Opening day starters

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1) The Giants named Kirk Rueter as the Opening Day starter.

Rueter's coming off a career best 3.23 ERA/13 RSAA season. It was just his 2nd year with a positive RSAA in the past 5 and he has a 4.07 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.31, and 2 RSAA in 260 games.

2) The Pirates named Kris Benson as the Opening Day starter.

After starting his career with 4.07 ERA/11 RSAA and 3.85 ERA/18 RSAA seasons, Benson missed the entire 2001 season, after having Tommy John surgery, and had a 4.70 ERA/-5 RSAA in 25 starts in 2002.

3) Indians MGR Eric Wedge announced that Jason Davis won the 5th starter's job. The whole rotation will be C.C Sabathia, Brian Anderson, Jason Bere, Ricardo Rodriguez and Davis.

Davis, who turns 23 in May, was ranked as the Indians #10 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C+ grade by John Sickels. In 2002, in his first year above A ball, he had a 4.15 ERA in 17 starts in Hi-A, a 3.51 ERA in 10 starts in AA and a 1.84 ERA/4 RSAA in 3 G/2 GS in the majors.

Meanwhile, the Indians are going to try Brian Tallet, who lost the 5th starter's race to Davis, in the bullpen.

4) The Rangers traded minor league P Derrick Van Dusen to the Indians for the rights to keep INF Marshall McDougall without having to keep on the 25 man roster all season.

McDougall was a Rule 5 draftee and would have had to be kept on the roster the whole season or be offered back to the Indians if a deal wasn't made.

5) The Devil Rays sent 3B Chris Truby, INFs Justin Baughman and Felix Escalona, C Sandy Martinez and Ps Edgar Huerta, Jon Switzer, Luis De Los Santos and Doug Waechter to the minors.

After starting his career with -9 RCAA/.772 OPS and -7 RCAA/.717 OPS seasons with the Astros, Truby hit .314 SLG, .238 OBA, .552 OPS, -27 RCAA in 124 games in 2002 (first 35 with the Expos, last 89 with the Tigers).

In 2002, Truby's OBA vs. the league average was the 6th worst in the past half century (min: 400 PA)--

OBA                           YEAR     DIFF   PLAYER   LEAGUE   
1    Alex Gonzalez            2000    -.122     .229     .351   
2    Mario Mendoza            1979    -.118     .216     .334   
3    Rob Picciolo             1977    -.113     .218     .330   
4    Barry Foote              1975    -.107     .229     .336   
5    Tim Foli                 1977    -.099     .238     .337   
6    Chris Truby              2002    -.096     .238     .334   
7    George Bell              1993    -.094     .243     .337   
8    Andres Thomas            1989    -.093     .228     .321   
9    Billy Hunter             1953    -.093     .253     .346   
10   Doug Flynn               1982    -.092     .236     .328   

6) The Padres sent INFs Chris Sexton and Mario Valdez and Ps Michael Nicholas and Kris Keller to the minors.

7) Tigers pitching coach Bob Cluck says the only pitcher who's guaranteed a spot in the rotation is Mike Maroth.

Maroth had a 4.48 ERA/-5 RSAA in his first 21 major league starts, as a 24 year old rookie in 2002.

8) Brewers P Dave Pember is going to have surgery on a torn labrum and is expected to miss the entire season.

9) Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker says he's concerned about a right groin injury that RF Richard Hidalgo suffered on Saturday.

After a 1.028 OPS/46 RCAA career year in 2000, Hidalgo dropped to .811 OPS/0 RCAA in 2001 and .415 SLG, .319 OBA, .734 OPS, -11 RCAA in 114 games in 2002.

10) The Rangers sent Ps Rosman Garcia and Ray Beasley to the minors.

11) Rockies P Denny Neagle had to be removed from his last 2 starts early, due to elbow problems, and was scratched from his start last Thursday. His status for Opening Day is uncertain.

After 4.52 ERA/12 RSAA and 5.38 ERA/0 RSAA seasons, Neagle had a 5.26 ERA/-4 RSAA in 35 games (28 starts) in 2002. He has a 4.17 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.26, and 69 RSAA in 385 games.

12) According to the Washington Post, a NL executive says the Orioles are shopping Sidney Ponson and Jason Johnson.

13) Cubs P Kerry Wood has an inner ear problem and MGR Dusty Baker says he's not certain whether Wood is going to be able to make his Opening Day start.

After a 3.36 ERA/16 RSAA in 2001, Wood had a 3.66 ERA/8 RSAA in 33 starts. He has a 3.75 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.31, and 30 RSAA in 110 games.

14) The Brewers sent INFs Manny Alexander and Scott Seabol, OF Mark Budzinski, C Cody McKay and P Ben Diggins to the minors.

15) The A's sent C Jeremy Brown and P Roy Smith to the minors.

Brown, 23, was ranked as the A's #4 prospect by Baseball America and was given a B+ grade by John Sickels, who ranked him as the 37th best hitting prospect in baseball. He was a 1st round pick in the 2002 draft and had a .967 OPS (.516 SLG, .451 OBA) in 65 games in a short season league (10 G) and A ball (55 G) in 2002.

16) The Mariners sent 1B A.J. Zapp, OF-INF Chad Myers, OF Shin-Soo Choo and Ps
Hamulack and Brian Falkenborg to the minors.

Choo, 20, was given a B+ grade by Sickels, who ranked him as the 23rd best hitting prospect in baseball and was ranked as the Mariners #4 prospect by BA. In his first couple of years in the minors, both below AA, he had a .892 OPS (.423 OBA, .469 SLG).

17) On Sunday, Angels P Jarrod Washburn made his first spring appearance since hurting his shoulder on March 3. The team is still hoping he'll be ready for Opening Day, and if not then, then within the first week of the season.

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