compiled a stat line that will likely remain unmatched Upton was traded to the Atlanta Braves prior to the 2013 season for a long time, even as hitting figures drop off in the waning in a blockbuster deal that brought 5 players, including Martin years. Following the 2009 season, Johnson retired with a career Prado, to the Diamondbacks. record of 303-166, with an ERA of 3.29. His 4,875 strikeouts are the most ever by a lefty, and second only to Hall of Famer After yet another offseason trade from the Braves, Justin Upton Nolan Ryan (5,714) in MLB history. now calls San Diego home. He won five league Cy Young Awards; only Roger Clemens Justin Upton may no longer be a Diamondback but during he (seven) has more. His rate of 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings is time in Arizona his all-star caliber play earns him a spot on the tops in baseball history among qualifying pitchers. During his all-time team. career, he led his league in wins once, nine times in strikeouts, and four times in ERA. His seven 300 strikeout seasons are a 21

│ major league record, one more than the aforementioned Ryan League Championship Series last season. The 81 wins tied the with six. 2012 franchise record for most wins in a season. Nevin starred at Cal-State Fullerton, leading the Titans to the 1992 College World The only thing left for Johnson before July’s enshrinment Series where he was named the Most Outstanding Player. He ceremony; which team’s emblem, Arizona or Seattle, does he was also named the Golden Spikes Award Winner and College wear on his plaque’s cap? We will save that debate for the fellas Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and . in Cooperstown. He was drafted by the as the first overall selection in the 1992 amateur draft. Nevin spent 12 years in Diamondbacks sign Nick Punto to minor league deal Major League Baseball, amassing over 1,200 games played. He By Chris Cotillo / SB Nation was a All-Star in 2001 when he hit .306 with 41 http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/1/7/7509303/diamondba home runs and 126 RBI. cks-sign-nick-punto-to-minor-league-deal Parrott, 60, enters his 14th season as Arizona’s Triple-A pitching The veteran will provide infield depth for Arizona next season. coach, and 19th overall with the organization. Under Parrott’s direction in 2014, the team’s 4.36 ERA was a franchise-low. The Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor-league deal with Parrott was drafted by the as the 15th overall infielder Nick Punto, according to a major-league source. The selection in the 1973 amateur draft. He spent one season with deal was first reported by CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman. the Orioles in 1977 and another four seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He won 14 games with the Mariners in 1979 and threw Punto, 37, was released earlier in the offseason by the Athletics 13 complete games. as part of a rebuilding process that has seen the team trade Derek Norris, , Brandon Moss and Josh Gross, 62, returns for his third season as the Aces hitting coach Donaldson as well as losing , , Jed after spending 2010-12 as the hitting coach of the Philadelphia Lowrie and Jon Lester to free agency. Punto will receive a salary Phillies. Under Gross, the Aces finished 2014 among offensive of $2.75 million from the Athletics next season as a result of a league leaders in: hits (1st – 1,480), average (2nd - .293), doubles vested option based on last year's performance, with the D- (2nd – 296), triples (2nd – 51), OBP (2nd - .359), runs (2nd – Backs only paying the major-league minimum if he makes the 790), total bases (3rd – 2,259) and OPS (3rd - .806). Gross major-league roster. served as the bench coach for the Phillies in 2001 and the hitting coach from 2002-04. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in Punto has shown the ability to play at second base, shortstop the fourth round of the 1970 amateur draft. Gross spent 17 and third base throughout his career, so he will provide depth seasons in Major League Baseball, playing with the Astros, Cubs behind Aaron Hill, Chris Owings and Yasmani Tomas in the and Phillies. He hit .314 in his rookie campaign with the Astros, majors for Arizona. The team also has Cliff Pennington and garnering The Rookie of the Year honors and Nick Ahmed available for depth, as well. was BBWAA Rookie of the Year runner-up. Gross was a member of the Champion Philadelphia In fourteen major-league seasons with the Phillies (2001-2003), Phillies. Twins (2004-2010), Cardinals (2011), Red Sox (2012), Dodgers (2012-2013) and Athletics (2014), Punto is a lifetime Urueta, 33, enters his 14th season with the Diamondbacks .245/.323/.323 hitter with 19 home runs and 263 RBI. He hit organization, and ninth in a coaching/coordinator role. He spent .207/.296/.293 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 73 games the past two seasons as the manager of the Arizona League D- with Oakland last year. backs. Urueta signed with the D-backs in 1998 as the first Colombian to play for the organization. He went on to play five Minor League seasons.

Reno Aces announce 2015 coaching staff Metz, 30, enters his fourth season as Athletic Trainer with Reno. By NBC 4-Reno He is in his seventh season with the Diamondbacks medical http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Reno-Aces- staff, beginning his professional career in 2009 with the Rookie- announce-2015-coaching- level Missoula Osprey. After a two-year stint in Missoula, Metz staff/FJY5_3kHb0uaRQzv0djVQg.cspx moved up to Athletic Trainer with the Double-A Mobile BayBears. Metz earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training RENO, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- Phil Nevin will from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and received return for a second season as the Reno Aces manager in 2015, his master’s degree in sports management from Louisiana State accompanied by a host of returners and one newcomer, the University. Arizona Diamondbacks announced today. Schofield, 28, returns to the Aces for his third consecutive The Aces’ coaching staff is rounded out by pitching coach Mike season as the Strength and Conditioning Coach. It’s Schofield’s Parrott, hitting coach Greg Gross and coach Luis Urueta. sixth season with the Diamondbacks organization, working his Athletic Trainer Joe Metz and Strength and Conditioning Coach way up from Rookie-level Missoula in 2010. He earned a Mike Schofield will also return to the club. bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in business administration from Colorado State University in 2009. Nevin, 43, was named the second manager in Reno Aces history in November of 2013. He guided the Aces to a Pacific Coast The Aces open the 2015 season Thursday, April 9 at League-best 81-63 record and a berth to the Pacific Coast Albuquerque, and host the Isotopes Friday, April 17 at 6:35 p.m. 22

│ in the home opener at Aces Ballpark. Ticket packages are on-sale Colombian to play for the organization. He went on to play five now at www.RenoAces.com or by calling (775) 334-4700. For Minor League seasons. up-to-date news and notes throughout the offseason follow the club on Twitter (@aces) or like the team on Facebook. Metz, 30, enters his fourth season as Athletic Trainer with Reno. He is in his seventh season with the Diamondbacks medical Phil Nevin Returning as Aces Manager staff, beginning his professional career in 2009 with the Rookie- By ABC 8-Reno level Missoula Osprey. After a two-year stint in Missoula, Metz http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Phil-Nevin- moved up to Athletic Trainer with the Double-A Mobile Returning-as-Aces-Manager-287846461.html BayBears. Metz earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and received Phil Nevin will return for a second season as the Reno Aces his master’s degree in sports management from Louisiana State manager in 2015, accompanied by a host of returners and one University. newcomer, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced today. Schofield, 28, returns to the Aces for his third consecutive The Aces’ coaching staff is rounded out by pitching coach Mike season as the Strength and Conditioning Coach. It’s Schofield’s Parrott, hitting coach Greg Gross and coach Luis Urueta. sixth season with the Diamondbacks organization, working his Athletic Trainer Joe Metz and Strength and Conditioning Coach way up from Rookie-level Missoula in 2010. He earned a Mike Schofield will also return to the club. bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in business administration from Colorado State University in 2009. Nevin, 43, was named the second manager in Reno Aces history in November of 2013. He guided the Aces to a Pacific Coast Reno Aces announce 2015 coaching staff League-best 81-63 record and a berth to the Pacific Coast By FOX 11-Tucson League Championship Series last season. The 81 wins tied the http://www.foxreno.com/news/features/top- 2012 franchise record for most wins in a season. Nevin starred at stories/stories/reno-aces-announce-2015-coaching-staff- Cal-State Fullerton, leading the Titans to the 1992 College World 4388.shtml Series where he was named the Most Outstanding Player. He was also named the Golden Spikes Award Winner and College RENO, Nev. - Phil Nevin will return for a second season as the Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America. Reno Aces manager in 2015, accompanied by a host of returners He was drafted by the Houston Astros as the first overall and one newcomer, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced selection in the 1992 amateur draft. Nevin spent 12 years in today. Major League Baseball, amassing over 1,200 games played. He was a National League All-Star in 2001 when he hit .306 with 41 The Aces’ coaching staff is rounded out by pitching coach Mike home runs and 126 RBI. Parrott, hitting coach Greg Gross and coach Luis Urueta. Athletic Trainer Joe Metz and Strength and Conditioning Coach Parrott, 60, enters his 14th season as Arizona’s Triple-A pitching Mike Schofield will also return to the club. coach, and 19th overall with the organization. Under Parrott’s direction in 2014, the team’s 4.36 ERA was a franchise-low. Nevin, 43, was named the second manager in Reno Aces history Parrott was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as the 15th overall in November of 2013. He guided the Aces to a Pacific Coast selection in the 1973 amateur draft. He spent one season with League-best 81-63 record and a berth to the Pacific Coast the Orioles in 1977 and another four seasons with the Seattle League Championship Series last season. The 81 wins tied the Mariners. He won 14 games with the Mariners in 1979 and threw 2012 franchise record for most wins in a season. Nevin starred at 13 complete games. Cal-State Fullerton, leading the Titans to the 1992 College World Series where he was named the Most Outstanding Player. He Gross, 62, returns for his third season as the Aces hitting coach was also named the Golden Spikes Award Winner and College after spending 2010-12 as the hitting coach of the Philadelphia Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America. Phillies. Under Gross, the Aces finished 2014 among offensive He was drafted by the Houston Astros as the first overall league leaders in: hits (1st – 1,480), average (2nd - .293), doubles selection in the 1992 amateur draft. Nevin spent 12 years in (2nd – 296), triples (2nd – 51), OBP (2nd - .359), runs (2nd – Major League Baseball, amassing over 1,200 games played. He 790), total bases (3rd – 2,259) and OPS (3rd - .806). Gross was a National League All-Star in 2001 when he hit .306 with 41 served as the bench coach for the Phillies in 2001 and the hitting home runs and 126 RBI. coach from 2002-04. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the fourth round of the 1970 amateur draft. Gross spent 17 Parrott, 60, enters his 14th season as Arizona’s Triple-A pitching seasons in Major League Baseball, playing with the Astros, Cubs coach, and 19th overall with the organization. Under Parrott’s and Phillies. He hit .314 in his rookie campaign with the Astros, direction in 2014, the team’s 4.36 ERA was a franchise-low. garnering The Sporting News Rookie of the Year honors and Parrott was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as the 15th overall was BBWAA Rookie of the Year runner-up. Gross was a selection in the 1973 amateur draft. He spent one season with member of the 1980 World Series Champion Philadelphia the Orioles in 1977 and another four seasons with the Seattle Phillies. Mariners. He won 14 games with the Mariners in 1979 and threw 13 complete games. Urueta, 33, enters his 14th season with the Diamondbacks organization, and ninth in a coaching/coordinator role. He spent Gross, 62, returns for his third season as the Aces hitting coach the past two seasons as the manager of the Arizona League D- after spending 2010-12 as the hitting coach of the Philadelphia backs. Urueta signed with the D-backs in 1998 as the first Phillies. Under Gross, the Aces finished 2014 among offensive 23

│ league leaders in: hits (1st – 1,480), average (2nd - .293), doubles Mike Bell, the Diamondbacks' director of player development, (2nd – 296), triples (2nd – 51), OBP (2nd - .359), runs (2nd – made the announcement. 790), total bases (3rd – 2,259) and OPS (3rd - .806). Gross served as the bench coach for the Phillies in 2001 and the hitting "Based on what I have heard from everyone in Visalia and from coach from 2002-04. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in Mike Bell, Robby is outstanding and we're looking forward to the fourth round of the 1970 amateur draft. Gross spent 17 having him here in Mobile,'' BayBears' general manager Chris seasons in Major League Baseball, playing with the Astros, Cubs Morgan said. "Everything we have heard has all been very and Phillies. He hit .314 in his rookie campaign with the Astros, positive. garnering The Sporting News Rookie of the Year honors and was BBWAA Rookie of the Year runner-up. Gross was a "We're happy to have the staff set and know who is coming in. member of the 1980 World Series Champion Philadelphia Of course, we'll certainly miss Andy -- he did such a good job Phillies. for us the last two seasons.''

Urueta, 33, enters his 14th season with the Diamondbacks Last season, Hammock, in his third year as a coach with the organization, and ninth in a coaching/coordinator role. He spent Diamondbacks' organization and second as a manager, led the the past two seasons as the manager of the Arizona League D- Rawhide to an overall 75-65 record and wild card berth into the backs. Urueta signed with the D-backs in 1998 as the first California League Playoffs. The team fell one win short of Colombian to play for the organization. He went on to play five winning the league title. Minor League seasons. Hammock began coaching in 2012, serving as hitting coach in Metz, 30, enters his fourth season as Athletic Trainer with Reno. the Arizona League. In 2013 he received his first managerial role He is in his seventh season with the Diamondbacks medical as skipper for the Rookie Advanced Missoula Osprey. staff, beginning his professional career in 2009 with the Rookie- level Missoula Osprey. After a two-year stint in Missoula, Metz As a player with the Diamondbacks (2003-11), the Macon, Ga. moved up to Athletic Trainer with the Double-A Mobile native hit .254 (122-for-481) with 30 doubles, 12 home runs and BayBears. Metz earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training 48 RBI in 182 games. On May 18, 2004 he caught Hall of Fame from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and received pitcher Randy Johnson's perfect game against the Atlanta his master’s degree in sports management from Louisiana State Braves. Hammock was selected by the D-backs in the 23rd University. round of the 1998 draft from the University of Georgia.

Schofield, 28, returns to the Aces for his third consecutive Camilli enters his fourth year in the Diamondbacks' organization season as the Strength and Conditioning Coach. It’s Schofield’s and first with the BayBears. Before joining Visalia as hitting sixth season with the Diamondbacks organization, working his coach last season, Camilli served in the same role with Single-A way up from Rookie-level Missoula in 2010. He earned a South Bend in 2013 and short season Yakima in 2012. Camilli bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in business joined the D-backs' coaching staff after having served as a administration from Colorado State University in 2009. hitting coach in the Nationals' organization from 2005-08.

The Aces open the 2015 season Thursday, April 9 at Cepeda returns as the BayBears. The 2014 season was his first Albuquerque, and host the Isotopes Friday, April 17 at 6:35 p.m. with the team and he helped guide five pitchers to their first-ever in the home opener at Aces Ballpark. Ticket packages are on-sale appearance at the Triple-A level. Under his tutelage, a total of now at RenoAces.com or by calling (775) 334-4700. For up-to- four pitchers who started with the BayBears last year made their date news and notes throughout the offseason follow the club Major League debut with the Diamondbacks before the season on Twitter (@aces) or like the team on Facebook. ended. This will be Cepeda's 12th year as a coach with the Diamondbacks.

Green, who was the BayBears' manager the past two seasons, Mobile BayBears, Arizona Diamondbacks announce won back-to-back Southern League Manager of the Year honors. BayBears' coaching staff for 2015 He was promoted this offseason to serve as third base coach for By Tommy Hicks / Mobile Press-Register the Diamondbacks. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/mobile_baybears _arizona_diamon_1.html Mobile, which won the Southern League crown in 2012 (under manager Turner Ward) and 2013 (under Green), produced a 79- MOBILE, Alabama -- The Arizona Diamondbacks, the parent 58 overall record last season and won the South Division first- organizations for the Southern League's Class AA Mobile half championship. The BayBears lost the South Division title BayBears, announced the members of the BayBears' coaching series and did not get a chance to defend its Southern League staff for the 2015 season on Wednesday. championship.

Robby Hammock, manager at Class A Advanced Visalia last The BayBears' season begins on the road April 9, with a five- season, will replace Andy Green as the BayBears' manager and game series against the . Mobile will return Jason Camillia, the hitting coach in Visalia last year, will now to Stadium for the BayBears' home-opener against hold the same spot in Mobile. Wellington Cepeda has been the Biloxi Shuckers on April 15. retain ed as the BayBears' pitching coach. Robby Hammock named new BayBears manager

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By FOX 10-Mobile the team on both Instagram and Twitter using the handle http://fox10tv.com/2015/01/07/robby-hammock-named-new- @Mobile_BayBears. baybears-manager/

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA)– The Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) named the organization’s 2015 Player Development staff, as announced by D-backs Director of Player Development, Mike Bell. Former Cub Grudzielanek to manage 2015 Kane County Robby Hammock will be the new manager for the Mobile Cougars BayBears (@Mobile_BayBears). Last season in his third year as a By Kane County Chronicle coach with the D-backs organization and second as a manager, http://www.kcchronicle.com/2015/01/07/former-cub- Hammock led the (Class A-Advanced affiliate grudzielanek-to-manage-2015-kane-county-cougars/a22pfob/ for the Diamondbacks) to an overall 75-65 record and Wild Card berth into the California League Playoffs. The club fell just one GENEVA – Despite switching parent teams from the Cubs to victory shy of capturing the 2014 California League the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Kane County Cougars will Championship. retain a strong connection to the Cubs for the 2015 season.

Also new to the BayBears is Hitting Coach Jason Camilli who The Cougars, in conjunction with the Diamondbacks, served in the same role in Visalia, along-side Hammock last announced Wednesday that former Cubs infielder Mark season. Returning to Mobile and serving as the BayBears Grudzielanek will be the team's manager in 2015, the 25th Pitching Coach for the second straight year will be Wellington anniversary season of the Cougars franchise. Cepeda. Grudzielanek was named the 16th manager in franchise history. Former BayBears manager Andy Green, who won back-to-back Grudzielanek, 44, enjoyed a 15-year playing career in the Major Southern League Manager of the Year honors in in 2013 & 2014, Leagues that included an All-Star selection in 1996 and a Gold was promoted this off-season to the D-backs Third Base Coach. Glove Award a decade later as a second baseman in 2006. In 1,802 big league games, Grudzielanek batted .289 with 90 home Hammock started coaching in 2012, serving as Hitting Coach of runs, 640 RBI and 2,040 hits. the Arizona League D-backs and then in 2013 served in his first managerial role as skipper for the Rookie Advanced Missoula His 54 doubles in 1997 were a Major League best that season. Osprey in 2013. Over six seasons with the D-backs from 2003- Grudzielanek was an 11th round selection by the Montreal 11, the Macon, Georgia native hit .254 (122-for-481) with 30 Expos in the 1991 draft and he played with the Expos (1995- doubles, 12 home runs and 48 RBI in 182 games. On May 18, 1998), Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2002), Cubs (2003-2004), St. 2004 he caught Hall of Fame LHP Randy Johnson’s perfect Louis Cardinals (2005), (2006-2008) and game against the Atlanta Braves. Hammock was selected by the Cleveland Indians (2010). As a minor leaguer, Grudzielanek D-backs in the 23rd round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft spent the 1992 season in the Midwest League for the now- from the University of Georgia. defunct Rockford Expos.

Camilli enters his fourth year in the Diamondbacks organization Doug Bochtler will serve as Cougars pitching coach in 2015. and first with the BayBears. Before joining Visalia as Hitting This will be Bochtler’s fifth season with the Diamondbacks Coach last season, Camilli served in the same role with Single-A organization. Bochtler was pitching coach at Class-A South South Bend in 2013 and Short Season Yakima in 2012. Camilli Bend last season with the team’s pitching ERA of 3.49 ranking joined the D-backs coaching staff after having served as a fourth in the Midwest League. Bochtler pitched in the Major Hitting Coach in the Nationals’ organization from 2005-08. Leagues from 1995-2000, going 9-18 with a 4.57 ERA and 215 strikeouts in 220 games. Cepeda returns as the BayBears Pitching Coach where in 2014, his first year with Mobile, he helped guide five pitchers to their Vince Harrison was named Cougars hitting coach. This will be first ever appearance at the Triple-A level. Under his tutelage, a Harrison’s second season as a coach with the Diamondbacks total of four pitchers who started with the BayBears last year after beginning his coaching career with Rookie-Advanced made their Major League debut with the Diamondbacks before Missoula last season. Harrison spent a portion of five minor the season ended. 2015 will be Cepeda’s 12th year as a coach league seasons with the , and with the D-backs. organizations.

The BayBears season begins on the road April 9, with a five The Cougars’ field staff also includes athletic trainer Rafael game series against the Birmingham Barons and Mobile will Freitas and strength and conditioning coach Sean Light. Freitas return to Hank Aaron Stadium for the BayBears home-opener remains in the Midwest League after serving as South Bend’s against the Biloxi Shuckers on April 15. athletic trainer last season, while Light spent 2014 with Short-A Hillsboro. Scott Anderson rounds out the field staff, with the For more information on the BayBears, or for more information 2015 season being his sixth year with the Cougars as clubhouse on purchasing tickets, call 251-479-BEAR (2327) or visit the manager. official team website at http://www.MobileBayBears.com. You can also “Like” the Mobile BayBears on Facebook and follow 25

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Last season, the Diamondbacks minor league affiliates went a The fact that Mather was in a Major League uniform as recently combined 473-365 (.564), with the second-best winning as the winter of 2013 should benefit him as a skipper. Ellis likes percentage behind Texas (.565). The affiliates tied a club mark the fact that he grew up just 200 miles away. with five teams in the postseason. "The fact that he is originally from our region in Idaho is just a Opening Night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark is set for Thursday, plus," Ellis said. "I fully expect to see him develop into a top April 9 when the Cougars host Cedar Rapids at 6:30 p.m. The Major League managerial prospect ..." Cougars are looking to defend the Midwest League championship after winning the league title during a historic *** 2014 campaign that broke numerous franchise records. Jeff Bajenaru will return as Osprey pitching coach and Tack Last fall, the Cougars were recognized by Wilson will join the staff as hitting coach. This marks the first as the “Best Team” in the Minor League Baseball (“MiLBY”) time since the 2012 Pioneer League championship team that all awards. three Osprey coaches played at the Major League level.

"Our organization is so happy to have Jeff Bajenaru back next

season," Ellis said. "He is a really great coach, but just as importantly, he is a great person. A true role model for our players to learn from and look up to.

Ex-big leaguer Mather named Osprey manager "Baj really cares about Osprey baseball and everything associated By Bill Speltz / The Missoulian with it.” http://missoulian.com/sports/osprey/ex-big-leaguer-mather- named-osprey-manager/article_e4dee358-7a59-5125-bf57- The Osprey influence is evident throughout the D-backs' 49a0c693e00d.html organization. At the Major League level, ex-Osprey manager Chip Hale (2000-01) will manage the D-backs with help from It wasn’t long ago Joe Mather was roaming the outfield for the former Osprey skipper Andy Green (2012) as third base coach . and former Osprey pitching coach Jr. (2005-06) as bullpen coach. This summer the Sandpoint, Idaho, native, who played his last Major League game in the Windy City in 2012, will be running In the Minors, former Osprey coaches Robby Hammock the show for the Missoula Osprey. Mather was officially named (Double-A Mobile BayBears) and J.R. House (Single-A Visalia manager on Wednesday. Rawhide) return as managers.

"He brings a lot of energy," said Matt Ellis, who has directed the The Diamondbacks have the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft day-to-day operations of the Osprey since 2001. "He's very and Ellis is excited to see what transpires. The Osprey, one of organized and detail-oriented. He has the traits that have made only a few Pioneer League teams that saw a jump in attendance really successful managers for us in the past. last season, will open on June 18 at the Helena Brewers.

"I know he’s just excited about the new side of his career. In talking to people with the organization they’re really high on Joe. I love it when my manager talks about winning and asks what he can do in the community and what he can do to help us." January 8, 2015 • sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews *** http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews

This summer will mark Mather's first experience as a manager on January 8, 2015 the pro level. He spent parts of four seasons in the Major  Yankees prospect Ty Hensley hospitalized after a Leagues as a , appearing in 229 career games with “brutal attack” 12:30 pm EST (NBC Sports) the St. Louis Cardinals (2008, 2010), Atlanta Braves (2011) and  Nationals hire as “life skills coordinator” Chicago Cubs (2012). He signed with the in 12:15 pm EST (NBC Sports) 2013 but was released after a short stint in the Grapefruit  Sloan Park: Cubs sell naming rights to spring-training League. complex 12:00 pm EST (Comcast Chicago)  The Cubs spring training facility to be named after a "Winning is very important to me and it is very important to the toilet flush valve company 11:33 am EST (NBC Sports) Diamondbacks," Mather said in a press release. "We both want  Did ugly end weaken 's Hall of Fame to win and will do our very best to make that happen in Missoula chances? 11:19 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia) this summer.  Pedro Martinez still holds a grudge against Jorge "I am excited for June and the opportunity to put on the Osprey Posada because he insulted Martinez’s mother 11:03 am uniform." EST (NBC Sports)  in a Dodgers uniform is so weird 11:01 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia) 26

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’s new deal with the Padres is loaded with  5 years later, Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz 'old goats' incentives 10:47 am EST (NBC Sports) 5:05 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Smart Court serves up instant review for the tennis  Braves add Outman, finalize deals with Pierzynski, masses 10:19 am EST (Reuters) Grilli 5:02 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Gaby Sanchez signs with Japanese team 10:15 am EST  Cooperstown's Class of 2015 reflects diversity in game (NBC Sports) 4:48 pm EST (Reuters)  is fine with not making the Hall of  Curt Schilling believes he didn’t make the Hall of Fame Fame 9:53 am EST (NBC Sports) because he’s a Republican 4:10 pm EST (NBC Sports)  For Baltimore sports fans, these are the good old days  The Braves sign Josh Outman 3:44 pm EST (NBC 8:59 am EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic) Sports)  A.J. Pierzynski will fight a guy for you 8:31 am EST  Drake hoping for positive impression next week 3:17 (NBC Sports) pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)  Here’s one way for Jeff Bagwell to get into the Hall of  Diamondbacks sign Nick Punto to minor league Fame 7:50 am EST (NBC Sports) contract 2:36 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Former Pirates infielder Sanchez joins Japan's Eagles  Tigers and lefty Gorzelanny agree to $1 million, 1-year 1:36 am EST (The Associated Press) deal 2:35 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Cardinals are “exploring” trades for or  John McDonald is retiring 2:24 pm EST (NBC Sports) David Price, signing 12:01 am EST (NBC  Mets and Parnell agree to 1-year, $3.7 million contract Sports) 2:02 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Breslow and Red Sox finalize $2 million, 1-year January 7, 2015 contract 1:54 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Video: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John  Three teams are reportedly interested in Ichiro 1:28 pm Smoltz demonstrate their signature pitches 11:28 pm EST (NBC Sports) EST (NBC Sports)  A look at Hall of Fame snubs and next year's class 1:20  What the Nats' 25-man roster looks like for now 11:03 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia) pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)  Krukow explains why he's not concerned about  Cubs envision Jon Lester becoming their Andy Pettitte Hudson's surgery 12:54 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Bay 10:38 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) Area)  Reds and have made “no recent  Diamondbacks sign Nick Punto 12:51 pm EST (NBC progress” toward a contract extension 10:14 pm EST Sports) (NBC Sports)  Photo of the Day: Randy Johnson could maybe use a  Jimmy Rollins eager to add another smaller jersey 12:30 pm EST (NBC Sports) in LA 9:28 pm EST (The Associated Press)  headlines list of SoxFest guests 12:14 pm  Video: Martinez, Johnson, Biggio, Smoltz joking EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) around at Hall of Fame press conference 8:05 pm EST  Wright's place in Orioles bullpen to be determined (NBC Sports) 12:13 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)  Diamondbacks sign former A's infielder Nick Punto  Quote of the Day: Pedro Martinez says Mets fans 7:34 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) “settle for what they have” 12:11 pm EST (NBC Sports)  Major League Baseball roundup 7:34 pm EST (Reuters)  Twins sign Blaine Boyer 11:45 am EST (NBC Sports)  National Basketball Association roundup 7:31 pm EST  Here’s the letter Major League Baseball sent (Reuters) prosecutors vouching for Anthony Bosch 11:28 am  Johnson reaches Hall of Fame after finding control EST (NBC Sports) 7:18 pm EST (Reuters)  Long & short of it: Johnson, Martinez among 4 voted  MLB spring training games to start on March 1 7:07 pm to Hall 11:12 am EST (The Associated Press) EST (The Associated Press)  Bobby Parnell, Mets avoid arbitration with one-year  Pedro Martinez memoir coming in May 6:57 pm EST deal 11:02 am EST (NBC Sports) (The Associated Press)  Barry Bonds thinks he’ll get in the Hall of Fame “in  Matt Harrison throws for first time since May 6:42 pm time” 10:30 am EST (NBC Sports) EST (NBC Sports)  Video: John Smoltz reflects on what being elected to  : 'The talent is there' for White Sox 6:26 the Hall of Fame means to him 9:57 am EST (NBC pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) Sports)  Hall inductees share memories of long careers 6:17 pm  The Nats and Astros are a step closer to getting a new EST (The Associated Press) spring training site 9:17 am EST (NBC Sports)  Schilling: Didn't get into Hall because I'm a Republican  Mussina's Hall of Fame chances improve 9:09 am EST 6:00 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England) (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)  Johnson agrees to $1 million deal to stay with Padres  Why should we care of a ballplayer is a mean or if he’s 5:37 pm EST (The Associated Press) “a punk?” 7:36 am EST (NBC Sports)  Braves designate Tyler Pastornicky for assignment 5:30  Exclusive: Bud Selig: the baseball commissioner's exit pm EST (NBC Sports) interview 7:04 am EST (Reuters) 27

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 Hall focus next year turns to Griffey, Hoffman and Signed as Free Agent, ( Atlanta Braves Josh Outman Wagner 5:15 am EST (The Associated Press) 2015)(one-year contract)  Column: Time to allow back in baseball? 4:02 am EST (The Associated Press) Signed as Free Agent, ( 2015-

 Shaughnessy: Is the HOF voting system flawed? 1:06 Atlanta Braves 2016; Opt 2017)(two-year am EST (Comcast SportsNet New England) contract)  Where do things stand at second base for Nats? 1:05

am EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic) Boston Red Sox Daniel Butler Designated for Assignment

January 6, 2015 Kansas City Ryan Jackson Outrighted to Minors  Report: Giants 'inquired' to Marlins about Haren 11:36 Royals pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) Los Angeles John  AP source: Drew, Yankees closing in on $5 million deal Retired Angels McDonald 11:32 pm EST (The Associated Press)  Ryan: Has steroid era caused HOF to lose mystique? Signed to a Minor League Minnesota Twins Blaine Boyer 11:23 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England) Contract  participates in Shoot the Puck at Blackhawks game 11:16 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Signed, ( 2015)(avoids New York Mets Bobby Parnell Chicago) arbitration)  New Redskins GM McCloughan played for Hagerstown Suns 11:04 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet Mid Signed as Free Agent, ( Josh Johnson Atlantic) 2015)(one-year contract)  Video: Craig Biggio on becoming the first Astros player Marcos Signed to a Minor League to be elected to the Hall of Fame 10:59 pm EST (NBC San Diego Padres Sports) Mateo Contract  McAdam: Martinez the most fascinating player to cover Jake 10:49 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England) San Diego Padres Designated for Assignment Goebbert  Halls door shut again to those suspected of steroid use 9:57 pm EST (The Associated Press) Tuesday, January 6, 2015  sign Cuban infielder Roberto Baldoquin 9:51 pm EST (The Associated Press) Team Player Transaction  Yankees re-sign to one-year contract 9:47 pm EST (NBC Sports) Signed as Free Agent, ( Boston Red Sox  Martinez: ‘Extremely proud to know I am making 2015)(one-year contract) history’ 8:48 pm EST (Comcast SportsNet New England)  Brandon Beachy aiming to sign with a team this week Cleveland Indians Tyler Cloyd Released 8:29 pm EST (NBC Sports) Signed to a Minor League  Cleveland Indians Michael Roth Biggio elected to Hall of Fame in 3rd year on ballot Contract 8:25 pm EST (The Associated Press) Tom Signed as Free Agent, ( Detroit Tigers Gorzelanny 2015)(one-year contract)

Luke January 8, 2015 • MLB.com Detroit Tigers Designated for Assignment Putkonen http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions Monday, January 5, 2015 Last updated: Thu, January 8, 2015, 12:55 EST Team Player Transaction Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Cleared Waivers and Became Baltimore Orioles Quintin Berry Team Player Transaction a Free Agent Mitchell Signed to a Minor League Arizona Signed to a Minor League Boston Red Sox

Nick Punto Boggs Contract Diamondbacks Contract Signed to a Minor League A.J. Signed as Free Agent, ( Boston Red Sox Jeff Bianchi Atlanta Braves Contract Pierzynski 2015)(one-year contract)

Tyler Colorado Rockies Chris Martin Designated for Assignment Atlanta Braves Designated for Assignment Pastornicky

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Signed as Free Agent, ( 2015- Colorado Rockies Nick Hundley 2016)(two-year contract)

Signed to a Minor League New York Mets Buddy Carlyle Contract

New York Slade Signed to a Minor League

Yankees Heathcott Contract

Philadelphia Aaron Signed as Free Agent, (

Phillies Harang 2015)(one-year contract)

Signed as Free Agent, ( Adam Rosales 2015)(one-year contract)

Juan Carlos Signed to a Minor League Texas Rangers Oviedo Contract

Texas Rangers Matt West Designated for Assignment

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