Baseball notebook: Red Sox hope Pineiro can fill closer role

Joel Pineiro is starting over in his eighth major league season.

The right-hander is with a new team, preparing for a new role and working with a new pitching motion. The Boston Red Sox hope all that adds up to him becoming their new closer.

“It’s a fresh, new start, a new beginning,” Pineiro said Tuesday. “So hopefully, I can start off the way I started as a starter.”

After appearing in eight games in 2000 with Seattle, Pineiro made 71 starts and never had an ERA higher than 3.78 in his first three full seasons. In his last three seasons with the Mariners, he started 76 games and never had an ERA less than 4.67. Late last season, though, he became a reliever and changed his motion.

He began releasing the ball at a lower point, and the change appears to have worked. He faced David Ortiz, Wily Mo Pena and Julio Lugo in batting practice recently and was impressive.

“Those are guys that I faced with my (previous) arm angle,” Pineiro said. “They haven’t seen me from down low and they said, ‘Oh, man, it looks like your ball’s coming in a lot better.’ “

The Red Sox haven’t disclosed their preference for a closer to replace Jonathan Papelbon, who is moving into the rotation.

Santo, Kaat shut out again

Ron Santo, Jim Kaat and all the other candidates were left out when the Veterans Committee admitted no new members to the Hall of Fame for the third straight election.

Santo came the closest to the required 75 percent. A nine-time All-Star, the former Chicago Cubs third baseman was picked on 57 of 82 ballots (70 percent). Players needed 62 for election.

Kaat, a 283-game winner, drew 52 votes. Gil Hodges, who hit 370 home runs, got 50 votes and three-time American League batting champion Tony Oliva had 47.

Maury Wills, Joe Torre, Roger Maris, Luis Tiant and Bobby Bonds were among the 27 candidates on the players ballot.

Girardi helped Lieber

Florida Marlins officials were unhappy to hear that their manager last year, Joe Girardi, gave rival pitcher Jon Lieber helpful tips during the season.

Lieber said his season with the Philadelphia Phillies turned around shortly after he was roughed up by the Marlins last July 31, and he credits a phone call from Girardi, a former major league catcher. They played together with the Cubs from 2000-02.

“He just mentioned that the hitters said everything that was coming in was just very flat,” Lieber told the Philadelphia Daily News. “I wasn’t on top of the ball like I should have been.”

Both teams contended for the National League wild-card berth, and Lieber beat the Marlins twice in September.

Clearing the bases

The Cleveland Indians have started talks with the agent for C.C. Sabathia on a contract extension. Sabathia is due to make $8.75 million this year and $9 million in 2008. He is eligible for free agency after the 2008 World Series. … The Minnesota Twins and reliever Jesse Crain agreed to a $3.25 million, three-year contract.