News briefs: Rangers auction will proceed as planned, judge says
CBSSports.com wire reports
FORT WORTH, Texas -- A bankruptcy judge Friday rejected a last-minute higher bid on the Texas Rangers from Major League Baseball's preferred buyer, a deal that would have canceled next week's auction.
Since U.S. Bankruptcy Judge D. Michael Lynn said Wednesday's auction will proceed as planned, the higher bid from a group led by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg is now off the table. That means the starting bid at the auction will still be $306.7 million, which is the cash portion of Greenberg-Ryan's $575 million bid.
The court-appointed restructuring officer, William Snyder, had asked the judge to forgo an auction. He said the Greenberg-Ryan group had substantially increased its offer and removed "stinky" side deals that creditors said benefitted team owner Tom Hicks.
The new bid was filed under seal, but an attorney for the team, Ronit Berkovich, indicated in court that it was $40 million higher.
Lynn said Friday that he did not believe creditors' claims that Snyder was trying to make "an end run" to sell the team to Greenberg-Ryan's group, which was chosen as the buyer after the team's original bidding process last year.
Creditors who have blocked that deal, saying the group's bid was not the highest, urged the judge Friday to proceed with the auction. Full story
Rangers add Cantu, demote Davis
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers have added newly acquired infielder Jorge Cantu to their 25-man roster.
Texas made the move, a day after getting Cantu in a trade with the Florida Marlins and before the start of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
First baseman Chris Davis was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the second time this season.
Davis hit .189 (10 for 53) with two RBI in 16 games since being recalled July 9, when Texas traded rookie first baseman Justin Smoak to Seattle to get left-hander Cliff Lee. Davis hit .188 with three RBI in 31 games for Texas.
Indians put Talbot on DL, option Todd
TORONTO -- The Cleveland Indians placed right-hander Mitch Talbot on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain and optioned right-hander Jess Todd to Triple-A Columbus.
Cleveland also recalled right-hander Jensen Lewis and purchased the contract of righty Justin Germano from Columbus.
Talbot, who left in the third inning of Thursday's 11-4 loss to New York, is 8-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts, while Todd had no record and a 7.50 ERA in five games since being promoted from Triple-A on July 19.
Lewis has had three prior stints with the Indians this season, going 2-2 with a 4.18 ERA in 22 relief appearances.
WASHINGTON -- Left-hander Atahualpa Severino has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse by the Washington Nationals.
The 25-year-old Severino takes the roster spot of closer Matt Capps, who was traded to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.
Severino was 4-2 with one save and a 3.55 ERA in 40 relief appearances for Syracuse. He was unscored upon in 30 of those outings, and held right-handed hitters to a .205 batting average.
He is 26-13 with 21 saves and a 2.97 ERA in 169 minor-league games, including 20 starts. Severino has never pitched in the majors and will be available when the Nationals open a three-game weekend series at home against Philadelphia on Friday night.
Ex-Dodgers pitcher Loes dies at 80
LOS ANGELES -- Billy Loes, who pitched on three pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers teams in the 1950s and was an AL All-Star in 1957, has died. He was 80.
Loes died July 15 at a hospice in Tucson, Ariz., his wife Irene confirmed from her home in Chapel Hill, N.C. He had diabetes for several years and had open heart surgery a few years ago, she said.
A right-hander from Queens, N.Y., Loes pitched for the Dodgers (1950, 1952-56), Baltimore Orioles (1956-59) and San Francisco Giants (1960-61). He had an 80-63 record with 645 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA during his 11-year career.
His best season was in 1953, when he went 14-8 for the pennant-winning Dodgers.
Mets blamed in Madoff-related lawsuit
NEW YORK -- The owners of the New York Mets should be held accountable for letting their workers put more than $16 million into retirement investment accounts controlled by jailed financier Bernard Madoff, a widow said in a lawsuit filed.
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan was brought against Sterling Equities Associates, which owns the Mets, and also named Fred Wilpon, the Mets chief executive officer and principle owner.
Sterling Equities and several of its top executives should have known that Madoff was carrying out a massive Ponzi scheme that cost thousands of investors billions of dollars, the lawsuit said. Madoff, 72, revealed the fraud in December 2008, pleaded guilty to fraud charges and is serving a 150-year prison sentence.
A message left with a spokesman for Sterling was not immediately returned. Sterling said in December 2008 that it was shocked by Madoff's revelations.
Braves send minor-league OF Jones to Pirates
CINCINNATI -- The Atlanta Braves have traded minor league outfielder Mitch Jones to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.
The 32-year-old outfielder is batting .250 for Triple-A Gwinnett with 18 homers and 45 RBI in 89 games. He will go to Pittsburgh's Triple-A team in Indianapolis.
Jones has played eight games in the majors, getting promoted by the Dodgers last June. The Braves signed him to a minor league deal in November. Jones played for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League for parts of the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
A's activate Anderson, put Bailey on DL
CHICAGO -- The Athletics activated starter Brett Anderson off the disabled list and placed closer Andrew Bailey on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 21.
Anderson started Friday night's game against the White Sox. The left-hander was out with left elbow soreness since June 4. He was also placed on the DL with elbow soreness on April 25 and came back May 29. Anderson is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in six games this season.
Bailey, coming off his second All-Star appearance in as many years, hasn't pitched since July 20 with a strained right ribcage muscle. He has 20 saves in 23 opportunities with a 1.56 ERA.
The club expects Bailey to return Aug. 6 against the Texas Rangers.
