Top News:
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Rolen surprised, irked by being left on bench — NEW YORK — A slow-growing fissure between Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and his Gold Glove third baseman threatened to rupture Friday when Scott Rolen was benched in favor of Scott Spiezio in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Shea Stadium.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Johnette Howard / Newsday:
Cranky slugger takes his cuts at everyone — Listen, you may think it's easy to be The Best Hitter in Baseball. But it ain't all trophies and free batting gloves and nice tables at swell restaurants, pal. Think again. You've got the media crowding you in the clubhouse the minute …
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cards stun Mets on Taguchi's homer — Reserve outfielder evens NLCS with long ball in ninth — NEW YORK — Maybe it's time for So Taguchi to get some more playing time. Then again, maybe he's a perfect fit for tactical deployments like the one he received on Friday night.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Wayne Drehs / ESPN:
Chavez: 'We've run into a better team' … DETROIT — They stand in the quiet locker room and tell you this series isn't over. They tell you they came here to win and that they're not just going to provide a doormat for the Tigers to march their way to their first World Series in 22 years.
Discussion:
Athletics Nation, The Detroit Tiger Weblog, Baseball Musings, Mack Avenue Tigers and Cutoff Man
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Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Rogers tosses another gem vs. A's — Lefty blanks A's over 7 1/3 innings; Tigers on cusp of Series — DETROIT — Before Kenny Rogers can be haunted by his postseason history, he'd have to give up a postseason run first. — He isn't the typical clutch postseason performer.
Discussion:
The Baseball Desert
WCBS-TV:
A-Rod OK After Plane Skids Off Calif. Runway — Agent Scott Boras Confirms; No Injuries Reported — (CBS/AP) BURBANK, Calif. A private jet, carrying Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and six others, overran a runway at Bob Hope Airport on Friday and was brought to a halt by an arresting system.
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NY Daily News:
Scare for A-Rod: Jet skids to halt — Private plane runs off Calif. runway — Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez got a horrible scare yesterday when a private jet he was aboard skidded off a runway outside Los Angeles - just two days after the crash of Cory Lidle's doomed plane.
Discussion:
Pride of the Yankees
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Haren rested for pivotal Game 4 start — Righty won ALDS clincher, will pitch on seven days' rest — DETROIT — Dan Haren was last seen pitching the A's to a Division Series-clinching, Game 3 victory over the Twins. That six-inning, two-run performance usually isn't the type of thing …
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Scott Miller / CBS SportsLine.com:
Managerial cake walk: Piniella to Cubs? Girardi to Nats? — Veteran Lou Piniella appears to have emerged as the Chicago Cubs top choice, though the Cubs are expected to seek permission from San Diego to interview Padres skipper Bruce Bochy as they winnow their list and try to name a manager …
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Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs' man looks like Lou — DETROIT — On the day he cut Dusty Baker loose as the Cubs' manager, Jim Hendry issued a simple mission statement. — ''All I will promise you is it will be a very extensive search,'' the Cubs' general manager said on Oct. 2. ''I know how important …
Benjamin Hill / MLB.com:
A grand start for Casto in AFL — Nationals prospect goes 3-for-3 with grand slam in victory — Kory Casto has had a tremendously successful 2006 season, as the 24-year-old outfielder hit .272 with 24 doubles, 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and 84 runs scored for the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League.
Discussion:
District of Baseball
Boston Globe:
Farrell now warming up for Red Sox — Eight-year big leaguer expected to be named new pitching coach — John Farrell, a 44-year-old New Jersey native who pitched parts of eight seasons in the big leagues and for one season was Terry Francona's teammate in Cleveland, is expected to be named Red Sox pitching coach.
Sports Illustrated:
Yankees fire advance scouts — Cashman says Taylor, Cottier will be replaced — Joe Torre's job was spared, but the Yankees have fired their two long-time advance scouts, Wade Taylor and Chuck Cottier. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed the firings but said the decision …
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Negotiations continue for Biggio's return — Veteran's agent confident deal for 2007 will happen soon — HOUSTON — While it's a foregone conclusion that Craig Biggio will be wearing an Astros uniform next year, the club is still in negotiations with the second baseman's agent, Barry Axelrod …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Roger Sackaroff / Fox Sports:
How to fix the Yankees for 2007 — Much has been written about the Yankees' failure to advance in this year's postseason. Combined with recent failures since their last World Series title in 2000, the Yankees faithful have offered a multitude of excuses as to why a team that is so successful during …
Discussion:
FIRE JOE MORGAN
