IN THE NEWS: Independent arbitrator Shyam Das cuts Braves P John Rocker's suspension from 28 days to 14 days. Rocker, who is allowed to report to spring training with the team, also has his fine cut.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves announce that P John Smoltz will undergo elbow surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament. He is expected to miss the entire season.
IN THE NEWS: The new World Umpires Association agrees to consolidate all umpires as part of an interim agreement with the commissioner's office. The umps will merge beginning with this season.
IN THE NEWS: Padres OF Al Martin is arrested on charges that he exchanged punches with a woman who claims to be his wife. Shawn Haggerty-Martin said the couple were married in Las Vegas two years ago. Martin said the couple had the ceremony, but that he didn't think it was real. Haggerty-Martin contends that the outfielder is a bigamist.
IN THE NEWS: Boston pitcher Juan Pena is hit on the right wrist by a ball off the bat of the Reds Sean Casey during a spring training game. According to the Sox, he suffers a torn MCL in his right elbow and will be out the year.
IN THE NEWS: The Cubs open the major league season in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, by defeating the Mets, 5-3, in the first big league game ever played outside of North America. Jon Lieber gets the victory and new ace Mike Hampton takes the loss. Shane Andrews hits the first home run of the new millennium. Mark Grace and Mike Piazza also homer.
The Astros and Phils swap lefty pitchers, with Houston getting Yorkis Perez and the Phils receiving Trever Miller.
Diamondbacks slugger Matt Williams breaks a bone in his right foot in the D'Backs last exhibition game in Tucson versus the Mariners when the All-star 3B fouls a Frankie Rodriguez pitch off his foot. Williams broke the same bone in 1995 and missed 68 games.
IN THE NEWS: The Mets defeat the Cubs in the Tokyo Dome, 5-1, in 11 innings on Benny Agbayani's pinch-hitter grand slam. Rey Ordoñez commits an error in the game, ending his major league record streak of 101 consecutive errorless games at SS. With a swipe of 2B, Rickey Henderson joins Ted Williams as the only players to steal a base in four decades.
The Rockies sign AL stolen base champ Brian Hunter to a contract.
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