Guillen says ball will soar

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, watching home runs being hit to locations this spring he never envisioned possible, broke out laughing at the question:

Will home runs be up this year?

“Oh my God, yeah, big time,” he says. “Nobody throws 99 mph anymore. I’ve never seen so many balls in Tucson that went straight out in center field. Balls are flying out all over the center-field wall. Balls are being hit over the top of trees. You think, ‘Oh, my God, how is that happening?’

“I don’t think anybody will hit 50 to 60 home runs, but there’ll be more homers.”

The reason many in baseball are expecting a home run increase, according to pitching coaches, is the diminished strike zone. Several pitching coaches noticed this spring that the strike zone has tightened.

Herb Carneal dies

Herb Carneal, a Hall of Famer who broadcasted Minnesota Twins games the past 45 seasons in a fluid and soothing baritone, died Sunday. He was 83.

He died of congestive heart failure, the Twins said.

Carneal was part of the club’s radio play-by-play team for all but the first year of the team’s existence in Minnesota. He called Athletics and Phillies games in Philadelphia and Orioles games in Baltimore before coming to Minnesota in 1962 – a year after the Washington Senators became the Twins.

“To hear that voice was magic,” said Kent Hrbek, who listened to Twins games growing up in suburban Bloomington and later played 13 seasons for the team before retiring in 1994. “When I was a kid, it meant school was almost out and spring was coming.”

Carneal received the Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions to baseball broadcasting by the Hall of Fame in 1996.

Clearing the bases

The San Diego Padres and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez agreed to a $9.5 million, four-year contract extension, much more than the $500 raise he got earlier this spring. … The Oakland A’s placed right-hander Esteban Loaiza on the 15-day disabled list. … The Colorado Rockies placed right-hander Brian Lawrence on the 15-day disabled list. … Right-hander Dustin Hermanson was released by the Cincinnati Reds. … Pitcher Matt Thornton agreed on a $3.25 million, three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.