Top News:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Would order shift help Soriano? — Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers fans' questions … Given the team's recent and unexpected success, do you think general manager Jim Bowden and manager Frank Robinson will keep their jobs? — Andrew M., Middleburg, Va. — Let's start with Bowden.
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nationals Quieted By the Rockies
Nationals Quieted By the Rockies
Discussion:
William F. Yurasko's …
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Rangers close to deal with top pick — Left-hander expected to receive $1.6 million signing bonus — ARLINGTON - If a physical exam this afternoon shows no health issues, the Rangers could announce the signing of first-round pick left-hander Kasey Kiker before today's game.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Jan Hubbard / Dallas Star-Telegram:
RANGERS NOTES — Top pick may sign deal soon — ARLINGTON - The Rangers and left-handed pitcher Kasey Kiker, their first-round pick in last week's baseball draft, are close to agreeing on a contract and it should be final today. — Kiker, 18, who is from Russell County High School in Seale …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
2,000 Is Becoming Popular Number for the Yankees — Bernie Williams's next appearance, most likely Tuesday night against Cleveland, will be his 2,000th. He has played his entire career with the Yankees. — There are many magic numbers in baseball, but 2,000 is not really one of them.
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Floyd ready to return and accept competition — Cliff Floyd jokingly suggested last week that given Lastings Milledge's success in left field, the Mets might ask him to go on the disabled list to stay out of the way. And that was before the Mets exploded for 37 runs in a four-game sweep of Arizona.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
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Juan C. Rodriguez / Sun-Sentinel:
Olivo a solid hit batting or blocking plate — · Manager Joe Girardi figured Mike Cameron absorbed the greater impact from Sunday's home-plate collision with catcher Miguel Olivo. — Though Cameron knocked him well out of the batter's box, Olivo insisted he didn't feel a thing.
Discussion:
FishStripes
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Clark Spencer / Miami Herald:
Whiffs: a striking effect — Some baseball observers say strikeouts don't matter; first-year Marlins manager Joe Girardi doesn't agree. — cspencer@MiamiHerald.com — SAN DIEGO - Baseball's data crunchers say strikeouts are overrated, overemphasized and over-dramatized …
Sports Illustrated:
Star search — Mets making progress in latest NL balloting — NEW YORK (Ticker) — Third baseman David Wright made it three's company for the New York Mets. — Wright became the third Met to move to the top of the balloting in the latest National League All-Star voting released Monday.
Discussion:
the metropolitans
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John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Critical stretch: Heckled Foulke has second straight stinker2-4893 — If Keith Foulke wants to silence an obnoxious fan sitting behind the Red Sox dugout, he'll need to pitch better than he has the past two nights. — The target of a belligerent heckler, Foulke struggled …
Discussion:
Cursed To First
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Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Notes: Ozuna raises level of play — Politte throws long toss for the first time on Monday — ARLINGTON — With all due respect to Muhammad Ali and L.L. Cool J, Brian Anderson would like to add White Sox super-sub and teammate Pablo Ozuna to an exclusive list of top-notch performers sharing the same impressive nickname.
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Contreras' effort one for the book
Contreras' effort one for the book
Discussion:
Exile in Wrigleyville
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Duffy to rejoin Pirates' fold — Outfielder reporting to Bradenton today — Today, Chris Duffy will begin his journey back into baseball. — The Pirates' opening-day center fielder will travel from his home in Glendale, Ariz., to report to the team's extended spring training program in Bradenton …
Discussion:
Buried Treasure
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David Lennon / Newsday:
From crumbs to upper crust — PHILADELPHIA — The maturation of David Wright has reached a point where he is no longer considered just one of the most talented players on the Mets. Wright, at the age of 23, already is pushing to be included among baseball's elite, and his offensive numbers …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Beane could get asking price for Zito — The A's position on left-hander Barry Zito is unchanged; they will trade him if they get the right offer, no matter where they are in the standings. — Of course, if A's general manager Billy Beane defines "the right offer" as the equivalent …
Rick Wilton / Hardball Times:
Baseball Injury Report — Featured Note of the Week — Rich Harden (RHP, OAK) — A day after it was announced Harden was going back on the DL, this time with elbow problems, more details were released. He has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching elbow.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Chris Haft / Contra Costa Times:
D'backs make no excuses — Giants' next opponent is slumping, but players don't blame Grimsley flap — The Arizona Diamondbacks are enduring a seven-game losing streak and the wake of the Jason Grimsley steroid scandal. It's not a reach to suggest that these issues are related.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Rick Maese / Baltimore Sun:
Since talent is watered down, don't blame juice — At some point, right about the time the war on drugs morphed into a war on baseball, a hole in logic grew to such Ruthian proportions that it's come to obscure rational thought. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased history. Barry Bonds chased immortality.
Discussion:
Sabernomics