Marlins pick ex-Coug
For Jeremy Guthrie and former Washington State two-sport athlete Mark Hendrickson, Saturday was unforgettable. And it had nothing to do with the rain in Florida that wiped out four games.
The Baltimore Orioles chose Guthrie to start on opening day, giving the prestigious assignment to a pitcher with just 26 major league starts and seven wins.
The Florida Marlins decided to go with Hendrickson, who has a 5.01 career ERA and was signed in January to provide depth for an injury-ravaged rotation.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez announced that Hendrickson would start the Marlins’ season opener March 31 against the New York Mets at Dolphin Stadium.
“He pitched terrific in spring training and he’s our veteran guy,” Gonzalez said. “The way he’s pitched in spring training, he deserves it.”
The 33-year-old has a 1.69 ERA through four starts this spring. In his last outing, March 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 6-foot-9 lefty gave up three hits in six scoreless innings.
“It’s a nice honor. It’s not something that many pitchers can say they got an opportunity to do. For me, I’m just going to approach it like any other start,” Hendrickson said.
One of 11 players to suit up in both the NBA and Major League Baseball, Hendrickson was 4-8 with a 5.21 ERA for the Dodgers in 2007. He signed a $1.5 million, one-year deal with the Marlins in January to add an innings-eating veteran to a young rotation.
Guthrie, a rookie in 2007, moved to the front of the rotation when the Orioles traded ace Erik Bedard to Seattle.
Guthrie will start at home against Tampa Bay on March 31.
The 28-year-old, who struck out 123 in 175 1/3 innings in 2007, was 6-5 with a 3.44 ERA as a starter, and allowed two or more runs in only three of his first 17 starts last year.
Around the majors
•Three-time All-Star Javy Lopez retired after being reassigned to the Atlanta Braves’ minor league camp, ending his bid to return to the majors as a backup catcher.
•New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano didn’t start because of back stiffness, but said he’d be ready to go today. Manager Joe Girardi said he wasn’t concerned.
•St. Louis starter Mark Mulder took another positive step in his comeback, facing hitters for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in September.
•Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent played in a simulated game and also did some light running, but manager Joe Torre said Kent wasn’t running freely and likely wouldn’t be ready to play until next week at the earliest.
•Pittsburgh second baseman Freddy Sanchez will see a specialist on Monday to try to determine the cause of shoulder pain that has limited the two-time All-Star infielder to only two appearances in the field this spring.
•Right-hander Ben Sheets will be the Milwaukee Brewers’ opening day starter in Chicago on March 31, manager Ned Yost said.
•So much for tinkering with the batting order. Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella said that Kosuke Fukudome will bat fifth, Alfonso Soriano will remain in the second spot and, barring a trade, the opening-day lineup is set.
•Jeff Niemann stood head and shoulders above a gathering of reporters at his locker, but the 6-9 pitcher was feeling mighty low.
Niemann, a first-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2004, had just been informed by the Rays that he had been optioned to Triple-A Durham.
Niemann has shown splendid control this spring. The right-hander was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four appearances, including three starting assignments.
•At Washington, a week before the Washington Nationals’ new ballpark officially opens, the George Washington Colonials and St. Joseph’s Hawks pleased their fans with a test run.
The hometown Colonials christened the 41,000-seat, $611 million Nationals Park with a 9-4 win over the Hawks on a cool, overcast afternoon. The Nationals host the Atlanta Braves on March 30. They will debut in the park the evening before in their preseason finale.