Any chances that the owners had of implementing contraction this off-season are fading fast. Minnesota's Supreme Court decided against a speedy review of the injunction slapped upon the Twins at the request of their Metrodome landlord, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. The injunction forces the team to play their home games in the Metrodome next season in order to fulfill their lease agreement, which prevents the owners from folding the team. While no teams have currently been named for contraction, Minnesota is considered one of the prime targets.

The Minnesota Supreme Court chose to send the case back down to the Court of Appeals, albeit with instructions to speed up the normal processing time. In turn, the Court of Appeals scheduled a hearing for December 27th. The target date for a contraction dispersal draft has been sometime before December 15th, five days before the last day to offer contracts to unsigned rostered players. This matter would need to be resolved in favor of MLB and the Twins before such a draft contracting the Twins could take place.

Meanwhile, Representative John Conyers, Jr. was busy making requests of Commissioner Selig relating to the hearing on baseball's anti-trust exemption set to take place before the House Judiciary Committee on December 6th. According to the AP, the Representative from Michigan requested "audited financial records for 1999, 2000 and 2001 for Minnesota, Montreal, Florida, Tampa Bay, Oakland and Kansas City, 'along with any available comparison of these financial records to overall major league baseball figures.'" There was also a request that revenue records be listed separately. Also from the AP, Conyers additionally called for all "'minutes, notes or other records' of the Nov. 6 owners' meeting 'along with any memorandum or other supporting materials provided to the owners'", "all studies done by baseball in the last five years on contraction and relocation", and "any studies on territorial rights to San Jose, Calif.; New Jersey; and Washington." All materials should be in the committee's possession no later than Tuesday morning.

The content of these requests does not bode well for the owners. Much of this material includes information that analysts have long suspected could expose the ridiculous nature of their claims and which also holds data pertaining to superior methods of achieving parity within the game, i.e. placing a third team in or near New York.

At the very latest, MLB needs to hold the contraction dispersal draft before pitchers and catchers report for spring training February 15th. These developments make that possibility extremely unlikely.

Jose Vizcaino re-signed with the Houston Astros on Friday. The one-year deal totaling $1.7 million, is worth $200,000 more than his contract last season. Vizcaino will probably wind up as a utility infielder rather than commandeering Julio Lugo's role as starting shortstop in 2002.

However, Lugo struggled at the plate in 2001 and there is some chance that rookie Adam Everett could earn the starting job in spring training. If Everett is ready to take over, then the Astros could shop Lugo for a trade. Houston would love a high-end defensive centerfielder that wouldn't be a drain on offense. A package of Lugo, Daryle Ward, and potentially a prospect should be able to acquire almost anyone they would want. Ideal trade targets would include Jose Cruz, Jr., Darin Erstad, and even Torii Hunter.

A Mix-up Regarding Geoff Jenkins' arthroscopic shoulder surgery to trim the outer edge of his collarbone was disclosed Thursday by Milwaukee. Due to a misunderstanding between team doctor Angelo Mattalino and club officials, it was announced that the surgery had taken place on Jenkins' left non-throwing shoulder when in fact the operation was on the outfielder's right shoulder.

The confusion evidently reached the highest levels of the organization in view of the fact that on Tuesday the Milwaukee Journal quoted GM Dean Taylor as saying, "They told me the rehab period would be two to three months. It's a little shorter because it's his non-throwing shoulder." Despite being based upon faulty data, the timeline for Jenkins' recovery remains the same, and he should be fully ready by the time exhibition games begin in the spring.

While there doesn't appear to have been any malice involved in the distribution of the incorrect information to the media, there does appear to have been a great deal of incompetence. The Brewers recently revamped their entire medical staff in an effort to improve the handling, overall number, and seriousness of injuries throughout the organization.

Many of the changes were limited to promotions of assistant physicians, beginning in October with the promotion of Assistant Trainer Roger Caplinger to Head Trainer. Former Assisting Physician Dr. William Raasch was named Head Team Physician. Dr. Angelo Mattalino, with whom the misunderstanding over Jenkins' surgery took place, is an Associate Team Physician and oversees the team's medical operations in Arizona including caring for the players during spring training.

There are some fresh names in the mix, including the new Assistant Trainer Dan Wright. Wright has some major and minor league experience as a trainer and has spent the last several years as Owner and President of FitLife Health Systems, Inc.

Milwaukee needed to improve their medical and training staff, because they have been extremely prone to injuries in the last few years, particularly to their starting rotation. Ben Sheets suffers from chronic rotator cuff tendinitis, Nick Neugebauer had surgery in September to repair a torn labrum, Jamey Wright had surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow, Jimmy Haynes suffered an in-season oblique muscle strain, and Ruben Quevedo has been troubled by a tired arm. Quevedo's arm isn't entirely the Brewers' fault, as the Cubs and Don Baylor abused it very badly during his brief stint in Chicago, but its still Milwaukee's problem.

Taylor will look to add pitching this off-season, but it is especially hard to build a winning team if you continually have to replace injured starters. The Jenkins mix-up does not speak well for the overhauled staff and its ability to improve upon their predecessors' work.