Eldred Probably Lost for the Season

Tests Wednesday showed Chicago White Sox right-hander Cal Eldred has a stress fracture just below his right elbow. He said he wants to consult further with doctors before deciding what to do next. As for Eldred coming back this season, White Sox General Manager Ron Schueler said, “I’m not going to rule it out yet. I’d be thrilled if he did come back. But I’m not counting on it.”

*

New York Yankee right-hander David Cone will rest his separated left shoulder until next week, and will miss at least one start. Cone underwent an MRI examination a day after he was injured while diving to catch a bunt in the third inning of a 10-5 victory over Kansas City. Cone is 4-11 with a 6.16 ERA, and had gone 15 starts without a victory before recently showing signs of improvement. . . . Chuck Knoblauch started at second base for the Yankees, his first action in more than a month. Knoblauch, out since Aug. 3 because of tendinitis in his right elbow, came off the disabled list Friday. It was his first trip to the DL in a 10-year career.

*

Oriole outfielder Albert Belle was sent back to Baltimore to have his sore right hip examined by a team doctor. The Orioles were expected to get the results of Belle’s exam today. Belle left the team Tuesday. . . . Tampa Bay bench coach Bill Russell is managing the Devil Rays in place of Larry Rothschild, who began serving a three-game suspension resulting from last week’s fights against Boston. Russell went 2-0 while Rothschild was suspended July 26-27.

*

Philadelphia catcher Mike Lieberthal left the Phillies after their game in San Francisco and flew to Los Angeles to have his elbow and ankle examined by Angel team physician Lewis Yocum. Lieberthal originally sustained the injuries in a home plate collision with the Yankees’ Bernie Williams July 17. Lieberthal was on the disabled list from July 18 to Aug. 3. . . . Florida Manager John Boles left the team to fly to Chicago to be with his ailing father. Third base coach Fredi Gonzalez managed the team in Boles’ absence.

*

After several years of talks, baseball is finally moving its Web site to www.mlb.com. Morgan, Lewis & Bockis LLP, the fourth-largest law firm in the country, registered the domain name in 1994, and launched its site two years later. The firm, which represented baseball in its negotiations with the players’ association in 1990 and 1994-95, had refused to relinquish the site, forcing baseball to use www.majorleaguebaseball.com for its Web site. The firm will now switch to www.morganlewis.com. Baseball is not making any payments to Morgan, Lewis & Bockis other than covering the firm’s costs of switching its Web site.

*

The price of most World Series box seats is going up $10 this year to $160, after the price was doubled from $75 to $150 in 1998. According to guidelines sent to teams by the commissioner’s office, box seats are priced at $160 and $130, reserved seats at $110 and $95 and bleacher seats and general admission at $50. In 1998 and ‘99, boxes were $150 and $120, reserved seats $100 and $85, bleachers and general admission $40.