Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain pleads guilty to DUI charge

LINCOLN, Neb. — New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain pleaded guilty Wednesday to drunken driving and was given probation and a fine.

After a plea deal, prosecutors dropped the second charge of driving with an open alcohol container.

The 23-year-old Chamberlain played for Nebraska in college.

He was pulled over Oct. 18 by police on the outskirts of Lincoln. Authorities say his blood-alcohol level was 0.134 percent. The legal limit in Nebraska is 0.08 percent.

"You probably worked long and hard to get where you are today," judge Laurie Yardley said before sentencing Chamberlain to nine months' probation. "It takes about 10 seconds to wipe all that out."

Chamberlain nodded and said, "Yes, ma'am," and Yardley told him, "Don't come back."

He'll also pay a $400 fine, lose his license for 60 days and complete an alcohol-education class.

"I am glad to put the legal aspect of this behind me," Chamberlain said in a statement. "I made a mistake and hope over time to turn this into a positive learning experience for me and others."

Chamberlain's court date had been rescheduled four times, most recently from Tuesday to Wednesday.

He flew to Nebraska for his hearing in Lincoln after pitching 5-1/3 innings in New York's 6-3 win over Cincinnati on Tuesday during a spring-training game in Florida.

Manny wants more action

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Manny Ramirez had one lament after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers' final exhibition game in Arizona.

"No fly balls," he said.

Delayed by a late contract signing and a subsequent hamstring injury, Ramirez thinks he is running behind schedule this spring, so much so that he lobbied for extended playing time in the Dodgers' four remaining exhibition games before their regular-season opener April 6 at San Diego.

"It's up to Joe [Torre], but I need the at-bats and I need to get in the outfield," Ramirez said. "I haven't played a lot because of my hamstring. Everybody is three weeks ahead of me and I'm trying to catch up, you know?

"It's such a long season, and you can go day by day to catch up."

Ramirez signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Dodgers on March 4, two weeks after position players reported to spring training.

He aggravated his left hamstring during his first game in the outfield March 15 after being scratched the day before because of hamstring tightness.

Ramirez did not play the outfield again until March 25, though he was used as a designated hitter in two games before that.

"It's good. It feels great," Ramirez said of his hamstring.

Notes

• The Texas Rangers cleared the way for Andruw Jones to make their opening-day roster by releasing Frank Catalanotto. Jones is batting .293 with three home runs in 58 at-bats this spring. The move gives Jones the team's final roster spot as a fifth outfielder and a right-handed designated hitter.

Also, right-hander Kris Benson has made the Rangers' starting rotation after not pitching in the majors since 2006. Benson is 2-0 with a 4.76 earned-run average in five spring games.

• Derek Jeter could be the first New York Yankees player to bat at their new stadium. Manager Joe Girardi said his spring-training switch of Jeter and Johnny Damon atop the lineup has worked so well that as of right now, the Yankees captain will bat first and Damon second for the season opener at Baltimore on Monday. "I've liked what I've seen," Girardi said.

• Tampa Bay reliever Jason Isringhausen will begin the season on the disabled list, a move that will give him additional time to build arm strength after elbow surgery and potentially bolster depth in the Rays' bullpen.

• Washington Nationals second baseman Anderson Hernandez will start the season on the 15-day disabled list with an injured left hamstring.

• St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus is expected to miss at least two months after a setback in his rehabilitation from arthroscopic shoulder surgery in January. Glaus originally was expected to miss just a few weeks of the regular season. But St. Louis said Glaus will be re-evaluated around June 1.

• Right-hander Jeff Karstens won the final spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting rotation.

• The Kansas City Royals traded utility player Ross Gload to the Florida Marlins for a player to be named and cash.

• The San Diego Padres have acquired right-handed reliever Edward Mujica from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named or cash.

• The Baltimore Orioles have acquired infielder Roberto Andino from the Florida Marlins for pitcher Hayden Penn.