Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Baseball briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 17, 2001

Williams still critical but "is improving"

NEW YORK -- Nomar Garciaparra called to see how the patient was doing. Tommy Lasorda stopped by the hospital to pay his respects to the family. And John Glenn called every few hours for updates on Ted Williams's condition.

Tuesday was the first day of Williams' recovery from a nine-hour open-heart operation at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center. The 82-year-old Hall of Famer had the mitral valve replaced and tricuspid valve repaired.

The procedure was unusually lengthy, prompting concern about Williams's prognosis. He remained on a respirator and was listed as critical, but one of his doctors, Jeffrey Borer, said Tuesday, "He is improved compared with the early hours after the operation. He's still critical, but he's moving in the right direction. By the measures we have, he is improving.

"He awoke today and responded to commands, so we know he is with us. Then we gave him more sedation."

The doctor added, "I've decided when he recovers I'm going to bring him my baseball glove that I got when I was 15 years old in 1960. I'm going to ask Ted to sign it for me."

John Henry Williams, the only son of the former Red Sox outfielder, was at his father's bedside after the surgery and visited again Tuesday afternoon.

"Seeing him a second time was a big weight off my shoulders," the younger Williams said. "The doctors were smiling, and that seemed like a good sign."

If all goes well, Williams is expected to be at Presbyterian from 10 days to two weeks. Two months of rehabilitation will follow, and doctors told the family that it will be three years before he is back to the way he was before he became ill.

ANGELS: Jose Canseco agreed to an incentive-laden contract that could pay him as little as $200,000 or as much as $5-million. The free agent got a minor-league deal heavily based on plate appearances, with an invitation to spring training.

GIANTS: The U.S. Supreme Court refused to free the team from a lawsuit by players in the Dominican Republic who say they were sexually harassed by Luis Rosa, the team's former Latin American scout.

MARLINS: Florida received outfielder Chad Mottola in a trade with Toronto for a player to be named or cash. The Jays had designated Mottola for assignment a day earlier.

The team also signed infielder Kevin Millar to a two-year contract and pitchers Jesus Sanchez and Manny Aybar to one-year contracts.

REDS: Right-hander Frankie Rodriguez agreed to a minor-league contract. Rodriguez, 28, went 2-1 with a 6.27 ERA in 23 relief appearances for the Mariners last season.

TIGERS: Catcher Scott Servais agreed to a minor-league contract and was invited to spring training. Servais, 33, would get a $400,000, one-year contract if he makes the team and the chance to earn $225,000 more in performance bonuses.

YANKEES: The defending world champs settled the easiest of their arbitration cases, agreeing to a $4.05-million, one-year contract with catcher Jorge Posada. New York has two players remaining in arbitration, shortstop Derek Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera.

OWNERS MEETINGS: In their first meeting since Alex Rodriguez's record $252-million contract with Texas, owners gather today in Phoenix and will discuss competitive balance.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright