Around the Majors: Spring training begins
1) Pitchers and catchers report today for the Angels, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Orioles, Rangers and Tigers.
2) The Mets signed free agent P Jose Lima to a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training.
YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 2003 30 2 4.91 14 14 73.1 32 3.93 13.62 8 3 0 6 5 Royals 2004 31 1 4.07 36 24 170.1 93 4.91 11.25 13 5 0 9 9 Dodgers 2005 32 -50 6.99 32 32 168.2 80 4.27 15.42 5 16 0 6 15 Royals CAREER -126 5.21 344 231 1550.1 968 5.62 12.73 89 98 5 84 103 LG AVG 0 4.47 1550.1 1131 6.56 13.02 87 87
Lima just missed the American League record for worst single season RSAA–
RSAA YEAR RSAA 1 Pat Caraway 1931 -51 2 Jose Lima 2005 -50 T3 Snake Wiltse 1902 -44 T3 George Caster 1940 -44 T3 Todd Van Poppel 1996 -44 T6 Rube Bressler 1915 -42 T6 Roy Halladay 2000 -42 T6 Jim Walkup 1937 -42 T6 Nels Potter 1939 -42 T10 Jason Bere 1995 -41 T10 Matt Keough 1982 -41 T10 Jim Abbott 1996 -41 T10 Jack Lamabe 1964 -41 T10 Elmer Myers 1917 -41
He ranks 5th on the all time list for worst career RSAA (since 1900)–
RSAA 1 Herm Wehmeier -161 T2 Bobby Witt -130 T2 Kevin Jarvis -130 4 Mike Kekich -127 5 Jose Lima -126 6 Jimmy Haynes -120 7 Phil Ortega -119 T8 Jack Fisher -118 T8 Todd Van Poppel -118 T10 Leo Sweetland -110 T10 Harry McIntire -110
3) The Reds signed OFs Tuffy Rhodes and Quinton McCracken to minor league contracts, with invitations to spring training, and designated P Jung Bong for assignment.
RHODES YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 1993 24 6 .400 .519 .919 .739 9.00 .278 3 7 2 20 Astros/Cubs 1994 25 -3 .318 .387 .705 .457 4.38 .234 8 19 6 95 Cubs 1995 26 -7 .156 .122 .278 .023 0.68 .098 0 3 0 23 Cubs/Red Sox CAR -12 .310 .349 .659 .428 3.99 .224 13 44 14 225 LG AVG 0 .336 .413 .748 .500 4.87 .268 17 78 15 POS AVG 7 .345 .424 .768 .529 5.26 .275 17 72 26 MCCRACKEN YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 2003 33 -20 .276 .271 .547 .184 2.54 .227 0 18 5 115 Diamondbacks 2004 34 -6 .328 .381 .709 .397 4.24 .273 2 13 3 74 Mariners/Diamondbacks 2005 35 -13 .313 .298 .610 .290 3.24 .237 1 13 4 134 Diamondbacks CAR -88 .337 .375 .712 .383 4.40 .276 20 242 87 954 LG AVG 0 .341 .429 .770 .500 5.15 .270 78 330 50 POS AVG 19 .347 .436 .783 .520 5.41 .273 79 318 82
4) The Pirates released P Joe Roa.
YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 2002 30 -2 4.04 14 11 71.1 35 4.42 11.61 4 4 0 4 4 Phillies 2003 31 -11 6.14 28 4 51.1 38 6.66 14.20 1 3 0 2 2 Phillies/Rockies/Padres 2004 32 2 4.50 48 0 70 47 6.04 14.53 2 3 0 3 2 Twins CAREER -21 4.94 120 19 266 154 5.21 13.94 9 16 0 12 13 LG AVG 0 4.33 266 197 6.67 12.87 15 15
5) The White Sox claimed P Rusty Tucker off waivers from the Padres.
6) Today’s birthdays–
RON CEY, AGE: 58 YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 1975 27 33 .372 .473 .845 .670 6.22 .283 25 101 5 158 Dodgers 1976 28 32 .386 .462 .848 .681 6.40 .277 23 80 0 145 Dodgers 1979 31 32 .389 .499 .888 .674 7.04 .281 28 81 3 150 Dodgers CAR 207 .354 .445 .799 .586 5.44 .261 316 1139 24 2073 LG AVG 0 .331 .388 .720 .500 4.48 .264 155 834 176 POS AVG 24 .334 .401 .735 .505 4.62 .263 189 891 117 GEORGE EARNSHAW, 1900-76 YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 1929 29 35 3.28 44 33 255 149 5.26 12.81 24 8 1 21 11 A's 1931 31 23 3.67 43 30 282 152 4.85 10.63 21 7 6 16 12 A's 1932 32 10 4.78 36 33 245 109 4.00 13.22 19 13 0 17 15 A's CAREER 11 4.38 319 249 1916 1002 4.71 13.22 127 93 12 113 107 LG AVG 0 4.34 1916 697 3.27 13.38 107 107 ALEX GONZALEZ, AGE: 29 YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 2003 26 -4 .313 .443 .756 .477 4.58 .256 18 77 0 150 Marlins 2004 27 -26 .270 .419 .689 .335 3.43 .232 23 79 3 159 Marlins 2005 28 -11 .319 .368 .686 .405 3.88 .264 5 45 5 130 Marlins CAR -128 .291 .391 .682 .358 3.68 .245 81 375 23 896 LG AVG 0 .343 .437 .780 .500 5.30 .270 111 450 60 POS AVG -101 .321 .383 .703 .396 4.24 .263 58 337 74 JOE HESKETH, AGE: 47 YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 1985 26 15 2.49 25 25 155.1 113 6.55 9.85 10 5 0 9 6 Expos 1991 32 17 3.29 39 17 153.1 104 6.10 11.45 12 4 0 10 6 Red Sox CAREER 25 3.78 339 114 961.2 726 6.79 12.48 60 47 21 55 52 LG AVG 0 3.94 961.2 610 5.71 12.40 54 54 CHARLIE IRWIN, 1869-1925 YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 1894 25 -20 .379 .422 .801 .430 7.48 .289 8 95 35 128 Cubs 1898 29 -31 .297 .305 .602 .311 3.55 .240 3 55 18 136 Reds 1901 32 -31 .277 .293 .570 .291 3.15 .227 0 45 17 132 Reds/Dodgers CAR -134 .330 .344 .674 .402 4.90 .267 16 488 180 989 LG AVG 0 .352 .381 .732 .500 5.97 .289 25 512 179 POS AVG -45 .343 .367 .710 .471 5.55 .278 23 509 167 BARRY JONES, AGE: 43 YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 1990 27 14 2.31 65 0 74 45 5.47 11.68 11 4 1 11 4 White Sox CAREER 1 3.66 348 0 433 250 5.20 12.78 33 33 23 34 32 LG AVG 0 3.75 433 279 5.79 12.10 24 24 CANDY LACHANCE, 1870-1932 YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 1902 32 -21 .309 .351 .660 .380 4.08 .279 6 56 8 138 Red Sox 1903 33 -20 .303 .328 .631 .373 3.68 .257 1 53 12 141 Red Sox 1904 34 -28 .265 .283 .548 .304 2.57 .227 1 47 7 157 Red Sox CAR -88 .318 .379 .697 .452 4.98 .280 39 690 192 1263 LG AVG 0 .344 .378 .721 .500 5.68 .283 32 643 215 POS AVG -16 .334 .386 .720 .496 5.55 .284 37 730 198 JIMMY RING, 1895-65 YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 1917 22 -18 4.40 24 7 88 33 3.38 12.89 3 7 2 3 7 Reds 1920 25 -23 3.54 42 33 267 73 2.46 12.30 17 16 1 13 20 Reds 1926 31 -18 4.57 39 23 183 76 3.74 13.87 11 10 2 9 12 Giants 1928 33 -38 6.40 35 25 173 72 3.75 16.60 4 17 1 7 14 Phillies CAREER -15 4.11 389 294 2362 835 3.18 13.44 118 149 11 132 135 LG AVG 0 3.68 2362 743 2.83 12.50 131 131 CUB STRICKER, 1860-1937 YEAR AGE RCAA OBA SLG OPS OWP RC/G AVG HR RBI SB G TEAM 1889 29 -26 .323 .288 .611 .380 4.84 .251 1 47 32 136 Spiders 1890 30 -28 .318 .320 .638 .372 5.00 .244 2 65 24 127 Infants 1893 33 -28 .252 .225 .477 .158 2.63 .183 0 20 4 59 Senators CAR -184 .306 .294 .600 .392 4.92 .239 12 259 278 1196 LG AVG 0 .325 .354 .679 .500 6.23 .263 32 384 229 POS AVG -70 .320 .331 .650 .461 5.72 .251 24 343 242 UGUETH URBINA, AGE: 32 YEAR AGE RSAA ERA G GS IP SO SO/9 BR/9 W L SV NW NL TEAM 2003 29 15 2.81 72 0 77 78 9.12 10.17 3 4 32 5 2 Rangers/Marlins 2004 30 0 4.50 54 0 54 56 9.33 12.17 4 6 21 5 5 Tigers 2005 31 8 3.62 81 0 79.2 97 10.96 10.85 5 6 10 7 4 Tigers/Phillies CAREER 76 3.45 583 21 697.1 814 10.51 11.00 44 49 237 58 35 LG AVG 0 4.36 697.1 513 6.62 12.85 39 39
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