Spring Training - Getting Ready For the 2006 Season

Far left: Mariners signing autographs; Left: Blue Jays working out; Below: Dodgers new facility in Arizona.

Red Sox Deal Smoltz to Braves

The Boston Red Sox traded righthander pitcher John Smoltz to Atlanta in exchange for the Braves' 2007 #1 draft pick. Smoltz, the #1 draft pick of the Red Sox in 2001, compiled the following stats for in his career with Boston: 5 seasons, 21-24 win/loss record, 3.18 ERA and 107 saves. Last season in his first starter role, Smoltz compiled a 15-12 record with a 3.35 ERA in 212 innings pitched.

First Round Draft Recap

The league champions Kansas City Royals picked Hanley Ramirez with the #1 pick - a no brainer selection. . . .the Giants might have surprised some with picking Andre Ethier #2, but he is a strong selection with high future upside. . . .the pitching starved Dodgers selected #3 Justin Verlander and will anchor their rotation for many seasons to come. . . .#4 Troy Tolowitzki will pay dividends for New York in the future as they now have Cano and Tolowitzki in the middle of their infield. . . .the Angels picked Nick Markakis at #5 and will anchor their right field position for years to come. . . .Russell Martin, picked by the Buccos, was the first catcher taken in the draft. . . .the A's plan to be patient with 21 year old centerfielder Matt Kemp. . .the Pirates selected again at #8 and picked Dustin Pedroia who needs another year of seasoning before full time playing time. . . .the Mariners, another team looking to bolster their rotation, selected Jon Lester at #9. . . .the Braves picked the best pure hitter on the board with #10 Ian Kinsler. . . .

Three starters went in straight succession: Cole Hamels (Astros), James Shields (D-Backs) and Adam Wainwright (Blue Jays). . . .the Redbirds, who wanted to take Wainwright, had to settle with Stephen Drew - the eventual replacement for aging shortstop Edgar Renteria. . . .the Braves might have gotten the steal of the draft at #15 with Josh Johnson . . . .the weak Red Sox offense was upgraded by picking second basemen Dan Uggla. . . .the pitching rich Twins added another quality arm in Jered Weaver. . . . .the Indians know shortstop Omar Vizquel's best days are behind him and decided to pick Ryan Theriot. . . . the Marlins decided to take corner outfielder Josh Willingham at #19. . . .rounding out the round, the Royals grabbed Chad Billingsley with the 20th pick. . . .

Dodgers Select Verlander to Bolster Staff

Los Angeles (AP) - The Dodgers selected Justin Verlander, a 22 year old right hander, with the third pick in the 2006 draft. Last year, Justin posted a 11-2 record with a 1.29 ERA between single-A (Lakeland) and double-A (Erie). The Dodgers will insert Verlander in their starting rotation and look for him to anchor the team for many seasons to come.

Previous #1 Picks

• Hanley Ramirez (2006) - selected by Kansas City
• Prince Fielder (2005) - selected by Seattle
• Matt Holliday (2004) - selected by Montreal
• Miguel Cabrera (2003) - selected by Toronto
• Carlos Zambrano (2002) - selected by Minnesota
• Albert Pujols (2001) - selected by Montreal
• Todd Helton (2000) - selected by Philadelphia

Royals Take Hanley Ramirez With First Pick

Kansas City (AP) – It’s not often that you see the previous year’s league champs have the first pick in the draft, but that is exactly the situation with the Royals this season. Kansas City and Washington orchestrated a blockbuster trade that included sending Carlos Beltran, Michael Young and Houston Street to Washington for Pat Burrell and the number #1 pick.

The Royals promptly made highly touted Hanley Ramirez the first pick in the 2006 draft. Ramirez, just 22 years old, spent last season with the AA Portland Sea Dogs in the Eastern League where he hit .271 with 6 homers, 52 RBI’s and 26 stolen bases.

Pirates Trade Oswalt to White Sox

Pittsburgh (AP) - The Pittsburgh Pirates traded veteran righty starter Roy Oswalt to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for their #1 and #3 round draft picks. Pittsburgh drafted Oswalt in the first round (third pick overall) of the 2001 draft.

In five seasons with the Buccos, Oswalt compiled a 55-38 record with a 3.76 ERA. He has two career shutouts. In the 2004 postseason, Oswalt went 1-1 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts as Atlanta eventually eliminated the Pirates in the Semi-Finals. Oswalt also made three starts in the 2002 postseason going 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA.

Pittsburgh now owns the 6th and 8th picks in the upcoming 2006 draft. . . .

Royals Win Title

Kansas City (AP) - In a series that came down to the wire, the Kansas City Royals beat the Florida Marlins in the final game to become Millennium League Champs. A recap of the series:

FL 3, KC 1 - Adam Everett hit a 3-run homer; Noah Lowery pitches five innings of one run ball before turning it over to the Marlin bullpen

FL 6, KC 1 - Jake Peavy fired a 4-hitter with 12 strikeouts; Derrek Lee hit two homers and drove in four runs

KC 2, FL 0 - Paul Byrd and three relievers spin shutout

KC 3, FL 2 - Danny Haren pitched six strong innings and Huston Street saved his 7th game in the postseason

FL 2, KC 1 - Another Lowery win - another one run game

KC 8, FL 4 - The Royals stay alive as Mark Grudzielanek goes 4 for 4, Michael Young (hitting .378 in the post season) hit a homer and Paul Byrd won his 5th in the post season

KC 1, FL 0 - Hank Blalock hit a homer and Danny Haren and Huston Street (9th save) made the run stand up

Burnett, Peavy Duo Lead Fish to 1st Series Appearance

The Florida Marlins advanced to their first World Series with a 4 games to 2 series victory over the Minnesota Twins. Click here for all the box scores.

Peavy (17 IP, 15 strikeouts, 3 runs allowed) won games 1 and 5 which included a brilliant 3-hit shutout in game #5 as the Marlins won 4-0. Burnett (17 IP, 11 strikeouts, 2 runs allowed) was equally impressive as he beat the Twins twice by scores of 8-1 and 2-1. AJ is now 4-0 with a sparkling 1.32 ERA. Peavy is 2-0 with a 1.07 ERA in the post season.

Florida now meets Kansas City in the World Series. It is remarkable that both teams have never been in the post season before this year. Should be an exciting series!

Royals To Make First World Series Appearance

Kansas City (AP) - Paul Byrd won two games and Michael Young had nine hits in the series as the surprising Kansas City Royals eliminated the #1 seed Cleveland Indians in six games. This is the Royals first appearance in post season play and they are certainly taking advantage of their opportunity. A recap of their series:

Game 1 - Indians 9-5 - Jason Bay goes 4 for 4, Manny Ramirez hits 3-run homer

Game 2 - Indians 3-1 - Bartolo Colon pitches seven sparkling innings

Game 3 - Royals 6-5 - Series moves to Kaufmann Stadium and the Royals hang on for the win; Huston Street pitches 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for his 4th post season save

Game 4 - Royals 4-2 - The combo of Danny Haren, BJ Ryan and Huston Street shut down the Tribe attack

Game 5 - Royals 3-2 - Brady Clark hit a bases loaded game winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth for the game winner

Game 6 - Royals 9-4 - Paul Byrd closes out the series with 6 shutout innings as Kansas City rolls

Giants Hold On to 2nd Pick

Last night's draft lottery for the second pick resulted in the San Francisco Giants securing the pick. The Giants, who finished last season with a league worst 61-101 mark, looks to improve in the upcoming 2006 season. . . . . .

Nats Secure First Pick

The Washington Nationals secured the first pick in the 2006 draft. Already armed with a powerful lineup that includes Matt Holliday, Todd Helton, Bobby Abreau, Scott Rolen, Chone Figgins and Pat Burrell, the Nats could look to strengthen their pitching staff by possibly selecting a front line pitcher. Only time will tell........

2006 Draft Lottery Info

We will be conducting our draft lottery on Monday, December 7th and Tuesday, December 8th.....

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.


2006 Lottery Drawing Chances:

000 to 249 – San Francisco (61-101)

250 to 449 – Los Angeles (68-94)

450 to 604 – New York (69-93)

605 to 724 – Washington (70-92)

725 to 814 – Anaheim (75-87)

815 to 879 – Pittsburgh (76-86, 14-10 vs. Oakland & Chicago in tie breaker)

880 to 924 – Oakland (76-86, 13-11 vs. Pittsburgh & Chicago in tie breaker)

925 to 954 – Chicago (76-86)

955 to 974 – Seattle (77-85)

975 to 986 – Atlanta (78-84)

987 to 994 – Hpuston (82-80)

995 to 999 – Arizona (84-78)

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

Royals Knock Out Redbirds in 6 Games

Kansas City (AP) - Chris Capuano won both of his starts as the upstart Kansas City Royals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in 6 games. This was the Royals first post season appearance as they rallied from an early 2-0 series deficit to knock out St. Louis.

The Cardinals had made the World Series the previous two seasons and had won the 2004 League Championship. A recap of the series:

Game 1: STL 5, KC 4 – Westbrook pitched strong 7+ innings, Burnitz drives in a pair

Game 2: STL 4, KC 0 – Dontrelle Willis and Chad Cordero combine on six hit shutout, Konerko gets three hits including a homer

Game 3: KC 7, STL 2 – Capuano gets win; top of the order Mauer, Young and Shelton go 8 for 17

Game 4: KC 4, STL 3 – Royals score deciding run in 9th via a Carlos Beltran single, a Joe Mauer walk and a RBI-single by John Rodriguez.

Game 5: KC 2, STL 0 – Paul Byrd and three relievers shutout Redbirds, Matt Lecroy hits homer off Willis

Game 6: KC 5, STL 3 – Capuano wins second in series, former Cardinal Lecroy hits another homer

Indians Roll, Omar Vizquel Shines

Omar Vizquel doubled home the winning run in a wild 13-12 playoff game #2 propelling the Indians to a series win over Toronto. Vizquel batted .412 in the series while scoring six runs. This was the Blue Jays first post season series in Millennium Legue action. A recap of the series:

Game 1 - Toronto (Carpenter) at Cleveland (Patterson) Toronto enters the bottom of the 9th with a 1 run margin. After pinch hitter Ryan Sheely reaches base on a single followed by a single from Lofton, Chris Carpenter gives it up to Derrick Turnbow. He gets a key strikeout of Mark Ellis but is unable to pick up the save. Jason Bay doubles to bring home the tying and game-winning run. Final 5-4 Cleveland.

Game 2 - Toronto (Sabathia) at Cleveland (Colon) A crazy game. Teams combine for 30 hits, 25 runs and 9 home runs. Cleveland had a comfortable 11-0 lead after 3 thanks to 2 home runs from Manny Ramirez including a grand slam. But Toronto doesn't give up and chips away at the lead. A grand slam in the 9th from Milton Bradley ties it up at 12 a piece. In the bottom of the 9th, Brian McCann singles and Kenny Lofton comes in to pinch run. A double from Omar Vizquel brings home the game winner in another walk-off moment. Final 13-12 Cleveland.

Game 3 - Cleveland (Rogers) at Toronto (Arroyo) Arroyo dominates and shuts down the Cleveland offense. He goes 6 innings of 2 hit ball, allowing only a single run on a Jason Bay solo shot. Papelbon and Turnbow come out of the pen to hold onto the 3-1 win for Toronto.

Game 4 - Cleveland (Prior) at Toronto (Maroth) Cleveland's bats come alive again, belting 5 home runs including 2 from Tony Clark. Mark Prior pitches well, going 7 innings allowing 5 hits and 3 runs while striking out 11. Final 9-3 Cleveland.

Game 5 - Cleveland (Patterson) at Toronto (Lilly) A pitching duel until the 6th. Cleveland has a big inning, scoring 10 runs which would end up being all the scoring for both teams. Cleveland closes out the series with the 10-0 victory. Geoff Jenkins slugged a grand slam in the 6th to lead the offense.

Marlins Advance as Burnett Sizzles

Marlins AJ Burnett won two playoff games as #7 seed Florida upset #2 seed Boston in their playoff series in 5 games. This was the second straight year that the #2 seed knocked off the #7 seed. Burnett finished with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings while striking out 15. A recap of the series:

It was really an amazingly close series, despite it ending in only 5 games. Game 1 was the only game that wasn't decided in the last at-bat, with Florida winning it 3-1. Florida won game 2, 4-2 in 15 innings. In game 3 Boston won 6-3 in 11 innings. In Game 4, Florida won 8-7 with Victor Martinez getting a game winning hit in the bottom of the 9th off Mike MacDougal with the bases loaded and no outs. Then in the deciding game 5, Luis Castilla drove home Jeremy Reed with the winning run off Pedro Martinez in the bottom of the 9th as Florida won 3-2.

Twins and Santana Knock Off Phils in 6 Games

Johan Santana pitched brilliantly to help the Minnesota Twins defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2 in their quarter-final playoff series. Santana finished with 2 wins and a 1.13 ERA in the series. A recap of the series:

The Twins opened up with a 13-2 win in Game 1 as Graffanino drove in 5 runs and Carlos Lee drove in 4 more. Santana got the win.

1. The Phils rebounded in Game 2 as Freddy Garcia and three relievers shut out the Twins 7-0.

Hideki Matsui drove in a pair of runs as Minnesota won the third game 3-1.

The Fightin' Phils evened the series in Game 4 as Jeff Suppan pitched strong in a tight 5-4 contest. Andruw Jones hit a homer and drove in two runs.

In Game 5, Santana(2-0) was indeed brilliant as he hand-cuffed the Philadelphia offense. He gave up just 6 hits and 1 walk in a complete game performance.

50,547 fans watched an exciting Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. The Twins knocked out the Phillies as Carlos Lee blasted a solo shot in the top of the 11th inning.

Coming Down to the Wire

Strat-O-Matic Report

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LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
 
Brock                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA           99  63  .611 ----  *WON* 
2005 Florida FLN             87  75  .537 12.0        
2005 Seattle SEA             77  85  .475 22.0        
2005 Anaheim ANA             73  86  .459 24.5        
2005 San Francisco SFN       61 101  .377 38.0        
 
Killebrew                   WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Kansas City KCA         89  70  .560 ----     6  
2005 Toronto TOA             82  68  .547  2.5        
2005 Houston HON             82  80  .506  8.5        
2005 Atlanta ATN             73  83  .468 14.5        
2005 Los Angeles LAN         68  94  .420 22.5        
 
Koufax                      WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Boston BOA              97  65  .599 ----  *WON* 
2005 Arizona ARN             84  75  .528 11.5        
2005 Oakland OAA             73  80  .477 19.5        
2005 Pittsburgh PIN          76  86  .469 21.0        
2005 Washington WAN          66  90  .423 28.0        
 
Aaron                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Philadelphia PHN        92  70  .568 ----  *WON* 
2005 St. Louis SLN           89  73  .549  3.0        
2005 Minnesota MNA           83  73  .532  6.0        
2005 Chicago CHA             76  86  .469 16.0        
2005 New York NYA            69  93  .426 23.0        
 

Fish' Castillo Heading Toward 1st Batting Crown

Marlins second basemen has had a breakout season. He currently is hitting .344 and leads the league in batting average with a 16 point lead over Michael Young of Kansas City. Castillo has played all five previous Millennium seasons with Florida and is a .298 lifetime hitter.

Won/Loss Records Since July 1st. . . . .

Red Sox Clinch Division

Boston (AP) - The Red Sox are back in the playoff picture after missing the postseason the past two seasons. Manager Matt Fenton has guided his Boston club to a strong 92-58 mark so far this season. Backed by powerful pitching (league leading team ERA 3.59), the Red Sox look to be a tough team in the playoffs. . . . . .

Marlins' Lowry Fires Perfect Game

Florida (AP) - History was made in San Francisco as Noah Lowry thrilled the crowd by tossing a perfect game as the Florida Marlins defeated the San Francisco Giants by the score of 3 to 0.

In his second season with Florida, Lowry has posted a 14-7 record with a 3.27 ERA. Lowry was the 35th player selected in the 2004 Draft.

Current Stats for 2005 Rookie Class

CLASS OF 2005:
_
  NAME               BAVG  GM  AB   R   H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO HB SH DP  SB CS  E
 1-P.Fielder,SEA     .350  12  40   4  14  1  0  2   8   2  12  0  0  0   0  0  0
 2-B.McCann,CLA      .261  37 115  15  30  7  0  5  15   8  34  0  1  3   0  1  0
 4-C.Granderson,KCA  .250   2   8   2   2  0  0  2   5   1   3  0  0  0   0  0  0
 5-R.Cano,NYA        .244  64 250  20  61 13  3  1  26   5  35  3  2  5   0  4  9
 6-R.Zimmerman,SEA   ----   0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
 8-W.Taveras,OAA     .258  87 356  39  92  5  1  4  21  14  60  4  9  3  21 12  0
10-J.Hardy,ANA       .308   9  26   5   8  4  0  0   2   1   2  0  0  0   0  0  0
11-N.McLouth,LAN     ----   0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
13-A.Hill,MNA        .196  36 112  12  22  7  0  0   4  10  14  2  1  2   0  0  1
15-C.Jackson,FLN     ----   0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
16-C.Hart,ARN        ----   0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
17-L.Scott,PIN       ----   0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
18-J.Hermida,HON     ----   0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0  0   0  0  0
20-J.Francoeur,SLN   .269  38 119  20  32  9  2  9  27   2  41  3  0  1   2  0  1
_
_
  NAME                ERA  W  L   PCT   G GS CG SH SV    IP   H   R  ER HR  BB  SO
 3-F.Hernandez,CHA   2.92  2  1  .667   4  4  0  0  0  24.2  24   8   8  4  10  21
 7-J.Papelbon,TOA    ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0
 9-M.Cain,BOA        ----  0  0  ----   0  0  0  0  0   0.0   0   0   0  0   0   0
12-C.Wang,SFN        1.75  3  1  .750   5  5  0  0  0  36.0  24   8   7  2  11  17
14-E.Santana,CLA     4.76  2  2  .500   9  9  1  1  0  51.0  58  30  27  5  22  33
19-J.Blanton,ATN     3.46  6  4  .600  15 15  1  0  0  96.1  85  45  37 14  26  60

Jays' Turnbow Turning Up the Heat

Toronto (AP) - Derrick Turnbow might have been the best steal in the 2005 draft. Selected in the third round, Turnbow leads the league saves (27) and sports a miniscule 1.45 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has given up just 18 hits and 1 homer in 31 innings pitched and has helped keep Toronto in first place in the very competitive Killebrew Division.

Tribe's Kenny Rogers Having Stellar Season

Cleveland (AP) - A year ago, the Cleveland Indians finished with a dismal 61-101 record - 36 games behind division winner Florida. A year ago, Tribe hurler Kenny Rogers was 7-20 with a 7+ ERA. He gave up a whopping 255 hits in 189 innings pitched.

The 2005 season is a complete turnaround for the Indians and Rogers. Cleveland, leading the league in team batting (.292) and runs scored (542), has posted a 66-33 record. Rogers leads the league in wins with a 15-3 mark. He has a 3.55 ERA with 2 shutouts.

What a difference a year makes. . . .

Playoff Seedings Taking Shape

The 2005 playoff chase is in full stride as there are currently 10 teams with records above .500 vying for eight playoff spots.....should be an interesting race to the post season.....

Current Standings Midway Through Block 4

Strat-O-Matic Report

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LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
 
Brock                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA           41  22  .651 ----    92  
2005 Florida FLN             39  30  .565  5.0        
2005 Anaheim ANA             31  38  .449 13.0        
2005 Seattle SEA             25  35  .417 14.5        
2005 San Francisco SFN       26  46  .361 19.5        
 
Killebrew                   WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Kansas City KCA         41  31  .569 ----    97  
2005 Toronto TOA             32  25  .561  1.5        
2005 Houston HON             33  27  .550  2.0        
2005 Atlanta ATN             27  39  .409 11.0        
2005 Los Angeles LAN         28  41  .406 11.5        
 
Koufax                      WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Boston BOA              35  19  .648 ----   105  
2005 Oakland OAA             37  23  .617  1.0        
2005 Arizona ARN             28  29  .491  8.5        
2005 Pittsburgh PIN          29  31  .483  9.0        
2005 Washington WAN          19  41  .317 19.0        
 
Aaron                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Philadelphia PHN        42  27  .609 ----    97  
2005 Minnesota MNA           33  24  .579  3.0        
2005 New York NYA            29  34  .460 10.0        
2005 Chicago CHA             30  36  .455 10.5        
2005 St. Louis SLN           31  38  .449 11.0        
 

• Go to Strat-O-Matic Homepage

Current Standings Midway Through Block 3

Strat-O-Matic Report

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LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
 
Brock                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA           28  17  .622 ----   114  
2005 Florida FLN             27  21  .563  2.5        
2005 Anaheim ANA             24  30  .444  8.5        
2005 San Francisco SFN       20  34  .370 12.5        
2005 Seattle SEA             12  24  .333 11.5        
 
Killebrew                   WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Toronto TOA             27  18  .600 ----   119  
2005 Houston HON             22  17  .564  2.0        
2005 Kansas City KCA         22  17  .564  2.0        
2005 Atlanta ATN             19  32  .373 11.0        
2005 Los Angeles LAN         17  31  .354 11.5        
 
Koufax                      WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Boston BOA              32  19  .627 ----   111  
2005 Oakland OAA             28  20  .583  2.5        
2005 Arizona ARN             27  24  .529  5.0        
2005 Pittsburgh PIN          20  25  .444  9.0        
2005 Washington WAN          15  27  .357 12.5        
 
Aaron                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Minnesota MNA           28  17  .622   .5   114  
2005 Philadelphia PHN        33  21  .611 ----        
2005 Chicago CHA             24  24  .500  6.0        
2005 St. Louis SLN           18  21  .462  7.5        
2005 New York NYA            22  26  .458  8.0        
 
 

Phils Chavez Homers in 10th For Win Over Buccos

Strat-O-Matic Report

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BOXSCORE: 2005 Philadelphia Phillies At 2005 Pittsburgh Pirates     5/29/2005

 

  Phillies           AB  R  H RBI AVG     Pirates            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  M.Tejada SS         4  0  3  1 .317     B.Giles RF          3  1  0  0 .318  

  C.Duffy LF          4  0  1  0 .261   C-R.Freel RF          1  0  0  0 .343  

  A.Pujols 1B         5  0  0  0 .332     C.Sullivan CF       5  0  2  2 .302  

  A.Jones CF          3  1  0  0 .193     R.Winn LF           5  1  3  0 .325  

  N.Perez 2B          5  0  1  0 .244     S.Hillenbrand 1B    5  0  1  0 .228  

  D.Miller C          3  0  0  0 .253     C.Guillen SS        5  0  1  0 .256  

D-T.Hunter PH         0  0  0  0 .221     B.Inge 3B           3  0  1  1 .253  

E-G.Zaun C            1  0  1  0 .226     E.Guardado P        0  0  0  0 ----  

  E.Chavez 3B         5  1  1  2 .237   F-B.Crosby PH         1  0  0  0 .179  

  A.Rowand RF         5  3  3  2 .285     B.Lidge P           0  0  0  0 ----  

  G.Maddux P          1  0  0  0 .000     J.Castillo 2B       4  0  0  0 .213  

B-M.Loretta PH        1  0  0  0 .277     J.Kendall C         3  0  1  0 .248  

  B.Donnelly P        0  0  0  0 .000     K.Benson P          2  0  0  0 .222  

  J.Frasor P          0  0  0  0 ----   A-M.Derosa 3B         1  1  0  0 .125  

G-R.Palmeiro PH       1  0  0  0 .241                                          

  B.Thompson P        0  0  0  0 ----                                          

  A.Reyes P           0  0  0  0 ----                                          

                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      

         Totals      38  5 10  5                 Totals      38  3  9  3

 

A-Subbed Defensively (3B) For Benson In 7th Inning

B-Pinch Hit For Maddux In 7th Inning

C-Subbed Defensively (RF) For Giles In 8th Inning

D-Pinch Hit For Miller In 8th Inning

E-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Hunter In 8th Inning

F-Pinch Hit For Guardado In 8th Inning

G-Pinch Hit For Frasor In 9th Inning

 

Phillies........ 0 0 0  0 1 0  1 0 1  2 -  5 10  0

Pirates......... 0 0 0  1 0 0  2 0 0  0 -  3  9  1

 

Phillies (31-20)         IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

G.Maddux                  6       5   1   1   1   1   0   3.86

B.Donnelly BS(1st)        0 2/3   1   2   2   2   0   0   4.26

J.Frasor                  1 1/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   0.00

B.Thompson WIN(4-0)       1 1/3   3   0   0   0   1   0   1.06

A.Reyes SAVE(8th)         0 2/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   3.86

Totals                   10       9   3   3   3   4   0

 

Pirates (17-22)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

K.Benson                  6 1/3   6   2   2   2   2   2   3.56

E.Guardado                1 2/3   0   0   0   2   1   0   2.70

B.Lidge LOSS(0-2) BS(2nd) 2       4   3   3   1   4   1   3.21

Totals                   10      10   5   5   5   7   3

 

ATTENDANCE- 14,127 DATE- Wednesday, May 29th 2005 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average

UMPIRES- Brian O'Nora, Dan Iassogna, Mark Hirschbeck, Wally Bell

T- 3:07

LEFT ON BASE- Phillies: 9  Pirates: 8

DOUBLE PLAYS- Phillies: 0  Pirates: 1

ERRORS- M.Derosa

DOUBLES- B.Inge(13th)

TRIPLES- C.Sullivan(2nd)

HOME RUNS- E.Chavez(10th), A.Rowand-2(9th)

CAUGHT STEALING- G.Zaun

WALKS- M.Tejada, C.Duffy, A.Jones, T.Hunter, G.Maddux, B.Giles, J.Kendall,

       M.Derosa

HIT BY PITCH- A.Jones

STRIKE OUTS- C.Duffy, A.Pujols, A.Jones, N.Perez, E.Chavez, A.Rowand, G.Maddux,

             R.Winn, C.Guillen, B.Inge, M.Derosa

GIDP- N.Perez

WILD PITCHES- B.Donnelly, B.Lidge

WEB GEMS- Top 5th: Jason Kendall blocked the plate, saving a run!

          Top 9th: Ryan Freel robbed Rafael Palmeiro of an extra base hit.

 

Aaron Rowand rocketed 2 homeruns and scored 3 times at Miller Park where the

Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings 5 to 3.

 

Both teams were tied at 3 runs apiece after nine innings.  Philadelphia came

out the victor in the 10th inning.  Andruw Jones got things going when he

drew a walk.  Neifi Perez followed, but he was set down on strikes.  Gregg

Zaun then banged out a single.  One out later, Eric Chavez stepped up to the

plate and he blasted a two-run home run (his 10th of the season).  Rowand got

his turn next, but he was a strikeout victim.  Philadelphia rapped out 10

hits for the afternoon.  

 

The winning pitcher was Brad Thompson(4-0) who allowed no runs in 1 and 1/3

innings. Al Reyes recorded the save, his 8th.  Brad Lidge(0-2) was given the

loss in relief.  He gave up 3 runs in 2 innings of work.  

 

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A year ago, The Blue Jays and Royals finished 4th and 5th respectively in the Killebrew Division. This season, both teams have started strong (Toronto 24-15, Kansas City 22-17) out of the gates. On May 9th, Kansas City visited Toronto for a three game series:

	May 9 Royals............ 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 10 1 Blue-Jays....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 8 0 P.Byrd WIN(5-0), H.Street SAVE(6th), C.Sabathia LOSS(3-2) HOME RUNS- S.Fasano(5th), M.Bradley(3rd) Kansas City delivered all the runs required in the 4th inning when they tallied 3 runs on 2 hits. The highlight belonged to Sal Fasano who deflated the spirits of the home town crowd when he belted a three-run homer (his 5th of the season). Neither team managed to score after the 4th inning.
	May 10 Royals............ 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 - 6 11 0 Blue-Jays....... 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 1 C.Capuano WIN(4-2), B.Arroyo LOSS(2-2) HOME RUNS- S.Fasano(6th) Kansas City's victory went to Chris Capuano(4-2) who went 6 innings, allowing 1 run. Bronson Arroyo(2-2) was the losing pitcher. He pitched 6 innings and surrendered 7 hits and 1 walk.
	May 11 Royals.......... 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 - 3 8 0 Blue-Jays....... 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 X - 6 9 0 H.Street LOSS(1-2), M.Maroth WIN(2-2) HOME RUNS- M.Grudzielanek(1st), S.Fasano(7th), J.Peralta(6th), V.Wells-2(7th) Center fielder Vernon Wells smashed 2 homeruns and had 4 RBI and Mike Maroth tossed a complete game as the Toronto ballclub defeated the Kansas City Royals by the score of 6 to 3 at Enron Field.

Randy Johnson's 100th Millennium League Win

April 27: Randy Johnson became the first pitcher to win 100 Millennium League games by defeating the Washington Nationals 9-6 at PNC Park. Johnson struck out 11 in his complete game effort. The Big Unit has a career 100-43 mark over five seasons with the D-Backs: 21-12 (2000), 23-10 (2001), 23-8 (2002), 8-7 (2003), 23-5 (2004) and 2-1 (2005). Nationals.......... 0 2 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 - 6 13 0 Diamond-Backs... 0 4 0 1 0 4 0 0 X - 9 12 0 V.Santos LOSS(0-2), R.Johnson WIN(2-1) HOME RUNS- P.Burrell(2nd), L.Ford(1st), J.Dye(6th)

Tony Clark Leading League in Homers

Cleveland (AP) - Journeyman first baseman Tony Clark is having an incredible start for the Indians. In 32 games, Tony is batting .403 with 21 homers and 36 runs batted in. He leads the league in homers and is 2nd in batting average and RBI's. This is quite a turnaround for Clark. Tony has a career .238 batting average with just 24 total homers in his five previous seasons with Seattle, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Tony has certainly helped the Indians get off to a fast start (25-14) this season. . . .

Sox' Smoltz Off to Fast Start

Boston (AP) - One of the main reasons for the Red Sox' resurgence this season is starter John Smoltz. The "reliever turned starter" is off to a great start: 5-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 8 games. Smoltz, a #1 round draft pick for the Red Sox in 2001, had saved 107 games the prior three seasons. He was turned into a starter for the 2005 seasons and is anchoring a formidable stable of starters: P. Martinez (6-2 2.90), J. Contreras (2-1 3.03), T. Wakefield (3-1 3.77) and D. Lowe (3-2 4.80). Boston has jumped out to a strong 24-15 mark this season and looks to be a playoff contender. . . . .

Around the League - Walk Off Homers

Four walk off homers occurred in the second block of games:

	April 25: Javy Lopez bombed a two-run dinger (his 4th of the season) to give the Yankees an exciting come from behind win over Philly. Phillies........... 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 9 1 Yankees......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 5 6 3 A.Reyes LOSS(0-1), D.Weathers WIN(2-2) HOME RUNS- M.Tejada(4th), R.Sexson(6th), J.Lopez(4th)
	May 5: Toronto pulled the game out in the 12th inning as catcher Mike Matheny ripped a solo home run (his 1st of the season) giving Toronto the win much to the delight of the home town crowd. Diamond-Backs... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 8 2 Blue-Jays........... 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 5 9 0 M.Wise LOSS(0-2), J.Putz WIN(2-1) HOME RUNS- C.Pena(2nd), V.Wells(8th), K.Mench-2(5th), M.Matheny(1st)
	May 10: Boston won the hard fought contest in the 10th inning as Jason Varitek hit a bases-empty home run (his 5th of the season) resulting in an exciting win for Boston and a raucous post-game celebration by the home town fans. Diamond-Backs... 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 - 5 8 0 Red Sox............. 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 6 11 0 J.Speier LOSS(1-1), R.Villone WIN(1-0) HOME RUNS- R.Furcal(1st), J.Damon(3rd), J.Varitek(5th)
	May 11: Tony Clark launched 2 homeruns and had 4 RBI at The Ballpark as the Cleveland Indians won a thriller over the San Francisco Giants 5 to 4. Cleveland won the game with a run in the bottom of the 9th inning as Clark delivered a solo blast (his 11th of the season) making Cleveland the victors to the delight of the home town faithful. Giants.......... 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 - 4 10 0 Indians......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 5 11 0 T.Worrell LOSS(0-2), S.Hasegawa WIN(4-1) HOME RUNS- J.Kent(5th), J.Morneau(3rd), T.Clark-2(11th)

Indians Acquire John Patterson

Cleveland (AP) - The Indians recently acquired righty starter John Patterson from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for relief pitcher Kevin Gregg and a 2006 6th round draft pick. Patterson, in three previous seasons with the Dodgers, was just 3-6 with a 4.56 ERA. He is 1-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 50 innings this year.

Gregg, a 7th round pick by Cleveland in the 2004 Draft, was 4-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 90 innings last season.

Current Standings Midway Thru Block 2

Strat-O-Matic Report

---

LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
 
Brock                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA           14  10  .583 ----   134  
2005 Florida FLN             18  15  .545   .5        
2005 Anaheim ANA             20  19  .513  1.5        
2005 Seattle SEA             10  20  .333  7.0        
2005 San Francisco SFN       10  23  .303  8.5        
 
Killebrew                   WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Kansas City KCA         15   9  .625 ----   137  
2005 Toronto TOA             16  11  .593   .5        
2005 Houston HON             14  13  .519  2.5        
2005 Atlanta ATN             16  20  .444  5.0        
2005 Los Angeles LAN         11  22  .333  8.5        
 
Koufax                      WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Oakland OAA             13   8  .619 ----   139  
2005 Boston BOA              16  11  .593 ----        
2005 Arizona ARN             13  11  .542  1.5        
2005 Pittsburgh PIN          10  11  .476  3.0        
2005 Washington WAN           7  14  .333  6.0        
 
Aaron                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Minnesota MNA           22  14  .611 ----   125  
2005 Philadelphia PHN        19  17  .528  3.0        
2005 New York NYA            19  17  .528  3.0        
2005 St. Louis SLN           17  16  .515  3.5        
2005 Chicago CHA             20  19  .513  3.5        
 

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Phillies Acquire Andruw Jones

Philadelphia (AP) - The Phillies acquired centerfielder Andruw Jones from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for their 2006 Round 1 draft pick. Entering this season, Jones had played 772 games for the Braves and had a .266 career average with a 172 homers (15th on the all-time list). However, Jones was hitting just .189 with 6 homers through May 11th of this season.

The Phillies have a history of trading their future season #1 round draft picks away to acquire players. Last season, the Fightin' Phils acquired Jim Thome from the Indians for their top pick. And, two seasons ago, Greg Maddux from the Braves was acquired for the Phils' #1 rounder.

Current Standings Midway Thru Block 1

Strat-O-Matic Report

---

LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
 
Brock                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA            6   3  .667 ----   152  
2005 Anaheim ANA              7   5  .583   .5        
2005 Florida FLN              9   9  .500  1.5        
2005 Seattle SEA              6   9  .400  3.0        
2005 San Francisco SFN        5  10  .333  4.0        
 
Killebrew                   WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Kansas City KCA         12   3  .800 ----   149  
2005 Toronto TOA              3   3  .500  4.5        
2005 Atlanta ATN              5   7  .417  5.5        
2005 Houston HON              1   2  .333  5.0        
2005 Los Angeles LAN          0   3  .000  6.0        
 
Koufax                      WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Boston BOA               2   1  .667 ----   159  
2005 Oakland OAA              6   6  .500   .5        
2005 Pittsburgh PIN           4   5  .444  1.0        
2005 Arizona ARN              4   5  .444  1.0        
2005 Washington WAN           1   2  .333  1.0        
 
Aaron                       WON LOST  PCT   GB  MAGIC#
2005 Chicago CHA              9   6  .600 ----   148  
2005 Philadelphia PHN         8   7  .533  1.0        
2005 Minnesota MNA            6   6  .500  1.5        
2005 New York NYA            10  11  .476  2.0        
2005 St. Louis SLN            7   8  .467  2.0        
 
 

White Sox Young Guns

Chicago - The White Sox have been slowly rebuilding their team and now have a strong nucleus of players, including third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes. A recap of the White Sox recent drafts:

2005
1 Hernandez,F 2 Jacobs,M 2 Maholm,P

2004
1 Wright,D 1 Rios,A 2 Gonzalez,M 3 Qualls,C 3

2003
1 Reyes,J 1 Bonderman,J 2 Phillips,B 2 Betancourt,R 2 Heilman,A

The White Sox are 5-1 in the early going.......

Monroe Hits Walk-Off Homer for Yankees

Craig Monroe hit a 2-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th to give New York an exciting 2-1 win over St. Louis. Roger Clemens was brilliant for New York - he pitched 10 innings and gave up only one unearned run.

Strat-O-Matic Report

BOXSCORE: 2005 St. Louis Cardinals At 2005 New York Yankees          4/7/2005

 

  Cardinals          AB  R  H RBI AVG     Yankees            AB  R  H RBI AVG

  E.Renteria SS       4  0  2  1 .348     D.Dejesus CF        4  1  1  0 .217  

  P.Polanco 2B        5  0  0  0 .435     M.Teahen 3B         4  0  1  0 .091  

  J.Drew RF           3  0  0  0 .000     C.Monroe LF         5  1  2  2 .500  

  P.Konerko 1B        4  0  0  0 .316     J.Uribe SS          2  0  0  0 .170  

  J.Edmonds CF        4  0  0  0 .111     W.Pena RF           4  0  1  0 .209  

  J.Lane LF           4  1  2  0 .227     E.Alfonzo 2B        4  0  1  0 .227  

  M.Mora 3B           4  0  0  0 .158     D.Mientkiewicz 1B   4  0  1  0 .083  

  J.Estrada C         4  0  0  0 .091     C.Snyder C          4  0  0  0 .125  

  B.Chen P            3  0  1  0 .333     R.Clemens P         4  0  0  0 .000  

A-R.Branyan PH        1  0  0  0 .143                                          

  C.Cordero P         0  0  0  0 ----                                          

                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      

         Totals      36  1  5  1                 Totals      35  2  7  2

 

A-Pinch Hit For Chen In 10th Inning

 

Cardinals....... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  1 -  1  5  0

Yankees......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  2 -  2  7  1

 

Cardinals (3-2)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

B.Chen                    9       6   0   0   3   7   0   0.00

C.Cordero L(0-1) BS(1st)  0 1/3   1   2   2   1   1   1  10.80

Totals                    9 1/3   7   2   2   4   8   1

 

Yankees                  IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA

R.Clemens WIN(2-1)       10       5   1   0   2   8   0   2.18

Totals                   10       5   1   0   2   8   0

 

ATTENDANCE- 56,532 DATE- Sunday, April 7th 2005 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average

UMPIRES- Doug Eddings, Charlie Reliford, Mark Carlson, Dana Demuth

T- 2:49

LEFT ON BASE- Cardinals: 7  Yankees: 9

DOUBLE PLAYS- Cardinals: 0  Yankees: 0

ERRORS- E.Alfonzo

DOUBLES- J.Lane(2nd), M.Teahen(2nd)

HOME RUNS- C.Monroe(4th)

WALKS- E.Renteria, J.Drew, D.Dejesus, M.Teahen, J.Uribe-2

STRIKE OUTS- P.Polanco-2, J.Drew, P.Konerko, M.Mora-3, B.Chen, M.Teahen-2,

             C.Monroe-2, J.Uribe, W.Pena, D.Mientkiewicz, R.Clemens

 

Roger Clemens went 10 strong innings at Petco Park where the New York Yankees

beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 10 innings by the score of 2 to 1.

 

The score was a scoreless tie after nine.  New York ended up winning it in the

10th inning.  David Dejesus started the inning off right when he drew a walk.

Mark Teahen got his chance to keep things going, but he went down on

strikes.  Craig Monroe then cleared the fences for a two-run home run (his

4th of the season) giving New York the victory and sending the 56,532

home-town fans home happy.  New York managed 7 hits in their victory.

 

Clemens(2-1) was the winner allowing 1 run for the game. Chad Cordero(0-1) was

the losing pitcher in relief.  When questioned, Ron Tidrow remarked, 'It's

been a while since a win felt this good - heck, it's been a while since we

had a win period!'

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Royals Expecting Big Crowds at Kaufmann Stadium

Kansas City (AP) - The Royals are the hottest team in the league right now as they jumped fast out of the gate with a strong 12-3 mark. The Royals have never made the playoffs. Kansas City's past won-lost records:

2004: 65 - 97 (5th Place)
2003: 57 - 105 (5th Place)
2002: 75 - 87 (2nd Place)
2001: 82 - 80 (3rd Place)
2000: 71 - 91 (5th Place)

Time will tell to see if the Royals are for real this season, but expect some big crowds at Kaufmann Stadium in the early going.....

Twins & Tribe Deal

Minnesota (AP) - The Twins acquired veteran reliever Todd Jones from Cleveland in exchange for Adam LaRoche and a fourth round pick in the 2006 draft. Jones has a career 13-12 record, 47 saves and a 5.55 ERA while playing for the Indians and Phillies. The right handed reliever is expected to close for the Twins.

Adam LaRoche, drafted by Minnesota in the second round of the 2004 draft, hit .237 with 4 homers in limited playing time last season.

Opening Day Around the League

	Dontrelle Willis pitched strong into the 9th inning as the defending champions St. Louis Cardinals opened the 2005 season with a win over Minnesota. Cardinals....... 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 - 6 11 0 Twins........... 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 2 10 0 D.Willis WIN(1-0), C.Cordero SAVE(1st), J.Santana LOSS(0-1) HOME RUNS- J.Francoeur(1st), C.Lee(1st)
	Rookie Robinson Cano drove in two runs as the New York Yankees cruised to a 8 to 3 victory over Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park in their home opener. Phillies........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 - 3 6 1 Yankees......... 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 0 X - 8 7 2 F.Garcia LOSS(0-1), D.Cabrera WIN(1-0) HOME RUNS- S.Stewart(1st)
	Chris Carpenter, who the Blue Jays are counting on for a big season, shut down Atlanta in Toronto’s home opener. Braves.......... 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 - 3 6 0 Blue-Jays....... 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 X - 5 9 1 J.Lackey LOSS(0-1), C.Carpenter WIN(1-0), D.Turnbow SAVE(1st) HOME RUNS- J.Crede(1st)
	Carlos Zambrano out-pitched Roy Oswalt in an exciting home opener for Oakland. Pirates......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 0 A's............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X - 1 5 0 R.Oswalt LOSS(0-1), C.Zambrano WIN(1-0), J.Isringhaus SAVE(1st HOME RUNS- M.Stairs(1st)
	Jeff Kent hit a homer and a pair of doubles as the Giants spoiled the Mariners home Opener with a 8-5 victory. Giants.......... 0 0 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 - 8 13 0 Mariners........ 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 - 5 8 1 L.Hernandez WIN(1-0), J.Baldwin SAVE(1st), E.Milton LOSS(0-1) HOME RUNS- J.Cantu(1st), J.Kent(1st), O.Saenz(1st), D.Mohr(1st), A.Rodriguez(1st)

Papelbon Ready To Energize Blue Jays

Toronto - Jonathan Papelbon was selected by the Blue Jays as the 7th player overall in the 2005 draft. The rookie right hander will certainly bring energy to the Jays bullpen and will team up with third round draft pick Derrick Turnbow to form a brand new look for Toronto's bullpen. Last season's closer, Ryan Madson, finished with a 2-6 record, 17 saves and a 4+ ERA and was released in the off season.

John Smoltz is ready to join Red Sox Rotation

This offseason Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz has been getting ready to go from closer to starting pitcher for the 2nd time in his Hall of Fame career. Since being selected 7th overall in the 2001 draft, all Smoltz has done is save 107 games and help anchor the bullpen as Boston went to it's only World Series in 2002. The most memorable game that postseason was when he and Pedro Martinez combined for a no-hitter in Game 7 of the Semi Final round against Pittsburgh.

This season Smoltz will join Pedro, Derek Lowe, Tim Wakefield and Jose Contreras in the rotation for the 2005 season. Unfortunately the move will leave a huge void in the bullpen but the Red Sox front office believes it will be more valuable to have Smoltz pitch 7 innings in a game rather then 1 or 2. Only time will tell but the Red Sox are looking forward to a good season in 2005.

Woody Williams Back With Cards

St. Louis - Left off the Cardinals protected roster, the Redbirds re-drafted the veteran right hander in the 7th round and immediately signed him to a two-year contract. "Woody has been a key ingredient of the Redbird success these past few years and we wanted him back in St. louis", said Cardinal skipper John Helmbrecht. Williams was initially drafted in the first round in the first Millennium League draft way back in 2000. Over five seasons with St. Louis, Williams has notched 53 career wins. Woody played a huge part in last season's World Series as he fired 7 2/3 innings of 2-hit ball vs. Atlanta in Game #3.

Seattle Acquires Closer Rodriguez

Seattle is quickly improving their team - the latest evidence is with the acquisition of closer Francisco Rodriguez. The Mariners sent Shea Hillenbrand (.266 12 HR's 70 RBI's in 2004) and a #4 round draft pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the right-handed reliever. Rodriguez, who was the setup man for Brad Lidge last season, finished 9-1 with a 2.88 ERA last season for the Buccos.

Seattle also had four draft picks in the top thirty this season and selected Prince Fielder (#1), Ryan Zimmerman (#6), Kelly Johnson (#21) and Kelvim Escobar (#26). With all this new talent, the Mariners are definitely on the upswing.

Robinson Cano Selected #5 by Yankees

New York - The Yankees made second basemen Robinson Cano their first selection in the 2005 draft and immediately slotted the young infielder as a starter at second base. Splitting time last season between Trenton (AA) and Columbus (AAA), Cano batted a combined .283 with 13 HR and 74 RBI in 135 games.....Cano was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

Mariners Pick First - Select Prince Fielder

Seattle - The Mariners kicked off the 2005 Millennium League draft by selecting power hitting first baseman Prince Fielder. The 21 year old slugger hit .272 with 23 homers and had 78 runs batted in last season for the AA Huntsville Stars. The Mariners project Fielder as a 2006 starter and will play considerably in AAA for the 2005 season.

Prior first round draft picks for the Mariners: 2004- Scott Kazmir, 2003-Scott Posednik, 2002-Dave Roberts, 2001-Shea Hillenbrand, 2000-Corey Lidle.