Blue Jays Deny Report They’re Pursuing Sosa

The Toronto Blue Jays, denying a published report, said Saturday that they are not in the running to get Chicago Cub slugger Sammy Sosa.

“We haven’t even talked to Chicago,” Blue Jay Manager Jim Fregosi said Saturday.

The Toronto Sun, citing an unnamed major league source, reported that the Blue Jays have offered the Cubs left fielder Shannon Stewart, right-hander Roy Halladay and a minor league shortstop.

“It’s a shame because I had to approach these players and tell them it was untrue,” Fregosi said.

Other teams reported to be trying to trade for Sosa are the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.

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Given the highly anticipated and potentially volatile four-game series that begins Thursday at New York, the Atlanta Braves hope that John Rocker’s control problems are behind him.

The Braves have been anxious about the visit to Shea Stadium since Rocker ripped New Yorkers and several ethnic and minority groups in a Sports Illustrated article six months ago.

“We usually dread going to New York because of the team we have to play,” Chipper Jones said. “Now we’re dreading it for all the wrong reasons.”

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Tony Gwynn is hoping that a sixth operation on his painful left knee helps him get back into the San Diego Padres’ lineup later this season. The eight-time batting champion is weighing his options, including retirement, in case it doesn’t.

Gwynn, 40, has 3,108 hits in 19 seasons. He can still hit but isn’t been able to play the field or run because of his left knee, which has been operated on five times and has little cartilage left.

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Dwight Gooden struck out six over three shutout innings for the New York Yankees’ Gulf Coast League team at Tampa, Fla., in his first start since signing a minor-league contract. Pitching against a Montreal Expo rookie league team, Gooden gave up a bloop double to leadoff hitter Juan Infante. He then retired the next nine hitters.