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Low & Outside: AL Notes

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig speaks in front of his statue outside Milwaukee's Miller Park.

By Robin Smith, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: August 25, 2010

Mickey, the Babe . . . and the Boss

What would Yankee Stadium be without the Boss?

George Steinbrenner will have a spot in the New York Yankees' Monument Park near Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.

A monument to the team's former principal owner will be dedicated before a home game against Tampa Bay on Sept. 20, the Steinbrenner family said in a statement. Steinbrenner died on July 13 at age 80.

Steinbrenner, known in baseball as "the Boss," bought the Yankees in 1973. His teams won seven World Series titles and 11 American League pennants.

Monument Park is a shrine beyond the center-field wall in the new stadium. Originally built during the late-1970s renovation of the old stadium, the park has five monuments: for Ruth, Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and manager Miller Huggins - all members of the Hall of Fame.

Damon won't go back to Boston

Johnny Damon is staying in Detroit.

The Tigers outfielder said he decided to pass up a chance to return to Boston. The Red Sox had claimed him on waivers this week, and it was up to him to approve the deal.

Damon said before Tuesday night's game against Kansas City that he had turned down the move. The 36-year-old helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series championship 2004, their first since 1918.

"We've got nothing else," Boston's David Ortiz said after Tuesday night's game against Seattle was postponed by rain and rescheduled for Wednesday night as part of a day-night doubleheader.

Season ends for Ordonez

Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez will have season-ending surgery on his right ankle Wednesday.

The 36-year-old slugger, who has been out since July 25, was hitting .303 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs before he was injured. He will be a free agent after this season because he will not be able to meet games and at-bat incentives that would have extended his deal.

Oh, say, can you see?

A U.S. Army skydiver was left dangling on a flagpole at Rangers Ballpark after his parachute got entangled during a pregame jump Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.

The Rangers said the unidentified jumper was uninjured after he unbuckled himself from the chute and dropped a few feet to a work platform on top of the scoreboard.

The skydiver was among several members of the U.S. Army Parchute Team known as the Golden Knights who jumped on the breezy night. The rest landed on the field.

Contact staff writer Robin Smith at rsmith@phillynews.com.

This article contains information from Inquirer wire services.