No team logos for Maddux, La Russa
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Greg Maddux and Tony La Russa will not have logos on the caps of their Hall of Fame plaques.
The decision was announced Thursday by the Hall, which said Joe Torre’s plaque will have the logo of the New York Yankees.
Plaques for Tom Glavine and Bobby Cox will have Atlanta Braves logos, and Frank Thomas’ will have the logo of the Chicago White Sox.
The six will be inducted during ceremonies on July 27.
M’s to induct Piniella into team Hall of Fame
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners will induct former manager Lou Piniella into the team Hall of Fame on Aug. 9.
Piniella will become the eighth member inducted. The team inducted former outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. last season.
Piniella was Seattle’s manger from 1993-2002. He led Seattle to its first division title in 1995 when the Mariners rallied late in the season to win the AL West. Piniella was also in charge in 2001 when Seattle matched the major league record with 116 wins in the regular season.
For his career in Seattle, Piniella was 840-711. His .542 winning percentage with the Mariners was the highest of his managerial stops
Rays sign RHP Balfour to 2-year, $12M deal
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have signed right-hander pitcher Grant Balfour to a 2-year, $12 million deal.
Team owner Stu Sternberg announced the deal on Thursday. He says it is a significant move for the budget-minded Rays, noting, “We’ve had some exceptional teams. We want to give this organization the best chance to win, and we know it’s going to cost us more than we can afford to pay.”
Balfour, 36, was 62 for 67 in save opportunities the past two seasons with the Oakland Athletics.
It’s Balfour’s second tour with the Rays. He played with Tampa Bay from 2007-10 and helped the Rays reach the 2008 World Series.
Balfour was a first-time All-Star selection in 2013. He was 25 for 25 in save opportunities the first half of the season.
Marlins president a castaway on ‘Survivor’
MIAMI — Miami Marlins President David Samson is among 18 castaways on the
new season of “Survivor,” which begins Feb. 26 on CBS.
The cast also includes a high-stakes poker player, an ex-NFL cheerleader, a nuclear engineer and former NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson.
In a biography released by the network, Samson lists as his claim to fame getting the government in Miami to “contribute over $350 million to a new baseball park during the recession.” Critics called the financing plan a taxpayer rip-off, and a backlash against the deal resulted in the recall of the county mayor.
As for why he thinks he’ll win, Samson said, “I always win, because people underestimate me.”
The new season of “Survivor” takes place in Cagayan, a province in the Philippines.
By wire sources