Is Belle Penalty Pending?
Spring training
A report indicates the commissioner’s office already has leveled a $50,000 fine on Cleveland’s Albert Belle for an obscenity-filled harangue against NBC-TV’s Hannah Storm at the World Series.
“I have to call my agent and see what’s going on,” Belle said on Tuesday from Winter Haven, Fla.
Another source close to the situation says that acting commissioner Bud Selig has not made a final determination of what, if anything, to do with the Indians’ left fielder.
Belle, who in the past has had testy relations with reporters, aimed a profanity-laced tirade at Storm before Game 3 of the World Series last October. Belle, according to several sources, later said he thought Storm was Lesley Visser, a reporter who works for ABC.
Johnson update
Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson had more treatment, and the anti-inflammatories seem to be easing his pain if not all his lower-back stiffness. “My lower back is longer than most backs,” Johnson said. “That’s a lot of pain down there.” …
Pitcher Chris Bosio threw 60 pitches on Monday and was stiff Tuesday, though no one saw it as particularly unusual. … Catcher Raul Ibanez, 23, worked out in the outfield
Phillips announces retirement
Tony Phillips, a free agent who signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the White Sox on Jan. 20, left camp in Sarasota, Fla., last Saturday and returned to his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., for “family reasons.” On Monday night, he phoned Chicago general manager Ron Schueler and said he was retiring.
Schueler said he might try to fill Phillips’ spot by trading for another left fielder or signing a free agent. For now, veteran Dave Martinez and Lyle Mouton are expected to share time in left.
Good start for Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg got off to a good start in his comeback, going 2 for 2 in the Chicago Cubs’ first intrasquad game at Mesa, Ariz. Sandberg’s first hit was a line-drive single into center field off Jaime Navarro, the ace of the 1995 Cubs’ staff. His second hit came on a hard grounder off Jose Guzman. After the second single, catcher Mike Hubbard threw out Sandberg trying to steal.
Clearing the bases
Rookie of the year Marty Cordova and the Twins agreed to a $6.3 million, four-year contract. Cordova, hit .277 last season with 24 homers and 84 RBIs. … Bobby Bonilla and B.J. Surhoff, battling for the starting job at third with Baltimore, will play in both intrasquad games today and Thursday in Fort Lauderdale.
Atlanta got a scare during batting practice when third baseman Chipper Jones injured his left wrist. The injury was not serious. … Jose Rijo, trying to speed up a comeback from elbow surgery that cut his season short last year, pitched a scoreless inning in Cincinnati’s intrasquad game.
Seattle’s Edgar Martinez, Colorado’s Dante Bichette, Cleveland’s Belle and San Francisco’s Barry Bonds were the recipients of the Ted Williams Greatest Hitters awards for 1995. Bonds and Bichette took a day off from spring training to travel across the country from Arizona to Florida to receive the honors.
Jimmy Key and Dwight Gooden, the major rehabilitation projects for the Yankees, made successful debuts by pitching two innings each in an intrasquad game.