www.vheadline.com Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The New York Mets have given Venezuelan pitcher, Ober Moreno a second chance to make good, hoping that he has recovered from a worrying arm injury.

Moreno’s Venezuelan club, Los Leones de Caracas report that Moreno was made a free agent by his former club, Kansas City Royals where he had progressed from minor leagues to the big tent in 1999.

• Since then injuries have plagued Moreno but he says he’s on the way to full recovery.

Last season, Moreno pitched for the Royals Gulf Coast league opening two games. His only appearance in the major league took place in 2000 where he played 7 games with a 5.63 earned average.

In other news, Venezuelan pitcher, Joan Lopez is reported to be going to Taiwan this season, passing off a contract in Italy where he played for Modena last year earning a 2.98 average in 51.1 turns. He then played for the Saltillo Saraperos in Mexico ending with a 4.45 earned average after 32.1 turns on the mound.

waymoresports.thestar.com Mar. 16, 2003. 01:00 AM Richard Griffin

Wells the author hurls literary junk ball

DUNEDIN, Fla.—The David Wells storm is still swirling. The early book reviews are in and, thankfully for the first-time author, nobody's perfect. The fine the Yankees imposed on him will do nothing but promote sales of the book.

Perfect I'm Not, available in bookstores this week, is a quick, readable, self-serving, butt-kicking, butt-kissing ode to sports excess and Wells' perceived place in the centre of the baseball universe. Truthfully, his self-importance is grossly overstated. The importance of being Boomer has never been more important — to Boomer.

There aren't many surprises in the book. As expected, Wells fawns all ovcr George Steinbrenner, Yankee stars past and present, baseball friends David Cone and Kirk Gibson, and various and sundry rock-and-rollers and show-business types.

What will come as a surprise to Jays fans is the depth of Wells' disdain for all things Canadian. He rants against everything from Toronto fans and media to Pat Gillick, Gord Ash, Cito Gaston, Exhibition Stadium, the SkyDome, the ordeal of clearing customs, the RCMP, etc.

What doesn't come as a surprise is his belief that nothing he has ever done in life, in terms of anti-social behaviour, deserves an apology. For example:

Punching his older sister in the face as a youth and breaking her nose is explained by the fact that his late, sainted mother, "Attitude Annie," a long-time biker chick with the Hells Angels, said his sibling deserved it.

Leaving his Venezuelan Winter League team as a rookie without notifying either the team's owners or the Blue Jays organization is explained away as the result of too many cockroaches and fears for his personal safety, even though everyone else who headed to Venezuela that winter hung in.

The famed SkyDome incident of throwing the ball into the right-field corner when Gaston tried to remove him from a game and then following up by swearing at his manager and engaging in clubhouse fisticuffs is all Cito's fault for demanding he throw a changeup to a lefty.

Backing out of a handshake agreement with Jerry Colangelo on a free-agent contract with the Diamondbacks after the 2001 season is justified by his belief that his destiny is as a Yankee and, as we all know, even ethics and honesty can't stand in the way of destiny.

Breaking his hand in a brawl after the funeral of his mother in 1997 is explained away by the fact that the two guys he fought cheesed him off by hiding the keys of his rental car under the front seat. Plus, they were as big as he was. He claimed he had not had a drink before the fight but did admit to getting drunk later, to combat the effects of his throbbing hand.

A fight with police officers outside a Chicago bar in the company of fellow Jays rookie Todd Stottlemyre is explained by Wells' contention that he was abused by a little cop letting his Napoleonic feelings get the best of him. Boomer, of course, did nothing wrong but was punished by the Jays sending him to Syracuse.

Wells says he got just one hour of sleep before his perfect game, as per this excerpt: "5:00 a.m. Drunk, exhausted, reeking, reeling, I flop into bed in a comatose heap. Brandon (his son) dive-bombs me at 6:05 a.m. He's loud. He wants breakfast. I want to die." Seven hours later, he was on the mound at Yankee Stadium.

Wells claims David Cone called him from the Yankee Stadium dugout while Roger Clemens was being pounded by Anaheim in '99, with the crowd screaming "Boom-er, Boom-er, Boom-er." The allegation casts Cone's professionalism in a bad light. He has denied the incident ever occurred.

Which — along with Wells' backtracking on his statement that "25 to 40 per cent of major leaguers use steroids" and his recent revision that maybe he was only hung over, not half-drunk, for his perfect game — invites the question: How much of this opus can be trusted as actual history and how much of it is self-serving pap written to be controversial?

Wells has apologized to the Yankees organization and his teammates, claiming he never meant to offend anyone — except, it seems, the Blue Jays and their fans. It's an easy read with enough behind-the-scenes recollections to keep it interesting, but Wells should have waited until he retired. His constant backtracking on what is purported to be an autobiography is unseemly.

www.delawareonline.com By EDWARD DE LA FUENTE Staff reporter 03/14/2003

Amid a swirl of controversy and an investigation by Major League Baseball, Phillies closer Jose Mesa retreated from his threats against former Cleveland Indians teammate Omar Vizquel on Thursday.

Mesa issued a statement apologizing for his remarks in a newspaper report published Tuesday in which he vowed to hit Vizquel every time he faced the All-Star shortstop and said that "if he charges me, I'll kill him."

Mesa and Vizquel, once close friends, have been feuding for several years. Mesa was most angry at Vizquel's autobiography, released last year, in which he criticizes Mesa for his blown save in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.

"I am sorry that my comments have caused a disruption," Mesa said in the statement. "I was hurt by remarks by a former teammate. I would never injure anyone.

"My goal is to bring a championship to Philadelphia. I would hope that this would not continue to be a distraction to the Philadelphia Phillies organization, my teammates or our great fans."

The Phillies have not taken any disciplinary action against Mesa, who wasn't given the opportunity to face Vizquel when the Phillies and Indians met Tuesday at Jack Russell Stadium. However, Bob Watson, who handles disciplinary issues for Major League Baseball, has said he is looking into the issue, and Mesa could face a suspension or fine.

Vizquel, a native of Venezuela, said Tuesday he thought Mesa, a Dominican, might not have realized the severity of the word kill.

"I don't know if he knows what he means in English," Vizquel said. "In Spanish, we say it a lot in the translation."

Phillies fodder

Infielders J.P. Roberge and Buzz Hannahan were on loan from the minor-league camp and were on the travel squad Thursday. ... The Phillies host Pittsburgh at 1:05 p.m. today, with right-hander Vicente Padilla facing Pirates righty Josh Fogg.0

www.duluthsuperior.com Posted on Thu, Mar. 13, 2003 Associated Press

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Victor Martinez knows what's coming. The Cleveland Indians catcher is one of the brightest young prospects in baseball.

Some have compared the 24-year-old's potential to that of New York Mets All-Star Mike Piazza. The hard-hitting Martinez has been named Most Valuable Player in the Class A Carolina League and the Class AA Eastern League the last two seasons.

However, any day now, Martinez will be told he's being sent to the minor leagues.

The Indians want him to spend some time at Triple-A Buffalo, sharpening his ability to call the appropriate pitches and improving his prowess for throwing out baserunners and blocking errant deliveries.

But, Martinez also knows he will be back soon. Probably to stay.

"My part is to work hard and let them (the Indians front office) make the decisions," Martinez said. "I think going to Buffalo would be good for me. I need to catch some more veteran pitchers and be around more veteran players. I need to work on my defense and my throwing. That's the main thing for me."

As good as Martinez is, he's not yet a finished product. For Indians opponents, that's a scary thing. He had been a shortstop as a teenager in Venezuela when spotted by Cleveland scout Luis Aponte.

It was during the next summer, 1997, when Martinez was converted to catcher. The transition was not a smooth one.

"The first pitch I ever received, I caught with my eyes closed," Martinez recalled with a grin. "The coach told me that maybe I should keep my eyes open. The first time I saw a pitch hit the ground, I just got out of the way."

Martinez eventually got the hang of his new position. That's why he furrows his brow a bit when asked about being switched to third base. The Indians have no fast-rising young prospect there and they already possess a promising young catcher in Josh Bard.

"They haven't talked to me at all about it," Martinez said. "I feel like I've gotten better as a catcher. And to get there has taken a lot of work."

Indians manager Eric Wedge, a former catcher, said he has seen Martinez come along well this spring.

"Victor has made significant strides defensively," Wedge said. "We're very happy with the progress he's made in a short period of time. Getting better as a hitter won't take a lot of work."

Indians general manager Mark Shapiro has said Martinez is ready to hit in the big leagues. He has accumulated a .281 career average in the minors and has won minor-league batting titles in 2001 (.329) and 2002 (.336).

His power appears to be developing as well, going from four home runs in 1999 to 10 in 2001 and 23 last year. Indians fans will be able to observe that power at some point in 2003. It may not be on opening day, but Martinez's time will come.

"I'm just going to play hard and see what happens," Martinez said. "You just have to wait for your chance."

Notes:@ 2B John McDonald was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his strained left knee. McDonald, battling rookie Brandon Phillips for the starting job, injured his knee during a "B" game on Sunday. McDonald was kept out of action for three days but is still having pain in his knee.

www.thoroughbredtimes.com Posted: 3/12/2003 4:22:00 PM ET

Venezuelan Group 1 winner My Own Business (Ven), a son of the Danzig stallion Voyageur, was elected Venezuela’s 2002 Horse of the Year and champion older horse by the Venezuelan Turf Journalists Association, presenters of the Premios Burlesco, the equivalent of the Eclipse Awards.

My Own Business, who also was Venezuela’s 2000 Horse of the Year, has 32 victories over 42 career starts in his native country, Puerto Rico, and the United States, and has amassed $735,427 in earnings. Among his victories last season were the Clasico Presidente de la Republica (Ven-G1) and Copa de Oro (Ven-G1), both at La Rinconada racecourse.

Owned by Rocco Sebastiani and Hugo Albarran´s Stud Fantasia, My Own Business was bred by Julio Pazo’s Haras Vista Hermosa.

Out of the winning Verbatim mare Word Medley, My Own Business is a half brother to stakes winner Gran Corredor. Notable members of his immediate family include 1983 Florida Derby (G1) winner Croeso and multiple Grade 3 winner and sire Ide.—Michael Burns and Diego Mitagstein