Breaking News

Center-fielder Carlos Beltran made a late season entrance for the New York Mets last year. Most of his season was missed due to surgery on his right knee, one that was not cleared by the Mets. 

After having someone perform surgery on your one knee, you're more likely to favor the other one in hopes of not re-injuring it again, right?

Well, that was Beltran's thinking, but that move came back to bite him in the rear.

By George Campbell

Astros skipper Brad Mills faced his former team, the Boston Red Sox, for the first of three scheduled 2011 spring training games on Tuesday. Even though his team lost 3-2, he was pleased with the effort his guys put forth in the game.

“I think we’ve played very well this year. I think you saw that today,” Mills said after the game.

By George Campbell

Red Sox setup man Daniel Bard had his best outing of the spring Tuesday as the Sox beat the Astros 3-2.

Bard was in the unusual position of coming in the inning after closer Jonathan Papelbon. He pitched the sixth inning, getting out all three batters he faced, including two by strikeout.

Mike Cameron’s first season with the Red Sox was not what he had hoped for. An abdominal injury last season put the former All-Star on the DL, and eventually required surgery. The injury cut his playing time to just 48 games, the fewest games he had appeared in since 1997.

After appearing in four games this spring, he is hitting .455 and ready to play again.

The Cleveland Indians have added another veteran free agent to the ranks in first basemen Nick Johnson.  The deal was a minor league contract, but Johnson has a late Spring Training invite and an opportunity to make the big league club.

The Cleveland Indians announced that they signed first baseman Nick Johnson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. If Johnson makes the team, he has a club option for 2012.

Johnson appeared in only 24 games last year for the New York Yankees. Johnson batted .167 (12-72) with a .388 OBP, four doubles, two homers and eight RBI.

Spring Training is very important to the major league veterans who are trying to extend their playing careers and delay their inevitable retirement.

For them results in spring training matter.They need good spring training stats in order to make the team or end up in the minors.

In honor of their effort and for the good fun of it here are the 2011 all non roster invitee team.

Quick reminder that only those on the non roster invitee list qualify. I didn't have much to work with.

For a time, Jose Canseco wasn't one of the best players in Major League Baseball, he was the best player in baseball.

Canseco became the first player in history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. In the 1989 American League Playoffs against the Toronto Blue Jays, Canseco blasted a 484-foot home run into the fifh level of Toronto's Sky Dome, which to this day remains the dome's longest home run. 

The Philadelphia Phillies' prospect Domonic Brown recorded his first hit of spring training today against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The at-bat was bittersweet, however, because Brown fractured his wrist, an injury that will most likely require surgery.

Philadelphia Phillies OF Domonic Brown has a fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right hand and may need surgery after he had to leave today's ballgame against the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Jim Salisbury.

Salisbury tweeted that Brown had to exit after his first at-bat. Brown fouled off a pitch and then looked down at his hand, apparently in pain. He finished the at-bat with a hit, but then departed for X-rays.