Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Harper looks ready to get in real games
Bryce Harper homered for the second straight day in a simulated game against Phillies minor-leaguers.
Harper had an oppositefield homer to left in the first of 12 plate appearances Thursday at the team’s minor-league complex in Clearwater, Fla. Harper also lined a double down the right-field line, singled up the middle, drove a deep fly to center and had a brokenbat flare to left-center.
Phillies manager Gabe Kapler watched part of Harper’s game before the Phillies played the Yankees next to the complex at Spectrum Field.
“You want to make sure that he gets through those at-bats with good timing and good health, and saw that he did,” Kapler said.
After agreeing last weekend to a record $330 million, 13-year contract, the 26-year-old outfielder is set to make his first appearance in a spring training game.
“We’re good to go for Saturday at this point,” Kapler said.
Seaver ailing:
Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, the star of the Miracle Mets 1969 World Series championship team, has been diagnosed with dementia at age 74.
His family made the announcement through the Hall and said Seaver has retired from public life. He will continue to work at Seaver Vineyards, founded by the retired player and his wife, Nancy, in 2002 in the Calistoga region of California.
A three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and the 1967 NL Rookie of the Year, Seaver was 311-205 with a 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts and 61 shutouts from 1967-86. A five-time 20-game winner, Seaver was elected to the Hall in 1992 when he appeared on 425 of 430 ballots for a then-record 98.94 percent.
Lineup changes:
Majorleague teams must notify the commissioner’s office of their starting lineups before they are announced at stadiums this season. The decision comes in response to the Supreme Court ruling that has led to more widespread legal gambling.
Through last season, clubs announced lineups as they wanted, some by posting in clubhouses, others in email to media, on Twitter or their websites.
“One new procedure is that we now ask clubs to submit starting lineups in a uniform fashion in order to reduce the risk of confidential information being ‘tipped,’ ” the commissioner’s office said.
Extra innings:
Danny Farquhar pitched a hitless seventh inning in the Yankees’ 6-0 win over the Phillies in his second spring training appearance. Farquhar collapsed in the White Sox dugout on April 20 because of a ruptured aneurysm and brain hemorrhage. He signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees during the offseason . ... Josh Donaldson plans to play in his first spring training game for the Braves on Friday against the Phillies. The 33-year-old third baseman spent the first two weeks of the exhibition season strengthening his legs, feet and toes . ... Carlos Gomez is back with the Mets. The outfielder agreed to a minor-league contract and will report to big-league spring training, the team said.