Baseball
Tonight Spotlight: Madison Bumgarner struck out nine batters over seven
innings to lead the Giants past the Dodgers 4-2.Tags: Baseball Tonight, BBTN, Giants, Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers made their major splash after the trade deadline last season, but this time they pounced early, landing starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco from the Miami Marlins on Saturday in exchange for minor league pitchers Steven Ames, Josh Wall and Angel Sanchez.
"Going to play for the Dodgers, the team that I have always rooted
for, is a dream come true," Nolasco said in a statement. "The team is
packed with talent and an ownership group that is committed to winning,
and I'd like nothing more than to play a part in bringing a World Series
back to L.A. I couldn't be more excited to play in front of my family
and friends in Dodger stadium during this season and hopefully for many
more seasons to come."
The Dodgers also acquired relief from the international signing bonus
limits valued at $197,000. They received similar compensation in an
earlier deal with the Chicago Cubs in a swap of relievers acquiring Carlos Marmol from the Chicago Cubs for Matt Guerrier.
The Dodgers are intent on rebuilding their sagging farm system and have
made a serious push in global scouting under the Guggenheim ownership
group.
"We needed to add to our pitching and to acquire someone like Ricky
and, with weeks to go before the deadline, we thought this was the best
move for us," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "Also, adding
another $197,000 to the international pool doesn't hurt. We've added
more than $400,000 in the last few days and, with our expanded
international staff, it gives us additional opportunities to build our
system.
"We've liked Ricky for a while. He's a gamer, a quiet, focused and successful pitcher who can add depth to our rotation."
The Dodgers now would like to add a reliever before the July 31 trade
deadline and figure to hold on to their veteran core now that they have
pulled to within 3½ games of the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers feel their top three starters of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu can stack up with any rotation in baseball, but they wanted to fortify the back end, which has been tattered by injuries to Chad Billingsley, Josh Beckett and Ted Lilly. Nolasco is expected to take the rotation spot of Chris Capuano, who figures to return to the bullpen.
Wall, 26, has spent parts of the past two seasons with the Dodgers,
going 1-1 with a 12.08 ERA. Ames, 25, is 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in 30 games
for Triple-A Albuquerque. Sanchez, 23, is 2-7 with a 4.67 ERA in 16
games between Single-A stops at Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga.
A year ago, the Dodgers made a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox in August, acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto in exchange for James Loney
and four prospects. The Dodgers took on more than $250 million in that
deal. They will pay Nolasco's $5.5 million salary for the rest of the
season. Information from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark and ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon was used in this report.
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Yasiel Puig's inclusion in the All-Star Game is now up to the fans.
The electrifying Los Angeles Dodgers
rookie is one of five National League players eligible in this year's
Final Vote, where fans will select the final member of the NL All-Star
team in balloting that runs through Thursday.
Puig's inclusion in the game, July 16 at Citi Field in New York, has been a hot topic in baseball.
The 22-year-old Cuban has taken the sport by storm, batting .407
with eight home runs and 19 RBIs. The Dodgers were 23-32 and in last
place in the NL West before he was called up from the minor leagues.
They're 18-13 since and entered Saturday tied for second.
But those who argue against Puig's inclusion point to his short
service time in the majors. He wasn't called up until early June, and
has played in just 31 games.
"To me, it's an absolute joke," Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon told MLB Network Radio when asked about Puig's All-Star candidacy. "It's really kind of stupid, if you ask me." San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who will manage the NL All-Star team, agreed.
"If he's not an All-Star this year, he's going to be an All-Star
for years to come," Bochy said of Puig. "But I do think you have to play
enough to earn a spot on the All-Star team."
Major League Baseball tweeted Saturday night that Puig received
842,915 write-in votes to the Midsummer Classic, the most since former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Freddy Sanchez totaled 856,685 in 2006.
That popularity could carry him into the All-Star Game via the Final Vote. His competition will be Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond, Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Giants outfielder Hunter Pence.
Right-handed relievers Steve Delabar of the Toronto Blue Jays, David Robertson of the New York Yankees, Koji Uehara of the Boston Red Sox, Tanner Scheppers of the Texas Rangers and Joaquin Benoit of the Detroit Tigers will vie for the final spot in the AL Final Vote balloting. Voting on MLB.com ends at 4 p.m. ET Thursday.
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Fans brave heat, lines to exchange Aaron Hernandez jerseys
Maureen Mullen, Special to USA TODAY Sports
6:36 p.m. EDT July 6, 2013
FOXBOROUGH,
Mass. – On a sweltering Saturday meant more for the nearest swimming
hole than for shopping, the Patriots ProShop at Gillette Stadium was
doing a brisk business. By 11 a.m. more than 500 Aaron Hernandez
jerseys had been exchanged, including 100 youth jerseys.
In a
move without parallel, the Patriots were allowing fans to exchange the
Nos. 81 and 85 jerseys of Hernandez, who now sits in the Bristol County
House of Corrections, faced with murder and weapons charges.
As of
5 p.m., the team had exchanged nearly 1,200 jerseys, including nearly
300 youth jerseys. The most popular jersey selected as a replacement
were Vince Wilfork, followed by Tom Brady, Chandler Jones and Stevan
Ridley. LONG LINES: Images, video of the scene
With
the blistering heat and several hundred people in line, ProShop staff
opened the store at 9:30 a.m., a half-hour ahead of the scheduled
opening. The brisk business continued throughout the day, outpacing a
normal summer Saturday, approaching nearly that early on a game day. The
pace was expected to continue into Saturday night, with the New England
Revolution hosting the San Jose Earthquakes in a MLS game at Gillette
Saturday night.
A tent stood outside the shop where patrons could
bring in the shirts they wish to return and get a ticket , which can be
exchanged inside the shop for another jersey.
Amanda Carriere and
her 5-year-old son Antonio turned in the matching jerseys they received
last year as gifts, taking home two new Wilfork jerseys.
"It's a little bittersweet, but it's good," said Carriere, of Woonsocket, R.I.
"(Antonio)
wasn't going to understand why we had to get rid of his old jersey, and
I didn't really want to go into details. He's too young for it.
"I just told him that it didn't fit any more. I didn't want to go into specifics. He doesn't know really what's going on."
Jen Robidoux was with her family, including her 11-year-old son Casey.
"We
gave him the choice of what he'd like to do, and he wanted to exchange
it," Robidoux said. "He felt that it was the right thing to do, with
everything that's going on."
Everything that's going on is a lot
for young fans to take in. Hernandez is accused in the June 17
execution-style murder of Odin Lloyd, as additional accusations mount
against the former Patriots tight end, who was cut by the team within
hours of his June 26 arrest.
"Sort of shocked," said Casey
Robidoux of his reaction to the news about Hernandez, whom the youngster
said was his favorite player.
Casey got the jersey last year as a birthday present. Today, he was looking to replace it with a Rob Gronkowski shirt.
"I
think they learn that these things happen," Jen Robidoux said of her
children. "I think they're appreciative of the fact that he can come and
get something that he's going to be able to wear and wear proudly."
Laurie
Tantillo, of East Taunton, Mass., and her husband have been Patriots
season-ticket holders for 20 years. She has seen much of the team's
recent glory years.
"So when Hernandez first came we were like, 'Oh, this is going to be the next one.' And not so much," she said.
"I
was very disappointed (by the news). It was such a shame. He's a young
guy with all this opportunity in the world, making crazy money, and
that's the way he goes about handling himself. It's just a shame."
She was pleased, though, by the Patriots decision to allow fans to exchange their jerseys.
"I
think it was very impressive how the Kraft organization cut ties with
him," she said. "He is a talented ballplayer, regardless. But no matter
what, we just can't allow that here in New England. That behavior is
unacceptable. I thought it sent a really good message to youth.
"This
is awesome that they're doing this," she said of the swap. "We have
joke in my house. It's called the curse of the jersey. Every jersey I
buy, the person gets hurt or traded. This is the first time that they've
been convicted of murder. So I'm not too sure which one I should pick
in there today.
"My husband wants a Brady. He's got like three of
them but he wants another Brady. I'm not too sure, maybe a Wilfork for
myself."
Told that Wilfork was the most popular, she rethought that choice.
"Oh, no kidding," she said. "I'll take a look then. I don't want to be one of everybody else."
She opted for Rob Ninkovich's No. 50 instead.
Paul
Coles is a transplant from the United Kingdom. He's lived in the United
States for 26 years in nearby Sharon, Mass. When his daughter had a
brief encounter in early May with Hernandez, he bought the jersey for
her as a gift.
"My daughter was up here (at Patriot Place) at Bar
Louie the night before her wedding shower," Cole said. "She met him and
he gave her a kiss. And she can't believe what's happened."
Cole was leaving with a Brady shirt to ship to his daughter, who lives in Houston.
"Very
well, very helpful, no issues at all," he said of the exchange process.
"They gladly just exchanged the shirt, no problems.
"I think it's
the right thing to do, absolutely. I just bought that shirt a month
ago and it hadn't even been worn. So who's ever going to wear that shirt
again?"
One fan, though, was not entirely happy with the exchange.
"I liked Hernandez. I wanted to keep my jersey," said one man who didn't give his name.
"There was no way he was keeping that jersey," said his wife.
The
jersey exchange will continue at the Patriots ProShop until 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 pm. The condition or age of the
jersey does not matter, and patrons do not need a receipt to exchange a
jersey, but the swap is limited to officially licensed NFL merchandise,
either Nike or Reebok products, that are sold at the shop.
The
Patriots have not yet reached a determination on what will be done with
the jerseys that are brought in, waiting to see what the volume is and
what can be done with them in the most eco-friendly manner, according to
a team spokesperson. PHOTOS: Aaron Hernandez saga
The life of Aaron Hernandez, 23, has been checkered by tragedy, triumph and controversy.
Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports
He was arrested June 26 by Massachusetts
authorities, who are investigating the homicide of Odin Lloyd, an
associate of Hernandez's.
Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports
The body of Lloyd, 27, a semi-pro
football player, was found in an industrial park about a mile from
Hernandez's North Attleborough, Mass., home June 17.
AP
It wasn't long ago that Hernandez's
future appeared bright. He starred for Bristol (Conn.) Central High and
set a state record with 1,799 receiving yards as a junior in 2005. The
following year, he scored 17 TDs and was named to USA TODAY Sports'
All-USA squad as the first-team tight end for the 2006 season.
Tom Lemming
Hernandez was a favorite target of Tim
Tebow's at Florida and briefly reunited with him when the New England
Patriots signed the quarterback June 11.
Sam Greenwood, Getty Images
Hernandez earned the Mackey Award as
college football's top tight end following his junior season in 2009
when he caught 68 passes. He went on to declare for the 2010 NFL draft.
Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports
Though Hernandez was widely regarded as a
first-round NFL talent, he wasn't taken by the Patriots until Round 4
of the 2010 draft. Off-field issues at Florida and his admission of
marijuana usage clearly depressed his stock.
Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports
Many of the tattoos covering Hernandez's
arms are a tribute to his late father, Dennis, who died at 49 after
complications from routine hernia surgery in 2006. Hernandez's mother
traced many of her son's off-field struggles to the grief he experienced
from losing his dad at the age of 16.
Tom Lemming
Hernandez wore jersey No. 85 as a rookie
in 2010. But he surrendered the number and switched to 81 when Chad
Ochocinco joined the Patriots in 2011.
David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports
Hernandez's breakout game came in the
Patriots' 45-10 divisional playoff win over the Denver Broncos following
the 2011 season. He caught four passes for 55 yards and a TD and rushed
for 61 yards on just five carries in a devastating display of his
versatility.
Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports
He even snared a 12-yard TD pass from
Tom Brady in the third quarter that gave New England a 17-9 Super Bowl
lead, one they would relinquish as they Giants ultimately emerged
victorious 21-17.
Matt Detrich, The Indianapolis Star
In the summer of 2012, Hernandez signed a
five-year contract extension with New England through the 2018 season
worth $40 million.
Joe Nicholson, USA TODAY Sports
By
acquiring Ricky Nolasco from the Marlins for three minor leaguers, the
Dodgers got the starter they desperately needed and Miami reminded local
taxpayers that it was a very bad idea to trust Jeff Loria, writes Keith
Law. 
For more news, notes and analysis of the Dodgers, check out ESPN LA's Dodgers Report. 
23 comments
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Dodgers
rookie Yasiel Puig likely will make it onto the NL All-Star team at
some point before July 16, as he rightfully should, writes Mark Saxon. 
