Diamondbacks It looks increasingly likely that Brandon Webb will start the season on the disabled list. Manager AJ Hinch explained on Thursday, “It’s getting fairly obvious that it’s going to be difficult to get him ready for the season,” though Hinch cautioned, “I don’t think we’re at that date yet.” Webb is scheduled to throw long toss on Friday, with further progress – or not – to be decided once the team sees how that goes.
Around NL West Spring Training, 3/11: Giles Retires And Webb’s Question Mark Grows
Dodgers Joe Torre and the bulk of the team arrived safely in Taiwan after their 15-hour flight, and were met at the airport by several hundred fans and a mass of local media. Said Torre,“I’m looking forward to being here. This is a part of the world I’ve never been to. I was always curious, knowing that [their] Little League teams used to win the Little League World Series all the time so I knew baseball was very big, and I’m very anxious to get a look at the city.”
Giants San Francisco continues to run over its opponents in the Cactus League. A 5-1 win over the Cubs on Wednesday made their record this spring an impressive 7-1. Pablo Sandoval provided the margin of victory for the Giants, with a grand-slam off Carlos Zambrano. Bengie Molina has been tearing up opposing pitchers in the first week, going 6-for-11 with ten total bases.
Padres Veteran outfielder Brian Giles announced his retirement, saying his knee wasn’t responding as well as he hoped. Giles spent 15 years in the majors, the last 5 1/2 with San Diego. He was a two-time All-Star, in 2000-01 when with Pittsburgh, but his 2005 campaign for the Padres, where hit .301, resulted in a ninth-place finish for Giles in the NL MVP voting. He ends his career with a line of .290/.400/.502.
Rockies Brad Hawpe made his Cactus League debut today, having missed a week after having an ingrowing toenail removed. Thursday afternoon’s game also saw the return of former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, now the hitting instructor for the Texas Rangers. The contest went somewhat better for the latter, as his boys pounded out 23 hits on their way to an easy victory. However, Hawpe went 2-for-3, with a pair of doubles.
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