MLB Rankings
1. New York Yankees: Picked up Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood.
2. Tampa Bay Rays: Traded for stud reliever Chad Qualls from Arizona Diamondbacks.
3. Texas Rangers: Added another good bat in Florida Marlins' Jorge Cantu.
4. Chicago White Sox: Former D-backs starter Edwin Jackson will help the surging Sox.
5. Minnesota Twins: Newest Twin Matt Capps strong in first save oppertunity.
6. San Diego Padres: Miguel Tejada slotted into the cleanup spot. Also added Ryan Ludwick.
7. San Francisco Giants: Traded for no bats, but got relievers Ramirez and Lopez.
8. Atlanta Braves: Royals dealt outfielder Rick Ankiel and pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.
9. Philadelphia Phillies: Landed the big fish in Roy Oswalt, but lost some potential in Happ.
10. Boston Red Sox: Did very little, getting just backup catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Compiled by Aaron Morton
THE QUOTE
"I do. I can't explain it. Amazing. I think it's pretty cool. The Year of the Pitcher."
—San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow
who pitched in the majors from 1976-89
THE STAT
$321.7
million
The minimum bid to buy the Texas Rangers at an Wednesday auction. Subsequent bids must go up at least $2 million. The judge may allow breaks after each round so bidders can call their investors.
GET TO KNOW A PARK
Each week we will profile a baseball park. Today:
Brent Brown Ballpark
Home of the Orem Owlz
Location: Orem, on the campus of Utah Valley University
Year opened: 2005
Nickname: Home of the Owlz
Dimensions: left pole, 305; left field, 427; center field, 408; right field, 388; right pole 312.
Field surface: Grass
Capacity: 3,100
After playing for four years as the Provo Angels in BYU's Miller Park, they moved to Orem in 2005. In conjunction with Utah Valley University, the stadium was built on campus.
With Mount Timpanogos in view, baseballparks.com ranked the view as the second-best in the country — tied with Salt Lake City's Spring Mobile Ballpark and behind Ogden's Lindquist Field.
The 2005 team, led that season by Mark Trumbo and Nick Adenhart, rode out on motorcycles for the stadium's opening night. The Owlz lost that game, but turned it around to win the Pioneer League title.
This season, the Owlz added Hootz and Holly's Playground (custom inflatable toys) in addition to the regular playground. Fans can find two Owlz players signing autographs after every home game.
The team will also be holding their Owlz Flight Camp on Aug. 6 and 7, allowing kids to interact and learn directly from players during practice.
"We think it continues our goal of providing a fun environment for everyone," team general manger Aaron Wells said.
—Aaron Morton
ON THE FARM
El Duque makes debut in minors
VIERA, Fla. — Former major leaguer Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez has made his minor league debut for the Washington Nationals' team in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
The 44-year-old Hernandez gave up one run and two hits in one inning for the GCL Nationals in their 3-2 victory over the Marlins' affiliate Thursday. Hernandez pitched the sixth inning.
He last appeared in the majors in 2007 with the Mets, and joined the Nationals' organization this month. His half-brother, Livan, is a starting pitcher for Washington.
El Duque went 90-65 with a 4.13 ERA in a 10-year major league career highlighted by pitching for four World Series winners with the Yankees and White Sox.
—Deseret News wire reports
AROUND THE HORN
MLB making schedule changes
Major League Baseball, trying to avoid having long underwear as part of its players' postseason apparel, is planning to start the 2011 season in earnest on Friday, April 1 — three days earlier than the traditional Monday opener.
It would be the first time a season opened on a Friday since 1905, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
In addition, the regular season, which typically ends on a Sunday, would instead conclude on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and the playoffs would open Sept. 30 or Oct. 1, the fourth-earliest start since the current postseason format was adopted in 1995.
The 2011 World Series would begin on Oct. 19 and Game 7 would be scheduled for Oct. 28. The 2009 World Series didn't conclude until Nov. 4, the same date Game 7 is scheduled for this year.
"Anything we could do to finish in October," Commissioner Bud Selig told USA TODAY on Tuesday, "is what I wanted to do. It shows how serious we are in doing this. I feel very good about it, and am pleased at everybody's reaction."
Said Michael Weiner, executive director of the Major League Players Association: "Starting the season midweek, as we understand it, will allow for a much better postseason schedule than if we had the season on a Sunday night.
"We think that's a positive step."
MLB has yet to finalize the changes but has sent preliminary schedules to teams for minor modifications.
Miss iowa make pitch
WASHINGTON — Turns out Miss Iowa really can pitch.
Pageant winner Katherine Connors threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals. Her catcher: Washington reliever Miguel Batista, who recently made a comment about Miss Iowa as part of a self-effacing joke.
Batista said: "Imagine if you go to see Miss Universe, then you end up having Miss Iowa, you might get those kind of boos," Batista said after he got boos when he replaced an injured Stephen Strasburg. "But it's OK. They have to understand that as an organization we have to make sure that the kid is fine. You don't want to expose him out there and screw up his future."
Wearing a red Nationals jersey and a Miss Iowa sash, the right-handed Connors heaved a pitch high and outside to Batista.
Marlins to be more careful
SAN FRANCISCO — The Florida Marlins are looking for a new way to celebrate their walk-off victories—something stronger than a handshake but not as physical as a dog pile—after the traditional pie-in-the-face routine landed Chris Coghlan on the disabled list.
Coghlan tore the meniscus in his left knee on Sunday when he pied Wes Helms with shaving cream to celebrate Helms' game-ending hit. Coghlan will miss at least two weeks and as many as eight if he undergoes surgery to repair the injury.
"It's a little embarrassing," Coghlan said Tuesday. "I think some people may get a laugh out of it. But it's just a freak thing."
The Marlins won't be celebrating their walk-off wins with as much vigor. Manager Edwin Rodriguez has asked several veterans on the club to come up with a new way to celebrate, something less dangerous.
"If we have a walk-off, we have to celebrate," Rodriguez said. "But we have to be more careful. I challenged them to be creative and come up with something that is more safe."
—Deseret News wire reports