Top News:
Lee Jenkins / New York Times:
With Bat and Emotions, Delgado Shines in Debut — Carlos Delgado and David Wright were walking through a hallway outside the Mets' clubhouse last night when Wright unintentionally summed up Game 1 of the National League division series: — "Man," he said, "you hit hard."
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Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Scully Recalls the Daffy Days of Brooklyn — The play, in which two Los Angeles Dodgers were tagged out in succession yesterday by Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca after a single by Russell Martin, was perfectly set up for Vin Scully, working solo in the cramped visitors' radio booth at Shea Stadium.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
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 …
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.
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Dan Martin / New York Post:
BOSS NOT IMPRESSED BY METS — An ornery George Steinbrenner stormed out of Yankee Stadium shortly after the Yankees game against the Tigers was postponed last night and promptly knocked the league and his team's crosstown rivals. — Steinbrenner was asked if he was happy the Mets won …
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NY Daily News:
Disgruntled Boss takes shots — As thousands of disgruntled fans filed out of Yankee Stadium following the postponement of Game 2 of the division series last night, there may not have been anyone more agitated at the evening's events than George Steinbrenner.
Associated Press:
Judge: Anderson must be freed — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal judge ordered Barry Bonds' personal trainer released from prison Thursday, saying a legal "snafu" had arisen. — U.S. District Judge William Alsup said Greg Anderson must be freed, because a federal appeals court hadn't affirmed …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Amy K. Nelson / ESPN:
Padres a loose, confident bunch … SAN DIEGO — There are no crazy cowboys, Dominican midgets or Jack Daniels-slinging sessions before the first pitch. But step into the San Diego Padres' clubhouse and you might need to rub your eyes twice for a reminder that you're on the West Coast, and not in Fenway Park's 2004 locker room.
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
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Dallas Morning News:
Showalter move shows GM is in charge — ARLINGTON - On one of his better days as a baseball owner Wednesday, Tom Hicks was nowhere in sight. — Hicks, whose success as a hockey owner has not been duplicated in his nine years with the Rangers, took a step toward respectability in baseball …
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Jeff Sackmann / Hardball Times:
Eight Ugly Options — When attached to long-term contracts, club options are strange things. In a sense, they are a way for a team to say, "Just in case you perform beyond our wildest dreams, we want to have the chance to pay you another 15 million bucks. You know, when you're 38."
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
NY Daily News:
ESPN beyond 'Redemption' — The anxiety level was high. Seventh inning. Nomar Garciaparra at the plate facing Guillermo Mota. Mets 4, Dodgers 2. Two outs. Bases loaded. — Gary Thorne, ESPN's play-by-play man, called it one of "those key" moments in a playoff game and perhaps the entire Dodgers-Mets division series.
Associated Press:
Abuse charge dropped against Phillies pitcher — BOSTON (AP) - An abuse charge against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was dismissed Thursday after his wife said she did not want her husband prosecuted for hitting her in the face during an argument near Fenway Park.
Baseball America:
Florida State League Top 20 Prospects List — Subscribers can read scouting reports on all 20 players (Click here to subscribe) — The high Class A Florida State League always has been a nightmare for hitters. Spacious major league spring-training parks turn home runs into long outs …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Contra Costa Times:
Now comes the really hard part — MINNEAPOLIS - Here's an absolute certainty, one that's right there in the pecking order with death and taxes and lost fly balls in the White Bubble Dome: No team does postseason, inside-the-park home runs against a backdrop of homer hankies the way the A's do.
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.
Metsfan / Mets Geek:
Weis, Mora, Pratt and ??? — Perhaps because they are so unexpected, surprise October performances by unlikely heroes seem even more prevalent than examples of the game's biggest stars shining on the postseason stage. Mets history is littered with such unlikely icons, with the predictable …
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 …
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards Notebook: DeWitt gives nod to La Russa — SAN DIEGO — Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt underscored the organization's satisfaction with manager Tony La Russa's performance this season, saying there was "never any thought given" to reviewing the skipper's status had the club not held on to win the National League Central title.
Discussion:
Ben Maller's Sports …
Mike Penner / Los Angeles Times:
L.A.-N.Y. rivalry is for the ages — As the Dodgers and the New York Mets embark on a new episode in their far-reaching saga, what are the greatest moments in the history of the Los Angeles-New York sports rivalry? — It depends on which coast is your vantage point.
