Big Unit takes the mound
The New York Yankees waited a long time to acquire Randy Johnson and send him to the mound.
They’ll have to wait some more to see his best fastball.
The Big Unit finally made his much-anticipated Yankees debut Tuesday, working two innings in an 8-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Fla. He threw 36 pitches, 22 for strikes, and gave up a two-run homer to old nemesis Chipper Jones in an uneven performance.
“I know I still have a long way to go to be ready for opening day,” Johnson said. “But we’ll get there.”
Most important, he said he felt fine physically; Johnson was scratched from his first scheduled start last week because of a tight left calf.
Facing the Braves for the first time since he pitched a perfect game against them last May, the five-time Cy Young Award winner struck out his first batter, Nick Green.
But Brian Jordan singled and Johnson fell behind 2-0 on Jones before he drove a 92 mph fastball over the left-field fence.
“It looked like his first spring outing,” said Jones, a .370 career hitter against Johnson with six homers in 27 at-bats. “I don’t think anybody in baseball expected him to come out blowing 97. A guy like Randy’s got to get his feet under him, just like the rest of us. He’ll be on his game come Oct. 1.”
Bonds says he’ll be ready for opener
Barry Bonds expects to be ready for San Francisco’s season opener on April 5, and the Giants asked the commissioner’s office for permission to use a designated hitter during spring training home games in order to ease him into the exhibition season.
“I’ve never missed an opening day,” Bonds said.
Bonds had surgery on his right knee on Jan. 31 and when he arrived at spring training said he was unsure whether the knee would recover in time to play the opener. He has not played in any exhibition games.
Interesting day for Floyd
Cliff Floyd lost something, stole something and just might have found something.
Floyd, the New York Mets’ left fielder, started the day by discovering he lost a $16,000 diamond earring the night before during a trip to Miami to see the Heat play.
“Whoever finds that is going to be a happy camper,” he said.
He then went out and stole a base in the Mets’ 7-4 victory over the Orioles at Tradition Field, which helped him find that he might have his legs back after two years of constant injuries. Floyd said he plans to steal 20 to 25 bases this season under manager Willie Randolph’s green-light system.
“If I’m going to steal bases, I’ve got to see if I can do it,” Floyd said. “Everything’s still intact.”
Floyd once stole 27 bases, but that was in 1998, when he was 25. He has a total of 14 in his two injury-plagued Mets seasons. So it was a surprise to see him take off in the first inning Tuesday and slide in safely ahead of Javy Lopez’s bounced throw.
Congress to subpoena players
Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi were among seven current and former baseball stars that a congressional committee plans to subpoena as soon as today to testify about steroids.
Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Frank Thomas also were asked last week to testify. Thus far, only Canseco and Thomas have said they were willing to appear.
“We hope subpoenas won’t be necessary, but we are prepared to move forward with subpoenas tomorrow if we receive information that witnesses are not willing to appear voluntarily,” David Marin, a spokesman for House Government Reform Committee chairman Rep. Tom Davis, said.
Lawyers for the baseball commissioner’s office and players’ association attempted to negotiate a joint response to the committee, which last week invited the players and several officials to appear at the March 17 hearing.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, union head Donald Fehr, baseball executive vice president Sandy Alderson and San Diego general manager Kevin Towers also were asked to testify.
Judge sets trial date for name change
The legal battle over the newly christened Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will have to wait until after the baseball season.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos set a Nov. 7 date for a trial in a lawsuit filed by the city of Anaheim challenging the team’s addition of “Los Angeles” to its name.
Anaheim has already asked a state appeals court to issue an emergency order blocking use of the new name and is awaiting a response.
City officials claim the new name violates its stadium contract with the team.