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Around the NL

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 22, 2001

Surgery to shelve Braves catcher for season again

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Braves backup catcher Eddie Perez is going to miss another season. Doctors discovered another tear in his right shoulder, the shoulder he had surgically repaired last May 8 and then missed the rest of the season rehabilitating.

Perez was scheduled to have surgery Monday. Dr. Marvin Royster and Dr. Xavier Duralde will attempt to repair it arthroscopically, Perez said, but there's a good chance they will have to perform traditional surgery. Either way, he is finished for the year again before the season started.

Perez was less than a year into his recovery from rotator cuff surgery that requires 12-18 months to heal. The Braves were hoping he could work his way back into action this spring, building up strength in the arm as he went.

But Perez saw no progress with his throws, never played in a game and eventually felt enough pain to prompt doctors to do another MRI exam Tuesday in Atlanta.

"I don't know how long (the tear) has been there, but it makes sense to me," Perez said. "That's the muscle that's been hurting me when I move my arm the whole time."

ASTROS: Daryle Ward went 4-for-5 with a home run in Houston's 13-6 win against Toronto. Charlie Hayes, Richard Hidalgo and Morgan Ensberg also homered.

CARDINALS: In a 12-2 win against the Marlins in Jupiter, Matt Morris became the first St. Louis pitcher to work more than five innings this spring.

Morris, trying to reclaim his place in the starting rotation, allowed two runs and eight hits in 51/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

CUBS: Sammy Sosa hit his sixth home run of the spring and Julian Tavarez pitched six scoreless innings as Chicago beat Colorado 4-0.

Both benches were warned about beanballs in the top of the fourth inning, when Tavarez hit Jeff Cirillo with a pitch. The two players exchanged words as Cirillo walked to first base.

DIAMONDBACKS: Erubiel Durazo hit his fifth home run of the spring and Jay Bell had two doubles and his first homer in a 11-7 win against Seattle in Tucson, Ariz.

MARLINS: In what he said could be the last chance to keep the team in South Florida, Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas met with lawmakers looking for their help on a tax break to build a downtown stadium.

"There's a possibility that the team may not exist," Penelas said, echoing comments made this week by owner John Henry. "The league may decide to take away some of the teams, and the Marlins may be one of those."

For the second year in a row, the Marlins are trying to persuade lawmakers to help them with a financial package to build a new stadium.

A year ago, Gov. Bush shot down a $4-a-day tax proposal on cruise ship passengers to pay for the stadium. This time it's a $122-million sales tax rebate over 20 years being sought by stadium supporters.

PIRATES: Kris Benson is downplaying sexually explicit remarks he and his wife made to Penthouse magazine.

The pitcher and his wife, Anna, are the subject of an interview in the May issue, scheduled to be on newsstands this weekend. Media began receiving advance copies Tuesday, and Benson addressed the matter Wednesday at the Pirates' spring training camp.

The interview contained details of the Bensons' love life and created a stir Tuesday night on television newscasts and radio talks shows in Pittsburgh. Benson doesn't think the fuss is warranted.

"We were pretty candid, but I thought the whole thing was done in good taste," Benson said. "I had a lot of fun with the interview, and so did Anna. It was a good experience. I don't regret doing it. We just were having a little fun."

Bronson Arroyo pitched five strong innings against Cincinnati in his bid to win a spot in the starting rotation. Derek Bell had three hits as Pittsburgh won 8-5 in Bradenton.

REDS: It is close to final-answer time about whether Barry Larkin can start the season, and the club is guarded and non-commital about his status. It looks more and more as if his injury might linger into the season, even though the medical staff's line of the day about Larkin was, "He's fine."

Manager Bob Boone told Pokey Reese on Wednesday that he might play some games at shortstop, and Reese said, "Today?" So Boone put him at shortstop.

"I just decided to flip him over there for a couple of games," Boone said. "It looks as if Larkin is going to be ready, but in case Larkin has a setback, we can make that switch because (Reese) is a shortstop."

Also, Cincinnati signed outfielder Ruben Rivera to a one-year contract, one week after he was released by the Padres. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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