Ken Robinson Dies in Auto Accident

Former major league pitcher Ken Robinson died in an alcohol-related auto accident early Sunday in Tucson, Ariz., in which a fellow minor leaguer in the Arizona Diamondback organization is being charged with second-degree murder.

Robinson, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver, John Rosengren, 26, was being held in the Pima County Jail. Rosengren showed signs of impairment, and a blood sample was taken, police said.

Robinson had brief major league stints as a relief pitcher with Toronto in 1995 and 1997, and with Kansas City in 1996. He had a major league record of 2-2 with a 3.91 earned-run average. Robinson signed with Arizona on Feb. 17, 1998, after being waived by Toronto, and he was sidelined last season after shoulder surgery.

Rosengren, a pitcher, was signed by Arizona after being released by Detroit after the 1997 season. He was sidelined last season after arm surgery.

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Roger Clemens, traded to the New York Yankees from Toronto on Feb. 18, will make his first spring training start on Saturday in a spilt-squad game against Kansas City in Haines City, Fla., 60 miles east of the Yankees’ camp in Tampa.

“I just want to stay away from the media circus more than anything,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “That was the purpose for not pitching him against Toronto the first couple of days and I said I might as well do the same.”

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Former Boston Red Sox infielder Tim Naehring signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds.

Naehring, 32, hasn’t played since June 1997 because of an elbow injury. In eight seasons with Boston, he appeared in 547 games and batted .282 with 49 home runs and 260 RBIs.