Bruney Gets a Crappy Birthday Gift

With the hopes of earning $350,000 more than the Washington Nationals were willing to pay him, Brian Bruney let his unresolved salary case go to an arbitration hearing, and lost. On his birthday.

The 28-year-old former New York Yankees reliever, who once blamed an injured elbow on an 8-1/2 minute umpire review, was awarded $1.5 million Wednesday instead of his requested $1.85 million.

Bruney went 5-0 with a 3.92 ERA in 44 regular-season appearances for the Yankees last season, when he made $1.25 million.

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Smokin' Hot Stove: Big Names Tossed Around

Some big names have been thrown out in the early winter meeting talks, but little has been seen to back up the smack.

Coveted 2003 Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is probably the biggest fish out there, while other names strung out on the trade market like Dan Uggla and Detroit Tigers teammates Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson provided little more than mullings.

A few minor deals were struck in Indianapolis Monday, with Brian Bruney heading to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named later along with Pudge Rodriguez, and Tigers lefty Clay Rapada being shipped off to Texas for a bag of cash and some guy they'll decide on in the future. The busy Motor City Kitties did agree to a $1.55 million, one-year deal with shortstop Adam Everett, though.

Free agent righty Brad Penny somehow reached a tentative agreement on a $7.5 million, one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, pending a passed physical. Hopefully he'll remember to zip his fly this time.

Of the 23 free agents offered arbitration by their former club last week, only three accepted by the midnight deadline: Minnesota Twins right-hander Carl Pavano, Atlanta Braves reliever Rafael Soriano, and Colorado Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt. Lots of work to be done there.

Stay tuned for more Hot Stove Goodness over the next four days!

[MLB.com] | [Hot Stove Blog] | [The Diamond Cutter]

Way To Go, Mo

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was called to the hill with two outs in the eighth to take down New York Mets pinch-hitter Omir Santos after Brian Bruney had walked the potential tying and go-ahead runs. (Nice work, Bruney.) And Mo got the job done, as usual.

After some top of the ninth shenangians, and due to some double-switching earlier in the game, Rivera came to the plate for just the seventh time in his career to face rivaled closer Francisco Rodriguez with the bases loaded. The guy doesn't even own a batting helmet. The first two pitches were balls, and the next two strikes before the 39-year-old veteran fouled off the fifth. Then came ball three. Then ball four: a walk for Mo and his first RBI ever.

Thirteen years after recording his very first save, Rivera collected his 18th of the season and joined Trevor Hoffman as the only other man in the history of the game to record 500 saves. High five.

[USA Today] | [Right Fielders Women in Sports] | [With Leather]

Of All the Lame Excuses, Brian Bruney

I've heard some pretty terrible excuses in my day.

"I forgot!"

"The devil made me do it."

"Baby, I was drunk."

LaTroy Hawkins: Pranksters Rule

There's nothing quite like a good prank. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick was hit hard last month when his teammates, coaches and the media got together to tell him he was traded to Japan. But was he afraid or humiliated? Probably not.

It's the pranks that scare and/or embarrass the crap out of people that are the best kind. LaTroy Hawkins (yes, he still plays baseball) and Brian Bruney tend to agree.

The New York Yankees relievers sneaked into last year's #1 pick Andrew Brackman's locker to mess with his stuff. When the rookie opened it yesterday morning, he discovered his sliders had been slit down the middle. His cap was also cut, along with six pair of workout shoes and a new pair of spikes, filleted from tongue to toe.