Baseball notebook: Loud shoes cost Wilson
![Giants closer Brian Wilson must forego wearing his orange cleats in the future. (Associated Press)](https://thumb.spokesman.com/8nxZcA0z12jnhIz1kIUgTw7p2Gk=/400x0/media.spokesman.com/photos/2010/07/29/giantspic29.jpg)
San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson has been fined by Major League Baseball for wearing orange cleats during Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Florida Marlins.
The shoes, a gift from Nike and presented to Wilson at the All-Star game, apparently violated the league’s dress code. It was the first time Wilson has worn them in a regular-season game.
“They all have to have the majority of your team’s color on the shoe you wear,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday. “I was aware of it. It’s going to be up to me to make sure these guys stay in uniform. I agree with it. We’ll make sure his shoes are acceptable.”
Baseball rules require all players on a team to wear uniforms that conform to his teammates.
Wilson was already on top of it. He sat in front of his locker before Wednesday’s game against the Marlins and used a black marking pen to color in a portion of his cleats.
“The magic doesn’t come from the shoes,” Wilson said.
Wilson, who leads the majors with 30 saves, wore the same shoes during the All-Star game then broke them out Monday while warming up in the bullpen. He didn’t pitch in that game but came in to work the ninth inning on Tuesday.
“In the All-Star game anything goes, it’s a little different there,” Bochy said. “I’m not surprised he got fined with that.”
Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez questioned the umpires about the shoes before Wilson pitched Tuesday and was told they could do nothing about it – the rulebook does not expressly reference a player’s cleats.
The Cleveland Indians have traded third baseman Jhonny Peralta, 28, to the Detroit Tigers for minor league left-hander Giovanni Soto.
Peralta, who is batting .246 with seven homers and 43 RBIs, will likely fill in for the injured Brandon Inge.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals for a pair of minor leaguers.
Podsednik is batting .310 this season with 30 stolen bases.
The Royals received catcher Lucas May and pitcher Elisaul Pimentel.
Clearing the bases
The Phillies placed center fielder Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list with an abdominal strain and called up Domonic Brown from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. … Angels right-hander Joel Pineiro will miss six to eight weeks after straining a muscle in his left side while warming up for a start against the Red Sox. … The Athletics confirmed what they had feared and announced pitcher Ben Sheets is out for the season due to a torn flexor in his right elbow. … Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee has rejected a trade to the Los Angeles Angels, saying he prefers to finish the season with his team. Lee, 34, has a no-trade clause and says he plans to play beyond this season and would like to do it with the Cubs. He is batting just .248 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs. … Tigers manager Jim Leyland was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball for inappropriate and aggressive conduct during the bottom of the third inning of Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay. The manager was ejected during an argument in which Leyland said he accidentally sprayed second base umpire Marty Foster with sunflower seeds. … Newly acquired Angels pitcher Dan Haren expects to make his next start – Saturday against the Rangers – as scheduled despite a bruised forearm.