[Moriarty9]

This dynasty begins with a 1997 real-roster file, simulated throughout the season up until the expansion draft for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Before we begin the new chapter in baseball's expansion era history, a quick recap of the completely hands-off simulated 1997 season.

The Seattle Mariners and Florida Marlins put together the best records in baseball, each going 99-63 to win their respective divisions. The Mariners won the American League West, beating out the Wild Card-winning Oakland Athletics (95-67) by 4 games. The Marlins took the National League East, beating out the 97-65 Atlanta Braves, who subsequently won the Wild Card.
The New York Yankees, 90-72, won the AL East while the 85-77 Minnesota Twins took home the AL Central crown. In the Senior Circuit, the 89-73 Houston Astros won the NL Central and the 87-75 Los Angeles Dodgers claimed the NL West title.

In the divisional series, the Marlins swept the Dodgers and the Braves swept the Astros. The Twins edged out the Mariners, 3-2, in the best of five series while the Yankees topped the A's, 3-1.
The Twins won the American League pennant by defeating the Yankees 4-games-to-1 in the ALCS while the Braves topped the Marlins in six games.
Atlanta and Minnesota battled back-and-forth in the World Series before the Braves won the deciding Game 7 to become champions.

The big news in 1997 was Tony Gwynn becoming the first hitter since Ted Williams in 1941 to hit .400. Gwynn hit .403, collecting 224 hits for the San Diego Padres. Despite his enormous accomplishment, it was Brad Fullmer of the Montreal Expos who won the National League MVP award. Fullmer hit .388 with 29 home runs and 115 runs scored in 149 games. The 23-year-old also won the Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first rookie to win both awards since Fred Lynn of the 1975 Boston Red Sox.
John Smoltz of the Braves took home the NL Cy Young, going 21-9 with a 2.38 ERA and 244 strikeouts in 35 starts.
In the American League, it was a couple ballplayers from Seattle taking home some important hardware. Ken Griffey Jr. won the AL MVP while Jeff Fassero took home the AL Cy Young. Griffey hit .338 with 216 hits, 51 home runs, 146 RBI and scoring 136 runs in 157 games. The southpaw Fassero posted a 20-5 record with a 3.18 ERA, striking out 210 batters in 33 starts.
Detroit's Frank Catalanotto, 24, was named Rookie of the Year after hitting .327 with 41 doubles, nine triples, 16 home runs, 69 RBI and scoring 103 runs in 153 games with the Tigers.

[Moriarty9]

MLB officially expands with draft
Aguilera, Sele coming to Tampa Bay
October 29, 1997

NEW YORK – The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays had their welcoming party today during an expansion draft at Major League Baseball’s headquarters.
The two rookie clubs filled their rosters from a pool of “unprotected” players from all across the league. The Diamondbacks opened the expansion draft by selecting left-handed starting pitcher Denny Neagle, who went 15-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 31 starts for the Atlanta Braves this season. The Devil Rays made reliever Danny Graves their first pick. Graves, 24, spent this season in Cleveland’s AAA affiliate, going 4-3 with 19 saves and a 2.43 ERA in 55 2/3 innings of work.
Other notable players on the move due to the expansion draft are pitchers Aaron Sele and Rick Aguilera to Tampa Bay, and Hideo Nomo and Tom Gordon to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

[Moriarty9]

The Thrill coming to Tampa Bay
Clark looks to rebound from down season
December 7, 1997

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays brought some name recognition into their lineup today when they signed six-time All Star firstbaseman Will "The Thrill" Clark.
Coming off the least productive season of his 12-year-career, the 33-year-old Clark will make a base salary of $1 million with the potential for an additional $55,000 in incentives.
Clark hit .272 with 12 home runs and 56 RBI in 144 games for the Texas Rangers this past season. A career .298 hitter, Clark's previous career low batting average was .282 in 1988, and the 12 homers is his lowest total since hitting 11 in 111 games as a rookie with the 1986 San Francisco Giants.
Few clubs had offered multi-year deals or guaranteed a starting position for Clark, and he opted for the one-year pact as a key player in the Devil Rays lineup in an attempt to earn a better contract at season's end.
Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal said Clark will play first base and bat third in the Tampa Bay lineup.

[Moriarty9]

Pedro signs with D-Rays
Promising hurler inks six year pact
January 5, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays today agreed to terms with a young pitcher they feel will be a dominant ace for their rotation and a potential Cy Young candidate down the road.
Pedro Martinez, 26, signed a six-year, $87.77 million contract with the Devil Rays today, after two months of negotiating with Tampa Bay and several other clubs. Martinez will be paid $13.86 million this season, and his annual salary will top out at $15.19 million in 2003, the final year of the contract. The deal also features a $1 million bonus if he wins the Cy Young award in any season.
Martinez owns a 62-37 record, and a 3.28 ERA and 891 strikeouts in 871 innings over his six-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos. This past season, Martinez went 14-6 with a 2.88 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 31 starts with Montreal.



Martinez will head the Devil Rays staff.

[Moriarty9]

ChiSox, D-Rays agree to trade
Tampa Bay acquires OF Cameron for Pratt
January 30, 1998

CHICAGO - With Spring Training rapidly approaching, the White Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays agreed to a trade, tweaking both clubs' rosters heading into the pre-season.
The White Sox acquired catcher Todd Pratt from the Devil Rays in exchange for outfielder Mike Cameron. Pratt, 30, was set to compete with reigning Gold Glove catcher Dan Wilson for playing time in Tampa Bay. Both players were selected in the expansion draft in October. Pratt hit .287 with 7 home runs and 33 RBI in 230 at bats with the Cleveland Indians last season.
Cameron, 25, is a strong defensive center fielder with excellent speed and baserunning abilities. He hit .243 with 9 homers and 33 RBI in 85 games with Chicago last year. He hit .338 with one round-tripper and 12 RBI in 80 at bats with the club's AAA affiliate last season.

[Moriarty9]

Devil Rays sign 20-game winner
Fassero coming to Tropicana Field
February 16, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays front office seemed just as stunned as the rest of the baseball world today when it learned free agent pitcher Jeff Fassero had agreed to terms with the expansion club.
"We're actually quite pleasantly surprised by this," Devil Rays GM Shaun Moriarty said during a conference call. "We didn't expect a 35-year-old pitcher coming off a career season to sign with an expansion team, but we certainly owed it to our players, our organization and our fans to at least have a dialogue with Jeff and his representation."
While many thought Fassero would court Tampa Bay only to help drive up his asking price, the veteran lefty - coming off his first 20-win season - decided to sign with the Devil Rays in the end.
"Sure, it's a young team, a young franchise, but they already have some good players here and these guys could certainly make noise this year," Fassero said. "I had options, but there's something about this situation that I like."
Fassero went 20-5 with a 3.18 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 33 starts with the Seattle Mariners last season, his first with the club. He previously had posted a 58-48 record with the Montreal Expos as a reliever-turned-starter for six seasons.
Fassero will earn $8 million this season with a mutual option for the 1999 season at $8.67 million.



Fassero

[Moriarty9]

Rays open exhibition season today
First spring training games in club history begin
March 2, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will play the first exhibition game in franchise history this afternoon with 33 players in the dugout.

The games will help rookie manager Christian O’Neal figure out his pitching staff, lineup and bench.
“The best thing about coming in here as an expansion team is every guy on this roster is competing for a job,” O’Neal said. “Nobody is inheriting their spot with the team from last year because none of these guys were here last year.”
Some of those spots are easy to figure out – Will Clark at firstbase or Rick Aguilera as closer – while there are a number of battles for starting spots, and , in some cases, roster spots.
Charles Johnson and Dan Wilson will compete for the starting catcher’s job. Johnson, 26, is a strong defensive catcher with some pop (18 home runs in 138 games last year) but does not hit for a high average (.197 last season, .221 career hitter) or get on base a whole lot (.270 OBP in 1997, .302 career OBP). Wilson , a 1996 All Star selection and the reigning Gold Glove winner behind the plate, has a little bit of pop in his own right (15 homers in 142 games last year) and hits for a higher average (.277 last year, .269 in his career).
At second base, Bret Boone is the leading candidate while scrappy Jeff Frye tries to earn a spot of his own. Boone, 28, hit just .235 with nine homers in 112 games last year, and spent 34 games with Cincinnati’s AAA affiliate as well. The oft-injured Frye, 31, can play each infield position and hit .267 with three homers in 150 games with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers last year.
Kevin Stocker and Royce Clayton will compete at shortstop this spring. The switch-hitting Stocker, 28, is a fine defensive player but has shown little ability at the plate. A career .256 hitter with 15 homers in 524 games, he hit .237 with five round-trippers and 28 RBI in 128 games with the Anaheim Angels last year. Clayton, 28, comes to the American League after seven years in the National League. He hit .259 with six home runs and stole 38 bases in 147 games with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres last season.
In the outfield, no spots are being taken for granted. Jacob Brumfield, Mike Cameron, Ryan Radmanovich, Damon Buford and DaRond Stovall will each get a fair shake in these exhibition games.
As for the pitching staff, free agent acquisitions Pedro Martinez and Jeff Fassero will top the rotation with Steve Cooke (13-15, 4.55 ERA in 33 starts with Pittsburgh), Livan Hernandez (0.87 ERA in 10 1/3 innings with Florida), Chris Holt (0-2, 7.17 ERA in 7 starts with Cleveland), Terry Mulholland (11-11, 3.99 ERA in 34 starts with the Reds and Cubs), Armando Reynoso (3-9, 5.42 ERA in 32 games, 13 starts, with the Mets), Mark Gubicza (6-13, 5.59 ERA, 27 games, 25 starts, with Anaheim), Mark Petkovsek (8-5, 4.56 ERA in 35 games, 21 starts, with Houston and Anaheim), and Aaron Sele (10-16, 4.61 ERA in 35 games with Boston) duke it out for starting spots, if not for spots on the big league pitching staff.
Lefties Greg Cadaret (2-0, 3.02 ERA in 41 games with Anaheim) and rookie Vic Darensbourg are expected to be in the Devil Rays bullpen while Rich Garces (2-2, 4.82 ERA, 56 games with Boston), Danny Graves (2-0, 4.55 ERA, 15 games with Cleveland in 1996), and Paul Quantrill (4-4, 3.63 ERA, 50 games with Toronto) fight amongst one another and the potential starting pitchers for the final bullpen spots.

[Moriarty9]

Tampa Bay roster nearly set
Mulholland dealt for prospect Konerko
March 30, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - With the first Opening Day in franchise history set for tomorrow, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have trimmed their roster down to 25 players after a couple demotions and a trade.

The Devil Rays this morning traded veteran southpaw Terry Mulholland, 35, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league infielder Paul Konerko. Konerko, 22, has played first base, third base and leftfield in the minor leagues. In 104 games with LA’s AAA affiliate last season, he hit .319 with 17 home runs and 73 RBI, while hitting .271 with three homers and nine RBI in 18 games with the club’s AA affiliate.
Konerko provides a potential replacement for Tampa Bay firstbaseman Will Clark. Clark turned 34 earlier this month and is coming off the worst season of his career and has not approached his career batting average in the last couple years.
“We think this kid could be a real good addition to this club moving forward,” O’Neal said. “From what the front office and baseball operations guys have told me, he’s a good little hitter, has some versatility in the field and is on the verge of making an impact at the big league level. We’ll start him slow down in AAA, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s with us sooner than later.”
Mulholland spent last year with the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, going 11-11 with a 3.99 ERA in 34 starts between the two clubs. Originally acquired by the Devil Rays in the expansion draft to serve in the top-end of the club’s rotation, free agent acquisitions Pedro Martinez and Jeff Fassero lessened the need for Mulholland, who was then competing for a spot in the rotation. He is expected to be at the back-end of the Dodgers starting staff.
In addition to announcing the Mulholland-Konerko trade today, Tampa Bay skipper Christian O’Neal revealed the club’s 25-man roster and pitching rotation to open the season.
Pedro Martinez will toe the rubber for tomorrow’s season opener while southpaw Jeff Fassero and Aaron Sele round out the opening series with the Detroit Tigers. Livan Hernandez will take the mound for the series opener against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night with lefty Steve Cooke working as the fifth starter.
“I’m really pleased by the rotation we’ve been able to assemble here, especially considering we’re an expansion club,” O’Neal said. “I think Pedro is going to really break out in the next year or two, Fassero showed everyone last year what he can do, and these other guys would all be welcome additions to any team’s starting rotation.”
Veteran hurler Mark Gubicza will open the year as the club’s long reliever and a spot starter. Mark Petkovsek, Danny Graves, Paul Quantrill and southpaws Vic Darensbourg and Greg Cadaret fill out the bullpen, bridging the gap to closer Rick Aguilera.
“We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience in the bullpen, a couple of lefties, and a guy who has been through some wars at the end of the ‘pen,” O’Neal said. “I’m pretty confident in what our bullpen is going to be able to do.”
O’Neal did not announce tomorrow’s starting lineup, but it is expected to feature Dan Wilson behind the plate, Clark at first base, Jeff Frye at second base, Tripp Cromer at third base, Royce Clayton or Kevin Stocker at shortstop, and an outfield featuring some combination of Jacob Brumfield, Damon Buford, Mike Cameron or Ryan Radmanovich.
“We’ve got a pretty decent defense out there and a couple of good hitters,” O’Neal said. “We don’t have a Mark McGwire, a Sammy Sosa, or a Ken Griffey, Jr. in our lineup, but I think we’ll be able to produce enough runs to be pretty competitive.”
Charles Johnson is expected to see a lot of playing time as the backup catcher until he or Wilson clearly defines who should be the regular backstop while Jeff Manto serves as a backup corner infielder and DaRond Stovall works as the club’s fifth outfielder.
Third baseman Jose Hernandez will open the season on the disabled list, nursing a fractured hand that will keep him out for most of April. It is unclear whether he will be sent to the minor leagues on a rehab assignment or get his swings in with the big league club upon his return.
“We’ll figure out what to do with Jose when he’s further along in the healing process,” O’Neal said. “We’re not going to come up with a plan until we can better assess him. Either way, he’ll be a nice addition to our lineup once he’s healthy.”

[Moriarty9]

Tigers claw by D-Rays in opener
Martinez solid, Sirotka just a little better
March 31, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The first pitch in Tampa Bay Devil Rays was a scary one as Detroit Tigers leadoff hitter Juan Encarnacion drilled a first pitch fastball from Pedro Martinez deep to centerfield, only to be reeled in on the run by the speedy Mike Cameron just short of the wall.

Tonight’s season opener was filled with firsts as the expansion Devil Rays played the first regular season game in franchise history, losing 3-2 to Detroit. With two outs in the first inning, it was Will Clark who picked up the first hit in franchise history, a base hit to right field off Tigers pitcher Mike Sirotka.
Ryan Radmanovich scored the club’s first run, giving Jeff Frye the honor of picking up the first RBI in Devil Rays history. With Radmanovich on second base with two out in the third inning, Frye singled through the right side of the infield, giving Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers negated that lead in the fourth when Travis Fryman pushed Frank Catalonotto across the plate with a two-out triple.
Mike Cameron picked up the first stolen base in franchise history, swiping second base with one out in the fifth. The steal paid dividends after a Radmanovich groundout moved him along to third base and Royce Clayton hit a RBI double.
Detroit tied the game in the seventh after a rare Ruben Sierra RBI triple, and then took the lead when Encarnacion grounded out to second base, allowing Sierra to score what would prove to be the winning run of the ballgame.
Martinez was charged with the first loss in club history after giving up three runs, all earned, on eight hits and no walks, striking out seven over seven innings. Greg Cadaret and Paul Quantrill pitched a scoreless inning of relief respectively. Frye and Cameron picked up two hits each, Clayton his Tampa Bay’s lone extra base hit (a fifth inning double), while Clark, Dan Wilson, Tripp Cromer and Radmanovich all had singles.

The celebration for the first-ever MLB game at Tropicana Field and in Tampa Bay Devil Rays history.

[Moriarty9]

Sele, Lawton suspended after brawl
Devil Rays, Twins fight results in five-game bans
April 14, 1998

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Lawton and Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Aaron Sele have each been slapped with five-game suspensions after a fight last night.
Lawton charged the mound after being hit by a Sele fastball in the back, leading to both benches clearing as the two players traded jabs. Neither player appeared to be hurt as they were escorted off the field after being ejected by the umpiring crew.

[Moriarty9]

D-Rays sign Vaughn
Former All Star hopes to regain form
April 27, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - With the offense sputtering, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays today brought free agent outfielder Greg Vaughn into the fold on a low-money, one-year contract.
Vaughn, 32, found himself without a job this spring after struggling with the San Diego Padres last year. The two-time All Star hit just .206 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI and struck out 108 times in 394 at bats with the Padres last season.
The Devil Rays would likely be satisfied by similar power production out of Vaughn, given the lack of bats in the expansion club's lineup, and the club could luck out if the slugger regains the form he showed at times with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 102 games in 1996, Vaughn hit .280 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI for the Brewers before being traded to the Padres. In 1993, he hit .267 with 30 homers and 97 RBI in 154 games for Milwaukee.
"Greg Vaughn has a lot of upside for us," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He could be a big help in providing a little bit of thunder in the lineup."
Vaughn said he signed on to show he still has the ability to be a middle-of-the-order hitter in the big leagues and pledged to do his best to serve as a mentor to the younger players on the club.



Vaughn took the field for practice with his new team after it was announced he had signed a one-year contract.

[Moriarty9]

Clark finally Thrills with homer
Vaughn doubles in Devil Rays debut
April 27, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Will Clark was acquired to bring some much-needed power to the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays lineup. Tonight, nearly one full month into the season, he finally came through with his first home run of the season.
Clark hit a two-run home run off Oakland Athletics pitcher Steve Karsay in the second inning, helping to lead the Devil Rays to a 7-4 win over the A's.
"It felt good, I can tell you that," Clark said. "I know it takes me awhile some years to get going, but I really haven't felt comfortable in the box this season at all. We're getting there though. Hopefully this is the start."
The home run was the only one in the game for Tampa Bay, and Clark's lone hit of the contest.
Dan Wilson picked up three hits, coming just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Greg Vaughn, joining the team today after signing as a free agent, made his debut and went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout while batting sixth as the designated hitter.
Aaron Sele improved to 2-2 with the win, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in seven innings of work. Rick Aguilera recorded his fourth save of the season.

[Moriarty9]

Radmanovich hits for cycle
Sele spins shutout in Devil Rays rout
May 2, 1998

CLEVELAND - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays put together an impressive 11-0 victory over the Indians today as Aaron Sele threw a complete game shutout and rightfielder Ryan Radmanovich hit for the cycle.

Radmanovich went 4-for-5 with a single, double, triple and home run, scoring two runs and driving in three. He is the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, albeit the team is still just one month into its first season.

"I never thought I'd ever do something like this," Radmanovich said. "I wasn't really even thinking about the possibility of it happening. I don't ever expect to hit a triple, so when I came up in the ninth, I wasn't thinking about hitting a triple or hitting for the cycle. I was just trying to keep it going."

Radmanovich's home run, a solo shot of Steve Kline in the seventh inning, was one of four hit by Tampa Bay batters in the contest and was his fourth of the season. Paul Konerko and Greg Vaughn each hit their second home runs of the year while Will Clark hit his fourth.

While the offense pounded out 11 runs on 16 hits and four walks, sele needed very little run support as he improved to 3-2 with nine shutout innings. Sele held Cleveland to five hits and two walks, striking out nine Indian batters.

"I felt good out there tonight," Sele said. "The curveball was working and I managed to keep them off balance."

"He really did a job on us," said Cleveland manager James Riley. "He had good command of his pitches. He changed speeds well and pretty much confused us. We never could zero in on him, but he certainly zeroed in us."

[Moriarty9]

Tribe tops Tampa in ten
Shortstop Stocker to go on DL
May 12, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One of the oldest men in baseball knocked in what would be the game-winning run against one of baseball's two youngest franchises.

Cleveland Indians thirdbaseman Julio Franco, 39, hit a RBI single to score Richie Sexson from secondbase and ultimately pick up a 6-5 win in 10 innings at Tropicana Field tonight. With two out, Sexson doubled down the thirdbase line off reliever Mark Petkovsek to keep Cleveland's hopes alive. Franco attacked the first pitch offered and hit a line drive through the left side of the infield, allowing Sexson to score.

Franco, starting at third base with Matt Williams sitting out due to back spasms, went 3-for-5 with the game-winning hit, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI.

"Julio has been around this game a long time and those sort of situations don't do much to his nerves," said Cleveland manager James Riley. "It's a 'been there, done that' situation for him."

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays tried a little extra-inning, two out magic of their own but came short. Paul Assenmacher retired the first two batters in the last of the tenth before allowing a Mike Cameron single and issuing a walk to Jeff Frye. Wilton Guerrero, who entered the game in the seventh inning, grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

Guerrero took over as Tampa Bay's shortstop when Kevin Stocker hurt his arm making a throw on a routine play. The initial word out of the Devil Rays clubhouse is that it appears to be a muscle strain that could take some time to heal.

While no formal decision will be made on Stocker's situation until tomorrow, the club is likely to put the light-hitting infielder on the 15-day disabled list. The likely candidates to replace him on the active roster are infielders Bret Boone, Lou Merloni and Paul Konerko.

[Moriarty9]

Hernandez wins pitchers' duel
Vaughn leads offense in 3-2 victory
May 13, 1998

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Livan Hernandez and Jose Rosado did their best to hold their respective opponents quiet, but Greg Vaughn made plenty of noise as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays edged out the Kansas City Royals, 3-2, at home.

Hernandez improved to a surprising 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA after giving up two runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out six, over eight innings of work. Rosado was not charged with the loss for Kansas City after yielding two runs on six hits and one walk, with four strikeouts, over 6 1/3 innings.

"Livan has been so reliable," said Tampa Bay manager Christian O'Neal. "We thought he had a lot of upside, but for a guy with 13 or so innings of big league experience to do what he's done, on an expansion team, is pretty remarkable."

Helping Hernandez was Vaughn, picked up as a free agent after the season had started. Batting cleanup as the designated hitter, Vaughn went 2-for-4 with a home run and what would prove to be the game-winning hit, a RBI single with two out in the eighth inning.

Wilton Guerrero led off the eighth with a bloop single off Royals reliever Mike Perez, and advanced to second on a Mike Cameron sacrifice bunt. Will Clark struck out, bringing Vaughn to the plate. Vaughn and Perez squared off in a seven-pitch at bat that included three foul balls before singling into leftfield, pushing Guerrero across the plate. Devil Rays closer Rick Aguilera had his best performance of the season in the ninth, retiring the side in order on seven pitches.

"Greg has been huge for us, he really has," O'Neal said. "He's done nothing but produce."

Vaughn is hitting .320 with six home runs and 13 RBI in 50 at bats since joining Tampa Bay. He hit just .206 with 13 home runs in 129 games with the San Diego Padres last season and found himself without a job when this season opened.

"The Devil Rays organization gave me a shot when nobody else would and now I'm doing everything I can to give them a return on their investment and show the whole league what I can still do," said Vaughn.

[Marmacette]

Well done... can't wait to read more... keep it coming !

[Moriarty9]

Leyritz hits walkoff homer
Gets five hits, including game-winner
May 17, 1998


HOUSTON - It took 11 pitchers, nearly four hours of action, and one big performance from Jim Leyritz to bring an end to this afternoon's game between the Astros and Atlanta Braves.

Leyritz went 5-for-6, including a walkoff home run in the 11th inning, as Houston topped Atlanta, 8-6, at the Astrodome.

"Unbelievable feeling," Leyritz said after the game. "I go out there when my name is called and do whatever I can. Today, it all fell into place."

Normally the Astros' backup to Greg Myers at backstop, Leyritz got the start today and hit sixth in the Houston lineup, behind thirdbaseman Kevin Millar. He responded with a single in the second off Scott Kamieniecki, a single in the third off reliever Terrell Wade, a RBI single off Mike Magnante in the eighth, a game-tying RBI single off Kerry Ligtenberg in the last of the ninth inning, and a two-out, walk-off two-run home run off Chris Brock in the 11th inning.

[Moriarty9]

Fish, Rox swap veteran sluggers
Marlins trade Bonilla to Rockies for Galarraga
May 18, 1998



DENVER - The Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins shook up their lineups this morning by trading corner infielders with more than 530 career home runs between them.

The Rockies dealt firstbaseman Andres Galarraga to the Marlins for Bobby Bonilla. Both players are expected to be in uniform for their respective teams' games tonight, although it is unclear whether either will be in the starting lineup.

Galarraga, 36, has had an impressive season thus far, hitting .350 with nine home runs and 21 RBI in 80 at bats. The switch-hititng Bonilla, 35, hit .277 with three homers and 16 RBI in 42 games with Florida.

The Rockies have struggled to a 19-26 record so far, falling 13 games behind the first place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Marlins are tied for fourth place in the National League East at 22-23, just 4 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves.



Bobby Bonilla will be leaving the beaches of southern Florida for the mountains of Colorado.

[Moriarty9]

TODAY IN BASEBALL
A LOOK AROUND THE LEAGUE
May 20, 1998


A quick look at today's ballgames across the big leagues.

Oakland Athletics at Anaheim Angels
Steve Wojciechowski (0-7, 9.24) v. Mark Langston (4-2, 4.10)
The Angels have the best record in baseball and Oakland pitcher Steve Wojciechowski is on pace to 0-25 with an ERA over 9.00 this year. This one doesn't sound like it should be a very good matchup.

Colorado Rockies at Atlanta Braves
Kevin Ritz (3-2, 6.04) v. John Smoltz (5-4, 3.90)
The NL East leading Braves host the Rockies, owners of one of the worst records in baseball. Atlanta's John Smoltz has been inconsistent this year, and did give up five runs on 10 hits over just 5 2/3 innings at Colorado last month, but did manage to pick up the win. How will he fare at home against the Rockies?

Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox
Bobby Witt (1-3, 5.68) v. Brian Meadows (0-5, 4.95)
Neither Sox squad has done particularly well this year, and the starting pitchers for both teams in tonight's matchup reflect that with their combined 1-8 record on the young season.
Who will come out on top tonight? The 22-year-old rookie Meadows or the 34-year-old veteran Witt?


Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
Tim Belcher (4-1, 4.10) v. Steve Trachsel (1-5, 6.04)
The 32-12 Dodgers own baseball's best record, and it should only improve as they take on the struggling Steve Trachsel and the 20-25 Cubs. LA pitcher Tim Belcher is 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts against the Cubs already this year, while Trachsel was hit for six runs in 1 1/3 innings in his lone start against the Dodgers this season.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Florida Marlins
Tony Saunders (3-4, 5.12) v. Kevin Brown (7-1, 1.89)
The expansion Diamondbacks have baseball's worst record at 17-28, and with Florida's Kevin Brown working on a Cy Young-caliber season, things don't look good tonight for Arizona.
Brown is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings against Arizona this year so far while Saunders gave up six runs, four earned, in 2 2/3 innings versus the Marlins last month.

Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals
Bartolo Colon (2-3, 5.95) v. Kerry Wood (7-1, 2.33)
With only a half game between them in the standings, tonight's matchup is as important as any late May ballgame can be. Kerry Wood, the AL's top candidate for the Cy Young award, gives the Royals the definite advantage in this one.

San Francisco Giants at Milwaukee Brewers
Mark Gardner (3-3, 5.63) v. Ben McDonald (2-3, 5.36)
The Giants and Brewers are both struggling mightily this year, and tonight's starters are not faring much better individually.
Gardner is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee this year while McDonald is 1-0 with a 4.12 ERA in two starts against San Francisco.

Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins
Scott Elarton (6-2, 3.23) v. Frank Rodriguez (5-0, 3.26)
Tied for first place in the American League Central, the Tigers and Twins will lock up at the Metrodome in Minneapolis with the division lead on the line. Minnesota's Rodriguez brings his unblemished record into the matchup and, though he's been solid at home, he is better on the road and on grass diamonds.

Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees
Shane Reynolds (8-1, 2.90) v. Kenny Rogers (2-4, 4.61)
The Orioles look to extend their division lead over the Yankees to 3 1/2 games with a win tonight, and bringing Reynolds to the mound helps their cause a good deal.

St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies
Todd Stottlemyre (5-4, 4.96) v. Mike Grace (2-6, 6.19)
The Phillies have a slightly better record, but St. Louis' Stottlemyre, while inconsistent, has performed much better than Philadelphia's Mike Grace this year. Stottlemyre has not performed well against the Phils, however, going 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA in two starts. Grace gave up six runs, five earned, in five innings in an 11-3 loss to the Cards last month.

San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates
John Halama (1-1, 2.57) v. Jason Schmidt (3-4, 5.32)
With Fernando Valenzuela suspended after a brawl last week, the Padres being southpaw John Halama to the mound tonight against the Pirates. Halama pitched well in his only start of the season, giving up one run on three hits in eight innings against the Diamondbacks on April 11. He has thrown 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief against Pittsburgh this year.

Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers
Randy Johnson (5-2, 3.13) v. Darren Oliver (4-4, 4.48)
The Mariners are off to a strong start at 27-18 and hope the Big Unit will lead the club to another victory tonight. The two southpaws will square off but Johnson is clearly the better pitcher.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Toronto Blue Jays
Steve Cooke (1-4, 4.50) v. Brian Moehler (1-3, 9.25)
The Blue Jays sit 2 1/2 back in the division at 24-21, but the 17-27 Devil Rays are hopeful they'll be able to get enough offense against starter Brian Moehler, who has struggled at the big year level this year.

[Moriarty9]

TODAY IN BASEBALL
THE RESULTS
May 20, 1998


A quick look at some of the scores from today's ballgames.

Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox
CHW 5, BOS 7
The Red Sox jumped out quick and held off a late Chicago rally to pick up the win at Fenway Park tonight. Jason Varitek and Tim Naehring hit back-to-back home runs off Chicago's Bobby Witt in the first inning tonight, leading Boston to a four-run lead after just one inning. Boston's Carlos Febles hit a two-run homer off Witt in the fifth inning while Magglio Ordonez of the White Sox belted a two-run shot off Brian Meadows. Meadows picked up the first win of his big league career, improving to 1-5 after holding Chicago to four runs in 7 1/3 innings. Heathcliff Slocumb threw a scoreless ninth to record his 10th save. Witt falls to 1-4 after giving up 7 runs, five earned, in 4 2/3 innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
LA 3, CHC 6
Dodgers and Cubs batters combined for four homers at Wrigley Field. Eric Karros (9) and Todd Zeile (5) homered for Los Angeles, Scott Hatteberg (4) and Sammy Sosa (13) went deep for the Cubbies. Steve Trachsel picked up the win for Chicago, improving to 2-5 by giving up two runs in seven innings, while Tim Belcher fell to 4-2 by giving up five runs in 5 2/3 innings. Kent Bottenfield recorded his 12th save of the year.

Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees
BAL 1, NYY 7
After such a great start to the season, and to this ballgame, Baltimore's Shane Reynolds ran out of gas in the sixth inning and was hit hard in a loss at Yankee Stadium. Reynolds fell to 8-2 and was charged with six runs in 6 2/3 innings, all six of those runs came in after the fifth inning of the game. Kenny Rogers improved to 3-4 by yielding one run on four hits in six innings. Jim Mecir picked up the save by throwing three scoreless innings of relief.
Bernie Williams hit his fifth home run of the season in the contest, a two-run shot off Reynolds in the sixth.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Toronto Blue Jays
TB 4, TOR 5
The Blue Jays rallied late, scoring all but one of their runs in the final innings, to defeat the visiting Devil Rays. Shawn Green led the Jays with two hits, including a double, a run and two RBI. Kelvim Escobar picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief of Brian Moehler while Mike Timlin recorded his 11th save by retiring the top of the Tampa Bay order in the ninth inning, striking out two. Steve Cooke fell to 1-5 with the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, on four hits and four walks over seven innings.