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Jenkins, Maddux To Get No. 31 Retired

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 19, 2009

MESA, Ariz. - The Chicago Cubs will retire the No. 31 worn by both Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux.

The two star right-handed pitchers will be honored at a ceremony May 3 before a game against Florida at Wrigley Field.

It will be the fifth number retired by the Cubs, joining No. 14 (Ernie Banks), No. 26 (Billy Williams), No. 10 (Ron Santo) and No. 23 (Ryne Sandberg).

Jenkins, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991, and Maddux, who won 355 games before retiring in December, are the first pitchers in Cubs history to have their numbers retired.

Jenkins retired before the 1984 season. When Maddux broke in with the Cubs two years later, he was given No. 31.

DODGERS: While the rest of his teammates took a day off, pitcher Chad Billingsley worked five innings in a minor-league intrasquad game Wednesday.

Billingsley allowed five hits and three earned runs.

MARINERS: Ken Griffey Jr. will make his first start of the spring in left field when Seattle plays the Padres today.

Griffey has been relegated to DH for Seattle while recovering from knee surgery. The 39-year-old has said he hopes to play in the outfield regularly once the season begins.

MARLINS: All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez was scratched from the lineup for a second straight game because of discomfort in his right shoulder.

Ramirez hasn't played since Saturday, when he served as the designated hitter.

NATIONALS: Washington added reliever Joe Beimel and released oft-injured starter Shawn Hill, who beat the team in salary arbitration.

YANKEES: Hideki Matsui won't play in the outfield for the New York Yankees until at least interleague road games in June and will be restricted to designated hitter and pinch-hitting appearances until then.

Matsui is recovering from left knee surgery last Sept. 22. Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn't want to take the chance of a setback.

In other news, closer Mariano Rivera said he felt fine, one day after pitching for the first time in spring training.

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