azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Mark Gonzales
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 25, 2005 12:00 AM
Tony Clark wants to give Chad Tracy the same support at first base that the Diamondbacks provided Clark with a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Clark, who lives in Glendale, was introduced Monday.
"I am here in support of Chad," said Clark, 32, a switch-hitter who has a career .264 batting average with 191 home runs. "Any way that I can help him, I am more than willing to do, whether it be to give him a couple days off a week, or if he needs a break during the game."
Tracy, 24, will move from third base to first, where Clark has played for 10 seasons with Detroit, Boston, the New York Mets and Yankees.
Clark averaged more than 30 home runs with Detroit from 1996-99 but he realized his starting days were numbered after the 2002 season when he hit .207 with Boston.
"You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and realize what opportunities are going to present themselves," Clark said.
Clark batted .221 with 16 homers in 106 games with the Yankees last season.
Clark will get to spend spring training in Arizona for the first time and return to Tucson, where he began his collegiate basketball career before transferring to San Diego State.
"He's a seamless fit for us," General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said.
Drew update
Team officials will meet soon to form a proposal for unsigned first-round pick Stephen Drew.
"We would like to have this (signing) done before spring training," scouting director Mike Rizzo said.
Drew, a shortstop, and Long Beach State pitcher Jered Weaver are the only two unsigned first-round picks and are represented by adviser Scott Boras.
Negotiations could be affected by recent deals involving Rice pitchers Jeff Niemann (five years, $5.2 million) and Phillip Humber (five years, $4.2 million). Multiyear contracts allow teams to spread their payments.
Drew, who hasn't enrolled in classes at Florida State for the spring semester, probably will seek a multiyear, major league contract in excess of Rickie Weeks' five-year deal that includes a $3.6 million signing bonus and guarantees him at least $4.8 million.
Short hop
Garagiola rejected a report in the Contra Costa Times (Calif.) last week that claimed Diamondbacks reliever Jose Valverde flunked a physical exam that led to the rejection of a trade involving Oakland center fielder Eric Byrnes.
"That story came out of nowhere that he (Valverde) failed a physical is absolutely incorrect," said Garagiola, adding that Valverde never was asked to take a exam on his right shoulder and has received encouraging reports from Junior Noboa, director of Latin America operations.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0125dbnotes01250.html
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 25, 2005 12:00 AM
Tony Clark wants to give Chad Tracy the same support at first base that the Diamondbacks provided Clark with a one-year, $750,000 contract.
Clark, who lives in Glendale, was introduced Monday.
"I am here in support of Chad," said Clark, 32, a switch-hitter who has a career .264 batting average with 191 home runs. "Any way that I can help him, I am more than willing to do, whether it be to give him a couple days off a week, or if he needs a break during the game."
Tracy, 24, will move from third base to first, where Clark has played for 10 seasons with Detroit, Boston, the New York Mets and Yankees.
Clark averaged more than 30 home runs with Detroit from 1996-99 but he realized his starting days were numbered after the 2002 season when he hit .207 with Boston.
"You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and realize what opportunities are going to present themselves," Clark said.
Clark batted .221 with 16 homers in 106 games with the Yankees last season.
Clark will get to spend spring training in Arizona for the first time and return to Tucson, where he began his collegiate basketball career before transferring to San Diego State.
"He's a seamless fit for us," General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said.
Drew update
Team officials will meet soon to form a proposal for unsigned first-round pick Stephen Drew.
"We would like to have this (signing) done before spring training," scouting director Mike Rizzo said.
Drew, a shortstop, and Long Beach State pitcher Jered Weaver are the only two unsigned first-round picks and are represented by adviser Scott Boras.
Negotiations could be affected by recent deals involving Rice pitchers Jeff Niemann (five years, $5.2 million) and Phillip Humber (five years, $4.2 million). Multiyear contracts allow teams to spread their payments.
Drew, who hasn't enrolled in classes at Florida State for the spring semester, probably will seek a multiyear, major league contract in excess of Rickie Weeks' five-year deal that includes a $3.6 million signing bonus and guarantees him at least $4.8 million.
Short hop
Garagiola rejected a report in the Contra Costa Times (Calif.) last week that claimed Diamondbacks reliever Jose Valverde flunked a physical exam that led to the rejection of a trade involving Oakland center fielder Eric Byrnes.
"That story came out of nowhere that he (Valverde) failed a physical is absolutely incorrect," said Garagiola, adding that Valverde never was asked to take a exam on his right shoulder and has received encouraging reports from Junior Noboa, director of Latin America operations.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0125dbnotes01250.html
