APPIER RELEASED, ANGELS EAT SALARY.Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer ANAHEIM - In perhaps their most definitive statement yet that finances will not get in the way of winning, the Angels released struggling pitcher Kevin Appier The Angels must pay Appier about $3.9 million for the remainder of this season, plus the $12 million they owe him next season. It is the largest amount of salary owed to a player who has been released, trumping the $14.3 million the Tigers must pay infielder Damion Easley Jacinto Damion Easley (born on November 11, 1969 in New York City, New York) is a Major League Baseball player who plays for the New York Mets. At age 5 his family moved from the Bronx to Mount Vernon, New York. , who was released in April. Long reliever Long relievers are a type of relief pitcher in baseball. Long relievers traditionally enter early in a game (anywhere from the first inning to the fourth inning) when the starting pitcher cannot continue, whether due to ineffective pitching, lack of endurance, rain delays, injury, Scot Shields Scot Shields (b. July 22, 1975, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, with whom he has spent his entire career, serving as their setup man since 2005. will assume Appier's place in what will be a two-month audition for a rotation spot in 2004. But the move isn't as much about next year as it is about this one, a season in which Appier pitched through elbow pain and a strained flexor flexor /flex·or/ (flek´ser) 1. causing flexion. 2. a muscle that flexes a joint. flexor retina´culum see entries under retinaculum. muscle in his forearm that put him on the disabled list. Appier struggled to a 7-7 record and a team-worst 5.63 ERA. For the past month, the Angels were willing to give the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley High product away in a trade but found no takers. They released him one day after his final outing, in which he retired two batters and gave up four runs. It was the fifth start this season in which Appier, 35, failed to complete four innings. When manager Mike Scioscia Appier's release sent a message to the clubhouse that new owner Arte Moreno is willing to assume losses, eat salary and add payroll in an effort to win. ``This is definitely as clear-cut a sign that Mr. Moreno can give that he's willing to do anything he can to make the club better,'' pitcher Jarrod Washburn Jarrod Michael Washburn (born August 13, 1974 in La Crosse, Wisconsin) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. Drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1995 amateur draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Washburn won the final game said. ``It's a big chunk of money to eat, but he feels it can make the club better.'' Moreno, who purchased the club for $184 million in May and since has said he'll defer baseball decisions to general manager Bill Stoneman ``Bill doesn't have any economic restrictions on him, at least for the next 18 to 36 months,'' Moreno said. ``We're going to try to enhance this team. My responsibility is to make sure we stay as competitive as we can. ``We are committed to being a winner. We don't have an endless budget. But we are going to be aggressive. I didn't come here to be passive.'' Appier went 14-12 for the Angels last season, and he started the memorable Game 6 of the World Series, getting the team into the fifth inning trailing 3-0. Stoneman lauded Appier's workhorse mentality, noting he refused to use health as an excuse this season even though his elbow had been bothering him since spring training. A teammate said Appier, who has a 168-134 career record and 2,572 innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is in the game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. , was scheduled to have his elbow examined Wednesday. Appier complained earlier this season about Scioscia's criticism of the starting rotation, and often disputed some of Scioscia's early-game removals. Many of the starting pitchers thought Appier provided leadership and kept the clubhouse loose but reliever Francisco Rodriguez Francisco Rodriguez may refer to:
Rodriguez, 21, said Appier made critical comments to other players about him. ``He made comments he wasn't supposed to make, sometimes about me, sometimes to other players,'' Rodriguez said. ``But no big deal.'' Was he jealous of the attention Rodriguez, who won five postseason games last year, received earlier this year? ``Probably. Who knows?'' Rodriguez said. ``Maybe he did, maybe not. Only God knows. Sometimes he would make comments he shouldn't make. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why he did it.'' Stoneman and Scioscia said Appier seemed to be a good teammate, and Stoneman said it was difficult breaking the news to Appier, who took it quietly. ``The consistency of performance just was not there,'' Stoneman said. ``All of us who play reach that at one point in our careers. It's never fun to hear you no longer have a job in baseball. But he understands the move. It wasn't easy for Kevin. It wasn't easy for us.'' Scioscia said the performance of Shields, who is 2-1 with a 1.79 ERA and acquitted himself well in two spot starts, helped drive the decision. Outside of set-up man Brendan Donnelly Brendan Kevin Donnelly (b. July 4, 1971 in Washington, D.C.) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. Donnelly had bounced around the minor leagues for 10 seasons after he was drafted in 1992 by the Chicago White Sox before he finally made his , Shields has been perhaps the Angels' most consistent pitcher. He earned his spot in the rotation. And Moreno ensured finances wouldn't keep him out of it. ``This might not happen in a lot of places,'' Scioscia said. ``Fortunately, Arte has set a tone that he's willing to move forward. This is definitely a move to make us better.'' Gabe Lacques, (626) 962-8811 gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com |
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