No-hitters in progress: Justin Verlander through eight, Yovani Gallardo’s is done

By May 7, 2011, 6:05 PM EDT
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6:43 p.m. EDT: No-hitter! Davis swings and misses at a slider off the plate to end it.

6:41 p.m. EDT: McDonald hits a soft grounder to second for the second out.  Verlander dove for it, lucky not to deflect it to the side and turn it into a hit. Rajai Davis up.

6:39 p.m. EDT: Cooper pops up the first pitch he sees, a 97-mph fastball. One out.

6:38 p.m. EDT: The Tigers scored twice in the top of the ninth, giving Verlander plenty of time to think about things.  He’s back on the mound now. Cooper up.

6:30 p.m. EDT: If he gets through the ninth, Verlander would join Mark Buehrle as the only active pitchers with multiple no-hitters.  One could add Roy Halladay to the list, but his second no-hitter came in the postseason.  Verlander’s previous no-hitter came June 12, 2007 against the Brewers.

6:20 p.m. EDT: Encarnacion grounds into a double play to end the eighth.  Verlander will take a no-hitter into the ninth against David Cooper, John McDonald and Rajai Davis.  Their batting averages: .150, .205 and .177.

6:18 p.m. EDT: A terrific at-bat from Arencibia, who works the walk on the 12th pitch from Verlander.  He had just missed a double down the left-field line earlier in the at-bat.  Perfect game gone, no-hitter intact.

6:10 p.m. EDT: Mike McCoy, J.P. Arencibia and Edwin Encarnacion due up against Verlander in the eighth.  Verlander is six outs away from a perfect game.  It’d be his second career no-hitter.

6:07 p.m. EDT: Gallardo lost his bid in the eighth, as Daniel Descalso singled up the middle to begin the inning.

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And Verlander’s is a perfect game, as he’s gone 21 up, 21 down against the Blue Jays.

Gallardo is at 104 pitches through seven, having walked four and struck out five Cardinals.  He’s working with just a one-run lead, as Kyle Lohse has been strong as well.

Gallardo has been helped by two terrific catches in the outfield, one from Carlos Gomez in the first and the other from Mark Kotsay in right with two on in the fifth.

AP Source: Minor leaguers reach five-year labor deal with MLB

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 12:17 AM EDT
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
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NEW YORK – Minor league players reached a historic initial collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball on Wednesday that will more than double player salaries, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details were not announced.

As part of the five-year deal, MLB agreed during the contract not to reduce minor league affiliates from the current 120.

The sides reached the deal two days before the start of the minor league season and hours after a federal judge gave final approval to a $185 million settlement reached with MLB last May of a lawsuit filed in 2014 alleging violations of federal minimum wage laws.

Union staff recommended approval and about 5,500 minor leaguers were expected to vote on Thursday. MLB teams must also vote to approve and are expected to do so over the next week.

Minimum salaries will rise from $4,800 to $19,800 at rookie ball, $11,000 to $26,200 at Low Class A, $11,000 to $27,300 at High Class A, $13,800 to $27,300 at Double A and $17,500 to $45,800 at Triple-A. Players will be paid in the offseason for the first time.

Most players will be guaranteed housing, and players at Double-A and Triple-A will be given a single room. Players below Double-A will have the option of exchanging club housing for a stipend. The domestic violence and drug policies will be covered by the union agreement. Players who sign for the first time at 19 or older can become minor league free agents after six seasons instead of seven.

Major leaguers have been covered by a labor contract since 1968 and the average salary has soared from $17,000 in 1967 to an average of $4.22 million last season. Full-season minor leaguers earned as little as $10,400 last year.

The Major League Baseball Players Association took over as the bargaining representative of the roughly 5,500 players with minor league contracts last September after a lightning 17-day organization drive.

Minor leaguers players will receive four weeks of retroactive spring training pay for this year. They will get $625 weekly for spring training and offseason training camp and $250 weekly for offseason workouts at home.

Beginning in 2024, teams can have a maximum of 165 players under contract during the season and 175 during the offseason, down from the current 190 and 180.

The union will take over group licensing rights for players.

Negotiating for players was led by Tony Clark, Bruce Meyer, Harry Marino, Ian Penny and Matt Nussbaum. MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem headed management’s bargainers.