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Caravan gets Rays out to meet public

© St. Petersburg Times
published February 12, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays are taking their show on the road this week with caravan stops throughout the area, including All Children's Hospital, MacDill Air Force Base and the Manatee Little League.

Among the daily highlights:

Today: All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, 9:30-11 a.m.; Pinellas County Multi-Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Pinellas Expo Center, Pinellas Park, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; WDAE-AM 620 remote from America 2 electronics, St. Petersburg, 3 p.m.; Pinellas Park Boys & Girls Club, 4:30. Scheduled players are Brent Abernathy, Nick Bierbrodt, Toby Hall, Joe Kennedy, Jason Standridge and Jason Tyner. General manager Chuck LaMar and manager Hal McRae will attend the luncheon.

Wednesday: Metropolitan Ministries, Tampa, 9:30-10:45 a.m.; Tampa Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Hilton Airport WestShore, 11:45 a.m.; MacDill Air Force Base, 2-4 p.m.; Joshua House, Tampa, 5 p.m. Scheduled players are Dewon Brazelton, Hall, Damian Rolls, Ryan Rupe, Tanyon Sturtze and Paul Wilson. Managing general partner Vince Naimoli, LaMar and McRae will attend the luncheon.

Thursday: St. Petersburg Police Athletic League awards breakfast, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 7:30-9 a.m.; Sarasota Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Waterside Room, Sarasota Quay, noon; Alta Vista Elementary School, 1:45 p.m.; Sarasota Memorial Hospital, 3 p.m.; Kids by the Sea dinner @ Fred's, Sarasota, 4:30 p.m. Scheduled players are Bierbrodt, Aubrey Huff, Russ Johnson, Kennedy, Standridge and Wilson. LaMar will attend the luncheon.

Friday: Braden River Elementary, 9 a.m.; Manatee Memorial Hospital, Bradenton, 10:15 a.m.; Manatee Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Carrabba's Italian Grill, 2106 Cortez Rd. W, Bradenton, 11:45 a.m.; Miller Elementary School, Bradenton, 1:45 p.m.; Blake Medical Center, Bradenton, 3 p.m.; Anna Maria Island Community Center, 4:15 p.m.; The Bistro at Island's End, Anna Maria Island, 5:30 p.m.; 30 Years of Manatee Little League Baseball event, Norma Lloyd Park, Bradenton, 6:45 p.m. Scheduled players are Huff, Johnson, Jared Sandberg and Tyner. LaMar will attend the luncheon.

The caravan concludes with the team's annual FanFest at Tropicana Field on Saturday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Sunday (noon-4 p.m.). Saturday also is when individual game tickets go on sale.

Selig to skip congressional hearing

WASHINGTON -- Commissioner Bud Selig will not testify at Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the sport's antitrust exemption and instead will send his chief lawyer.

Bob DuPuy, an executive vice president in the commissioner's office and baseball's chief legal officer, and union head Donald Fehr are among witnesses scheduled to appear, a spokesman for committee chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., said.

Also scheduled to testify are Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth, Minnesota Deputy Attorney General Lori Swanson, and Stan Brand, a lobbyist for the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the governing body of the minor leagues.

Sen. Paul D. Wellstone, D-Minn., and Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., proposed legislation Nov. 14 to strip the sport of its antitrust exemption as it applies to franchise moves and folding. Wellstone is to testify along with Mark Dayton, D-Minn., and Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

ASTROS: Houston signed right-hander Hipolito Pichardo to a one-year contract. To make room on the 40-man roster, the team designated left-hander Wayne Franklin for assignment.

DODGERS: Left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii said he might be late for spring training because he is waiting for a visa from the U.S. government. The 28-year-old pitcher finalized his contract with the team last week.

RANGERS: Infielder Ed Sprague agreed to a minor-league contract and was invited to spring training as a nonroster player.

ROYALS: The team avoided arbitration with second baseman Carlos Febles, agreeing to a $775,000, one-year contract. Shortstop Neifi Perez is the only Kansas City player with an arbitration case remaining.

YANKEES: Catcher Jorge Posada said he is making good progress after shoulder surgery on Nov. 29: "I'm shooting for April 1. My goal is to start the year. I'm going to do everything possible. If there's no setbacks, no problems with my arm, I want to be back there on the opening day." Posada has been working out at the team's minor-league complex in Tampa. He reported no problems after making 60 throws from 90 feet.

OWNERS MEETING: Selig called off a meeting set to approve the sales of the Marlins and Expos and instead scheduled a telephone conference call for today's vote.

-- Information from Times wires was used in this report.

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