Irabu Doing the Continental Shift

Hideki Irabu arrived home in Japan on Thursday and told a news conference, “I am now thinking of playing in Canada’s independent league rather than training alone by myself� this season.

The San Diego Padres acquired rights to Irabu in a deal with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines, but Irabu has stated his desire to pitch for the New York Yankees.

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Three New York Yankees replacement players each will receive $25,000 and World Series rings, though the team’s regular players who had been on strike in 1995 opposed the idea.

The trio is being rewarded by owner George Steinbrenner at the urging of General Manager Bob Watson, The Record of Hackensack reported.

Watson said it was “an injustice� to deny Dale Polley, Dave Pavlas and Matt Howard a part of the World Series jackpot the Yankees received for winning.

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Baseball owners gave $11.3 million to the union’s benefit plan and sent checks of as much as $13,666.67 to players who were in the majors last year as the sport’s new labor agreement took effect.

The payments were called for in an eight-page strike settlement contained within a 156-page document detailing the changes in baseball’s collective bargaining agreement.