Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. ó Ron Gardenhire has what he considers the perfect plan for reviewing close calls in baseball: red flags that managers throw like in the NFL.
Minnesota’s manager certainly would have tossed one Monday, when Michael Cuddyer was called out on a close play at the plate in the ninth inning for what would have been the tying run during a crazy 14-13 loss in which the Oakland Athletics rallied from a 12-2 deficit.
Cuddyer appeared safe on replay ó he and Gardenhire both argued emphatically.
“I’ve said it all along, I want a red flag,” Gardenhire said Tuesday. “If you use it and you’re wrong, you don’t get the red flag the rest of the game. But if you use it and you’re right, you get your red flag back. … Last night would have been a great red flag game. I could have thrown it out there and then they could have run and checked the replay. It would have been perfect.
“Football has a red flag. Why can’t we? Keep it in my sock like they do.”
BLUE JAYS
TORONTO ó General manager J.P. Ricciardi still hasn’t received an appropriate trade offer for Roy Halladay and has set a July 28 deadline to complete a deal.
“At this point, it’s probably unlikely that we’ll trade Doc,” Ricciardi said Tuesday.
Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline is July 31. Ricciardi said July 6 he would field offers for Halladay, who is signed through 2010 and has a full no-trade clause.
Ricciardi said the deadline is necessary to get an agreement in place for what is likely to be a complicated deal. He also wants the matter resolved before Halladay makes a scheduled start July 29.
WHITE SOX
CHICAGO ó John Danks will miss his scheduled start today because of a blister on his left index finger.
Carlos Torres, whose contract from Triple-A Charlotte is expected to be purchased today, will start instead.
Torres is 8-4 for Charlotte and leads the International League with a 2.20 ERA while ranking second in strikeouts with 96.
RED SOX
ARLINGTON, Texas ó Tim Wakefield is headed to the disabled list because of a lower back problem.
Boston recalled right-hander Clay Buchholz from Triple-A Pawtucket to start in Wakefield’s place tonight.
DODGERS
LOS ANGELES ó Manny Ramirez is day to day after being hit by a pitch Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Ramirez went to a hospital for precautionary X-rays, which were negative.
PHILLIES
CLEARWATER, Fla. ó Pedro Martinez has taken a “really big step” forward after throwing 64 pitches over four innings in a simulated game.
He faced hitters for the first time in 11 days on Tuesday and afterwards said he was excited about the outing.
“Real, real good,” Martinez said. “Four innings, I was able to do that. I didn’t feel tired. I felt like I could still do a little bit more.”
Martinez will throw off a bullpen mound Thursday. He could have another simulated game or pitch in a minor league game Sunday.
NATIONALS
WASHINGTON ó Pitcher Scott Olsen will have surgery Thursday to repair the labrum in his left shoulder and will miss the rest of the season.
ASTROS
HOUSTON ó Lance Berkman, diagnosed with a strained left calf, hopes to return to the lineup Friday.
DUI
EL CAJON, Calif. ó Former top draft pick Matt Bush has been sentenced to six months in a rehabilitation program stemming from two incidents this year.
Bush was arrested in June for investigation of drunken driving, vandalism and resisting arrest. He also was accused in February of assaulting members of a high school lacrosse team.
San Diego drafted Bush with the first pick in 2004 and traded him to Toronto in February. The Blue Jays released Bush in April for failing to comply with team guidelines.