Home run king looking for work: Bonds files for free agency

The home run king is looking for a job.Barry Bonds filed for free agency Monday on the first possible day after the World Series ended with Boston’s sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Sunday night. That means the slugger’s tenure with San Francisco is now over. Giants owner Peter Magowan told him last month the club would not bring him back for a 16th season.

Yet the 43-year-old Bonds, with 762 career homers, said last week he isn’t ruling out a change of heart by his longtime employer.

“I told Peter Magowan, ‘If I’m a part-time player, I’m still better than your full-time player, and it’s a wise idea to keep me,”‘ Bonds told a group of about 450 people in the audience of a speaking forum last week in San Francisco. “We still have time. Things might change.”

Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s home run record with No. 756 on Aug. 7, and he has been a big reason the Giants have drawn more than 3 million fans in all eight years of their waterfront ballpark’s existence.

Bonds’ departure apparently isn’t sitting well. He was reminded of his long list of accolades – a record seven NL MVPs, 14 All-Star game selections, eight Gold Glove awards – and asked whether he really accomplished all of that during his 22-year big league career.

“I did, and then I got fired,” Bonds said to that same group. “Shame on me, huh?”

San Francisco third baseman Pedro Feliz also was among the 57 players who filed Monday. The Giants could become a suitor of Alex Rodriguez – though many wonder whether the organization would be willing to pay the kind of money the infielder will demand, even with Bonds’ mega salary no longer in the mix. A-Rod’s agent, Scott Boras, announced on Sunday night during Game 4 of the World Series that he would opt out of the final three seasons of his contract with the New York Yankees.

Twins center fielder Torii Hunter, who along with Rodriguez filed for free agency Monday, will be another player on San Francisco’s radar. But if the Giants are interested, they will be one of what is expected to be a handful of teams courting the cordial star.

Also Monday, the Giants selected longtime baseball executive John Barr to be a special assistant to general manger Brian Sabean. Barr will oversee amateur and professional scouting. Doug Mapson was promoted to coordinator of amateur scouting.

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After MLB criticizes A-Rod and his agent over timing of announcement, Boras apologizes

Major League Baseball had this message for Alex Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras: Shame on you.Boras announced during Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night that A-Rod was opting out of the final three seasons of his contract with the New York Yankees. The timing left baseball officials livid, and Boras apologized Monday evening, just after Rodriguez filed with the players’ association and became a free agent for the first time since 2000.

“We were very disappointed that Scott Boras would try to upstage our premier baseball event of the season with his announcement,” Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, said Monday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

“There was no reason to make an announcement last night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game,” DuPuy said. “Last night and today belong to the Boston Red Sox, who should be celebrated for their achievement, and to the Colorado Rockies, who made such an unbelievable run to the World Series.”

Boras said causing a distraction was an unintended consequence.

“I apologize to the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies and their players, Major League Baseball and its players, and baseball fans everywhere for that interference,” he said in a statement. “The teams and players involved deserved to be the focus of the evening and honored with the utmost respect. The unfortunate result was not my intent, but is solely my fault. I could have handled this situation better, and for that I am truly sorry.”

Red Sox fans sure took notice fast. After their team won the title for the second time in four seasons, they stood behind the visitors’ dugout at Coors Field and chanted: “Don’t sign A-Rod!”

“Kind of strange timing,” Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said after Boston completed its sweep of Colorado.

New York, which failed to make the World Series in all of Rodriguez’s seasons, maintained Monday that it will not attempt to re-sign A-Rod now that he has opted out.

“No chance,” Hank Steinbrenner, a son of owner George Steinbrenner, said Monday at Legends Field. “Not if it’s made official.”

Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas before the 2001 season. By cutting the deal short, he will have earned $180 million over seven seasons in signing bonus, salaries and his assignment bonus from when he was traded. In addition, he has earned $3.65 million in award bonuses and is in line to gain as much as $1.8 million more for postseason awards this year.

Terminating the contract saved the Texas Rangers $21.3 million they owed the Yankees over the next three years, payments agreed to at the time of the 2004 trade.

Hank Steinbrenner did not make much of Boras’ timing on the announcement

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Girardi inheriting different Yankees

Joe Girardi is on the verge of taking over the hottest seat in baseball just as the New York Yankees are reprising their Bronx Zoo days of the 1980s and early 1990s.Joe Torre is gone. Alex Rodriguez is gone. Don Mattingly is gone. There’s no guarantee Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte will return, and Ron Guidry appears likely to exit.

It brings back memories of the years Reggie, Billy and Thurman ruled the back pages of the tabloids.

Or, perhaps worse for Yankees’ fans, when Dave Winfield, Steve Sax and Dave Collins were the stars of the show.

“This is going to be a dramatically different look both in terms of substance and perception of the Yankees’ dynasty,” agent Tom Reich said Monday, after Girardi was offered the job as Torre’s replacement. “Icons have left, and there is going to be a very potent team, but it’s going to have to regroup, not as a favorite.”

A-Rod could have had a place in Monument Park. Instead, he appears more concerned about getting an even more monumental amount of money.

And what timing! – far better than any Rodriguez showed at the plate in the postseason. Agent Scott Boras made the announcement smack in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series. Not since Pete Rose’s admission that he bet on baseball coincided with the Hall of Fame election of Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor in 2004 has there been such a clash of controversy and celebration.

“We were very disappointed that Scott Boras would try to upstage our premier baseball event of the season with his announcement,” Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, said Monday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “There was no reason to make an announcement last night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game.”

Boras issued an apology later Monday, saying the distraction was “not my intent, but is solely my fault.”

“I could have handled this situation better, and for that I am truly sorry,” he said.

If Girardi takes the job, he’ll have to figure out who will replace the 54 homers and 156 RBIs that A-Rod supplied last season. If Rodriguez winds up with the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees could pounce on Mike Lowell, the World Series MVP.

They still have to figure out what to do with Johnny Damon, who lost the center-field job to Melky Cabrera during the season. And how to solidify a pitching staff that will tilt more to young players, including Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and perhaps Alan Horne, Jason Jones, Jeffrey Marquez and Brett Smith.

Girardi, a tough and straightforward player, earned a drill instructor reputation when he led the Florida Marlins in 2006, keeping a young team in contention until late in the season and earning NL Manager of the Year. Will that attitude work with veterans who were allowed to police themselves under Torre?

A Torre favorite as both a catcher and a coach, Girardi clashed with his Marlins’ bosses and was fired at the end of his only season. He still won’t say exactly why.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman repeatedly has said the Yankees need to get younger, and the choice of Girardi is a sign the youth movement will increase.

But will Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, who appear to have taken over day-to-day control of the team from their father, give him time if the team starts slowly? Before Torre, George Steinbrenner was known for dropping baseball’s quickest guillotine.

As Reich said: “Joe Torre is gone, but never forgotten.”

Girardi will have to live with that, too.

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Twins CF Torii Hunter files for free agency as expected

Minnesota Twins center fielder Torii Hunter filed for free agency on Monday, immediately becoming one of the most prized players on the market.The Twins have a 15-day window in which they can negotiate exclusively with Hunter, but all signs point to him hitting the open market Nov. 13.

The six-time gold glover had a career year at the plate, hitting .287 with 28 homers and 107 RBIs.

The Twins are in a tough spot with Hunter, the heart and soul of the clubhouse and one of the few players on the current roster with legitimate home run power.

If Hunter leaves in free agency, the Twins would receive no compensation for losing one of their biggest stars and a locker room pillar who takes some of the attention away from young players like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Keeping him, however, will no doubt cost a pretty penny. And with Johan Santana set to become a free agent after next season and Morneau sure to get another big raise in arbitration, the small-market Twins have to decide who they can keep and who they have to let go.

Starting pitcher Carlos Silva also filed for free agency on Monday.

Hunter has said all along that he would prefer to remain with the Twins, the team that drafted him as an 18-year-old out of Pine Bluff, Ark., in the first round of the 1993 draft. But he also wants a five-year contract, and Minnesota so far has been unwilling to offer that many years to the 32-year-old veteran.

Hunter balked at a three-year deal offered during the season and has said that he is looking for a contract more in line with his “market value.”

One deal Hunter has pointed to on more than one occasion was the contract Gary Matthews Jr. signed with the Angels before last season. Matthews, a 33-year-old who does not have the defensive prowess of Hunter, got five years and $50 million to play in Anaheim.

Coming off such an impressive year at the plate, Hunter will likely be offered much more than that by any number of teams in search of a center fielder, a list that could include the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.

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Joe Girardi offered job as Joe Torre’s replacement with New York Yankees

The New York Yankees picked experience over popularity, offering the manager’s job to Joe Girardi at the risk of watching Don Mattingly walk away from the franchise.Beloved as team captain, Donnie Baseball was the early favorite to replace Joe Torre and openly coveted the spot. After finding out Monday he didn’t get it, Mattingly told the Yankees he had no interest in returning next year as bench coach or in any other coaching position.

“Don was extremely disappointed to learn today that he wasn’t the organization’s choice to fill the managerial vacancy,” Mattingly’s agent, Ray Schulte, said in an e-mail. “Instead, he was informed the organization offered the position to Joe Girardi.”

Girardi was the 2006 NL Manager of the Year with Florida, plus he has a pinstriped pedigree. The hard-nosed catcher played on three Yankees teams that won the World Series, served as their bench coach and was a TV announcer this year.

“Joe Girardi is a good man,” Torre said Monday on “Late Show with David Letterman.” “He’s got a feel for this organization.”

Still, spurning Mattingly – who always receives one of the loudest ovations on Old-Timers’ Day – was sure to be compared to another famous Yankee snub: Babe Ruth was never offered the manager’s job he so desperately wanted.

Mattingly was the Yankees hitting coach for three years before moving next to Torre this season. Schulte said Mattingly congratulated Girardi and wished him well.

A baseball official confirmed the Yankees are negotiating with Girardi’s agent, Steve Mandell.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal hasn’t been formalized, said general manager Brian Cashman made the recommendation and it was accepted by the Yankees.

Messages left for Cashman were not immediately returned.

“The Yankees contacted us,” Mandell said. “They have an interest in Joe becoming their manager. We’ve had some discussions. It’s a process and we’ll go through the process.”

He declined to say when there might be an announcement.

Girardi also beat out Yankees first-base coach Tony Pena, who had the most managerial experience of the candidates.

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Young Rockies believe this was just the start of something big

Not Done.The message that LaTroy Hawkins scribbled on the grease board in the Colorado clubhouse after the Rockies roared into the playoffs was wiped clean Monday as the Rockies packed their belongings and scattered for a shorter offseason than they ever could have imagined.

It might be gone, but it remains their mantra.

Even though they were bounced by Boston in their first trip to the World Series, the Rockies insist their NL pennant, secured with a hard-to-fathom 21-1 run that captivated a city, was just a taste of things to come.

They’re a young, talented club and now one that has postseason experience.

“This isn’t a one-year flash,” Troy Tulowitzki insisted Monday. “Our playoff run was a display of how our team can play. The World Series strengthened our resolve to get back here.”

In addition to their core of big boppers including Matt Holliday, Todd Helton, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe, the Rockies have power prospects Ian Stewart and Joe Koshansky ready to follow in the footsteps of the baby-faced Tulowitzki, who took the NL by storm with his glove, bat and a leadership that belied his 23 years.

The Rockies, whose owner, Charlie Monfort, is already predicting a return trip to the World Series in 2008, can’t wait to see Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales pitch a full season or for Seth Smith and Jeff Baker to continue their climbs.

“We won’t hang our heads,” Jimenez said. “We hurt. We hurt because we got so far so fast. I didn’t think about the World Series when we were in Tucson. I was just hoping to make it up for the last month. I got to pitch in the World Series. I couldn’t have dreamed that would happen.”

The Rockies could lose Kaz Matsui to free agency but Stewart will get a crash course at second base in the fall league just in case, and closer Manny Corpas’ emergence will make the expected loss of three-time All-Star Brian Fuentes easier to swallow.

“As long as these guys are here, it’s going to be a really good team for a really long time,” backup catcher Chris Iannetta said. “These are some of the best players in all of baseball.”

The Rockies sat and watched in silence as the Red Sox celebrated their championship at Coors Field, letting the disappointment sink in to strengthen their resolve.

“There’s moments we’re going to look back on and be very proud of what we accomplished this year,” said Helton, who waited 1,578 games through a decade of disappointment in Denver to finally taste this success.

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Detroit Tigers fill a need, trading for SS Renteria from Braves

The Detroit Tigers made the first splash in baseball’s offseason as they addressed a pressing priority.Again.

Detroit filled its No. 1 void Monday, acquiring shortstop Edgar Renteria and cash from the Atlanta Braves for two prospects.

Shortly after reaching the World Series last season, the Tigers pulled off the first major move when they traded for Gary Sheffield.

“The Tigers don’t wait around for the winter meetings, when all the owners and agents get involved,” All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez told The Associated Press. “We got Sheffield early last year and now we got Renteria right away.

“I think this was a good move because Renteria is a great player, who is a winner with a championship under his belt.”

Detroit hopes this year’s deal at the start of the offseason, necessitated by shifting Carlos Guillen to first base, helps the franchise get back to the postseason after falling short this year with 88 wins.

“We were able to address our biggest need, heading into the winter, with one of the best shortstops in the game,” Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said on a conference call.

Renteria, a five-time All-Star, hit .332 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs in 124 games with Atlanta this season.

In exchange for the 32-year-old Renteria, Detroit gave up right-hander Jair Jurrjens and minor league outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.

“We gave up a couple of good players, but in order to acquire a player like Edgar we knew we had to give up some talent,” Dombrowski said.

With Dombrowski running the front office and current Tigers manager Jim Leyland in the dugout for the Florida Marlins, Renteria ended a thrilling World Series Game 7 in 1997. His hit with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning gave Florida its first World Series championship with a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians.

“I’m real happy to be a Detroit Tiger player,” Renteria said. “I know Dave and Jim Leyland and I think I’m going to be comfortable in Detroit.”

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Joe Girardi may be next New York Yankees skipper

The New York Yankees picked experience over popularity, offering the manager’s job to Joe Girardi at the risk of watching Don Mattingly walk away from the franchise.Beloved as team captain, Donnie Baseball was the early favorite to replace Joe Torre and openly coveted the spot. After finding out Monday he didn’t get it, Mattingly told the Yankees he had no interest in returning next year as bench coach or in any other coaching position.

“Don was extremely disappointed to learn today that he wasn’t the organization’s choice to fill the managerial vacancy,” Mattingly’s agent, Ray Schulte, said in an e-mail. “Instead, he was informed the organization offered the position to Joe Girardi.”

Girardi was the 2006 NL Manager of the Year with Florida, plus he has a pinstriped pedigree. The hard-nosed catcher played on three Yankees teams that won the World Series, served as their bench coach and was a TV announcer this year.

Still, spurning Mattingly – who always receives one of the loudest ovations on Old-Timers’ Day – was sure to be compared to another famous Yankee snub: Babe Ruth was never offered the manager’s job he so desperately wanted.

Mattingly was the Yankees hitting coach for three years before moving next to Torre this season. Schulte said Mattingly congratulated Girardi and wished him well.

A baseball official confirmed the Yankees are negotiating with Girardi’s agent, Steve Mandell.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal hasn’t been formalized, said general manager Brian Cashman made the recommendation and it was accepted by the Yankees.

Messages left for Cashman were not immediately returned.

“The Yankees contacted us,” Mandell said. “They have an interest in Joe becoming their manager. We’ve had some discussions. It’s a process and we’ll go through the process.”

He declined to say when there might be an announcement.

Girardi also beat out Yankees first-base coach Tony Pena, who had the most managerial experience of the candidates.

Girardi caught for the Yankees from 1996-99, served as a bench coach in 2005, then managed the Marlins the following year. He kept a young team in contention until September and then was fired, apparently for clashing with owner Jeffrey Loria and others above him.

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Angels outright Murphy, Gwyn off 40-man roster

The Los Angeles Angels outrighted outfielder Tommy Murphy and right-hander Marc Gwyn off their 40-man roster, making them minor league free agents.The Angels also said outfielder Nick Gorneault was claimed off outright waivers by the Texas Rangers.

The 28-year-old Murphy split last season between the Angels and Triple-A Salt Lake. He had seven hits in 38 at-bats with the Angels with two RBIs in 20 games, and hit .270 for Salt Lake with four homers and 32 RBIs in 80 games.

The 29-year-old Gwyn also spent time with the Angels and Salt Lake, going 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA and 16 saves in 47 games with Salt Lake, and 0-0 with an 11.81 ERA and one save in three games for the Angels.

The 28-year-old Gorneault hit .261 with 19 homers and 59 RBIs in 128 games with Salt Lake and played in two games for the Angels, going hitless in four at-bats

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Sweep draws second-lowest ratings ever for World Series

Boston’s sweep of the Colorado Rockies drew better ratings than last season’s World Series but fell short of previous years.The four games averaged a 10.6 rating, the second-lowest ever, ahead of only the 10.1 in 2006 for the St. Louis Cardinals’ five-game win over the Detroit Tigers.

Game 4 on Sunday night attracted a 12.6 rating, up 9 percent from the 11.6 for last year’s Game 2, which was also on a Sunday.

Game 3 on Saturday night earned an 8.5 rating, the second-lowest rating ever for a World Series game, better only than last year’s Game 1, which drew an 8.0 on a Saturday.

The series attracted huge ratings in the Boston area. On average, more than half of all households and more than 70 percent of homes with the TV on were tuned in.

WFXT-TV, the local Fox affiliate, also televised the New England Patriots game earlier Sunday, and it averaged a 43.2 rating from the start of the football through the end of the baseball. When the Red Sox clinched the championship after midnight, 87 percent of households in the Boston area with the TV on were tuned into the game.

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