Piniella’s frustration growing
The anger in Lou Piniella’s voice rose with every word, rolling out of his office into a mostly empty clubhouse.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are off to the worst start in the franchise’s already miserable history, and their fiery manager is running out of patience with players he expected to perform better this season.
“I think everybody needs to look in the mirror a little bit. The mirror doesn’t lie. It tells the truth,” Piniella said.
“It’s frustrating for everybody. I’ve got to answer to it every night. The players can run and hide and go in the training room, they can go into the kitchen, they can go into the shower. I’ve got to sit over here and explain it every night. I get asked the same questions all the time. I get tired of making excuses.”
Heading into Thursday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox, the punchless Devil Rays had lost five straight, 12 of the previous 13 and 19 of 22 for the club’s worst stretch of 20-plus games.
Their 10-28 record was the worst in the majors, and hopes for finishing out of last place for the first time in the team’s seven-season history are fading fast.
Selig expects Expos’ decision soon
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig expressed confidence Thursday that a new home for the Montreal Expos will be selected by mid-July.
After missing targets for decisions in 2002 and 2003, baseball officials finally appear to be moving ahead. Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia appear to be the leading contenders.
Montreal, among the lowest-drawing clubs for more than a decade, was bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. The Expos also are being sought by Las Vegas; Monterrey, Mexico; Norfolk, Va.; Portland; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Asked whether the team would have a new permanent home by next year, Selig responded: “I do feel comfortable. … absolutely.”
Prior throws three hitless innings
Chicago Cubs ace Mark Prior threw three hitless innings Thursday in his first minor-league rehabilitation start of the season.
Prior, on the disabled list all year with an inflamed Achilles’ tendon and a sore elbow, said there was “room for improvement” after his outing for Class-A Lansing of the Midwest League. He struck out five and walked one, throwing 25 of 45 pitches for strikes.
Prior threw mostly fastballs before a crowd of 9,823.
•The Chicago Cubs aren’t taking any chances with Kerry Wood.
Wood went on the disabled list after the Cubs decided they didn’t want the right-hander returning to the rotation until his sore triceps is completely healed. Wood threw 24 pitches in a bullpen session Thursday morning to see if he was ready to come back, possibly as early as Sunday.
Wells explains mishap
David Wells said the accident that put him on the disabled list was caused when he tripped over a bar stool in his kitchen.
The Padres left-hander denied reports that the mishap Sunday night happened while he was roughhousing with a friend, but admitted the chain of events started when a buddy slapped him on the back of the neck.
“We do that on the team,” Wells said Thursday during a telephone conference call. “I was at my counter, and I just turned around and said, `Knock it off,’ took two steps and the bar stool was right there and I kicked it. Trust me, it didn’t feel too good. When I kicked it, I tripped. I was wearing flip-flops. I lost my balance and went right over. I did a header over the bar stool.
“I wasn’t running, I wasn’t playhousing.”
Rangers catcher tears ligament
Texas Rangers catcher Gerald Laird tore a ligament in his left hand on a tag play in the first inning of Thursday’s game agianst the Kansas City Royals.
Laird began the night leading American League rookies in hits (27), runs (14), batting average (.307) and on-base percentage (.374).