Associated Press
BOSTON ó From bloody sock to bum shoulder, Curt Schilling rarely left the Red Sox spotlight.
Schilling retired from baseball Monday, ending a career in which he won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the game’s most dominant pitchers and grittiest competitors.
Schilling, 42, said on his blog he’s leaving after 23 years with “zero regrets.” He missed all of last season with a shoulder injury after signing a one-year, $8 million contract.METS
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. ó Livan Hernandez appears to be close to locking up the fifth spot in the rotation. His main competition, Freddy Garcia, was hit hard again Monday.
PHILLIES
CLEARWATER, Fla. ó Philadelphia optioned Kyle Kendrick to its minor league camp, cutting the candidates for the final spot in the rotation to three: veteran Chan Ho Park, rookie J.A. Happ and top prospect Carlos Carrasco.
GIANTS
NEW YORK ó San Francisco pitching prospect Kelvin Pichardo was suspended for 50 games following a positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
MARLINS
MIAMI ó The Florida Marlins cleared the last political hurdle in its decade-long quest to get its own ballpark in Miami when the Miami-Dade County commission voted to approve the multi-million dollar deal.
A retractable-roof park that will likely cost at least $515 million is expected to open for the 2012 season.
DODGERS
TEMPE, Ariz. ó Manny Ramirez returned from a hamstring injury and went 0-for-3 in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.
“I only hit (the ball) once, but it was good,” he said.