Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. ó Unable to punish Alex Rodriguez for flunking a drug test that was supposed to be anonymous, Bud Selig could only chastise him.”What Alex did was wrong, and he will have to live with the damage he has done to his name and reputation,” the commissioner said three days after the Yankees star admitted using banned substances from 2001-2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers.
“While Alex deserves credit for publicly confronting the issue, there is no valid excuse for using such substances, and those who use them have shamed the game,” Selig said.
Players and owners didn’t agree to a joint drug program until August 2002, and testing with punishment didn’t start until 2004.
“It is important to remember that these recent revelations relate to pre-program activity,” Selig said. “Under our current drug program, if you are caught using steroids and/or amphetamines, you will be punished. Since 2005, every player who has tested positive for steroids has been suspended for as much as 50 games.”
BONDS
SAN FRANCISCO ó The government’s lead sports doping investigator and several other Internal Revenue Service agents have been cleared of any wrongdoing in a raid on the home of Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds’ personal trainer.
CLEMENS
HOUSTON ó A federal judge dismissed most of Roger Clemens’ defamation lawsuit against his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, saying statements made in the Mitchell Report on doping in baseball are protected.
ANGELS
ANAHEIM, Calif. ó The Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $5 million, one-year contract with Bobby Abreu.
NATIONALS
WASHINGTON ó Adam Dunn agreed to a $20 million, two-year deal.
MARINERS
PEORIA, Ariz. ó If Ken Griffey Jr. is about to return to the Seattle Mariners, it’s news to him.
“We don’t know what we’re doing next year with respect to Seattle. It’s all rumors,” Griffey said after finishing his round at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
Griffey’s agent, Brian Goldberg told The Associated Press in an e-mail he and the Mariners have talked recently. And multiple reports said those talks had intensified in recent days.
YANKEES
TAMPA, Fla. ó Is manager Joe Girardi’s mind-set going into the season that, unless the Yankees return to the playoffs after missing out last year, he might not be allowed back for 2010?
“I don’t necessarily think about those things,” Girardi said, “but as you state the question, you’re probably right.”
CARDINALS
ST. LOUIS ó Rick Ankiel avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,825,000.
MARLINS
PHOENIX ó Second baseman Dan Uggla won his arbitration case and was awarded $5.35 million.
RAYS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. ó Reliever Brian Shouse and Tampa Bay finalized a $1.55 million, one-year deal that includes a club option for 2010.
TWINS
FORT MYERS, Fla. ó Delmon Young and Minnesota have agreed to terms on a $1,152,000, one-year deal.
BREWERS
MILWAUKEE ó Right-hander Braden Looper agreed to a one-year contract with an option for 2010 that could make the deal worth $12.25 million.
MINOR LEAGUES
NEW HAVEN, Conn. ó Former All-Star Jose Offerman was sued for an August bat-wielding attack at a minor league game that injured two opposing players.
Bridgeport Bluefish catcher John Nathans filed the suit, seeking $4.8 million in damages. He says the attack left him with permanent, career-ending injuries.