Trade rumors finally ended for Arkansas native Cliff Lee Tuesday when the Cleveland Indians traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies along with outfielder Ben Fransisco for 4 minor league prospects.

Lee, a native of Benton, AR, was the American League Cy Young award winner last season when he was the AL’s best pitcher with a 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA. And though one wouldn’t know it from his win total, he has been one the best this year also. The lefty has a 3.14 ERA, which is good for 7th best in the league, but only has a 7-9 record to show for it.

Philadelphia was one of 3 main contenders for Lee. The Dodgers and Angels were also reported to be looking into trading for Lee’s services, but were unable to make the deal. Lee is the first major leaguer from Arkansas to be traded since Fort Smith, AR native Ryan Franklin was sent from Philadelphia to Cincinnati in 2006.

in return for Lee and Fransisco, Cleveland received pitchers Jason Knapp and Carlos Carrasco, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson.

This is the second time in Lee’s career he has been traded. The Arkansas Razorback product was originally drafted by The Montreal Expos in the 3rd round of the 2000 draft. He signed shortly afterward, but was only able to play 47 games in the Expos organization before he was traded along with Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips to Cleveland.

Currently, Lee has the 7th most wins all-time among Arkansans, as well as the 6th most strikeouts.

Rickey Henderson, baseball’s all-time stolen base leader, was officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday in Cooperstown, Ny.

Henderson, who is originally from Chicago, lived in Pine Bluff, AR between the ages of 2 and 7 with his grandmother while his mother looked for work in California. He went on to steal 1,406 bases from 1979 and 2005 and hit a career .279. He was voted into the HOF on January 12th, receiving 94.8% of the votes.

Also inducted Sunday were greats Jim Rice and Joe Gordon.

It was announced Sunday that Jess Todd has been traded to the Cleveland Indians as the player-to-be-named-later in the trade that sent Mark DeRosa to St. Louis.

Todd, 23 pitched for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2007. He went 9-3 with a 2.89 ERA with Arkansas before being drafted by the Cardinals in the 2nd round of the ‘07 draft. He made his MLB debut on June 5th, pitching 1.2 innings for St. Louis. He was sent back to AAA shortly afterward and has yet to pitch in another big league game.

The trade was originally made on June 27th. Reliever Chris Perez was also sent to Cleveland.

The Washington Nationals announced Jim Riggleman, once a long-time player and manager of the Arkansas Travelers, as their new skipper Wednesday after dismissing Manny Acta earlier this week.

Riggleman, 56, played for the Travelers on and off from 1977-1981, hitting .285 with 32 homeruns in 343 total games with Arkansas. He later managed the Travelers from 1985 through the first half of 1988, compiling a 233-237 record. He led the Travelers to the playoffs in ‘85, but the team lost in the first round.

The Nationals will be the 4th MLB team Riggleman has managed since 1992. He had previously managed the Padres, Cubs and Mariners, putting together a career 522-652 win-loss record

Only a week after being selected to the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis, Los Angeles Angels’ outfielder Torii Hunter was placed on the 15-Day disabled list Friday due to a right adductor strain.

The injury means that the Pine Bluff, AR native will not be able to play in the All-Star game, despite being one of the American Leagues best players this season. Hunter was hitting .305 with 17 homeruns before being put  on the DL.

Hunter’s is expected to be injured for two to three weeks. Vladimir Guerrero, another LA outfielder, was placed on the DL the same day.

The 2009 MLB All-Star game rosters were announced Sunday afternoon and included among the 64 total players selected were Arkansas-born players Torii Hunter and Ryan Franklin. Also included was former Arkansas Travelers pitcher Francisco Rodriguez.

Hunter and Franklin together represent two-fifths of the Arkansas-natives in the Major Leagues this season. Not selected were Tampa Bay’s Pat Burrell, the injured Dustin Moseley and Cliff Lee, a 2008 All-Star.

A Pine Bluff, AR native, Hunter is hitting .303 with 17 homeruns so far in 74 games this season. The Angel’s outfielder will be making his third All-Star appearance, adding to his 2002 and 2007 selections.

Franklin, who was born in Fort Smith, AR, was selected for the first time in his 10-season long MLB career. He has taken over the closer role for the St. Louis Cardinals and has gone 2-0 with an incredible 0.84 ERA and 20 saves in ‘09. He is the 23rd Arkansas-born player to chosen for ASG.

Rodriguez made a brief stop with the Travelers in 2002, going 2-2 with a 1.96 ERA.

The Cincinnati Reds sent relief pitcher Jared Burton down to AAA Louisville Wednesday and recalled El Dorado, AR native Drew Sutton up to the major league roster.

Sutton made his debut Saturday against Arizona, pinch-hitting for Reds’ pitcher Daniel Ray Herrera with the bases loaded. Sutton grounded out, but while doing so drove home the game-tying run, sending the two teams into extra innings. Sutton took over thirdbase in the 10th inning, in which the Reds eventually won 3-2.

Sutton was born in El Dorado on June 30th, 1983, but went to high school in Jackson, TN. He went to college at Texarkana Junior College before playing at Baylor University. He is the 147th player born in Arkansas to make is to the major leauges and the first to do so since Eric Reed in 2006.

Though his professional baseball career ended nearly 55 years ago, Hank Wyse was among 9 players selected to be inducted into the Texas League Hall of Fame Wednesday.

Wyse, who was born in the small town of Lunsford, AR, spent part 6 season with 3 different teams in the Texas League during his career, which included 8 season of play in the Major Leagues. During his time in the Texas League, Wyse compiled a 89-48 record with a 2.71 ERA.

Jerry Doggett, Lee Ballanfant, Hal Epps, Tom Jenkins, Randy Ready, Chuck Rose, Dick Williams, and William “Lucky” Wright were also selected.

Arkansas Razorback pitcher Stephen Richards signed on with the Florida Marlins Wednesday after being selected 248th overall in 8th round of the 2009 MLB Draft.

Richards, Arkansas’ primary closer for the ‘09 season, went 6-2 with a 2.19 ERA and 9 saves in 37 innings pitched. He is the 4th Razorback to go pro this year, following Ben Tschepikow, Scott Lyons and Dallas Keuchel.

Richards has been assigned to the Jamestown Jammers of the New York Penn League, where former University of Arkansas at Little Rock player Robert Taylor, is also.