Braves Quickly Sign Caminiti

Third baseman Ken Caminiti, released this week by the Texas Rangers, agreed to a contract Thursday with the Atlanta Braves.

In 54 games with the Rangers, the 38-year-old Caminiti hit .232 with nine home runs and 25 runs batted in. He struck out 41 times in 185 at-bats and committed nine errors.

The switch hitter has a career average of .273 with 233 home runs and 967 RBIs. He was the 1996 NL most valuable player, batting .326 with 40 homers and 130 RBIs for the San Diego Padres.

Caminiti’s contract with Texas called for $3 million in base salary and $750,000 in incentives.

Caminiti will join the Braves in Boston today in time for a weekend series with the Red Sox.

Cliff Floyd won’t have a problem flying to Seattle if he wants to confront Manager Bobby Valentine in person about being snubbed for the All-Star game.

Floyd was so certain he would make the team after talking to Valentine that he bought nearly $16,000 worth of plane tickets.

But Floyd wasn’t among the selections for the National League team, and on Thursday, Valentine said the Florida Marlin outfielder “misunderstood the conversation.” It prompted an angry response from Floyd.

“If he said I misunderstood, then he’s lying,” Floyd said in Montreal, where the Marlins were playing.

Floyd and Valentine have been feuding since May, when Floyd called the New York Met skipper “a stupid manager” during a testy series between the teams.

Pawtucket Red Sox outfielder Izzy Alcantara has been suspended for six games for his part in a bench-clearing brawl in a game against the triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons earlier this week.

Alcantara, the International League leader in batting and home runs, became enraged during a game Tuesday in Pawtucket after Red Baron pitcher Blas Cedeno brushed him back with an inside pitch.

Alcantara karate-kicked Red Baron catcher Jeremy Salazar in his facemask and then rushed the mound. He missed with one swing at Cedeno before being tackled by Scranton third baseman Kevin Orie.

Orie and Pawtucket pitcher Jesus Pena were suspended for three games, and Cedeno was hit with a one-game suspension.

The bidding for the Boston Red Sox raced into high gear after Staples Inc. said its chairman, Thomas Stemberg, would compete against other business moguls to buy a team that has not won a championship in more than 80 years.

A Staples spokesman said Stemberg, who made his fortune running the No. 2 office products retailer, has joined a bidding group that includes millionaire concessionaire Joseph O’Donnell, a friend of President Bush, and mall developer Stephen Karp.

Texas sent right-hander Ryan Glynn to triple-A Oklahoma and purchased the contract of veteran right-hander Kevin Foster. . . . The Cincinnati Reds promoted infielder Wilton Guerrero from their triple-A Louisville club and sent rookie right-hander Brian Reith to double-A Chattanooga. . . . The Baltimore Orioles activated outfielder Chris Richard from the 15-day disabled list and sent Larry Bigbie back to double-A Bowie. Richard is hitting .266 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs.