Pads Get Irabu, Council Decides

Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu must take his 100-mph fastball to San Diego and San Diego only major league baseball’s executive council ruled Thursday in Chicago.

“The council has affirmed that Irabu is on reserve to the Chiba Lotte club (of Japan’s Pacific League), and Chiba Lotte has given permission only to the Padres to sign Irabu,” acting commissioner Bud Selig said after a five-hour meeting.

“We’ve done all we can under the present circumstances. We merely looked at this in the context of the existing treaty with Japanese baseball.”

Last month’s deal between the Padres and the Chiba Lotte Marines, giving San Diego exclusive negotiating rights to Irabu, was permissible under a 1966 treaty between the major leagues and Japanese baseball. Irabu repeatedly has said he wants to play only for the New York Yankees.

The Yankees, along with the Major League Baseball Players Association, are opposed to the ruling.

Padres beat Mariners

Quilvio Veras, battling to be the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter, reached base in all three plate appearances and scored twice as the San Diego Padres beat Seattle 4-1 at Peoria, Ariz., to kick off the exhibition season.

Veras, acquired in an off-season trade that sent reliever Dustin Hermanson to Florida, walked in his first two plate appearances and singled in his third during a game limited by rain to 6-1/2 innings.

National League MVP Ken Caminiti, coming off rotator cuff surgery, and batting champion Tony Gwynn, recovering from heel surgery, did not play.

Rookie left-hander Heath Murray, who began his career with Spokane in 1994, earned the victory with three innings of three-hit ball, allowing one run.

Slow start for Ripken

Cal Ripken, baseball’s iron man, had an iron glove of sorts in his first game as the Baltimore Orioles’ new third baseman.

Ripken, who moved from shortstop, where he had been the regular since July 1982, to make room for Mike Bordick, missed the first ball hit in his direction.

However, it was ruled a hit in the second inning of Baltimore’s 12-4 victory over Minnesota in the exhibition opener for both teams at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.