mike winters

NEW YORK -- The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction, set up a website for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and yesterday announced the decision to brand it won out over the other options -- sending it to Cooperstown unblemished or launching it into space.

Ecko said he believed the vote to brand the ball showed people thought "this was shrouded in a chapter of baseball history that wasn't necessarily the clearest it could be."

Ecko, whom Bonds called "an idiot" last week, had the winning bid Sept. 15 in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit Aug. 7 to break Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. The final selling price was $752,467, well above most predictions that assumed Bonds' status as a lightning rod for the steroids debate in baseball would depress the value.

UMP GETS TOSSED

NEW YORK -- Umpire Mike Winters was suspended by Major League Baseball for the remainder of the regular season yesterday because of his confrontation with San Diego's Milton Bradley last weekend.

The Padres claimed Winters baited Bradley, who has a history of losing his temper. Bradley tore a knee ligament when his manager spun him to the ground while trying to keep him from going after the umpire during Sunday's 7-3 loss to Colorado in San Diego.

Winters was suspended because the commissioner's office concluded he had used a profanity aimed at Bradley, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the reason for the suspension was not announced.

LEYLAND WANTS EXTENSION

DETROIT -- Jim Leyland is scheduled to meet with Tigers president Dave Dombrowski the day after the regular season ends, and the manager wants to have his contract extended.

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland has been one of the small parts of the turnaround in Detroit, as he has stated several times over the past two years.
And he would like to stick around for a while.

Leyland discussed the possibility of a contract extension before Wednesday's final home game of 2007 at Comerica Park. He will meet with general manager Dave Dombrowski next Monday for their usual end-of-the-season gathering, and Leyland said one of the main topics will be a contract extension.

"So everybody knows there's no [lying] here, that is one of the topics," Leyland said. "We're going to get together and decide a little bit about my future. But there's been absolutely no discussion."

Leyland, 62, is signed through 2008, but he said he would like to manage "for a while," hopefully in Detroit.

"I would hope it's going to be here -- I love it here," Leyland said. "I'm happy here."

Leyland said he isn't looking for a long-term extension, just a year-by-year extension, assuming the Tigers still are playing well.

"I'm not looking to go anywhere," Leyland said. "I would like to drive away from here Monday afternoon with another year on my contract. And next year I would like to have another year on top of that."

The Tigers officially will be eliminated from postseason contention with either a loss on Wednesday or a Yankees win. Injuries have taken their toll on the Tigers this season, but Leyland said he still feels energized going into next year.

"I'm pumped up," Leyland said. "Energy is no problem. That's not going to be a problem as long as I'm managing the Tigers. When the energy's not there, I'll leave the Tigers."

Part of the reason Leyland wants to stick around is his relationship with Dombrowski and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch.

"I would venture to say that as long as Mr. Ilitch is the owner, this club will operate pretty darn good," Leyland said. "We have a man at the top who is very flexible and a general manager that leaves no stone unturned. So we'll see how it works out."

Leyland said he didn't want to discuss any extensions during the season, and whatever happens next Monday, he doesn't want any big deal made out of the talks.

"I hope Tuesday they have some small little thing in the paper that says 'Jim Leyland has extended his contract through 2009,'" the manager said. "That's what I hope happens, and I mean that sincerely."

Waiting game: Leyland didn't want to discuss any possible offseason moves the Tigers plan to make, though he said waiting to hear what Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones plan to do plays a big factor.

Rogers and Jones each has an expiring contract at the end of the season, and both have stated they will weigh the free-agent market.

"We need to tweak this team a little bit," Leyland said. "I don't know what Todd Jones is going to do. I don't know what Kenny Rogers is going to do. Those are big factors. Did we discuss what-ifs and what-if-nots? Sure."

Scoreboard watching ... sort of: Leyland had all but conceded the Yankees would win the American League Wild Card, but he did watch the Devil Rays complete an extra-inning comeback win over the Yanks on Tuesday night.

"I sat here last night and saw the scoreboard was '5-0 Yankees' and said, 'Well, that's the last nail,'" Leyland said. "Then I came in here and stayed up and watched it and saw the nail hadn't been pounded all the way in yet."

The Yankees would have to lose their remaining five games against the Devil Rays and Orioles, while the Tigers would have to go unbeaten in their final four games to force a one-game playoff at Yankee Stadium.

"I don't think the Yankees are going to lose the rest of their games, if that's what you're asking," Leyland said.

That nail came one night later, when the Yankees clinched with a win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

"Good luck," was Leyland's message to the Yankees.

Still plotting: The Tigers have yet to go through the usual rookie hazing of forcing first-year players into embarrassing outfits at the end of the season.

"I don't know when it's gonna happen," Brandon Inge said. "We'll sneak it in there sometime in Chicago."

The Tigers will have their last chance during their three-game series against the White Sox.

"We've taken care of a few things," Inge said. "It's a work in progress. I know it's in the works, I just don't know when it's gonna happen."

More on Bonderman's changeup: The Tigers have tried for several years to get Jeremy Bonderman to develop a worthwhile changeup to compliment his fastball and slider.

Leyland said he thought Bonderman had developed the pitch well enough to use on a regular basis, but Bonderman still is reluctant to do so.

"The pitch has finally arrived," Leyland said. "I think the problem is, when Jeremy runs into trouble, he's still reluctant to go to that pitch because he's had it drilled into him, like most pitchers, 'Don't get beat with your secondary pitch.' When he learns there's some truth to that, but not all truth to that, then I think he'll have a chance to be real good."

Winters suspended: Mike Winters, who was an umpire for the first two games of the Tigers' series against the Twins, was suspended for the rest of the 2007 regular season, Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

Winters was involved in an on-field incident with San Diego's Milton Bradley on Sunday. Bradley has said Winters used an expletive in his direction, which led to an ejection and a torn ACL for Bradley in the following scuffle.

Scott Barry, usually a Triple-A umpire, replaced Winters as the third-base ump in Wednesday's game. Umpire Mike Winters was suspended by baseball for the remainder of the regular season on Wednesday because of his confrontation with Padres outfielder Milton Bradley on Sunday.

The Padres claimed Winters baited Bradley, who tore a knee ligament when his manager threw him down trying to restrain him.

Winters was suspended because he used a profanity toward Bradley, a baseball official said.

Winters, 48, a major league umpire since 1990 who worked the 2002 and 2006 World Series, became the first ump suspended since 2003, when Bruce Froemming and John Hirschbeck each were suspended for 10 days. Froemming made an anti-Semitic slur about an umpiring administrator and baseball said Hirschbeck threatened a senior official in the commissioner's office.

Bonds ball to be branded: The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall of Fame.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction with a bid of $752,467, set up a website for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and announced the decision to brand it won over the other options - sending it to Cooperstown unblemished or launching it into space.

Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey said accepting the ball did not mean the Hall endorses the viewpoint that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs.

"This ball wouldn't be coming to Cooperstown if Marc hadn't bought it from the fan who caught it and then let the fans have their say," Petroskey said. "We're delighted to have the ball. It's a historic piece of baseball history."

Extension for Leyland? Jim Leyland, 62, will meet with Tigers president Dave Dombrowski the day after the season, and the manager wants to have his contract extended through 2009. Dombrowski said he doesn't expect it to be a problem.

"I hope to have Jim Leyland as our manager for many, many years," Dombrowski said. ... Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez will be shut down because of a shoulder injury that will require arthroscopic surgery Friday. Sanchez hit .304 with 11 homers and 81 RBI after winning the NL batting title last season (.344). ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said catcher Joe Mauer (hernia) will not play this weekend against the Red Sox.

Milestones: Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols homered, giving him 100 RBI for the seventh straight season. Pujols is the first player with at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in his first seven seasons. Ted Williams was the last player with 100 RBI in his first seven seasons (1939-49). Al Simmons started with 11 straight 100-RBI seasons (1924-34). ... The Reds' Brandon Phillips homered in the first, joining Alfonso Soriano as the only second basemen to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season. Phillips is the fifth middle infielder to do it; Jimmy Rollins hit his 30th homer Tuesday, joining Soriano, Barry Larkin and Alex Rodriguez as the others. ... Michael Young became the third player since 1940 with five consecutive 200-hit seasons. Wade Boggs and Ichiro Suzuki did it in seven straight, including this year for Suzuki. Young, 30, was hitting .192 on May 3, but has hit .342 since, raising his average to .314.