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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 23, 2009

Perez no-show for Nationals

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Arizona's Felipe Lopez, left, takes off on a base running drill with coach Kirk Gibson during spring training in Tucson, Ariz.

ELAINE THOMPSON | Associated Press

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EXHIBITION OPENERS

Wednesday's Games, Hawai'i Times

N.Y. Mets vs. Baltimore at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

Florida vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

Washington vs. Houston at Kissimmee, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

Atlanta vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 8:05 a.m.

Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 10:05 a.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 10:05 a.m.

Oakland vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 10:05 a.m.

San Francisco vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 10:05 a.m.

Seattle vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz., 10:05 a.m.

Kansas City vs. Texas at Surprise, Ariz., 10:05 a.m.

Arizona vs. Colorado at Tucson, Ariz., 10:10 a.m.

Boston vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla., 2:05 p.m.

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Left-hander Odalis Perez was a no-show at the Washington Nationals' training camp yesterday, the last day for players to report without facing the possibility of disciplinary action.

Perez has expressed his dissatisfaction with his contract since he gave his agent the OK to sign a non-guaranteed minor league deal with Washington on Feb. 5 that would pay him $850,000 if he makes the team, the same stipulation he faced last year.

General manager Jim Bowden hasn't yet spoken with Perez, and doesn't know if he'll show.

"He's not returned my calls, he's not returned (manager) Manny's (Acta) calls and he hasn't returned his agent's calls, so we're waiting to hear back from him," Bowden said. "We're looking at all of our options. We're taking the position that we have an agreement with the player and we're expecting the player to honor the agreement. But we'd like to talk to him first, so we're going to wait until he calls us back and then address the other options at that point."

The mandatory reporting day expired yesterday at 7 p.m. EST. After that time, teams can determine what kind of action, if any, they will pursue for a player who does not report.

MORE NATIONALS

GM BOWDEN UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION

Washington general manager Jim Bowden is part of a federal investigation into the skimming of signing bonuses given to prospects from Latin America, according to an www.SI.com report posted last night.

The Web site reported, citing an unidentified baseball executive familiar with the investigation, the FBI is looking at Bowden's actions as far back as 1994, when he was GM of the Cincinnati Reds.

Bowden met last year with FBI investigators looking into an alleged scam involving skimming signing bonuses for prospects from the Dominican Republic.

DIAMONDBACKS

ILLNESS SIDELINES 10 PLAYERS, COACH

Ten Arizona players and one coach missed spring training drills yesterday with unspecified stomach illnesses.

The team isn't sure if the illness stems from something the players ate, a virus going around the clubhouse or some other factor.

"I'm not an authority on gastrointestinal conditions," manager Bob Melvin said, but after talking with the team physician he expects all to return to practice today.

Some players fell sick Saturday night, others arrived at the clubhouse yesterday morning feeling sick and were sent home.

The 10 players who missed yesterday's workouts were Justin Upton, Chris Young, Daniel Schlereth, Miguel Montero, Scott Schoenweis, Doug Slaten, Brooks Brown, Jon Coutlangus, Clay Zavada and John Hester.

Bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock was also sick.

YANKEES

A-ROD HIRES SAME LAWYER AS PETTITTE, SOSA

Alex Rodriguez has retained lawyer Jay Reisinger, the second member of his legal team who also worked for Sammy Sosa and Andy Pettitte.

Reisinger met with Rodriguez in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday, a person familiar with the meeting said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made by the New York Yankees third baseman.

Shortly after Sport Illustrated's report on Feb. 7 that he tested positive for steroids during baseball's anonymous survey, Rodriguez hired James E. Sharp, a lawyer whom Reisinger brought in to help him represent Sosa before Congress. Sharp also represented then-President George W. Bush in front of a federal prosecutor.

SORE HAMSTRING KEEPS JETER FROM RUNNING

New York captain Derek Jeter has a sore right hamstring and expects to resume running today.

Jeter took part in all drills yesterday except a running program.

"It's no big deal," Jeter said. "It's really not an issue."

Jeter said his hamstring soreness will not affect his training for next month's World Baseball Classic. The shortstop is on the United States team.

"It's not a pull. It's not a strain," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Girardi plans to sit down with Jeter before he departs for the WBC next week.

"We will talk and make sure he's healthy," Girardi said. "It's awful early to be playing meaningful games. Is his hamstring bad? No. It does concern me because the last thing we want is some player getting hurt during the WBC because that affects our whole season."

BRAVES

SOURCE SAYS ANDERSON, TEAM REACH 1-YEAR DEAL

Atlanta shored up its outfield yesterday after being spurned by Ken Griffey Jr., reaching a preliminary agreement with Garret Anderson on a one-year deal.

Anderson is expected to undergo a physical today or tomorrow, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been finalized.

The Braves thought Griffey was going to join them Wednesday but he decided to return to the Seattle Mariners, where he started his career. The jilted Braves were surprised by Griffey's decision but they bounced back quickly with the acquisition of Anderson, who hit .293 with 15 homers and 84 RBIs in 145 games with the Los Angeles Angels last year.

ASTROS

HALL WILL HAVE SURGERY ON RIGHT SHOULDER

Houston non-roster invitee Toby Hall has decided to have surgery on his right shoulder and will be out four months.

Hall hurt his shoulder during batting practice earlier in the week and aggravated a previous injury.

Houston said yesterday an MRI showed a torn labrum. Hall had dislocated the shoulder during 2007 spring training with the Chicago White Sox.

Hall will not be able to throw for four months after the surgery and the Astros said they were proceeding to void his minor league contract, but have given him the option of receiving treatment from the medical staff until the surgery is scheduled.

Hall has a .262 career batting average over seven seasons with the Rays, Dodgers and White Sox. He has 46 home runs and 269 RBIs.