The regular season has begun Diamondbacks still have some

Diamondbacks NewsZack Greinke Named Opening Day StarterAlthough there was some speculation that Greinke might be held in reserve for game two of the season David Justice Jersey , allowing him to forego the pomp and pageantry of Opening Day, the decision to tab Greinke as the team’s Opening Day starter for the third time for the Arizona Diamondbacks.Adam Jones Makes Spring DebutOne week after signing a one-year contract and being introduced to Arizona fans as part of the 2019 team, Adam Jones has made his spring training debut. The veteran outfielder went 0-for-3 hitting from the leadoff spot.Around MLBRegular Season Opens in Japan with SlugfestThe Oakland A’s “hosted” the Seattle Mariners in the first of two games being played in Japan to kick off the 2019 regular season. Despite being designated the home team, the stands were filled with Mariners fans; not surprising, given the fact that Ichiro is on Seattle’s roster in order to allow him a proper send-off in his home country of Japan, where he is arguably the biggest sports star in the baseball-crazy country. After all the festivities, the Mariners slugged their way to a 9-7 victory, powered in part by a Domingo Santana grand slam.Ichiro Bats Twice Before Leaving to OvationThe veteran superstar went )-for-1 with a walk before being lifted by manager Scott Servais in the bottom of the fourth inning to a standing ovation both in the stands and both clubhouses.Royals Shift Ian Kennedy to BullpenFormer Arizona ace and whipping boy http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , Ian Kennedy, has been moved from the Kansas City rotation into thebullpen. Last season was the first since 2009 where Kennedy failed to make at least 30 starts.Astros, Alex Bregman Agree to Contract ExtensionThe big money deals continue to roll in. The Houston Astros have signed star third baseman, Alex Bregman to a contract extension that amounts to a five-year, $100 million extension. It comes with a $10 million signing bonus. COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — It took Edgar Martinez a decade on the ballot to reach the pinnacle of baseball. A visit to the Hall of Fame on Monday reaffirmed his appreciation of being selected for induction.“The fans have supported me from the beginning, when I started playing in Seattle,” Martinez said after touring baseball’s shrine. “It’s a special relationship between the fans and me. I think they really appreciate that I stayed there.“Their support has been amazing. It means a lot to me Scott Kazmir Jersey , to make it in as a Mariner, and it’s going to be a special time when they show up here in July.”Martinez is the second player selected for induction who plans to have a Mariners logo on his plague. He’ll join Ken Griffey Jr., who until this year had the highest vote percentage in history at 99.3% in 2016. Griffey was topped by Mariano Rivera, a unanimous selection in January. Also elected were pitchers Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina. Lee Smith and Harold Baines were elected in December by a veterans committee. All six will be inducted in July.During his tour Monday, Martinez stopped in front of a display of Puerto Rican superstar Roberto Clemente’s jersey and reflected on his own baseball journey.“I was about 9 years old, and my aunt was watching what probably were highlights of Roberto Clemente (in the 1971) World Series, and he homered and she was just screaming,” Martinez recalled. “I remember after that I got really interested in the game. Right away I went outside and started hitting rocks with a broomstick Kurt Suzuki Jersey , and I kind of fell in love with the game.“Clemente became someone I wanted to emulate,” said Martinez, who was born in New York City but moved to Puerto Rico at a young age. “I wanted to be like him. He became a role model. It’s like that for pretty much everyone in Puerto Rico.”Martinez also displayed interest in batting artifacts on exhibit. He marveled at the visual display of Ted Williams’ strike zone and was awed by Babe Ruth’s 1927 bat, which features notches for each home run Ruth hit during his historic 60-homer season.“When I was playing, I used heavier bats for practice but lighter ones for games,” said Martinez, who made it a habit to use lighter bats later in the season. “If I was seeing the ball well, I still had to be able to meet the ball.”The highlight of the tour was the hat Clemente wore beneath his batting helmet when he recorded his 3 http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey ,000th hit. Martinez took the cap in his gloved hands and was quiet for a moment.“He meant so much to Puerto Rico,” Martinez said. “He was a hero to all of us, young and old. Even just holding it, you can feel the power. It’s almost like it has some magic in it.”