Results tagged ‘ ESPN ’
Bucs to sign Correia to a two-year deal
After a busy first day at the Winter Meetings, the Pirates already reached a tentative agreement with Scott Olsen and now, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick the Pirates are close to a two-year $8 million deal with Kevin Correia.
General manager Neal Huntington confirmed interest in Correia, but didn’t answer more.
“There is nothing official to report at the present time,” Huntington said. “We are engaged in conversation and are optimistic, but nothing has been finalized.”
Correia, 30, went 10-10 with a 5.40 ERA in 28 games (26 starts) for the Padres during the 2010 season. Correia pitched 145 innings while walking 64 and striking out 115. 2009 was a better year for Kevin, he struck out 142 and walked 64 through a career-best 198 innings. He finished with a 12-11 record and a 3.91 ERA.
Don’t expect the Pirates to be done yet. They are continuing to peruse more pitching as well as a right fielder/first baseman and a shortstop.
“You ideally want to go [to Spring Training] with more than five guys,” Huntington said, commenting on the need to improve the starting pitching depth. “With the young guys coming, and with some of the guys we’ve got under contract and with some of the guys we’re talking about trying to acquire, we may have a pretty good competition in Spring Training.”
Hurdle to interview with Mets
Clint Hurdle may be the front runner for the Pirates managerial position but the Pirates are not his only choice. The New York Post is reporting that Sandy Alderson will be interviewing Hurdle for the Mets open skipper job next week.
Denver Post baseball writer Troy Renck spent the 2002-2009 seasons with Hurdle as he was the manager for the Rockies. He spoke with ESPN on why Hurdle what his strengths as a manager were and what his personality was like.
What are Clint Hurdle’s strengths as a manager? Or what did the players appreciate?
“He’s an unbelievable communicator, a huge personality. You know he’s there from the moment he arrives at the park. It’s impossible to miss in terms of his personality and presence. He’s a great teacher of hitting. And a strength of his is just that positive energy. Certainly when they were a young team, going through a youth movement, how to deal with young players and how to keep the glass half-full, he was very good about that when they were in their rebuilding process.”
When you say personality, any examples?
“Well, he’s as bright as any guy I’ve ever interviewed in a uniform. He was accepted to Harvard. He had a chance to play college football at Miami. It’s understood that he was like the first high school quarterback ever to call his own plays and audible. He’s a bright guy. He ran Rockies fantasy camp for years, and he actually ran the Mets camp for part of that time as well. People would go to that camp just to get ripped by him. He’s like a roast dinner. He’s so funny and biting in that way. Whether it’s one-liners or killing a story, I mean he literally could go on stage right now and make people laugh and cry. He’s an unbelievable public speaker.”
Erin Andrews defends sideline reporters
Erin Andrews was interviewed by Fanhouse recently in which she defended sideline reporters and why we are important. I really enjoy watching her because she is good at what she does and she is a positive influence in the industry. Andrews is speaking out on the recent controversies involving females working in sports, “Why can’t you worry about the way you look and also like sports?”
Defend the importance of sideline reporters.
Sideline reporters are needed for a couple of very important things. I don’t think they’re needed for the ‘fluff’ stories, everyone reads those stories all week long in the newspaper. I don’t think they’re needed for that. When they’re needed – a prime example was when Dennis Dixon was leading the (2007) Heisman race, looks like Oregon’s going to win the national championship then he blows out his knee. Oregon said he’s OK. I’m down there watching, I’m reading the trainers’ lips to him. The trainer starts crying. Right there and then I report it. I knew it was over. The guys upstairs in the booth, they didn’t see that; the cameras didn’t see that. The biggest thing sideline reporters bring are things the guys up there and the camera can’t see.
What are your thoughts about those who criticize attractive female reporters?
I think it’s hilarious that you can’t worry about getting your roots done, working out, worrying about what shoes you’re wearing and have cool jewelry and know sports. I think it’s weird you can’t do those things. Why can’t you worry about the way you look and also like sports? We (females) can multi-task, right? I used to harp on this – I want to prove to people that I know more, that I’m not here because of what I look like or that (it’s because) I’m a female.
I think one of the things that taught me a lot about all the work I’ve done and the (working) relationships I have in the industry last year when I was going through the worst experience of my life (the stalking). I got phone calls from coaches – that I thought never really cared too much about me or gave a second thought – coaching me as their players. Saying ‘you better get back on the sidelines, we want to see you on the sidelines. Don’t let this idiot win. The game will not be all right unless you’re working the sidelines’ and that really proved to me … I don’t care what the naysayers say, I don’t care what message boards have to say, I don’t care what some media has to say, these coaches want me back. So I’ve proved to them, I know my stuff.
Cliff Lee ESPN Interview
For all you Cliff Lee fans out there,
(I used to love watching him play in Cleveland. I’m sad that I wont get to see him much this season, but I’m glad he has a good oppurtunity in Seattle.) he was interviewed in the current ESPN Magazine. I thought it was a cute interview so I typed it out.
Kenny Mayne waxes lyrical about the Pacific Northwest with Cliff Lee
KM: Now, have you found a place to live out in Seattle yet?
CL: O’m actually going to rent Jamie Moyer’s house from him.
KM: I’d like to undercut Moyer: I have a rental property that might interest you more than Jamie’s. Mine’s probally smaller, but it’s on a lake. I’ll even offer two months for free.
CL: Wait, you serious?
KM: Sure am. If the Moyer deal falls through or he comes sort of a tyrant as a landlord, get back to me. Our last renter sucked. His Dogs trashed the place.
CL: Well, Jamie’s house is pretty nice. He’s got lke, 50 Kids, so it has to be pretty big.
KM: How much of a shock was the trade? Your comments suggested you weren’t thrilled.
CL: I enjoyed my time in Philadelphia, and I thought we were working out an extension. So the trade was a suprise. But as time passed and I thought about Seattle, I realized it’s not a bad situation. They have an unbelieveable defense and a pitcher’s park, and they made solid moves during the offseason. It’s going to work out. It’s going to be good for my career.
KM: There’s a certain amount of pride in being called the ace. But Felix Hernadez damn near won the CY Young last year. Does it matter to you who’s the ace and who’s no 2?
CL: That word is used to loosely in the big leagues. Just because someone in the No. 1 starter doesn’t mean he’s an ace. Not every team has an ace. So for people to suggest that we could be co-aces, that’s an honor. But really, I hope we have five aces.
KM: This baffles me: How do you pack for a 12 day road trip? Wear the same stuff twice?
CL: No, I make it a point to wear something different every day. If I can’t stuff it all into one suitcase, I’ll take two. The more you do it, the easier it gets. But I deffinitely don’t repeat.
KM: I hear you’re an acid outdoorsman, as many Arkansas guys should be. Did Moyer put in his rental package, as I would, a pheasant hunting trip to Montana?
CL: [Laughter] No, he didn’t. He just took my wife and me out to dinner.
KM: I once hit a deer with my car driving home from work. Does that count as hunting?
CL: No quite. But that’s why hunting is important- to keep the population in check. There are so many deer now that you can run over them in your car in the neighboorhood.
KM: It’s sad. They’re running out of space. I live in a little town in Connecticut, and people keep building homes in the hills. So now we have deer, foxes, wild turkeys..I even saw a bear. It scared the hell out of me, but he was just looking for food. I didn’t know what to do.
CL: You run the other way.
KM: I called the police. They said, “Did he do anything menacing?” And I said, “His presence is menacing.” and they said, “If he’s not doing anything wrong, oh well, you have bears.”
CL: Right. They wait for him to eat somebody before they do something about it.
KM: Have you hear the full history of baseball in Seattle?
CL: No, I haven’t.
KM: Well [deep inhale] We had a team in 1969: The seattle pilots. They lasted one season, and then Bud Selig bought them and turned them into the Milwaukee Brewers. In the following years, our then-state attourney General, Slade Gorton, sued the American League to get another team. That’s how the Mariners were born. And now that the Sonics have been stolen and the Huskies and Seahawks hit rough patches, it’s up to you guys to turn the city’s spirits around.
CL: I’m more than willing to do my part.
Kristy Robinson
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