Associated Press
MLB notebook …
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. ó Hall of Famer Frank Robinson was hospitalized Thursday because of a rapid heartbeat and dizziness, and later returned to a hotel to meet with baseball executives.
The 75-year-old Robinson said doctors at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital told him he was ěa little dry, not dehydrated, but a little dry.î
Otherwise, he said, they could find no reason that his heart rate jumped to 190. The typical rate for a healthy man is 60 to 80.
Robinson planned to go back to his Los Angeles home Thursday night and see his doctors there.
ěI got checked out very thoroughly today and they gave me a clean bill of health,î he said, ěbut Iíll do it as a backup myself for my own satisfaction. I know my doctor will be calling me tonight telling me to get in there tomorrow. And I know my family will be after me to go.î
Commissioner Bud Selig said tests on Robinson were negative for any serious problems.
Robinson is senior vice president for baseball operations for the commissioner. He began feeling ill during a meeting with owners and general managers.
ěIt started about 10 minutes after I sat down there for the meeting,î Robinson said.
ěI kept hoping that it would stop and go down and be normal. After about a half an hour it wasnít going down and I decided ëI should get out of here.íî
Robinson said he had never had never felt his heart race like that before. After being released from the hospital, he sat in for 45 minutes on a meeting of the special committee formed by Selig to explore possible changes in the game.
Although he felt fine, Robinson said he wonít take his condition lightly.ěWhen the big motor starts ticking around,î he said, ěyou leave it up to the doctors.î
LABOR TALKS
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz.ó Major League Baseball and its playersí union will begin contract talks soon with none of the rancor and lockout threats that are plaguing the NFL and NBA.
ěWeíre on a constructive path,î Commissioner Bud Selig said.
Selig offered a rosy picture of the economics of the coming seasons on Thursday and praised the solid relationship that his staff has formed with the union. The two-day gathering, described by Selig as ěa non-controversial meeting,î wrapped up at a quiet Phoenix-area resort on Thursday with a meeting of the special committee formed a year ago to come up with on-field changes for the game.
First on the agenda, Selig said, were three umpires to address the idea of expanding instant replay.
GREGG SIGNS
BALTIMORE ó The Baltimore Orioles have finalized a $10 million, two-year contract with right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg. The 32-year-old went 2-6 with a 3.51 ERA and 37 saves with Toronto last season.