Top News:
Associated Press:
Report: Torre expected to be fired — NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Joe Torre likely will be fired and replaced by Lou Piniella following another early exit from the playoffs, the New York Daily News reported Sunday. — According to sources the Daily News did not identify …
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NY Daily News:
It will be deja Lou all over again in the Bronx — DETROIT - You can make the case that they didn't have enough pitching to get back to the World Series and a parade up the Canyon of Heroes, but I can assure you, George Steinbrenner doesn't want to hear it.
Mark Feinsand / Mark it Down:
ALDS Postmortem — kyakouboff@adelphia.net on ALDS Game 4 — Recently Updated Weblogs — Down the Left Field Line: Life, Baseball & Eric Byrnes — ALDS Postmortem — For the second year in a row, the Yankees' season ends with the Division Series.
NY Daily News:
Joe's toast in motown melt — Skipper likely gone after 11-year stint — DETROIT - Despite an 11-season run that will put him in the Hall of Fame, Joe Torre has probably spent his last day in a Yankee uniform after last night's stunning 8-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nats Talking With Girardi And Piniella — The Washington Nationals reportedly spoke with both Joe Girardi and Lou Piniella about their open managerial position late last week, though there was still evidence yesterday that the process is ongoing. — Girardi, the former manager of the Florida Marlins …
Discussion:
District of Baseball
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
A special moment for the Tigers and their fans … DETROIT — Al Kaline and Willie Horton, Detroit Tiger favorites turned front-office assistants, love to tell the team's young players about the city's potential. Detroit doesn't have to be a baseball wasteland — or even Hockeytown.
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Brian Borawski / Hardball Times:
ALDS: Tigers vs. Yankees: The Kenny Rogers Show
ALDS: Tigers vs. Yankees: The Kenny Rogers Show
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Instincts, Not Statistics, Guide Randolph — Endy Chávez's two hits to spark the Mets' offense in Game 2 had little effect when Manager Willie Randolph filled out his lineup card Saturday. Randolph said he had a feeling "in his bones" that Shawn Green, who was benched in favor of Chávez, would contribute in Game 3.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
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Amy K. Nelson / ESPN:
Lo Duca, Green and Mota shine for Mets … LOS ANGELES — Tucked inside a Hollywood warehouse, there's the home plate Shawn Green crossed when his 49th homer set the Dodgers' single-season record. And atop a file cabinet is a lineup card with Paul Lo Duca's name etched on it.
Eric Neel / ESPN:
Hit-happy Mets pepper Dodgers into submission … LOS ANGELES — You know that moment in the Ali-Foreman fight in Zaire when Ali was up against the ropes and Foreman was throwing those roundhouse body blows, and then all of a sudden Ali peeked out from behind his gloves, opened his eyes wide, and grinned as if to say, "That's it?
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Associated Press:
Padres-Cardinals Preview — The St. Louis Cardinals may have lost their chance to sweep the San Diego Padres , but they still have their ace available to try to finish the series. — Chris Carpenter looks to capture his second victory of this NLDS and pitch the Cardinals …
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Williams asked to keep Padres going — Veteran hoping to send series back to San Diego for final game — ST. LOUIS — Woody Williams knew all along he was penciled in as the Padres' Game 4 starter in the National League Division Series. It was simply a matter of getting to a Game 4 and writing his name in ink.
Discussion:
San Diego Spotlight
Vinay Kumar / Hardball Times:
NLDS: Padres at Cardinals: The Tables are Turned (Finally) — For two games this week, the Cardinals roundly outplayed the Padres. This was on top of 3 similar playoff games last year. The Cards jumped off to early leads, and then out-pitched and out-fielded the Padres from there.
Discussion:
Padres RunDown
Martin B. Schmidt / New York Times:
Success in September Is Key to Winning in October — In 2000, the Yankees finished the season with an 87-74 record. Much of that record, however, was built when the Yankees posted a 75-56 record in their first 131 games. They finished by losing 18 of their last 30 games.
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Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Injured pitcher comes clean — Beimel reveals he cut hand in a bar — LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have a runaway leader in the clubhouse for scapegoat if they lose this Division Series to the Mets, and it's not manager Grady Little. — It's lefthanded reliever Joe Beimel …
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Keith Woolner / Baseball Prospectus:
Completely Random Statistical Trivia — 2006 in Review — There's no theme to today's article. Just a random mishmash of hopefully interesting statistical tidbits for the past season, and revisiting some ideas from past columns: — Longest Plate Appearances of the Year
Lenn Robbins / New York Post:
JEREMY HAD TIPSTER — TIPSTER GAVE BONDERMAN YANKEE DOPE — Jeremy Bonderman wouldn't name names, but he confirmed what every Yankee fan know. The Bronx Bombers, baseball's $200 million team, have a lot of enemies in the baseball world. — Bonderman, who threw 81/3 innings of five-hit ball …
Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Nobody before or since — Larsen hardly knew what a perfect game was until he made history that day — Yankees manager Casey Stengel sometimes didn't decide on his starting pitcher until the morning of that day's game. On such occasions, it became ritual for third base coach Frank Crosetti …