EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOAKLAND, Calif. -- When Ken Griffey Jr.'s baseball-star father struggled to get through to the talented teen, Rickey Henderson somehow could.The younger Griffey, who considers himself fortunate to have roamed the New York Yankees clubhouse and hit on their field alongside so many all-time greats, made sure to listen and learn."I was 15 years old when I met…

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- New York Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr. and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana lost to their teams in salary arbitration on Saturday.Leiter will earn $2.05 million this year rather than his $2.5 million request in a decision by Allen Ponak, Robert Herzog and Scott Buchheit, who heard arguments Friday.Santana will get $1.4 million instead of…

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Albert Pujols grew up not 30 minutes from Estadio Quisqueya, a quaint, shaded stadium that has housed Santo Domingo's two baseball teams, the Tigres del Licey and the Leones del Escogido, for 70 years. When he was 10, and the right-field corner was composed of benches instead of seats, he roamed the aisles…

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Free agent pitcher Jeison Pena was suspended for 80 games on Friday under baseball's minor league drug program and Colorado Rockies pitcher Ulises Reyes for 56 games under the program for minor leaguers assigned outside of the United States and Canada.Both tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol, the commissioner's office said Friday.Pena, a 22-year-old…