Cuban pitcher drawing attention in Big Apple
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Aroldis Chapman simply left his room at the Domina Hotel in Rotterdam last July and went down to the lobby.
The Cuban pitcher's defection during a tournament in the Netherlands lacked any of the drama a movie script writer would want.
"It was pretty straightforward," he recalled. "I just walked out of the hotel, got in the car and left."
Separated from his parents, sisters, girlfriend and an infant daughter he's never seen, the 21-year-old left-hander with a 100 mph fastball embarked on a career in the major leagues.
He is being courted by the New York Yankees and Mets, the Boston Red Sox and likely other clubs. Team executives say figures of $15 million to $50 million have been mentioned, but no one really is sure how to price a pitcher who has never been on a U.S. professional team.
"He's a once-every-40-years player," says Chapman's agent, Edwin Mejia.
Chapman was all blinged out during a 45-minute interview Thursday at the office of The Associated Press, wearing a large, shiny watch and gleaming earrings.
He gained attention during the World Baseball Classic in March, when he pitched well against Australia and badly against Japan.
Then he contacted a friend from Cuba before the World Port Tournament, an event that included the national teams of Cuba and the Netherlands, and Japanese and Taiwanese teams that mixed minor leaguers and industrial players.
Afraid of leaks, he didn't tell any of his family members — not even pregnant girlfriend Raidelmis Mendosa Santiestelas — that he intended to defect.
"I only spent one hour at the hotel thinking about what to do. I made the decision, stepped away from the hotel and got into the car," he said. "Everything was planned from a few months before the tournament. I discussed the idea with a friend and made the decision to do it. Never thought about doing it during the classic. It was something that I was seeking before the classic, but I didn't want to do it in the classic."
He spoke by telephone with his family within a day of his defection, and he's spoken with them frequently. His daughter, Ashanti Brianna, was born a few days before he walked out of the Rotterdam hotel and started a journey that led him through Spain and to tiny Andorra in the Pyrenees, where Chapman established the residency that allowed him to become a free agent under baseball's rules. If he had become a U.S. resident, he would have been subject to the amateur draft.
Cuban pitchers have been successful in the major leagues, although none has risen to the elite group in recent years. Half-brothers Livan Hernandez (156-151) and Orlando Hernandez (90-65), and Jose Contreras (71-63) have achieved the most fame in the past decade.
Asked which pitcher he most resembles, Chapman didn't pick one of his countrymen, but instead said 6-foot-10 left-hander Randy Johnson.
Chapman got a short taste of what the major leagues are like when he sat in the stands last month for Game 6 of the AL championship series at Yankee Stadium.
"I would think of what pitch would I throw this batter and things of that sort," he said. "There were many that were the same as what I was thinking. There were a few that weren't, but not all pitchers are the same and some think differently. I can maybe depend on my fastball a little more than some other pitchers."
He showed a raw talent at the WBC, where he was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA over two appearances. He struck out eight but walked four in 6 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits.
While his stats were mediocre, his fastball impressed. He says he also throws a curveball, slider, changeup and splitter.
"My best pitch is my fastball," he said confidently. "It's probably the most difficult pitch to hit. In my case, batters have very little reaction time."
He was a first baseman primarily until he was 15 or 16, when a school pitching coach suggested he convert. By the 2005 season, he was 18 and pitching for Holguin in the Cuban national league.
Chapman is expecting one very big difference in the major leagues — one he's already noticed while in New York the past few weeks.
"I don't like the cold," he said.
As for the fans, he says they're pretty much the same, except for the language.
"They're loud. They yell things at you," he said. "I just don't know what they're saying here."
MARINERS RE-SIGN WILSON
Jack Wilson said it took him "an hour, an hour and a half" after his arrival in July to decide that Seattle was a place he wanted to stay.
Working out a deal took slightly longer, but on Friday the Mariners re-signed the veteran shortstop to a two-year, $10 million contract.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said that he envisioned Wilson as the team's shortstop beyond 2009 when he acquired him from Pittsburgh on July 29. The deal sent catcher Jeff Clement, infielder Ronny Cedeno and three minor-league pitchers to the Pirates.
The Mariners on Friday declined Wilson's $8.4 million option for 2010, paying him a $600,000 buyout, before finalizing the new contract that will pay Wilson $5 million in both 2010 and '11.
Wilson struggled with injuries after the July 29 trade that brought him and pitcher Ian Snell from the Pirates. He hit just .224 in 31 games and said that giving the Mariners an improved performance was a motivating factor to return.
WETTELAND DOING WELL
Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu talked to M's bullpen coach John Wetteland on Friday and said he now believes that all the talk Thursday about suicide and mental health issues were highly premature.
"He's doing great," Wakamatsu said. "A lot of things got blown out of proportion. He had a domestic dispute — an argument. His blood pressure raced, and obviously his wife called the police. The next thing you know, it's about suicide. It had nothing to do with that."
According to a report by the CBS affiliate in Dallas, officials in Denton County, Texas, said Wetteland was hospitalized for a mental health issue.
Wetteland said in a statement Thursday, "The circumstances leading to my elevated blood pressure and heart rate have been addressed. I am currently resting safely at home."
JAYS' WELLS HAS WRIST SURGERY
Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells has had surgery on his left wrist and is expected to be ready for spring training.
The team said Friday that doctors repaired cartilage in his wrist, which he broke diving to make a catch against the Indians in 2008.
Wells struggled through one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2009, batting just .260 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs.
Entering the third season of a seven-year, $126 million contract, Wells struggled with pain in his wrist over the summer and decided to have the operation when it didn't subside once this season ended.
BREWERS DECLINE OPTION ON LOOPER
The Milwaukee Brewers declined their $6.5 million mutual option on Braden Looper, electing to pay the pitcher a $1 million buyout.
The 35-year-old right-hander filed for free agency later Friday. Milwaukee had until Saturday to decide whether to exercise the option.
After signing with the Brewers as a free agent on Feb. 12, Looper went 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA. He made at least 30 starts for the third straight season and established a career high in wins, which led the team. He also set a franchise record with 39 homers allowed, which led the majors, while also topping big league pitchers in runs (123).
ROCKIES REJECT BETANCOURT
The Rockies declined a $5 million option on right-hander Rafael Betancourt, a key setup man as Colorado won the NL wild-card race.
Betancourt filed for free agency later Friday. Colorado general manager Dan O'Dowd said the team will continue to negotiate with the reliever.
Betancourt went 4-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 61 games while splitting time with Cleveland and Colorado last season. He had 61 strikeouts to go with 20 walks and held opponents to a .209 batting average.
The Rockies acquired Betancourt on July 23, and he went 3-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 32 appearances for Colorado. He allowed one run in 2 1-3 innings against Philadelphia in the playoffs.
AARON TO RECEIVE SLUGGER AWARD
Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron will receive an award from the makers of the bats that he used to hit more than 700 home runs.
The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory will present Aaron with its 2009 Living Legend Award on Friday night.
Aaron played in the major leagues for 23 years, finishing his career with 755 home runs, holding the record for 33 years.
The factory produced 150 limited edition bats branded with two Aaron signatures for the event.
Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr. have also received the Living Legend Award.
