Major League Baseball
Notebook: Man charged in Stenson slaying

By Seattle Times news services

	Dernell Stenson
	E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

PHOENIX — A 19-year-old man was arrested on a homicide charge last night in the death of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson, and police said they were seeking a second suspect.

Reginald Riddle also was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping, Chandler police said.

Early Wednesday, Stenson's body was found in a residential street in the Phoenix suburb. He had been shot, then run over and apparently dragged some distance by his own SUV.

Riddle, from Harvey, Ill., is the half-brother of Kevin Riddle, 43, who was found driving Stenson's SUV about two hours after the body was found.

Kevin Riddle was charged earlier with possession of stolen property, police said.

Authorities are seeking a third man, David Griffith, 20. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Stenson, 25, made his major-league debut with the Reds this year. He was having a big season in the Arizona Fall League, where up-and-coming players are sent to hone their skills. He was batting .394 — third-best in the league — through 18 games.

The Arizona Fall League canceled games Wednesday and yesterday. Play was to resume today.

Notes

• Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte filed for free agency, removing the pitchers from the New York Yankees' roster. Both Pettitte and the Yankees hope he re-signs with the team. Clemens still plans to retire. Also filing were Florida second baseman Luis Castillo, New York Mets infielder Jay Bell and Pittsburgh infielder Pat Meares.

• The Baltimore Orioles' field of managerial candidates has been reduced to three, and Eddie Murray apparently isn't one of them. Orioles bench coach Sam Perlozzo, Brewers hitting coach Rich Dauer and Yankees third-base coach Lee Mazzilli are the finalists, according to the Washington Post. None of the three has managed in the major leagues.

• Even though the New York Yankees declined their option on pitcher David Wells, 40, he wants to play one more season if his ailing back will let him, agent Gregg Clifton said.

• Shingo Takatsu, Japan's career saves leader, filed for free agency and is interested in pitching for a major-league team. Takatsu, 34, throws sidearm and relies on a sinkerball. He led the Central League with 34 saves for the Yakult Swallows and increased his total to 260 saves, passing Kazuhiro Sasaki for the No. 1 spot.

• Shortstop Jose Valentin's $5 million option was exercised by the Chicago White Sox.

• Former Chicago Cubs star Ron Santo, 63, said doctors have pronounced him cancer-free after bladder surgery last week. "I'm as clean as a whistle," said the Franklin High School graduate.

• Pete Rose hurt his case when he rhapsodized earlier this week about managing a team again. Sources close to commissioner Bud Selig told the New York Daily News that despite recent reports, Rose is no closer to reinstatement, and the odds that he'll ever manage a baseball club are still slim.

• A hearing is scheduled today at Roxbury District Court in Boston to determine whether Yankees players Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia will face criminal charges for their part in the Oct. 11 bullpen brawl at Fenway Park during Game 3 of the AL Championship Series.

• Yankees manager Joe Torre said his father had violent rages, the reason he helped establish a foundation to combat domestic violence. "When he was home, it was like walking on eggshells for us all the time," Torre said during an interview with "Dateline NBC" that airs Sunday. Torre, the youngest of five children, feared for his mother. "When he was yelling at my mom, it was sort of ... you cringe because you didn't know what was going to happen."

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company