Posted on Thu, May. 08, 2008

MLB: White Sox's blow up dolls a `team' issue

CHICAGO --

MLB: White Sox's blow up dolls a `team' issue

Major League Baseball considers the blow up over blowup dolls in the Chicago White Sox clubhouse a team issue, not a league issue.Rob Manfred, executive vice president for labor relations, said the league had discussions with the team after a player placed two nude blowup dolls in the clubhouse at Toronto, but called it "fundamentally a club issue."

An unidentified player positioned the dolls with bats of the players fanning out around them -- a ritual of sorts to try to get the team out of its slump -- before Sunday's game, a shrine that some found offensive.

Manager Ozzie Guillen reiterated Wednesday he sees no reason to apologize, saying, "I don't think we did anything illegal. It was just a funny doll."

The Association for Women in Sports Media voiced its concerns about the White Sox's antics in an e-mail to the Chicago Sun-Times. -- Associated Press

Around the leagues

ATLANTA: Closer Rafael Soriano can resume throwing after tests on his sore right elbow revealed no major injuries. Soriano had an MRI and a bone imaging scan.

CLEVELAND: Victor Martinez was back in the lineup Wednesday, one day after he was scratched with a stiff neck. Martinez, an All-Star catcher, was the designated hitter against the New York Yankees.

DETROIT: Gary Sheffield'sRBI single was the 1,582nd of his career, pulling him within one of former Tiger and Hall of Famer Al Kaline for 35th on the all-time list.

OAKLAND: Chad Gaudin is moving from the rotation to the bullpen, where he's spent most of his previous five major-league seasons. The A's need to make room for the return of right-handed starter Rich Harden, who is scheduled to come off the 15-day disabled list.

PITTSBURGH: Shortstop Jack Wilson will remain out of the lineup for at least two more weeks with a strained left calf that has kept him out for all but three games.

ST. LOUIS: Starter Mark Mulder has a mild rotator cuff strain of his left shoulder, causing St. Louis to stop his injury rehabilitation assignment. Mulder is coming back from two shoulder operations.

WASHINGTON: Catcher Paul Lo Duca was injured while batting in the seventh inning against Houston. The team said he had a sharp pain in his right hand and would be examined today.

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