Baseball | Grady Sizemore seeks MLB's help to stop spread of racy photos

CLEVELAND — Major League Baseball officials have asked Internet sites to remove racy photographs of Cleveland center fielder Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore, a graduate of Cascade High School in Everett, said the photos — one showing him nearly nude — were stolen from his girlfriend's e-mail account and posted online. He contacted baseball officials in an attempt to stop the spread of the photos, which began appearing Sunday on various Web sites.

It is not known how many sites are complying with MLB's request. At least one site, deadspin.com, will not take down the photos of the three-time All-Star.

"There's no reason to," editor A.J. Daulerio said Monday. "They were up other places already."

Daulerio said the photos originated on a community message board and were forwarded to his site, which is also displaying a letter from an MLB official requesting the photos be removed.

The letter reads: "The photos posted in the article cited below are the property of Grady Sizemore. They were stolen from a personal computer. We've begun an investigation and request that you immediately remove Mr. Sizemore's property from the posting. We also ask that you preserve any records associated with its submission in anticipation of a criminal complaint to be filed with local law enforcement."

MLB investigators are trying to determine how many sites ran the photos of Sizemore standing in front of a bathroom mirror in various stages of undress.

Sizemore, 27, used a cellphone to take the images. He told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland they were intended only for his girlfriend.

Team officials, in a statement, said, "We fully support Grady as he deals with this personal matter."

Notes

• Shortstop Derek Jeter of the champion New York Yankees was selected Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

• Backup infielder Alex Cora, 34, is staying with the New York Mets, agreeing to a $2 million, one-year contract with a vesting option for 2011.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates sent right-hander Jeff Karstens, 27, and left-hander Justin Thomas, 25, outright to Class AAA Indianapolis after both cleared waivers. The Pirates claimed Thomas on waivers from the Mariners after the season.

• The Los Angeles Angels voted to give a full postseason share of $138,039 to the estate of Nick Adenhart, the rookie pitcher killed in April in a car accident allegedly caused by a drunken driver.

• The average major-league salary was nearly $3 million this year, with the percentage increase slowing to its lowest level since 2004.

The 926 players in the majors before rosters expanded in September averaged $2.996 million, according to the annual report of the players' association. That is up 2.4 percent from last year's average of $2.93 million.

The Yankees had the highest average salary: $7.663 million. The Mariners were 13th at $3.378 million.

• Broadcaster Chip Caray and TBS have decided to part ways, a network spokesman confirmed. Caray was a Mariners broadcaster from 1993 to 1995.