This, from Major League Baseball:

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that two Minor League players have received 50-game suspensions after each tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Oakland Athletics Minor League pitcher Joselito Adames, who is currently on the roster of the club’s Arizona League (Rookie) team, tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

Philadelphia Phillies Minor League pitcher San Lazaro Solano, a member of the organization’s Dominican Summer League team, tested positive for Boldenone.

Both suspensions will be effective at the start of the 2011 season.


The 20-year-old Solano, listed at 5-11, 170 on milb.com, was 4-3 with a 2.57 ERA in 12 games (eight starts) for the Phils Dominican Summer League team. Solano struck out 27 and walked 23 in 49 innings.

ESPN has announced its coverage for Grapefruit (Florida) and Cactus (Arizona) League games this spring.

The Phillies will be on twice (sorry, not "thrice," Conan O'Brien fans). The Phils will be on ESPN Monday, March 21 vs. the Red Sox and Friday Mach 25 vs. the Braves. Both games will be at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

Here is the complete ESPN televised schedule:


Thu, March 3 1 p.m. Detroit vs. Atlanta ESPN

Mon, March 14 7 p.m. N.Y. Yankees vs. Boston ESPN2^

Wed, March 16 1 p.m. Boston vs. Atlanta ESPN

Mon, March 21 1 p.m. Boston vs. Philadelphia ESPN

Tue, March 22 1 p.m. N.Y. Yankees vs. Baltimore ESPN

Wed, March 23 1 p.m. N.Y. Mets vs. St. Louis ESPN

Thu, March 24 5 p.m. Chicago White Sox vs. Cubs ESPN2

Fri, March 25 1 p.m. Atlanta vs. Philadelphia ESPN

Sat, March 26 4 p.m. Chicago Cubs vs. Texas ESPN2

Tue, March 29 1 p.m. Detroit vs. N.Y. Yankees ESPN


As you know by now, pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater on Feb. 14. The Phils play their first exhibition game on Thurs. Feb. 24 vs. Florida State (in Clearwater).

The Grapefruit League opens two days later, on Sat. Feb. 26 against the Yankees in Tampa. On Sun. Feb. 27, the Phils host the Yankees at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

UPDATE: I should have listed ALL of the spring games that will be televised in March. Luckily, my friend Matt Gelb did just that. (Thanks, Matt).

Here it is:

March 6: vs. Tampa Bay (myphl17), 1:05 p.m.
March 10: vs. New York Yankees (Comcast Network), 1:05 p.m.
March 12: vs. Tampa Bay (CSN), 1:05 p.m.
March 13: at Minnesota (myphl17), 1:05 p.m.
March 19: at Baltimore (Comcast Network), 1:05 p.m.
March 20: vs. New York Yankees (CSN), 1:05 p.m.
March 21: vs. Boston (TCN/ESPN), 1:05 p.m.
March 25: vs. Atlanta (ESPN), 1:05 p.m.
March 26: vs. Toronto (myphl17), 1:05 p.m.
March 27: at Atlanta (Comcast Network), 1:05 p.m.
March 28: vs. Houston (CSN), 1:05 p.m.
March 30: vs. Pittsburgh at Citizens Bank Park (TCN), 4:05 p.m.



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Also, on Mythbusters: the Phillies lineup isn't as left-handed-heavy as you've been hearing all winter.

How do you know the Phillies are making a lot of money at Citizens Bank Park?

Well, ownerhship has increased the team's payroll by more than $25 million from last season. Also, they're putting a big chunk of cash back into the soon-to-be, eight-year-old ballpark.

The Phillies announced Wednesday a $10 million upgrade to their scoreboard, highlighted by a 76-feet high, 97-feet wide Daktronics video display with Sony high-definition technology.
When completed, the new HD video screen will be three times the size of the screen that previously anchored the scoreboard below the iconic "Phillies" sign in left field.
The video screen will be the largest of its kind in the National League.

“We’re truly excited to bring the HD experience to our fans,” said Mark DiNardo, Director, Broadcasting and Video Services said in a press release. “The new technology and dramatically larger image will bring our fans closer to the action than ever. Our unique partnership with Sony and Daktronics gives us the opportunity to transition the in-house broadcast, production and entertainment systems to high-definition in one step.”

In addition to bringing fans crisp, wide-screen replays of the action on the field, the video display's increased size will allow for more statistical display on the big screen. The new screen will be up and working in time for the Phillies on-deck series against the Pittsburgh Pirates March 29-30.

The old videoboard, which was in place since the ballpark was finished in 2004, has already been relocated to Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., where the Phillies will begin spring training on Feb. 14.

I was awakened by a radio alarm clock. The latest news and weather stories were being read aloud on KYW-1060.

It was the first I had heard of the Phillies connection to Saturday's horrific tragedy in Arizona. Among the people shot outside a grocery store in Tucson, where congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was speaking, was a nine-year-old girl.

Her name was Christina-Taylor Green. She was the granddaughter of former Phillies World Series-winning manager and current front office executive Dallas Green.

Phillies team president David Montgomery issued this statement this morning:

"The Phillies organization expresses our heartfelt condolences to Dallas and Sylvia and the entire Green family on the senseless, tragic loss of Christina's life. She was a talented young girl with a bright promising future. Her untimely death weighs heavily on our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected by yesterday's horrific shooting."

Christina-Taylor Green was one of two grandchildren Dallas had through his son, John. Christina-Taylor Green had an 11-year-old brother named Dallas.

Born on September 11, 2001, Christina-Taylor Green was very aware of the place in history that was her birth date. According to the Arizona Daily Star, it was her interest in politics that drew her to Saturday's event, when she hoped to meet Congresswoman Giffords.

Christina-Taylor Green had recently been elected to the student council at her school.

"She was a good speaker. I could have easily seen her as a politician," her father told the Daily Star.

Like her grandfather Dallas, Christina-Taylor Green was also into baseball. She played second base and was the only girl on her Little League team.



My thoughts and prayers go out to Dallas, the entire Green family, the Phillies and everyone unfortunately touched by Saturday's tragedy.