Astros

The Houston Astros and catcher Ivan Rodriguez are closing in on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, a person familiar with the talks told the Associated Press yesterday. The deal would contain $1.5 million in performance bonuses based on games and plate appearances, the person said. Rodriguez, 37, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, hit .276 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 115 games with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees last season. Phillies: : World Series Most Valuable Player Cole Hamels left training camp in Clearwater, Fla., and flew to Philadelphia to have his left elbow examined by team physician Michael Ciccotti.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Houston Astros abruptly pulled out of trade talks with the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday afternoon, citing what general manager Gerry Hunsicker called the "mind-boggling" contract demands of superstar pitcher Roger Clemens.The Blue Jays are attempting to trade the five-time Cy Young Award winner for a package of quality major-league players, but their ability to get full value in exchange has been compromised by Clemens' desire to join in the off-season gold rush that has sent baseball's top salary to $15 million.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays worked well into last night, attempting to bring together a multi-player deal for superstar pitcher Roger Clemens.The Rangers stepped up their efforts to acquire the five-time Cy Young Award winner just hours after the Houston Astros abruptly pulled back from similar negotiations, citing what general manager Gerry Hunsicker called the "mind-boggling" contract demands of agents Alan and Randy Hendricks.If a deal can be struck, it likely will be announced today, but the situation is so complex that the outcome remains difficult to predict.

ST. LOUIS - Pitching and defense may win championships, but the National League Championship Series figures to be determined by which team could out-slug the other. The St. Louis Cardinals got in the first licks last night, pounding Houston's bullpen in a 10-7 victory at Busch Stadium that immediately put the Astros on the defensive. With unimpressive starter Pete Munro facing the Cardinals' Matt Morris in Game 2 tonight, Houston's chances of returning home with a split in the seven-game series appear remote.

The eyes of the baseball world will fall on Atlanta and St. Louis this weekend as the Houston Astros try to continue their remarkable resurgence against the Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals cling to a once-comfortable lead against the Milwaukee Brewers. The unexpectedly hot race for the National League Central and the showdowns for the NL West and wild card are the only unsettled team matters as the baseball season enters its final three days. But both Most Valuable Players and the NL Cy Young Award are up for grabs in individual affairs.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. Hundreds of fans crowded around the practice mounds at Osceola County Stadium yesterday, straining to catch a glimpse of six-time Cy Young Award-winner Roger Clemens as he threw his first, tentative pitches in a Houston Astros uniform. General manager Gerry Hunsicker sized up the surprising turnout, marveled at the swarm of national media that had descended on his teams fresh-scrubbed training complex and drew his first sweeping conclusion of the spring. "Life has changed in Astroland," he said.

DALLAS - As the Orioles continue to search for pitching help, one of their former starters has found work. Pat Rapp, who went 9-12 with the Orioles last season, signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Angels. He made 30 starts and one relief appearance, allowing 203 hits in 174 innings. In 228 career appearances, Rapp is 65-79 with a 4.67 ERA. The Angels also signed former Orioles farmhand Kimera Bartee to a one-year deal. Bartee, an outfielder, batted .298 in 119 games at Triple-A Louisville.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Houston Astros abruptly pulled out of trade talks with the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, citing what general manager Gerry Hunsicker called the "mind-boggling" contract demands of superstar pitcher Roger Clemens.The Blue Jays are attempting to trade the five-time Cy Young Award winner for a package of quality major-league players, but their ability to get full value in exchange has been compromised by Clemens' desire to join in the off-season gold rush that has sent baseball's top salary to $15 million.

DALLAS - As the Orioles continue to search for pitching help, one of their former starters has found work. Pat Rapp, who went 9-12 with the Orioles last season, signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Angels. He made 30 starts and one relief appearance, allowing 203 hits in 174 innings. In 228 career appearances, Rapp is 65-79 with a 4.67 ERA. The Angels also signed former Orioles farmhand Kimera Bartee to a one-year deal. Bartee, an outfielder, batted .298 in 119 games at Triple-A Louisville.

The at-bat lasted nine pitches and ended with Melvin Mora standing on second base, pumping both fists and yelling. On a night when Miguel Tejada returned to Camden Yards, the Houston Astros got a firsthand look at the resilience the Orioles have showed all season. His team trailing by a run, Mora ripped a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning off Astros closer Jose Valverde, the big hit in the Orioles' 6-5 victory before an announced 21,535 last night at Camden Yards. "I don't care who was there," said Mora, when asked whether it felt extra sweet to get the key hit in front of his former teammate, who was greeted with a mixture of cheers and boos.