Touch 'Em All: After stellar debut, ex-Phillie Cosart is sent down

Another rookie pitcher has learned that it takes more than a stellar debut to make the big squad. This time, it happened to former Phillies prospect Jarred Cosart of the Astros.

On Friday, Cosart (who went to Houston in the 2011 Hunter Pence trade) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Rays before being lifted. He finished with 0 runs on 2 hits in eight innings and outdueled AL Cy Young winner David Price, no less.

On Saturday, Cosart was sent back to the triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks.

Astros manager Bo Porter was very cool about the matter: "Jarred Cosart was high on our chart long before he made his start last night. It gives us more confidence he has the ability to be in the front of our rotation for a long time."

Porter's statement was very similar to what Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Friday after the Indians sent Danny Salazar back to triple-A Columbus Clippers. All Salazar did on Thursday was take a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Blue Jays and emerge with the win.

For all MLB fans who were worried about what's being done to stop the scourge of broken bats, no worries: The government is working on a solution.

In a breathless news release issued Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said research by the U.S. Forest Service wood experts has helped reduce the number of bats being shattered at major-league parks.

"This innovative research by the U.S. Forest Service will make baseball games safer for players and fans across the nation," Vilsack said.

These guys took their job seriously. They looked at every MLB bat broken from July to September 2008 and concluded that: "inconsistency of wood quality, primarily the manufacturing detail 'slope of grain,' for all species of wood used in Major League bat manufacture was the main cause of broken bats."

That's bureaucratize for better wood makes for better bats. So there.

Kansas City outfielder Alex Gordon has cashed in the most on his all-star selection. By making the AL team, he will received automatic $500,000 raises in each of the next two seasons, according to contract terms obtained by the Associated Press.

Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, Torii Hunter, and Justin Verlander get $100,000 each, as does the New York Mets' David Wright. Baltimore shortstop J.J. Hardy and Colorado outfielder Michael Cuddyer have all-star provision that could be worth $500,000 to each man.

In all, 46 players are receiving $50,000 bonuses for making an all-star team.

- Wire reports