Buccos Obtain Aaron Cook

Pittsburgh (AP) - The Pittsburgh obtained righty starter Aaron Cook and a second rounder from the every busy Chicago White Sox for their first round pick (16th pick overall). Cook finished 13-7 with a 4.49 ERA in 200 innings pitched for Chicago last season. In five seasons with Chicago, Cook has a career 22-23 record.

Twins Acquire Hart From D-Backs

The Minnesota Twins, seeking to bolster their lineup, added a big bat by acquiring Corey Hart from Arizona. Hart hit .322 with 6 HR's and 37 RBI's last season. Young right hander Jered Weaver was traded to Arizona in the deal. Weaver, the 17th player selected in the 2006 draft, finished last season with a 7-7 record and a 4.92 ERA. Both young players should serve their new teams well.

3-Way Trade Between Cardinals, Mariners and White Sox

The St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox completed a three-way deal which also included several draft picks changing hands. Details of the trade:

Seattle trades IF-Prince Fielder to Chicago and their Round 5 Pick (2007) to St. Louis; St. Louis trades IF-Stephen Drew and their Round 3 Pick (2007) to Chicago; Chicago sends IF-Brandon Phillips and their Round 1 Pick (2007) acquired in the 11/11/2010 trade to Seattle; Chicago sends their Round 1 Pick (2007) acquired in the 11/10/2010 trade to St. Louis.

2006 Stats:

Fielder, SEA (.288, 31 HR, 105 RBI)

Drew, STL (.335, 4 HR, 18 RBI in 161 AB's)

Phillips, CHI (.242, 17 HR, 62 RBI)

Braves Snag Two Pitchers - Ready to Make Another Run

Atlanta (AP) - The Atlanta Braves finished the regular season with a record breaking 110-52 record. Unfortunately, the postseason did not turn out as well as the Twins knocked out the Braves in the first round.

Atlanta acquired righty starters John Maine (6-6, 5.10 ERA in 2006) and Kelvim Escobar (8-7, 5.29) from Seattle for veteran Mike Mussina (14-5, 3.40) and Anibal Sanchez (4-4, 3.07).

"Great hitting lineup, and three very good SP's. We're looking for at least one more guy in the rotation." said Brave skipper Melt. Looks like Atlanta just got their wish. . . .

White Sox Deal Hernandez to Dodgers

Chicago (AP) - The Chicago White Sox have announced that they have traded young righty starter Felix Hernandez and their #1 round draft pick (15th overall) to Los Angeles in exchange for the Dodgers #1 round draft pick (5th overall) and second baseman Kelly Johnson.

Hernandez, the third player selected in the 2005 draft, has a 16-16 career record with a 4.46 ERA in 41 starts for Chicago.

Kelly Johnson missed the entire 2006 season due to injury. Johnson was initially selected by Seattle in the second round of the 2005 draft.

Angels Win in Six

Anaheim (AP) - Corey Patterson was an excellent No. 9 hitter for the Angels all season. He had almost been an after-thought in a deal that brought Bobby Abreu to Anaheim in the offseason. But he had been relatively quiet in the postseason (2 RBIs) until the crucial Game 6 vs. Minnesota. His 2-run HR in the 9th snapped a 4-4 tie and lifted the Angels to their first MSL title. Also in that game, Patterson tripled home a run and threw a runner out at the plate.

Congrats to Bob Petersen on guiding the Twins to a fine season. We had fun playing a very hard-fought series. The Angels were thankful that it didn't go a seventh game because waiting in the wings was Johan Santana, who had beaten Anaheim twice and was 5-0 in the postseason.

GAME 1
Minnesota 4, Anaheim 2
Johan Santana, with relief help from Todd Jones, thwarts the Angels. Carlos Lee drives home all four Twins runs; the big blow being a 3-run HR in the 5th. The Angels hit into three double plays.

GAME 2
Anaheim 12, Minnesota 8
The Angels rallied from a 6-3 deficit against Roy Halladay. Down 7-6 in the 6th, Anaheim bounced back on a 2-run HR by Bobby Abreu. Bengie Molina's grand slam in the 8th added insurance runs.

GAME 3
Anaheim 6, Minnesota 2
The Angels snapped a 1-1 tie with three runs in the 6th. Alfonso Soriano hit a solo HR and Abreu added a 2-run double. Noah Lowry allowed 5 hits in 6 innings for the victory.

GAME 4
Minnesota 2, Anaheim 1
Santana struck out 8 and tossed a 7-hitter for his 5th victory of the postseason. Aubrey Huff hit a HR in the 1st and Ichiro added an RBI single in the 5th. Molina pulled the Angels within 2-1 with an RBI single in the 7th. But the losers again hit into three DPs, including one by Josh Barfield with the bases loaded an one out in the 3rd.

GAME 5
Anaheim 4, Minnesota 3
The Twins jumped to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a Huff HR and an RBI double Tony Graffanino. But the Angels responded in the 3rd on an RBI by Abreu and a 2-run single by Adam Lind. Abreu's RBI double made it 4-2 in the 4th. Brett Myers, who allowed only 5 hits in 8 innings, maintained that lead until giving away to Joe Nathan in the 9th. But, Aaron Hill doubled, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3. Corey Koskie followed with a single, but Jack Wilson hit into a DP to end the game.

GAME 6
Anaheim 6, Minnesota 4
The Angels scored three times in the 3rd on a 2-run single by Mike Lamb and a sac fly by Carlos Delgado. Corey Patterson's RBI triple upped the lead to 4-0 in the 4th. But the Twins started to chip away on RBIs by Hill in the 4th and Wilson in the 7th. But after Wilson's hit, he tried to score from first on a double by Hill -- only to be nailed at the plate by Patterson. Set-up ace Takashi Saito came on in the 8th for the Angels, but was greeted by solo homers from David Ortiz and Carlos Lee. With the game tied going into the bottom of the 9th, pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis led off with a walk. Patterson was asked to sacrifice, but with a two-strike count, the bunt was taken off. And, he responded with his Series-winning HR.

Game 5 Set For Tropicana Field

The Minnesota Twins and the Anaheim Angels are all tied up at two games a piece in the 2006 Millennium World Series. Game Five will be played at Minnesota's home park - Tropicana Field.

Angels Stadium Site of First Two Series Games

World Series Game 1 Probable Pitchers

Game 1 Probable Starting Pitchers:

Minnesota - Johan Santana (17-11, 3.65 ERA; 3-0, 2.20 ERA in the Postseason) vs.

Anaheim - Brett Myers (18-8, 4.73 ERA; 3-1, 5.40 ERA in the Postseason)

Angels Eliminate Nationals in Five Games

The Angels advance to their first-ever World Series by defeating the Washington Nationals 4 games to 1.

Congrats to Nationals coach Jim Colquhoun on a great season ... this was a hard-fought series, but Angels' bats were a little too much in the end.


GAME 1
Anaheim 3, Washington 2
The only low-scoring game of the series. Endy Chavez's 2-run single sparked a 3-run second for the Angels. The Nationals stranded the bases loaded in the 7th, and Joe Nathan completed the save in the 9th.

GAME 2
Washington 10, Anaheim 7
The Angels blew a 5-1 lead in the wildest game of the series. Carlos Beltran, who finished with 5 RBIs, hit his second HR, a 3-run blast, in the 12th. The Nationals, who tied it when Beltran and Scott Rolen homered in the 8th, appeared to have the game sewn up in the 11th after Matt Holliday's 2-run shot. But Alfonso Soriano extended the game with a 2-out, 2-run HR in the bottom half.

GAME 3
Anaheim 9, Washington 5
The Angels snapped a 2-2 with three in the 3rd on a 2-run HR by Mark Teixeira and a solo blast by Carlos Delgado. They added three in the 7th and one in the 8th for enough cushion to absorb a 3-run Nationals 9th.

GAME 4
Anaheim 8, Washington 5
Josh Barfield homered twice as the Angels took a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Nationals had taken a 4-3 lead in the third on homers by Rolen and Beltran (who again hit two). But a Barfield homer triggered a 5-run 5th that also featured RBIs by Teixeira, Troy Glaus, Maicer Izturis, and Chavez.

GAME 5
Anaheim 8, Washington 5
Bengie Molina homered in his first three at-bats, driving in 5 runs to spark the series clincher. A 2-run HR by Holliday pulled the Nationals within two runs (7-5) in the 5th, but Soriano added an insurance run with an RBI double in the 8th, and Tim Saito closed it out with a 2-inning save.

Twins Eliminate Braves

Johan Santana and Roy Halladay combined for four playoff wins as the upstart Minnesota Twins knocked out #1 seed Atlanta in their semi-final playoff series. A recap of the series:

MIN 5, ATL 1 - Santana fires a two-hitter while fanning nine; Ortiz drives in three runs.

MIN 7, ATL 3 - Halladay goes the distance while Braves' John Smoltz gives up 10 hits and 7 runs in 4 innings.

ATL 13, MIN 1 - Lackey fires five-hitter; Braves score 10 runs in 5th inning - Harang takes the loss. Atlanta's 13 runs were scored off only 7 hits.

MIN 3, ATL 2 - Santana strikes out 13 in 8+ innings; David Ortiz hits his 5th post season homer.

MIN 3, ATL 2 - Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 8th to break a 1-1 tie. Halladay scattered nine hits for the win.

The Twins will be making their first appearance in the Millennium World Series and will play the winner of the Anaheim-Washington match.

Astros Get Second Pick

The Houston Astros secured the second pick in the 2007 draft. The Astros, who posted a 47-115 record this past season, certainly will look forward to upgrading their team in the upcoming draft.

Yankees Snag First Pick

The New York Yankees were the lottery winners last night and will have the first pick in the 2007 draft.

#1 Seed Braves Advance

The Diamondbacks had the high-powered Braves on the ropes after winning Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, but Atlanta showed why they won a Millennium League record 110 games in the regular season by winning the pivotal Game 4 by the score of 3-2, then capturing Games 5 and 6 by a combined score of 16-6.

Atlanta starter Mike Mussina was the series MVP by winning both of his starts -- including a 7-0 Game 5 shutout win -- while posting a sparkling 0.55 ERA over 16 innings of work.

Braves closer Brian Fuentes recorded a pair of saves, and Jorge Posada hit a robust .400 for the series.

It's now on to the second round, where the matchups will be as follows:

(4) Minnesota vs. (1) Atlanta
(3) Washington vs. (2) Anaheim

Braves' Jacobs Field Site of Game 1 Playoff Game vs. D-Backs

Atlanta (AP) - The Atlanta Braves, #1 Seed with a 110-52 record, are ready to start their playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Braves were 58-23 this year at Jacobs Field.....

All-Time Millennium League Home Run Leaders

1. Alex Rodriguez, 318


2. Barry Bonds, 299


3. Manny Ramirez, 297


4. Albert Pujols, 288


5. Carlos Delgado, 285


6. Jim Edmonds, 266


7. Jim Thome, 257


8. Vladimir Guerrero, 254


9. Andruw Jones, 249


10. David Ortiz, 238

Big Papi Leads Twins Into Semis

David Ortiz hit 3 homers and drove in 9 runs to help the Minnesota Twins to an exciting playoff series win over the Seattle Mariners. A recap of the games:

MIN 6, SEA 1 - Johan Santana fired a complete game while fanning 10

MIN 3, SEA 2 (13) - An Ichiro triple and a Tony Graffanino single in the bottom of the 13th gave the Twins the win

SEA 4, MIN 3 - Series moves to Seattle's Camden Yards for the third game and the hometown fans were not disapointed as Jose Reyes hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth

SEA 6, MIN 5 (10) - Another one run thriller as Seattle rallied from an early 5-2 deficit and won the game with another walk-off double in the bottom of the tenth - this time, the hero was Ryan Zimmerman

MIN 7, SEA 6 - The Twins scored the winning run in the top of the tenth off two costly Mariners errors and a single by Carlos Lee to stun the Seattle fans.

MIN 5, SEA 1 - David Ortiz hit a two run homer and Aaron Harang fired a complete game as the Twins closed out Seattle in front of their hometown fans at Tropicana Field.

The Twins now await the winner of the Atlanta-Arizona playoff series......

Game 5 Set For Camden Yards in Twins-Mariners Series

Seattle (AP) - The Twins and Mariners are all deadlocked at two games a piece in their quarter final playoff series. Game 5 will be played at Seattle's home stadium Camden Yards....

2007 Draft Lottery Info

We will be conducting our draft lottery on Monday, October 18th and Tuesday, October 19th.....

The “Pennsylvania Daily Number Evening” lottery (http://www.palottery.state.pa.us/) on subsequent nights (7PM EST) will be used to decide who gets the #1 and #2 picks in the first round only. If the second pick yields the same result as the first night, then a third night’s lottery drawing will be used. The remaining 10 teams will draft in reverse order of record. So, the team with the poorest record can do no worst than pick third in the first round.


2007 Lottery Drawing Chances:

000 to 249 – Houston (47-115)

250 to 449 – New York (57-105)

450 to 604 – San Francisco (59-103)

605 to 724 – Pittsburgh (63-99)

725 to 814 – Los Angeles (66-96)

815 to 879 – Boston (69-93)

880 to 924 – Cleveland (70-92)

925 to 954 – St. Louis (73-89)

955 to 974 – Philadelphia (86-76, 5-1 vs. Florida in tie-breaker)

975 to 986 – Florida (86-76)

987 to 994 – Kansas City (87-75, 31-29 runs scored vs. Oakland in tie-breaker)

995 to 999 – Oakland (87-75)

(Click here for a history of previous lottery numbers selected.)

Angels Eliminate Toronto

Alfonso Soriano and the Anaheim Angels advanced to the second round by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 4 games to 1 in a Quarter-Finals Playoff Series.

GAME 1
Toronto 8, Anaheim 2 (The Blue Jays hit four home runs, including two by Vernon Wells, to roll in the opener. Wells finished 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs)

GAME 2
Anaheim 7, Toronto 5 (Carlos Delgado snapped a 5-all tie with a 2-run HR in the 7th, then Joe Nathan fanned Preston Wilson with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 9th)

GAME 3
Anaheim 3, Toronto 2 (The Angels finally broke through against Bronson Arroyo in the 6th when Mike Lamb slugged a 2-run HR and Nick Markakis added a solo shot. Ryan Howard made it close with a HR off Nathan in the 9th)

GAME 4
Anaheim 11, Toronto 4 (Troy Glaus hit 2 HRs, Alfonso Soriano went 4-for-4 and Mark Teixeira added 3 RBIs)

GAME 5
Anaheim 4, Toronto 2 (Soriano snapped a 1-1 tie with a HR in the 7th. Endy Chavez and Corey Patterson added RBI singles in the 8th and 9th before Nathan completed a shaky save despite another 9th-inning HR by Howard)