Top News:
Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times:
Little Decides to Use Penny, and Dodgers Pay the Price — NEW YORK — It was nuts. It was chaos. It was completely avoidable. — I'm not talking about J.D. Drew's decision to tailgate Jeff Kent into home plate in the second inning. — I'm talking about Grady Little decision to drive Brad Penny off a cliff in the seventh.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Extra relief all the difference for Mets — NEW YORK - After counting their healthy bodies, the Mets chose to keep 12 pitchers, one more than normal for a postseason roster, while the Dodgers went with only 10. — It made a difference in the Mets' 6-5 victory Tuesday in Game 1 of the Division Series at Shea Stadium.
Dave Studeman / Hardball Times:
NLDS: Mets vs. Dodgers: Shifty Business — They've really got to rethink that infield shift, those Dodgers. Every time the Mets' Carlos Delgado came to bat against them yesterday, their infielders shifted toward first base, knowing that the lefty Delgado is an extreme pull hitter.
Discussion:
Deadspin
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Maine Starts Game 1 for Mets, Then It's All Hands on Deck — The Mets were missing two pitching aces. They were starting a rookie on a few hours' notice in their first postseason game in six years. The only thing on their side yesterday was the crowd. They were conscious of the challenge …
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Associated Press:
Delgado nearly perfect as Mets take Game 1 — NEW YORK (AP) - Carlos Delgado hammered the ball all over the field in his playoff debut. David Wright also delivered, and the pitching-depleted New York Mets looked like October regulars during their first postseason game since 2000. — FOX Bite
NY Daily News:
Willie pens the right moves — Willie Randolph always took offense to whispers that he had missed out on another managerial job because he had been unprepared in his interview - never more so than when he heard the Mets rejected him in favor of Art Howe four years ago for that reason.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets' bats help secure Game 1 win — Delgado's four hits, Wright's two doubles back pitching — NEW YORK — Whatever gloom and doom had seeped into the Mets' universe because of the recent injuries could have weakened them even more than the injuries and undermined their plans for the National League's postseason tournament.
Discussion:
Always Amazin'
Newsday:
Wallace Matthews — Manage to win despite Randolph — Going into their first playoff game in six years, the Mets had plenty to worry about. — They had a rotation as thin as Chris Woodward's hair, an emergency starter on the mound and two eager but callow kids, Jose Reyes and David Wright …
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …
Toni Ginnetti / Chicago Sun Times:
Ripple effect could manage to reach Cubs — Changes on the field could stretch to changes off the field for the Cubs as baseball's managerial landscape continued to evolve Wednesday. — The latest firing took place in Texas, where the Rangers dismissed manager Buck Showalter after four years …
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Fred Mitchell / Chicago Tribune:In the homestretch? — Girardi is building house in Lake Forest
Discussion:
GROTA
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bradley 'Coffeegate' incident a big deal to ESPN, no one else — (10-04) 15:41 PDT Minneapolis — The power of postseason baseball is that everything is a big deal. The more enduring power is that winning postseason baseball renders all those big deals to be not so big after all. — Thus, Milton Bradley.
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Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Today — Division Series, Day One — The big story was the continuing tear of Frank Thomas, who hit two homers to account for the early lead and the insurance run in the ninth inning. What is most impressive about the two shots is how different the pitches were …
Free Lance-Star:
Beasley waits and wonders — STEVE DeSHAZO: In limbo, Beasley awaits his future — WASHINGTON—The season began with Tony Beasley's decision to send a runner who was called out at home. It may end with Beasley out of a job. — In between, there's little the Bowling Green native …
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Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
City offers rare playoff double — NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Curse the Yankees and Mets all you want; you've got to love any city that can serve as host for two baseball playoff games in the same day/night. In this spirit, I love New York. — The Yankees and Tigers will play Game 2 …
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Bonds feeling great after surgery — Slugger says he's OK with not playing next year — SAN DIEGO — Giants slugger Barry Bonds had bone chips and a bone spur removed from his left elbow on Monday, he told MLB.com on Wednesday when reached by telephone at his home in Beverly Hills.
Rob Maaddi / Associated Press:
Phillies let go 3 coaches — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies let go three coaches on Tuesday, an indication manager Charlie Manuel will keep his job for another year. — First-base coach Marc Bombard, third-base coach Bill Dancy and bench coach Gary Varsho …
Discussion:
A CITIZEN'S BLOG
Mike Berardino / Sun-Sentinel:
Willis, Cabrera may command a combined $12.5M — · Fredi Gonzalez had only been introduced as Marlins manager a few minutes earlier when he faced the first hard question of his fresh tenure. — Was he confident Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera would be part of his roster in 2007?
Discussion:
FishStripes
