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Mark Hendrickson’s amazing sports career will continue in Baltimore for the 2010 season. The 6-foot-9 lefty has signed a .4 million deal with the Orioles and will likely be used in the team’s bullpen.

With the Orioles last season, Henderickson was both a starter and a reliever. As a starter, he struggled on his way to a 2-5 record with a 5.40 ERA. But as a reliever, he was much better — finishing with a 4-0 record and a 3.44 ERA.

The 35-year-old has also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins. However, Hendrickson is perhaps best known for being a two-sport star. Prior to beginning his MLB career, he played in the NBA. Before switching to baseball, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Though he has been a starter for most of his career, many scouts think that Hendrickson can extend his career if he decides to be a relief pitcher. Since this will likely be his first season as a full-time reliever, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the transition.

mark hendrickson orioles

Post from: Knuckle Curve

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Johnny Damon and his agent tried to play hardball with the New York Yankees in contract negotiations. Instead of blinking, the Yankees went ahead and moved on without Damon. Now the 36-year-old outfielder is searching for another team willing to give him a reasonable contract.

The latest rumors, which originated on MLB.com, say that the Atlanta Braves are interested in acquiring Damon. The Braves have added a number of veterans in an attempt to make a World Series run in 2010. Damon would fit perfectly with those plans.

The main problem right now is money, of course. The Braves reportedly only want to give Damon a one-year deal. Damon, on the other hand, wants at least two years.

Last season, Damon hit .282 with 24 homers, 82 RBIs and 102 runs while hitting in the powerful Yankees lineup. Though his numbers will undoubtedly go down elsewhere, he’s a brilliant player who has a history of coming up big in big situations.

Johnny Damon to the Atlanta Braves? (Image: Zuma Press)

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For the second time this winter, the New York Mets have said a Japanese pitcher. After signing Ryota Igarashi in December, ESPN is reporting that the Mets have signed Hisanori Takahashi to a one-year deal worth as much as million.

The 34-year-old is known for having quality off-speed pitches but his lack of a steady fastball makes some scouts question whether he can make the transition. Last season, Takahashi pitched in 25 games and had an ERA of 2.94. While he will probably be used out of the bullpen, he also has experience as a starting pitcher.

The Mets weren’t the only team interested in Takahashi. The other teams interested included the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants. Takahashi’s deal with the Mets guarantees him at least million for the upcoming season.

Igarashi, a reliever, inked a contract with the Mets that will pay him million over the next two seasons.

Hisanori Takahashi signed with the New York Mets (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: Knuckle Curve

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Tim Lincecum is already a superstar. Now he’s getting paid like one. The small yet ferocious starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants recently signed a contract worth at least million over the next two seasons.

Prior to this agreement, Lincecum and the Giants appeared headed to arbitration. The pitcher was set to ask for million — which would have been a record for arbitration.

Last season, Lincecum won his second straight Cy Young award. He finished with a record of 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA. In 2008, Lincecum was 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA.

If he keeps up his amazing work, the 25-year-old Lincecum will eventually sign a mammoth contract. This two-year deal is just a small taste of his ultimate value.

Earlier in the offseason, Lincecum made headlines for the wrong reason when he was charged with marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession. However, his legal issues apparently didn’t worry the Giants enough to affect contract negotiations.

Tim Lincecum - San Francisco Giants (Image: Zuma Press)

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Edwin Jackson and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed on a new deal that will pay him more than million over the next two seasons. Jackson was acquired by the D’Backs earlier in the offseason in a three-team trade involving the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.

Last season with the Tigers, Jackson had by far the best year of his career. In 33 starts, he sported an ERA of 3.62 to go along with a 13-9 record. He was particularly effective in the first half of the season, going 7-4 with a 2.52 ERA before the All-Star break.

Although he has had some rough patches in his career, Arizona is hoping that the 26-year-old is ready to blossom. Born in Germany, Jackson has long teased scouts due to his obvious talents on the mound.

The big name in the deal that brought Jackson to the D’Backs was Curtis Granderson, who went from Detroit to New York.

Edwin Jackson - Arizona Diamondbacks (Image: Zuma Press)

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Last season, the Boston Red Sox acquired Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians to add another star to their lineup. Heading into the 2010 baseball campaign, Martinez has a chance to have a fantastic season. He’s already so happy in Boston that he wants to sign a contract extension.

When talking to the Boston Herald, Martinez indicated that prior to the start of the season, he’ll listen to offers from the Red Sox to extend his contract. The 31-year-old could conceivably get a hefty multi-year extension. However, Martinez also said that once the season starts, he won’t be open to any contract talk.

In 56 games with the Red Sox last season, Martinez hit .336 with eight homers, 41 RBIs and 32 runs. For his career, the native of Venezuela is hitting .299 with 111 homers, 559 RBIs and 445 runs. His best season came in 2007 when he hit .301 with 25 homers, 114 RBIs and 78 runs for the Indians.

While Martinez split his time at first base and catcher last season for the Red Sox, Boston plans to use Martinez as the team’s everyday catch this year.

Victor Martinez is talking contract extension (Image: Zuma Press)

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The Atlanta Braves have made a number of big splash offseaon moves and Braves fans are excited for the 2010 season. However, on Wednesday, all of Braves nation will be holding their breath while starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens undergoes an MRI on his shoulder.

The 24-year-old from the Netherland Antilles is a vital part of Atlanta’s ballclub. Last season, Jurrjens was 14-10 with a 2.60 ERA. In 215 innings, he had 152 strikeouts and allowed only 186 hits. For his career, he is 30-21 with a 3.21 ERA in 72 starts.

Jurrjens has been complaining about a sore shoulder recently and that has the Braves wanting to proceed with a shoulder MRI. While the team is calling it a precautionary move, it’s obviously not a good sign that Jurrjens is having shoulder pain at this point of the year.

Last season, the Braves finished 86-76. They were actually in the NL Wild Card race before they lost their final six games. In 2010, the Braves have a legit shot at the postseason — as long as Jurrjens is healthy.

Jair Jurrjens - Atlanta Braves (Image: Zuma Press)

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Though former Tampa Bay first baseman Fred McGriff didn’t get voted into into the Hall of Fame this year - his first on the ballot - he’s receiving some support from current and future Hall of Famers.

Recently-elected Andre Dawson, at Tropicana Field for the annual Governor’s Dinner, said McGriff has the credentials to get into the Hall. McGriff finished with 493 home runs, and was a model of consistency, averaging 30 homers, 97 RBIs and a .380 on-base percentage from 1988-2002. All the while, McGriff played well defensively at first (.992 fielding percentage).

“He played on both sides of the field, he wasn’t just a DH,” Dawson said. “And he put numbers up, did it on a consistent basis You’re talking about one of the premier power hitters of his area.”

Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, the former Home Run King, said McGriff “has the numbers to go into the Hall.”

“Everybody can’t go in there with a .300 batting average and 700 home runs,” said Aaron. “If it was, you’d only have four or five guys (in).”

– JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com


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Rick Ankiel has had one of the most interesting careers of any active baseball player. The next chapter of his story has the centerfielder heading to the Kansas City Royals. Ankiel will reported earn at least .25 million over one season.

To begin his career, Ankiel was a pitcher who broke into the big leaguers as a 20-year-old phenom in 1999. While initially pitching very well, Ankiel’s pitching career imploded and he was no longer a viable pitcher. So, instead of throwing pitches for a living, Ankiel became an outfielder for the Cardinals beginning in the 2007 season.

In 2007, Ankiel hit .285 with 11 homers in 47 games. He followed that up with 25 homers and a batting average of .264 in 2008. Last season, Ankiel struggled a bit with injuries and hit just .231 with 11 homers in 122 games.

The Royals are obviously betting on Ankiel bouncing back in 2010. The now 30-year-old Ankiel is a good defensive player with a relatively high ceiling considering his age. It’ll be interesting to see if Ankiel’s fairytale career continues or if this is the final stop.

Rick Ankiel has signed with the Kansas City Royals (Image: Zuma Press)

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Rick Ankiel Signs with the Royals

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Mark McGwire’s first official day as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals was on Wednesday. He talked a bit with the media about his past steroid use and once again issued an apology.

“I can’t say I’m sorry enough to everybody in baseball and across America, and whoever watches this great game,” said McGwire.

Although McGwire is one of the best power hitters in the history of baseball, he has said he’s willing to put in a lot of hard work to become a quality hitting coach. Resting on his past accomplishments doesn’t seem to be what he’s planning to do.

Said McGwire: “I’ve told some of the guys: ‘If you want me here at 5 a.m., I’ll be here at 5 a.m., if you want me here at 7 o’clock at night hitting, I’ll be here at 7 o’clock.’ I’m here for them, I’m not here for me.”

While the Cardinals finished last season with a record of 91-71, their hitting was oftentimes a struggle. They scored 730 runs on the season, which was good for 18th in the major leagues.

Considering St. Louis only gave up 640 runs last season (third best in baseball), they could be very scary in 2010 if their pitching is once again great and they see an improvement in the hitting department. If that does indeed happen, McGwire will deserve a tip of the cap — steroids or no steroids.

Mark McGwire is sorry for taking steroids (Image: Zuma Press)

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