Posted by Timm Davis on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 12:22 pm

…Congratulations to Team USA who beat Japan to claim the Bronze Medal at the Olympics in Beijing. The USA put on a power display hitting three home runs to power the attack, with the final score of 8-4. And thus ends Baseball’s run in the Olympics, IOC president Jacques Rogge was there for the game and unless the US starts sending it’s top baseball players – it might be a while before Baseball returns to Olympic play.

Here’s what US Manager Davey Johnson had to say.

“Baseball in the United States is a huge business. And unless they find a way to have a couple weeks’ break, I don’t see them letting their best players leave,” he said, drawing perspective from 13 years as a player and 14 as a manager in the majors.

“You might take two or three players from a club and they may not win the pennant. They may lose the pennant because of it. I’d love to see big-league players in the Olympics, but I don’t see that happening in the near future.”

Major League Baseball isn’t the NHL (so maybe we can blame Gary Bettman) where they can shut down the league for two weeks and send the best players. The IBF is going try and petition for the 2016 games, but even that sounds like a pipe dream at this point.

…According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez is opting to have surgery on this big toe to remove a bunion. This maybe the end of the line for El Duque as it’ll take almost a full season for it to heal, and he may opt to retire.

…The Atlanta Braves have signed pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to a Minor League Deal. He last pitched for the Colorado Rockies before having Tommy John Surgery and to repair a torn flexor tendon. He has a 2009 option in his contract and will be invited to Spring Training.

…Everyone’s second favorite Stienbrenner (Hank) says that he expects Joba Chamberlain to return to the mound before the end of the season. Though he’s not sure if it should be in the bullpen or the starting rotation.

“I don’t know yet,” Steinbrenner said Friday night at the Yankees’ spring training complex. “It’s up to [manager Joe] Girardi and [pitching coach Dave] Eiland, how they want to do it. They know what they’re doing, and the doctors obviously know.”

…What’s a Short Hops, without talking about looming instant replay. The Players and Owners are close to reaching an agreement regarding instant replay now that the World Umpires Association is on board. The announcement on the start of instant replay could come as early as next week according to ESPN.com.