Home › Sports › MLB
Lasorda briefly hospitalized
STORY TOOLS 
More from MLBFormer Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda is home after a brief hospitalization for a minor ailment, according to the club's Web site.
The 80-year-old Lasorda, special adviser to chairman Frank McCourt, cut short a goodwill trip to the Dominican Republic with other club officials, including general manager Ned Colletti, and spent two days at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.
Manager Joe Torre said Lasorda "sounded good" when they spoke by phone.
Julio Franco retires: Julio Franco finally called it quits.
The 49-year-old announced his retirement from baseball after a 23-year career in the major leagues and stints in his native Dominican Republic, South Korea, Japan and Mexico. In 2007, he became the oldest player to hit a home run in the majors.
"It was the hardest decision in my life," Franco said in an interview published Saturday by Mexican sports daily Record. "I always said I would be the first one to know the exact moment. I think the numbers speak for themselves, the production speaks and this is the right moment."
Franco last played in the majors in 2007, when he played in 55 games with the New York Mets (40) and the Atlanta Braves (15). He batted .222 with one home run and 16 RBIs in 90 at-bats.
Franco hit his last major league home run against Randy Johnson on May 4, 2007. At 48, he became the oldest player to homer in the majors.
The Dominican retired with a .298 average, 2,586 hits and 173 home runs in 23 seasons in the majors with eight teams.
Baker shuffles lineup, bats Griffey second: Ken Griffey Jr. continued his pursuit of 600 homers from an unusual lineup spot.
Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker, looking to shake up his lineup, moved Griffey to No. 2 in the lineup against the Atlanta Braves.
Griffey, hitting .248 with four homers and 15 RBIs this season, has 597 career homers and has spent most of his career in the middle of lineups.
Griffey, who has hit third in 27 games and cleanup in his other start this season, didn't mind the move up to No. 2.
"I'm trying to volunteer for the leadoff position," Griffey said before the game. "I'm working on that."
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.