Top News:
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Flat Albert — Rips Glavine, despite taking 0-fer — Albert Pujols was less than impressive in last night's NLCS opener. He was even less impressed with Mets starter Tom Glavine. — A peeved Pujols snapped at reporters following his -for-3 outing that included a costly baserunning blunder …
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Sports Illustrated:
Crosstown successes (cont.) — Boss refused Torre's offer — During a phone call that might have saved Torre's job, Torre apologized to Steinbrenner for the Yankees' pathetic postseason showing and told Steinbrenner that if he didn't trust him, he could fire him, which turned out to be Torre's best strategy of the year.
Lee Jenkins / New York Times:In Battle of Sluggers, Beltrán Draws First Blood
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
A likely new twist to Cubs' list — Padres' Bochy expected to join managerial derby — Just when it appeared the Cubs' managerial search was winding down, a new candidate is expected to land on general manager Jim Hendry's interview list — possibly by today.
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Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Bochy enters Cubs mix — Padres manager may be front-runner — Cubs' general manager Jim Hendry has met with all five managerial candidates on his original list, but his final choice may be "none of the above." — In what could be a fast-moving chain of events, San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy …
Ed Sherman / Chicago Tribune:
Piniella has Harrelson gushing — There are two managers who send Ken Harrelson to the land of superlatives: Ozzie Guillen and Lou Piniella. — Sure enough, Harrelson didn't hold back Thursday over the prospect of Piniella signing with the Cubs. — "We would have the two best managers in the same city," Harrelson said.
Discussion:
GROTA
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
A meeting of the minds — Belichick hits it off with La Russa — NEW YORK — I was shelling peanuts and hardly paying attention as Tony La Russa delivered a rambling answer to a pregame question regarding the expanded format of today's baseball playoffs.
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
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Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Notes: Marquis roots from sidelines — Carpenter to start Game 2; Cards' roster stays the same — NEW YORK — Jason Marquis acknowledged he felt "blindsided" and disappointed by the Cardinals' decision to leave him off their roster for the National League Championship Series …
Discussion:
CardNilly
Associated Press:
Johnny Callison, former Phillies All-Star, dies at 67 — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Johnny Callison, the strong-armed outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies who won the 1964 All-Star game with a ninth-inning homer, died at 67. — He died Thursday at Abington Hospital following an illness, Phillies spokesman Larry Shenk said Friday.
Jay / The Futility Infielder:
Bringing in the Lefty — One facet that I highlighted in my NLCS preview at Baseball Prospectus was the vulnerability of the Mets' two big sluggers, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, to lefthanded pitching. Last night, with Jeff Weaver beginning to falter in the sixth inning …
Contra Costa Times:
Starting Harden is not worth risk — DETROIT - Ask any baseball man what he hates most about his job, and he'll tell you it's a five-game series in Cleveland. But right after that, he'll tell you it's being second-guessed. — "Why did you bring in the left-hander?" "Why didn't you pinch-hit for the right-hander?"
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Rogers Changed Stripes to Beat Yanks — Kenny Rogers told himself he had to be a different pitcher against the Yankees last Friday. He needed to be an intimidator, an enforcer and a bully. Rogers had a monumental game to pitch for the Detroit Tigers, and he had about three hours to become a bad dude.
Andrew Marchand / New York Post:
The 6th Question w/ Michael Kay — Every Friday in NYP TV Sports, our sports television pullout that appears in the middle of the print edition and online, we present "Five Questions for ..." — When I conduct the interviews, I always precede them with a monologue about how we ask more than five, but only use the best five.
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
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Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Q&A with Rockies GM O'Dowd — Colorado's decision maker talks about future goals for the club — DENVER — On a recent afternoon, Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd acknowledged that he's keeping up with the playoffs. — But enjoying them? — "Not really," O'Dowd said …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Bruce Regal / Baseball Analysts:
Replacing the Wild Card: The "Challenge Round" — There seems to be a pretty general consensus among sabermetric folks that baseball's current system of post-season eligibility and play is seriously flawed. Rich Lederer's post here the other day is one indication, an on-going discussion …
Randy Galloway / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Point is, the GM is in charge — For Jon Daniels, the free ride is over. — In a troubled season for the Rangers, the youngest general manager in the majors never had to walk point through the minefields and the media ambushes. — Buck Showalter was out there in front, taking the heat as the logical and easy target.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers claim Closser from Rockies — MILWAUKEE — A day after saying he would look to add catching depth, Brewers manager Doug Melvin did just that, claiming 26-year-old JD Closser off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. — Once a top prospect with the Arizona Diamondbacks …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nats' Kasten Denies Credibility of Soriano Report — Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten said yesterday that he didn't give credence to a wire report saying left fielder Alfonso Soriano, a free agent to be, turned down a five-year, $70 million offer to stay in Washington.
Chris Metinko / Contra Costa Times:
Coliseum lease deal is ready for signing — ALAMEDA COUNTY: Terms of the agreement extend Athletics' contract to 2010, possibly 2013 — Less than a month after team officials broke off talks to extend the Oakland Athletics' lease at McAfee Coliseum, a new deal seems all but complete.
Discussion:
new A's ballpark
