Braun's side argued his urine sample was handled improperly because the drug collector kept it at home over a weekend., The drug policy stated that the sample was to have been delivered to a FedEx office immediately.
Management fired Das last month and replaced him this week with Fredric Horowitz, a veteran of baseball and NHL salary arbitration cases.
Head games
Everyone knows Lesson One from the immortal Crash Davis of Bull Durham fame: "Don't think - it can only hurt the ballclub." (As should be obvious, these are the words we live by.) It's a lesson Minnesota pitcher Nick Blackburn says he strives to keep in mind.
Making his first start since coming off the disabled list following a left quad strain, the Twins righthander gave up a two-run homer to Yuniesky Betancourt in the first inning on Wednesday night, but then settled down, going five strong innings in a 4-2 win over the Royals. "It's the same thing I've been going through for a while," he said in explaining his shaky start. "I'm thinking too much. In the second inning, I told myself to take my brain out of it a little." (Us, too!)
Down for a doughnut
Washington Nationals' phenom Bryce Harper, 19, on facing the New York Mets' 37-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on Thursday and going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts: "He throws it hard, throws it soft. Sometimes, it starts at your face and goes down through the strike zone. . . . I don't even know. This is my first time really facing a knuckeball guy like that."
Still, Harper said, it was fun to face Dickey, but going 0 for 4 was totally not fun. Somehow, we think he will figure it out.
Good news
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was released from a New York hospital Thursday morning, three days after suffering a mild heart attack. The 84-year-old pride of Norristown returns to L.A., trailing the good wishes of his home region.
Contact Michael Harrington at mharrington@phillynews.com.
This article contains information from the AP.
