2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions

twostripestiger · May 17, 2011

is pujols that hyped?

GreenNGold89 · May 17, 2011

RIP to a legend.

GreenNGold89 · May 17, 2011

RIP to a legend.

osh kosh bosh · May 17, 2011

Originally Posted by twostripestiger

is pujols that hyped?

Nah he didn't have the same pedigree.

They called this dude the LeBron James of baseball.

osh kosh bosh · May 17, 2011

Originally Posted by twostripestiger

is pujols that hyped?

Nah he didn't have the same pedigree.

They called this dude the LeBron James of baseball.

proshares · May 18, 2011

Duffy.

Spoiler [+]

It was Everett Teaford who delivered the news of the Indians' one-sided blowout of the Royals to teammates on Monday. Teaford, then a pitcher for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, went back into the clubhouse during the game, saw the score flash up on the screen and told the other Storm Chasers.

Getty ImagesDanny Duffy got the call-up in surprise fashion.

None of them needed to be told that changes could be coming, and sure enough, after the game, manager Mike Jirschele and his coaches got a call from Kansas City. Teaford and top pitching prospect Danny Duffy were being summoned to the big leagues, with Duffy scheduled to make his first start in the big leagues Wednesday.

There was just one problem: Duffy had left the ballpark. So a call was placed to the left-hander, who has a reputation of being polite, and Duffy was told that a team meeting was in progress.

Duffy rushed back to the clubhouse, and Jirschele and pitching coach Doug Henry put on their best angry faces and chastised Duffy for being a bad teammate. Two guys had been called to the big leagues, the manager and coaches explained with a straight face, and Duffy hadn't been there to congratulate them. Duffy apologized and felt terrible about the whole thing.

"Well, good," Jirschele said. "Go out and shake [Teaford's hand]. And then he can shake your hand."

That's the moment when Duffy realized that he, too, was going to the big leagues. He started to get emotional. "Glassy-eyed," Henry recalled Tuesday over the phone.

Duffy has made seven starts in Triple-A and, in Henry's eyes, has essentially overmatched the hitters in his league. He has a powerful fastball and has struck out 43 in 36 innings with 10 walks. "But I wouldn't say he's a command pitcher," Henry said.

In Henry's eyes, Duffy is a work in progress, and at the big league level, he will need to learn to work in his secondary pitches -- his curveball and his changeup -- more often. "He's got a good, sharp curveball, and his change is very effective," Henry said.

But Duffy has tended to rely on his fastball. A couple of starts ago, Duffy gave up some runs in an inning, all against his fastball -- a sign to Henry that hitters were locking in on that pitch. Henry met Duffy and his catcher as they came off the field and asked, "Hey, what are we doing here?"

In subsequent innings, Duffy began using his other pitches and did so effectively. Henry has told him that this is what he'll need to do in the majors. "He needs to learn to use his off-speed pitches, because it'll make his fastball even better," Henry said.

"He's better than the league. He's better than the competition."

Starting Wednesday, the competition will be much tougher. Scouts think Duffy has the kind of weapons needed to thrive, but he'll have to use them all.

---

Teaford was beside himself when he got the call to the big leagues, he said. The Royals are speeding up their development timetable, writes Sam Mellinger.

Meanwhile, the Royals' losing streak has reached four, Bob Dutton writes.

The Royals weren't apologizing for Vin Mazzaro's tough night.
[h3]Notables[/h3]

• I met Harmon Killebrew once during spring training. He was exactly what other folks told me he would be like and what you'd want any idol to be: gregarious and gracious and humble. After speaking with him, I wondered about how neat it would be to sit in on a conversation at Cooperstown between him and Brooks Robinson, another of baseball's genuinely great people.

So it was with sadness that we heard of Killebrew's death. Here's the obituary from The New York Times. Willie Weinbaum, a colleague here at ESPN, sent along these thoughts of folks who knew Killebrew well:

Sluggers Jim Gentile, Killebrew and Roger Maris went on a home run hitters tour of six southern cities right after the 1961 World Series. Gentile said he was given a Corvette by the Orioles after his great '61 season, Killebrew flew to Baltimore and met him, and they drove together to North Carolina. On the way back, Gentile says, they got lost.
The hitters would take 20 swings against Clyde King and Jack McKeon, then take a break to sign autographs, then take 20 more swings.

"We had a lot of fun; he had a great sense of humor, he was a great guy and gentleman. If you needed anything, he was there.

"It's hard to put into words how nice Killer was -- everybody liked him & He had both feet on the ground. I played against him in the minors, too. ... He hit those big, long flies that just kept going.

"He was very strong through the shoulders and chest and was very quick."

Tommy John knew Killebrew. "The first time I saw him was my second game in the big leagues; I came out of the bullpen. They had just called me up; I was 19 years old. I had seen him hit a homer off Gary Bell in old Metropolitan Stadium, a sinking line drive that ended up halfway up the bleachers (in 1963). Someone said to me, 'He can hit 'em a lot harder than that.'

"He hit five homers off me, and the most he had off anybody was six. Years later, when I told him, he couldn't believe it -- he said he didn't do that well against me. ... We didn't have scouting reports back then, and I thought he was a high-ball hitter, but he was a low-ball hitter and I was a low-ball pitcher. I played in his golf tournament in Arizona many years -- he was one of the nicest, most compassionate guys I ever met in baseball. ... He never showed you up, no flaps down or anything, just that little No. 3 -- like Babe Ruth -- trotting like he hit 'em before, and he would hit 'em again."

Tony Oliva played with Killebrew for years: "It's very hard," he said Tuesday. "We knew each other about 50 years. I saw him Saturday, and he looked very good, even though he was very sick. He was smiling and making jokes.

"The team flew me and Julio Becquer, who went way back with Harmon, to see him. ... He was the best -- a great ballplayer and an even better person. He was a very strong hitter and always helped other ballplayers out."

Killebrew put Minnesota on the baseball map in 1965, writes Patrick Reusse. An era has passed, writes Jim Souhan. It just got harder to find an old-fashioned sports hero, writes Tom Powers. In 1965, Killebrew tried hitting a ball across the Mississippi.

Killebrew finished his career with the Royals. Willie Horton has great memories of Killebrew. Charlie Manuel remembered his old friend, Matt Gelb writes.

• Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the disabled list, not long after John Lackey was. The Boston rotation will now include Tim Wakefield and Alfredo Aceves, and little help is immediately available in the Red Sox's system. The Yankees also probably will be looking for a starting pitcher, as they talked about internally after Cliff Lee turned down their offer and signed with the Phillies.

Here's the problem for the Red Sox, Yankees and other teams interested in adding major rotation help: The starting-pitching market is shaping up to be very thin. The Mariners have slammed the door on any Felix Hernandez talks, and for now, the best names that talent evaluators have speculated upon are pitchers like Paul Maholm and Aaron Harang -- pitchers who might not be suited to go head-to-head with teams in the AL East.

The most interesting names being kicked around (and to repeat, this is all just speculation from evaluators) are Francisco Liriano, Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez. For any of the three to be traded, his owner would have to wave a white flag on the 2011 season. "I still think Liriano is going to be traded," one evaluator said the other day. "The time is right for the Twins."

The bottom line to all this: Neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox will be able to count on help from the outside; their solutions probably have to come from within. And the AL East race promises to be an incredible grind, a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

• Bad weather continues to wreck the schedule. From Jacob Nitzberg of ESPN Stats & Information. Four more games were postponed by rain Tuesday, bringing the total to seven since Sunday; that's 30 on the season. There were 20 rainouts in the entire 2010 season. Five teams have had four rainouts each so far this season. Here are the totals for the past few seasons:

2011: 30
2010: 8
2009: 19
2008: 18

• As bad as the Rays' attendance situation is, it is also interesting to put those numbers into some historical context, as Zachary Singer of ESPN Stats & Information does with these notes he sent along:

"On Monday, The Tampa Tribune reported that the Rays have the largest attendance drop in the majors, with attendance down 29 percent through the team's first 19 home games. Attendance has always been a problem for both Florida teams despite having had several successful teams in their short existences. But it's not historically bad when you consider:

• The Rays have never had a season average below 13,000 fans a game.

• The Marlins averaged 10,038 fans a game in 2002. Every other season in their history has had an average above 14,300 fans.

• The St. Louis Browns averaged fewer than 9,300 fans a game in each of their 52 seasons in St. Louis. They averaged just 6,606 in 1944, when they won their only pennant. During their 10 seasons across the Great Depression, they averaged fewer than 2,000 fans nine times.

• The Cardinals did not average more than 10,000 fans a game until 1946, the year they won their sixth World Series championship.

• The Red Sox also didn't average more than 10,000 fans a game until 1946. The Depression hit hardest in 1932, when the Red Sox averaged only 2,366 fans."
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Alfredo Simon is going to be tried in the Dominican Republic.
2. There was some internet buzz on Tuesday that Dustin Ackley's promotion is near, but the Mariners are not ready for that yet; they still want him to have more seasoning.

3. The D-backs rehired Bob Melvin.

4. Juan Pierre was benched.

5. The Jays have some roster options.

6. The Nationals are skipping Jordan Zimmermann in their rotation to help manage his innings.

7. Charlie Morton is expected to start Wednesday.

8. Elliot Johnson will play more and Reid Brignac will play less for the Rays.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. The Cubs' Andrew Cashner suffered a major setback, writes Gordon Wittenmyer.
2. Dallas Braden is officially lost for the season, writes John Shea.

3. Chase Utley is scheduled to play nine innings in the minors tonight, Jim Salisbury writes.

4. Freddy Sanchez's knee is bothering him.

5. Yet another injury for the Dodgers: Vicente Padilla has a stiff forearm.

6. Rafael Soriano was placed on the disabled list, the latest sign that his signing is shaping up to be an enormous bust for the Yankees. Remember, they will sacrifice their first-round draft pick to the Rays next month because they signed Soriano.

7. A couple of Orioles are likely headed to the DL.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
1. The Astros had a 1-0 lead with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth -- then Mark Melancon gave up a tying home run to Brian McCann. Two innings later, McCann hit a walk-off homer. For the Astros' bullpen, this was the 11th blown save in the team's first 16 save opportunities this season -- according to Elias, the worst any team had done in its first 16 save opportunities since 1969.
2. McCann was supposed to have the day off, Carroll Rogers writes. There's a cool picture of McCann connected to this Jeff Schultz column.

3. Gio Gonzalez and Oakland rolled over the Angels. From Mr. Nitzberg, how Gonzalez dominated:

• Gonzalez got ahead of hitters better than he had all season. He entered Tuesday's start throwing a first-pitch strike to less than 50 percent of the hitters he'd faced on the season but started 15 of 22 (68.2 percent) of hitters with a strike Tuesday against the Angels.

• He threw his fastball for strikes almost 70 percent of the time, a season high.

• The Angels put just four balls in play against Gonzalez in the air, and just one of those left the infield. Of the five curveballs the Angels put in play, none left the infield.

From Elias: The A's 14-0 win is tied for the third-largest shutout win since the team moved to Oakland in 1968.

4. The Cardinals prevailed late over the Phillies behind Jaime Garcia. From Nitzberg: Garcia threw 49 off-speed pitches, his highest number this season, including 21 sliders. Eighteen of Garcia's 21 sliders went for strikes, including a career-high nine called strikes with the pitch. His slider percentage of 20.4 is his highest this season, and Phillies hitters were 0-for-5 in at-bats that ended with it.

5. Alex Rodriguez had a big game, mashing a couple of homers. He's up there on the list of most career multihomer games:

Babe Ruth: 72
Barry Bonds: 71
Sammy Sosa: 69
Mark McGwire: 67
Willie Mays: 63
Hank Aaron: 62
Alex Rodriguez: 59

A-Rod needed this, writes Mike Vaccaro.

6. Every run the Reds scored was unearned thanks to the Cubs' defense.

7. Felix Hernandez took a tough loss, Geoff Baker writes.

8. Carlos Gonzalez was The Man for the Rockies. For Colorado, this was a really nice series, and for Ubaldo Jimenez, there were encouraging signs, Irv Moss writes.

9. Daniel Hudson has clearly worked through his early-season issues. That's four wins in his past five starts.

10. The Phillies had one of the easiest schedules in the majors in their first 30 games, playing only seven games against teams that had records over .500 -- and they did a great job taking advantage, starting 21-9. Since their schedule got more difficult, they have struggled, winning four of 11, including their 2-1 loss on Tuesday night. The Phillies have mustered just 29 runs in those 11 games.

11. You can't stop the Indians; you can only hope to contain them. Travis Hafner had a big game.

12. The White Sox earned a split.

13. As it turned out, the Cubs couldn't turn the page after a team meeting.

14. Francisco Liriano halted the Twins' slide.

15. Jonathan Sanchez made a crucial error.

16. Hiroki Kuroda was outstanding, writes Dylan Hernandez.

17. Too many walks hurt the Rangers, Anthony Andro writes.

Mock Draft.

Spoiler [+]

This is the first complete first-round projection I'll do for the 2011 draft's first round, and the plan is to do three more leading up to June 6, the first day of the draft. As you can see, this is already quite different than the modified mock draft I did last week, which goes to show just how volatile the top of the draft is this year. And a lot more can change between now and the first Monday in June. Stay tuned.

[h6]Pittsburgh Pirates
[/h6]

Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia

I'm having a hard time seeing Hultzen as the best player on the board, but under Neal Huntington the Pirates have long considered value relative to cost in their drafts, sometimes preferring to spend less in the first round when they see opportunities to spend their savings on other appealing prospects in later rounds. They're still considering Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, and I know they've done their due diligence on Dylan Bundy (but are very unlikely to take him).

[h6]Seattle Mariners[/h6]

Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice

I know Jack Zduriencik went to see both Francisco Lindor and Bubba Starling last week, but everyone I talk to says Seattle is taking Rendon if they're happy with the medicals -- and a very good source told me earlier this week that there is nothing structurally wrong with Rendon's shoulder.

[h6]Arizona Diamondbacks[/h6]

Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA

This one seems wide open, although they'd take Hultzen if he's here. Other candidates include Starling and Dylan Bundy.

[h6]Baltimore Orioles [/h6]

Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso (Okla.) HS

I've also heard they're interested in Bauer and Jed Bradley. And Archie Bradley could be a dark horse here.

[h6]Kansas City Royals[/h6]

Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA

Everyone -- and I mean everyone -- tells me Kansas City wants a college pitcher, although it would consider Bundy because he's polished enough to zip through the minors in two years. It likes local product Starling but (correctly) sees him as someone who'll take more time to reach the majors than the elite college arms will.

[h6]Washington Nationals[/h6]

Alex Meyer, RHP, Kentucky

They'll jump on Bauer if he's here, but I'm not sure he gets past all three teams ahead of them, or Cole if the Royals pass. Matt Barnes and Jed Bradley are backup options.

[h6]Arizona Diamondbacks[/h6]

Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde (Fla.) Academy

Worst-case scenario for the D-backs, who are hoping for Bundy or Bauer here with the unprotected pick received after their first pick last year, Barrett Loux, failed his post-draft physical.

[h6]Cleveland Indians[/h6]

Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt

They want Bauer and aren't getting him unless someone goes way off the reservation in the top seven. They're linked to almost any college pitcher who'll sign for slot (or near-slot) here.

[h6]Chicago Cubs[/h6]

Bubba Starling, CF, Gardner-Edgerton HS, (Gardner, Kan.)

This is still a dream scenario for the Cubs, who I've also heard are connected to Archie Bradley and George Springer.

[h6]San Diego Padres[/h6]

Matt Barnes, RHP, UConn.

This pick is also unprotected, received as compensation for failing to sign their first pick last year (Karsten Whitson, now a standout for the University of Florida), so look for them to draft someone they know will sign here, like Barnes, Lindor or Javier Baez. There's also a persistent rumor that they're on Cory Spangenberg here, and he would be very signable at this spot.

[h6]Houston Astros[/h6]

Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow (Okla.) HS

Bradley is trying to prove the adage that it's not how you start in the draft, but how you finish, as he's showing better velocity than ever down the stretch with a plus-plus curveball. The Astros typically stay close to slot but could spread out Bradley's bonus because he's a two-sport athlete. I've also heard they're interested in Lindor if he gets here, Gray or Cory Spangenberg.

[h6]Milwaukee Brewers[/h6]

Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas

This is the Brewers' normal pick, so they could go over slot here for Jungmann or George Springer.

[h6]New York Mets[/h6]

Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Spring Valley HS, (Columbia S.C.)

The Mets are on Guerrieri, Jungmann, Jed Bradley and Levi Michael, and like Wyoming outfielder Brandon Nimmo but could also wait and overpay him in the sandwich round.

[h6]Florida Marlins [/h6]

Cory Spangenberg, SS, Indian River State College

Everyone assumes they'd take Archie Bradley if he gets here, and I wouldn't rule out any big high school arm with a plus fastball (Jose Fernandez?). The least likely option is a college position player, followed by a sub-6-foot right-handed pitcher.

[h6]Milwaukee Brewers[/h6]

Mikie Mahtook, CF, LSU

I've heard Spangenberg here, and they did send a small army to see Larry Greene last week, although two sources told me he's not the leading candidate for this unprotected pick. All three of those players would likely agree to slot here.

[h6]Los Angeles Dodgers[/h6]

Javier Baez, 3B, Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville, Fla.)

I've also heard they're interested in Dillon Howard, Joe Ross and Daniel Norris. I have no idea right now if their budget has changed with the de facto bankruptcy of the parent club, but I assume we'll hear that soon enough.

[h6]Los Angeles Angels[/h6]

Jose Fernandez, RHP, Alonso HS (Tampa, Fla.)

They're hoping for Lindor or Archie Bradley to fall here, which isn't likely. They could also pick Utah slugger C.J. Cron.

[h6]Oakland Athletics [/h6]

George Springer, OF, UConn

They've got a broad mix that includes Josh Bell, Joe Ross, Cory Spangenberg and Levi Michael, but wouldn't pass on Springer if he's still here when they pick.

[h6]Boston Red Sox[/h6]

Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech

Even with his recent struggles -- he's not missing bats, although he's still getting ground balls and the velocity is fine -- I find it hard to imagine Bradley gets here, but if he does he won't get much farther.

[h6]Colorado Rockies [/h6]

John Stilson, RHP, Texas A&M

I think Mikie Mahtook lands here if he's not picked at 15 or maybe 18. Stilson missed his last start with a strained lat, but is expected to return and pitch Friday against Taylor Jungmann in what will be a very heavily watched outing.

[h6]Toronto Blue Jays[/h6]

Josh Bell, OF, Dallas Jesuit HS

Toronto seems primed to spend a ton of money in this draft, not just because they have extra picks but because they intend to take the best players available and pay them wherever possible.

[h6]St. Louis Cardinals[/h6]

Larry Greene, OF, Berrien County HS (Nashville, Ga.)

I've heard the Cardinals and the Nationals are all over Greene, who may have as much raw power as anyone in the draft.

[h6]Washington Nationals[/h6]

Brian Goodwin, CF, Miami Dade College

There is talk that they could roll the dice and hope to grab Goodwin in the sandwich round, especially if Greene is here. Cron is also in the mix.

[h6]Tampa Bay Rays[/h6]

Joe Ross, RHP, Bishop O'Dowd HS (Oakland, Calif.)

Ross brings a good mix of upside and current polish, which is Tampa's ideal player, along with athleticism that they need in their system. Cron is also a possibility.

[h6]San Diego Padres[/h6]

Tyler Anderson, LHP, Oregon

The Pads are linked to a number of college pitchers here.

[h6]Boston Red Sox[/h6]

Blake Swihart, C, Cleveland HS (Rio Rancho, N.M.)

They're linked to everybody, as usual. The Sox have two sandwich picks this year, which affects how they approach the draft. They liked Anthony Ranaudo last year but were willing to wait on him until the sandwich round, and they got him.

[h6]Cincinnati Reds[/h6]

Grayson Garvin, LHP, Vanderbilt

College pitching is the preference here as they'd like to get someone who could help them while the big club is still contending.

[h6]Atlanta Braves[/h6]

Henry Owens, LHP, Owens HS (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

It sounds like they'll just go best player available here, and aren't hot on one particular player.

[h6]San Francisco[/h6]

Robert Stephenson, RHP, Alhambra (Calif.) HS

I've heard they're interested in Stephenson and Ross and athletic outfielders like Goodwin, although the latter would be strange since they just took Gary Brown last year and he has a similar profile.

[h6]Minnesota Twins[/h6]

Tyler Beede, RHP, Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.)

Beede is polished with command and control, but even has some projection left.

[h6]Tampa Bay Rays[/h6]

Levi Michael, SS, North Carolina

He's another player I can't see falling this far, but the various teams I know that are interested in him all have other options available.

[h6]Tampa Bay Rays[/h6]

Brandon Nimmo, OF, East HS (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

Tampa Bay could set a record for their overall draft budget this year, and Nimmo, who wants $2 million, would fit their desire for high-ceiling position players.

[h6]Texas Rangers[/h6]

Josh Osich, LHP, Oregon State

As in the Josh Osich who threw a no-hitter against UCLA last month.

Trevor Cahill's changeup.

Spoiler [+]

In 2010, Trevor Cahill had the type of season many stat-minded folks would classify as "lucky." This isn't to say he wasn't good, but his peripheral stats indicated his 2.97 ERA was unsustainable. For starters, his .236 batting average against on balls in play was the lowest in baseball, and his strikeout rate of 5.4 per nine innings was pedestrian. However, he is a sinkerballer, and his 56 percent ground ball rate -- which was fifth-best in baseball -- explained at least some of his success. Overall, his profile suggested he was more likely to be the next Derek Lowe, though, rather than Roy Halladay Version 2.0.

But the 23-year-old right-hander is defying the laws of regression this season and is second in the American League with a 1.82 ERA. His ground ball rate is right where it was last year, but, as Cahill is learning, it helps to miss some bats.

In 2010, he induced swinging strikes just 5.9 percent of the time, which was in the bottom 10 in baseball. This year, he's getting a swing and miss 8.1 percent of the time. The difference? His changeup has been much better, particularly against righties.

Typically, the change is a weapon against opposite-handed hitters, and that was how Cahill used it last year, throwing it almost twice as often against lefties as he did against righties. This year, though, his change usage has been far less conventional, and he's throwing it with about the same frequency to both lefties and righties. The results have been remarkable. A year ago, Cahill got right-handers to swing and miss at his change just 24 times in about 200 innings -- thus far this season, he has gotten 19 swinging strikes in fewer than 60 innings. The difference in his change is also evident in the quality of contact made against the offering. When the ball is put into play, righties slugged .397 off of his changeup in 2010 as opposed to just .115 this year.

Bloomberg Sports

Bloomberg Sports

The difference in the location of his changeup is illustrated in the graphs to the right, which represent the changeups Cahill has thrown to right-handed hitters in the past two years. (The more blue there is, the more frequently the pitch appeared in that zone.) Simply put, he's now keeping the change at the knees or below where no one can do anything with it down -- 55.4 percent of them are in the lower third of the zone or just below it, compared with 39.1 percent last season. Cahill's change stayed in the middle of the zone far more frequently in 2010, and hitters are far less likely to swing and miss at a pitch that hangs around the waist.

What makes the pitch so lethal is that it looks just like his sinker coming out of his hand. The sinker will sometimes have a little bit of arm-side run, but it's most notable for its heavy downward break, like the changeup. The difference, of course, is velocity. Cahill's sinker typically comes in around 88-90 mph, and the change averages 81 mph. (Good luck trying to identify the difference between the two in a fraction of a second.)

Assuming this new-and-improved Cahill is for real, we'll need to recalibrate our expectations for him. His performance last year suggested Lowe's skill set: lots of grounders, few strikeouts and an ERA that will always be subject to the vagaries of balls in play. With a bump in his strikeout rate, though, Cahill has the makings of a true ace -- very few sinkerballers also miss a lot of bats, with Halladay being the rare exception. Although it's foolish to compare anyone to a surefire Hall of Famer, Cahill is showing that he has the skill set to be one of the elite pitchers in the game.

Rumors.

Spoiler [+]

http://[h3]Filling in for Punto[/h3]
2:43PM ET

[h5]St. Louis Cardinals [/h5]

As if the St. Louis Cardinals haven't had enough bad luck with injuries this season, Nick Punto was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a forearm strain, and will be replaced by former first-round pick Pete Kozma.

Kozma, a natural shortstop, could play shortstop and push Ryan Theriot to second or play second base himself. It seems it would make more sense to use Kozma at shortstop since he's considered the better defender of the two and has never played second base as a professional.

Skip Shumaker, a natural outfielder who made the transition to second base, starts his rehab Wednesday and could be back as early as the weekend, so Kozma's stay in the big leagues may not last long.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Cecil still not ready[/h3]
2:22PM ET

[h5]Brett Cecil | Blue Jays [/h5]

UPDATE: Despite the progress we spoke of Tuesday, Blue Jays skipper John Farrell says Cecil is not close to being ready to return to the big club. One statistic John Lott included in his report is Cecil's opponents batting average of .300 in his three minor league starts, and that's telling. Cecil isn't fooling anyone.

...

UPDATE: Cecil has seen improved arm strength down in Las Vegas, getting to 92 mph on the gun in recent starts, including up to 91 on Monday. In the big leagues prior to being sent down, the lefty was 86-88, so there is significant improvement.

During the last two seasons Cecil average between 90-91 mph with his fastball, touching 93 at times. This season, according to PitchFx, he was averaging 88.8 mph per fastball.

...

UPDATE: In a surprise move, the Blue Jays have optioned Cecil to Triple-A Las Vegas, the team announced via Twitter. Veteran Chris Woodward was brought up to help the infield in the wake of Aaron Hill's hamstring injury.

...

Brett Cecil has spent most of his big-league career as a fastball-slider-slider pitcher who works in a changeup. He varies his fastball a bit, using a sinking variety to keep hitters off his 91-94 mph four-seamer. But this season, including his most recent start Wednesday versus the Yankees, the zip in his fastball has not been there.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell is concerned with the drop in velocity -- which is down to 88-91 mph for the fastball -- tweets John Lott of the National Post.

Whether it's fatigue, an injury or mechanical, Farrell is likely to explore the issue as a former pitcher and pitching coach and if Cecil misses any starts as a result, Brad Mills, Scott Richmond or Josh Roenicke figure to be considered for a spot start or two.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Sands, Gibbons to share time[/h3]
2:12PM ET

[h5]Los Angeles Dodgers [/h5]

Rookie Jerry Sands and veteran Jay Gibbons will form a platoon in left field for manager Don Mattingly's Los Angeles Dodgers, reports the L.A. Times.

Sands, a right-handed batter, will face most or all left-handed pitchers and Gibbons will face a good portion, if not all, of the southpaw starters.

Neither is tearing it up right now and both players lack defensive prowess so if the Dodgers are contending in July they may seek a better answer or at least find half an answer that isn't defensively challenged, unless they deem prospect Travyon Robinson ready for the big time.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Rockies on the trade block[/h3]
1:47PM ET

[h5]Colorado Rockies [/h5]

Colorado Rockies have two relievers straight dealing in Triple-A Colorado Springs in Rex Brothers and Matt Daley, but the two pitchers that they may be replacing are out of options and can't be sent back to the minors unless they clear waivers first.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes that right-hander Felipe Paulino and lefty Franklin Morales are being shopped around the league, which strongly suggests the club wants to call up Brothers or Daley, or both.

Renck's report also notes that at least one NL Central club has shown some interest in Morales, who was once considered a solid pitching prospect.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Thome back after interleague play?[/h3]
1:34PM ET

[h5]Jim Thome | Twins [/h5]

UPDATE: Thome did not head out on a rehab assignment as suggested Tuesday, but he did get five more at-bats in extended spring training. With interleague play starting soon, the Twins may wait an extra week with the DH's rehab.

...

The hapless Minnesota Twins may get some offensive help soon, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Jim Thome, who had four plate appearances in an extended spring training game Tuesday will start a rehab assignment Wednesday.

Thome's presence could make a major impact on a struggling offense due to his power and Rollinger adds that Jason Repko's rehab is nearing an end but that the outfielder will hit in Triple-A before being activated.

Repko would likely replace Ben Revere on the roster. Thome is a few weeks away.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Jenks back in June[/h3]
1:28PM ET

[h5]Bobby Jenks | Red Sox [/h5]

UPDATE: Jenks started a throwing program Tuesday, but is at least 10 days from starting a rehab assignment. Such a timetable means Jenks will not be back until June.

...

UPDATE: Jenks will play catch Monday for the first time since landing on the disabled list, tweets Peter Abraham.

Dan Wheeler could return soon, which likely means Alfredo Aceves is sent back to Triple-A, but when Jenks is ready the Red Sox will have to make a tough decision, as Rich Hill, one of the call-ups made when the two veterans went on the disabled list, is performing better than even Hideki Okajima. Perhaps Okajima is the odd-man out.

...

Bobby Jenks was among the better closers over the past six years, but he's yet to find a groove serving as a setup man in Boston. But thanks to modern technology, the Red Sox may have seen the last of the struggling Jenks.

The right-hander gave up three hits and a walk Friday and issued three free passes Sunday and has now issued nine bases on balls and yielded 13 hits in 8 2/3 innings. But after Sunday's debacle where he walked in two runs, Jenks went into the clubhouse and watched video that revealed a mechanical flaw.

While Jenks works to fix the flaw that he says is impacting his control, the Red Sox are not likely yo use him in too many high-leverage situations. Matt Albers may pick up the slack there, as he did over the weekend.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Mets' 3B options without Wright[/h3]
1:18PM ET

[h5]David Wright | Mets [/h5]

UPDATE: Wright was officially placed on the disabled list Wednesday and Nick Evans was called up to fill the roster spot. There has been no word on how long Wright may miss, but in one small way this could be good for the Mets as they rebuild for 2012 and 2013.

Turner and Murphy get more time, the club potentially climbs a few spots higher for the 2012 Draft without Wright in the lineup and, voila! The San Antonio Spurs (Tim Duncan) all over again. Right?

...

The New York Mets have yet to officially place David Wright on the disabled list, but expect the team is likely to be extra cautious after announcing Wednesday that the star third baseman has a stress fracture in his lower back.

GM Sandy Alderson said the team will get a second opinion from another back specialist at the team's hospital before committing to the DL. The plan will likely be for Wright to rest for 10 days, then can resume baseball activities.

Alderson adds that first baseman Nick Evans will be promoted from Triple-A Buffalo if Wright goes on the shelf. Willie Harris started at third base in Monday's loss to the Marlins. Second baseman Justin Turner was moved to third in the late innings and is another option at the position, as is Daniel Murphy.

There was some speculation that the Mets could call up the light-hitting Ruben Tejada, but that would compromise an already thin lineup.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Shortstop for the Rays[/h3]
1:11PM ET

[h5]Tampa Bay Rays [/h5]

Reid Brignac started the season with a shot to grab the shortstop job in Tampa and run away with it, at last until prospect Hak-Ju Lee is ready in a year or two. But Brignac has not taken advantage, and it may cost him his job long before Lee breaks into the big leagues.

Elliot Johnson is performing and Brignac is hitting just .179 with one extra-base hit and an ugly 3-22 BB/K ratio. Johnson, who is 3-for-7 with two home runs in his last two starts, is going to get more time, says skipper Joe Maddon.

Neither player may matter much in the fantasy realm if they continue to share time, but unless Brignac starts to hit, Johnson is on his way to taking over on a full-time basis.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Guillen in a benching mood?[/h3]
12:50PM ET

[h5]Juan Pierre | White Sox [/h5]

UPDATE: Pierre did not start Tuesday and there could be more experimental changes on the horizon, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Among those noted include Gordon Beckham's hold on his starting job after an 0-for-2 effort Tuesday that stretched his struggles to 2-for-19. Omar Vizquel could replace Beckham in the lineup, though we'd expect such changes to be somewhat temporary.

...

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is considering making a change at leadoff, the Chicago Tribune reports Tuesday. Juan Pierre is hitting just .242 with a .313 on-base percentage for the season.

"I don't want to unplug the thing with him right now," Guillen said Monday. "Maybe later I have to do it. I'm going to give him a couple more games. We talked to him about it, and we'll see how that works."

Pierre, however, has been solid in May, tallying a .375 on-base mark for the month, including eight of his 14 walks on the season. We're not sure what exactly Guillen is looking for out of Pierre, but if he is expecting Pierre to turn into Rickey Henderson all of a sudden, Pierre will be batting ninth next week.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]A-Rod's hip acting up?[/h3]
12:40PM ET

[h5]Alex Rodriguez | Yankees [/h5]

It didn't show on Tuesday versus Tampa as he belted two home runs off James Shields, but Alex Rodriguez is concerned about his hip, writes John Harper.

Before Tuesday's breakout, Rodriguez went 6-for-36 with two extra-base hits and a 3-12 BB/K ratio over a 9-game span and was hitting .186 with 17 whiffs in the month of May.

According to Inside Edge, Rodriguez is hitting the hard stuff -- .310 versus fastball, .284 versus sliders -- but isn't doing much against curveballs and changeups, nor is he hitting left-handed pitching.

That could all be small sample size results, but perhaps the hip has him thinking about getting out in front and he's unable to stay back and hit the offspeed stuff or cover the outer half of the plate against southpaws.

Fantasy owners will want to keep an eye on the situation and maybe cover the position just in case.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Prospect called up in SF?[/h3]
12:18PM ET

[h5]San Francisco Giants [/h5]

With Pablo Sandoval on the disabled list and Freddy Sanchez sidelined with a sore knee, the San Francisco Giants may see the need for an infielder for awhile and prospect Conor Gillaspie could be the choice. Andrew Baggarly tweeted Wednesday morning that Gillaspie was removed the Triple-A Fresno lineup after just one inning Tuesday, which could mean he'll be with the big club for Wednesday's game.

Gillaspie's stay, if he does get the call, could be short, however, since Sanchez isn't on the disabled list and may not hit it at all, though Sandoval is expected to miss up to seven weeks in total.

Gillaspie, a 23-year-old left-handed bat, is hitting .323 with a .373 on-base percentage in 40 games in Triple-A. To make room for Gillaspie, the Giants could either DL Sanchez or send Darren Ford back to the minors.

- Jason A. Churchill

http://[h3]Impact of Dice-K's absence[/h3]
11:18AM ET

[h5]Daisuke Matsuzaka | Red Sox [/h5]

Daisuke Matsuzaka is giving Mark Prior a run for his money when it comes to landing on the disabled list, and the Boston Red Sox are suddenly scrambling for pitching help.

Matsuzaka was diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his right elbow Tuesday and will be placed on the 15-day DL, joining John Lackey, who landed there a few days earlier.

Peter Abaham of the Boston Globe notes this will be Matsuzaka's sixth stint on the disabled list in four years, calling into question whether the Sox can rely on the Japanese righthander on a regular basis.

The immediate rotation plans calls for Alfredo Aceves wto come out of the bullpen to start against the Chicago Cubs Saturday, with Tim Wakefield scheduled for Sunday. ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney writes in Wednesday's blog that the the Sox will be among the teams looking for pitching help, but the market may be thin:

- Doug Mittler

[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
The Pitching Market

"Here's the problem for the Red Sox, Yankees and other teams interested in adding major rotation help: The starting pitching market is shaping up to be very thin. The Mariners have slammed the door on any Felix Hernandez talks, and for now, the best names being speculated upon by talent evaluators are pitchers like Paul Maholm and Aaron Harang -- pitchers who may not necessarily be suited to go head to head with teams in the AL East. The most interesting names being kicked around (and to repeat, this is all just speculation from evaluators) are Francisco Liriano, Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez. For any of the three to be traded, there would have to be a white flag raised by ownership on the 2011 season from their respective teams."

http://[h3]Soriano signing a bust?[/h3]
11:09AM ET

[h5]Rafael Soriano | Yankees [/h5]

UPDATE: Soriano landed on the disabled list Tuesday and is expected to miss at least another two weeks, reports Ben Shpigel of the New York Times. Soriano didn't help matters by blaming the offense, and the not the bullpen, for the team's recent slide.

--

The New York Yankees had hoped to have reliever Rafael Soriano back by Wednesday, but that appears overly optimistic after the setup reliever cut short his bullpen session Monday in Tampa.

While Soriano hopes to avoid a trip to the disabled list to rest an ailing elbow, the next step will be a trip back to New York to be examined by team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad.

The Yankees already have enough issues with a six-game losing streak and a public spat with Jorge Posada. Now there may be legitimate concerns about the health of their $35 million reliever, who made three trips to the disabled list in 2008 before undergoing elbow surgery.

In another bizarre twist, Soriano said a recommendation to see a doctor came from Felix Lopez, the son-in-law of the late Yankee owner George Steinbrenner who carries the title of executive VP. No word on whether Lopez has any medical training.

With A.J. Burnett lasting only 5 1/3 innings on Monday, the Yankees may soon be forced to make some sort of roster move in order to aid an overworked bullpen.

- Doug Mittler

[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
The Soriano Signing

"This is the latest sign that Soriano's signing is shaping up to be an enormous bust for the Yankees. Remember, they will sacrifice their No. 1 pick to the Rays next month because they signed Soriano."

http://[h3]Gutierrez back Wednesday[/h3]
10:57AM ET

[h5]Franklin Gutierrez | Mariners [/h5]

UPDATE: Manager Eric Wedge confirmed that Gutierrez will be activated and start in center field against the Angels on Wednesday night.

To make room, the Mariners sent rookie reliever Tom Wilhelmsen to Double-A Jackson and will begin working him as a starter.

--

Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez could rejoin the Mariners as early as Wednesday night, but don?t expect him to immediately be an everyday player, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.

Gutierrez has played 11 games at Triple-A Tacoma, including nine innings on Monday night. He was scheduled to return to Seattle for re-evaluation by the team on Tuesday and be back on the roster if he gets club approval.

Gutierrez appeared in only nine spring training games before being shut down with a stomach ailment. Baker adds that the playing time for Gutierrez will likely be limited to just a few days a week at first and then gradually increased.

There will be no issue with Gutierrez bumping Michael Saunders, who is hitting just .167 as the replacement in center.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Blanton pitching with soreness[/h3]
10:21AM ET

[h5]Joe Blanton | Phillies [/h5]

Joe Blanton at less than 100 percent is a better option than a healthy Vance Worley. That appears to be the philosophy of the Philadelphia Phillies when it comes to their fifth starter.

Blanton has made a pair of starts since coming off the disabled list, and admits that he continues to experience some elbow soreness that put him on the shelf in the first place. The soreness, however, will not prevent him from making a start against the Rockies on Thursday night.

Worley was optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday, even though he was 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his two starts in place of Blanton.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Posada's playing time[/h3]
9:58AM ET

[h5]Jorge Posada | Yankees [/h5]

The New York media has analyzed every twist and turn of the Jorge Posada saga since the jaw of the Yankee veteran dropped upon finding out he was to bat ninth in the order on Saturday night.

Handling a star player in decline is the toughest task of any manager, particularly in this case since Joe Girardi and Posada have never been the closest of friends. For now, the most immediate issue of the controversy for Girardi is to decide if and when Posada will be the designated hitter.

Posada was the DH Tuesday night in Tampa Bay and had a pair of hits. George King of the New York Post says Posada will likely be back on the bench Wednesday against Baltimore's Zach Britton since Posada is 0-for-24 against southpaws. Girardi calls his choice of DH a "day by day" proposition, which likely means a start for Andruw Jones.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Benoit out as Tigers' setup man[/h3]
9:38AM ET

[h5]Joaquin Benoit | Tigers [/h5]

Tigers manager Jim Leyland had a quick change of heart when it came to Joaquin Benoit. Maybe a new role will result in a change of fortune for the $15 million reliever.

Before Tuesday's rainout with Toronto, Leyland said "I have no idea" when asked if he would go right back to Benoit as his set-up reliever after the pitcher allowed three runs on Monday night. Minutes later, Leyland went on his radio show with broadcaster Dan Dickerson and said Benoit was being removed from his eighth-inning role.

What gives? For now, Leyland wants to take some pressure off of Benoit, who allowed his fourth multiple-run outing in his last six appearances, lifting his ERA to 7.98.

It's unclear who takes over in the eighth, but Daniel Schlereth may have earned a shot with a 2.57 ERA in 16 outings. Schlereth, however, has more walks (7) than strikeouts (6).

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Another setback for Cashner[/h3]
9:13AM ET

[h5]Andrew Cashner | Cubs [/h5]

The back end of the Chicago Cubs' rotation has become a black hole, and it appears Andrew Cashner won't be filling the void anytime soon. Cashner could be sidelined until after the All-Star break after aggravating his strained rotator cuff, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times.

Cashner, a highly touted first-round pick in 2008, was penciled in as the fourth starter coming out of spring training, but landed on the shelf after just one appearance.

As Wittenmyer points out, the Cubs are 2-9 behind fourth and fifth starters since Cashner and Randy Wells went on the DL at the same time. The Cubs have tried three fill-in starters, including veteran Doug Davis, who pitched strong 5 1/3 effective innings Saturday. Wells could be poised for a return soon after making a start for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Maybe the Cubs will kick the tires on Armando Galarraga, who was designated for assignment by the D-backs on Tuesday night.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Izturis may need surgery[/h3]
8:43AM ET

[h5]Cesar Izturis | Orioles [/h5]

Orioles infielder Cesar Izturis will likely head to the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with nerve irritation in his right elbow and the condition could require surgery, manager Buck Showalter tells MLB.com.

Izturis returned to Baltimore before Monday's game in Boston with numbness in the fourth and fifth fingers of his throwing hand. Izturis is hitting .192 (5-for-26) in a limited role this season.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]-Lee headed to DL?[/h3]
8:30AM ET

[h5]Derrek Lee | Orioles [/h5]

The Baltimore Orioles had an unscheduled day off Tuesday to lick their wounds, but it likely won't be enough to keep first baseman Derrek Lee off the disabled list.

Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun reports the first baseman is unlikely to avoid a stay on the DL because of a strained left oblique.

Lee was held out of Tuesday's lineup in Boston after aggravating the injury running the bases Monday's 8-7 loss in which the O's squandered a six-run lead. Tuesday's game ended up being postponed, but it may be a case of postponing the inevitable.

Jake Fox replaced Lee on Monday, while Luke Scott could also play some first base in Lee's absence. There also is Brandon Snyder, who was hitting .276 as a first baseman at Triple-A Norfolk.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Rotation shuffle in KC[/h3]
8:05AM ET

[h5]Kansas City Royals [/h5]

Eric Hosmer already has made it to The Show. Now another prize of the Royals' farm system is on his way to Kansas City.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that left-hander Danny Duffy will be promoted from Triple-A Omaha in time to start Wednesday's game against Texas at Kauffman Stadium.

The move won't be made until Wednesday, and Dutton says the Royals will likely make room by placing right-handed pitcher Kyle Davies on the disabled list. Davies suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to leave Monday's epic 19-1 loss to Cleveland in the first inning.

The 22-year-old Duffy,taken in the third round of the 2007 draft, is one of the organization's top pitching prospects along with Mike Montgomery. He is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in seven starts at Omaha.

The Royals also plan to insert rookie reliever Nate Adcock into the rotation Saturday against St. Louis. The 23-year-old Adcock was a starter throughout a five-year minor-league career and has made eight appearances out of the bullpen for the Royals.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Replacing Galaragga in the desert[/h3]
7:49AM ET

[h5]Armando Galarraga | Diamondbacks [/h5]

Armando Galarraga lashed out a reporter Monday night who asked the Diamondbacks righthander if he thought his starting job was in jeopardy. It turns out the media type was on to something.

The D-backs designated Galarraga for assignment Tuesday night, 24 hours after a shaky outing against San Diego rose the ERA of the near-perfect game pitcher to an imperfect 5.91. It seems unlikely any team will put him a claim on Galarraga because of his $2.3 million salary, so he could end up in the minor leagues or be released after 10 days.

General manager Kevin Towers did not immediately say who will fill the rotation vacancy Saturday. The D-backs could bring back Barry Enright, who was demoted to the minors a few weeks ago, or call up righthander Wes Roemer, who is off a strong start at Double-A Mobile.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Rehab stint for Bailey?[/h3]
7:13AM ET

[h5]Andrew Bailey | Athletics [/h5]

UPDATE: Bailey threw one more inning in an extended spring training outing on Tuesday, and will likely head to a rehab assignment if his elbow shows no issues. An MLB.com report says Bailey would likely make at least four rehab appearances, putting him in line to return at the end of the month.

Bailey will make a strong bullpen even stronger. The A's entered Tuesday with a 2.73 ERA, best in the American League.

--

A's right-hander Andrew Bailey could begin a minor league rehab stint as soon as Tuesday after reporting no problems following an extended spring training outing, reports Jane Lee of MLB.com.

Bailey also threw a side session Sunday and the team will now decide on his next step, which could be another outing in Arizona or a minor league stint. The former Rookie of the Year has yet to pitch this season due to a strained forearm.

Brian Fuentes has taken over as closer with Bailey sidelined and has converted nine of 11 save opportunities.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Harden still a long way off[/h3]
7:03AM ET

[h5]Rich Harden | Athletics [/h5]

Right-hander Rich Harden is still stuck on strengthening exercises on his ailing shoulder and it does not appear as if he'll be pitching anytime soon, reports MLB.com.

Once Harden starts to throw it still may be weeks before he faces live hitters and another few weeks after before he pitches in rehab games. And since setbacks are a part of his history, it's not likely to be smooth sailing.

The Athletics are holding out hope that Harden can help them this season, and if he does it will almost certainly be in a relief role. But that's not going to happen until much later in the season, if at all.

proshares · May 18, 2011

Duffy.

Spoiler [+]

It was Everett Teaford who delivered the news of the Indians' one-sided blowout of the Royals to teammates on Monday. Teaford, then a pitcher for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, went back into the clubhouse during the game, saw the score flash up on the screen and told the other Storm Chasers.

Getty ImagesDanny Duffy got the call-up in surprise fashion.

None of them needed to be told that changes could be coming, and sure enough, after the game, manager Mike Jirschele and his coaches got a call from Kansas City. Teaford and top pitching prospect Danny Duffy were being summoned to the big leagues, with Duffy scheduled to make his first start in the big leagues Wednesday.

There was just one problem: Duffy had left the ballpark. So a call was placed to the left-hander, who has a reputation of being polite, and Duffy was told that a team meeting was in progress.

Duffy rushed back to the clubhouse, and Jirschele and pitching coach Doug Henry put on their best angry faces and chastised Duffy for being a bad teammate. Two guys had been called to the big leagues, the manager and coaches explained with a straight face, and Duffy hadn't been there to congratulate them. Duffy apologized and felt terrible about the whole thing.

"Well, good," Jirschele said. "Go out and shake [Teaford's hand]. And then he can shake your hand."

That's the moment when Duffy realized that he, too, was going to the big leagues. He started to get emotional. "Glassy-eyed," Henry recalled Tuesday over the phone.

Duffy has made seven starts in Triple-A and, in Henry's eyes, has essentially overmatched the hitters in his league. He has a powerful fastball and has struck out 43 in 36 innings with 10 walks. "But I wouldn't say he's a command pitcher," Henry said.

In Henry's eyes, Duffy is a work in progress, and at the big league level, he will need to learn to work in his secondary pitches -- his curveball and his changeup -- more often. "He's got a good, sharp curveball, and his change is very effective," Henry said.

But Duffy has tended to rely on his fastball. A couple of starts ago, Duffy gave up some runs in an inning, all against his fastball -- a sign to Henry that hitters were locking in on that pitch. Henry met Duffy and his catcher as they came off the field and asked, "Hey, what are we doing here?"

In subsequent innings, Duffy began using his other pitches and did so effectively. Henry has told him that this is what he'll need to do in the majors. "He needs to learn to use his off-speed pitches, because it'll make his fastball even better," Henry said.

"He's better than the league. He's better than the competition."

Starting Wednesday, the competition will be much tougher. Scouts think Duffy has the kind of weapons needed to thrive, but he'll have to use them all.

---

Teaford was beside himself when he got the call to the big leagues, he said. The Royals are speeding up their development timetable, writes Sam Mellinger.

Meanwhile, the Royals' losing streak has reached four, Bob Dutton writes.

The Royals weren't apologizing for Vin Mazzaro's tough night.
[h3]Notables[/h3]

• I met Harmon Killebrew once during spring training. He was exactly what other folks told me he would be like and what you'd want any idol to be: gregarious and gracious and humble. After speaking with him, I wondered about how neat it would be to sit in on a conversation at Cooperstown between him and Brooks Robinson, another of baseball's genuinely great people.

So it was with sadness that we heard of Killebrew's death. Here's the obituary from The New York Times. Willie Weinbaum, a colleague here at ESPN, sent along these thoughts of folks who knew Killebrew well:

Sluggers Jim Gentile, Killebrew and Roger Maris went on a home run hitters tour of six southern cities right after the 1961 World Series. Gentile said he was given a Corvette by the Orioles after his great '61 season, Killebrew flew to Baltimore and met him, and they drove together to North Carolina. On the way back, Gentile says, they got lost.
The hitters would take 20 swings against Clyde King and Jack McKeon, then take a break to sign autographs, then take 20 more swings.

"We had a lot of fun; he had a great sense of humor, he was a great guy and gentleman. If you needed anything, he was there.

"It's hard to put into words how nice Killer was -- everybody liked him & He had both feet on the ground. I played against him in the minors, too. ... He hit those big, long flies that just kept going.

"He was very strong through the shoulders and chest and was very quick."

Tommy John knew Killebrew. "The first time I saw him was my second game in the big leagues; I came out of the bullpen. They had just called me up; I was 19 years old. I had seen him hit a homer off Gary Bell in old Metropolitan Stadium, a sinking line drive that ended up halfway up the bleachers (in 1963). Someone said to me, 'He can hit 'em a lot harder than that.'

"He hit five homers off me, and the most he had off anybody was six. Years later, when I told him, he couldn't believe it -- he said he didn't do that well against me. ... We didn't have scouting reports back then, and I thought he was a high-ball hitter, but he was a low-ball hitter and I was a low-ball pitcher. I played in his golf tournament in Arizona many years -- he was one of the nicest, most compassionate guys I ever met in baseball. ... He never showed you up, no flaps down or anything, just that little No. 3 -- like Babe Ruth -- trotting like he hit 'em before, and he would hit 'em again."

Tony Oliva played with Killebrew for years: "It's very hard," he said Tuesday. "We knew each other about 50 years. I saw him Saturday, and he looked very good, even though he was very sick. He was smiling and making jokes.

"The team flew me and Julio Becquer, who went way back with Harmon, to see him. ... He was the best -- a great ballplayer and an even better person. He was a very strong hitter and always helped other ballplayers out."