Top News:
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Swagger returns with powerful display — Mets set or tie several offensive franchise records in rout — ST. LOUIS — A baseball sat perched atop Oliver Perez's locker in the Mets' clubhouse Sunday night, commemorating his first postseason victory. — What distinguished this ball …
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Ronald Blum / sports.yahoo.com:
NY Mets 12, St. Louis 5 — ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Beltran sent the ball soaring over the wall. — So did David Wright. And Carlos Delgado. And then Beltran did it a second time. — With four home runs, the Mets tied the NL championship series, making sure it will end back home in New York.
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Pérez Helps Mets and Gets Plenty in Return — As his teammates poured onto the field before Sunday's game, Oliver Pérez stood alone in the corridor leading into the Mets' dugout. He peeked his head out and glanced at the conga line of television cameras and the Cardinals taking batting practice.
Mike Fitzpatrick / Associated Press:
St. Louis 5, NY Mets 0 — ST. LOUIS (AP) — During batting practice, scoreboards at Busch Stadium billed Game 3 of the NL championship series as "Gotham vs Gateway." — With Jeff Suppan doing just about everything for St. Louis, "No contest" would have been much more appropriate.
Discussion:
Rays of Light
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Spieziomania reigns in St. Louis — Player who exudes Cardinal Soul a big hit at Busch Stadium — ST. LOUIS — Josh Douglas and Troy Rhives, two Cardinals fans from Festus, Mo., were talking about Spieziomania and posing for a picture when a woman walked by wearing the same red Velcro soul patch as theirs.
Boston Globe:
Lyons fired by Fox — Hispanic remarks called insensitive — Former Red Sox utilityman Steve Lyons was fired by Fox after he made what the network deemed insensitive racial remarks Friday during the telecast of Game 3 of the ALCS. — Lyons directed the remarks at Lou Piniella …
Discussion:
Archie Bunker's Army
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Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
If A-Rod must go, some possibilities — There is, of course, a logical landing point for Alex Rodriguez this winter: a team that needs a shortstop and that can take on a big salary. A club that Rodriguez previously expressed an interest in joining. — Think the Yankees would trade him to the Red Sox?
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Piniella appears to be choice of GM Hendry — Lou Piniella's name surfaced as a candidate to manage the Cubs in Houston about the Fourth of July, when Dusty Baker was rumored to be on the firing line. — Nearly 31/2 months later, Piniella finally appears ready to step in.
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
With Piniella, Cubs Close, Girardi Emerges as Nats' Front-Runner — The search for the next manager of the Washington Nationals has been conducted in secrecy from within the club's offices at RFK Stadium, with General Manager Jim Bowden and President Stan Kasten casting a net …
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune
Murray Chass / New York Times:For Leap Forward, Tampa Bay Tries Taking Step Back
Discussion:
Management
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Leyland's Straight Talk Turns Tigers Around — The stadium employee wearing the garish orange and blue Tigers jacket stood at the back of an elevator Friday night and vowed that his team would soon qualify for the World Series. He also explained why. — "It's all about management," the man said.
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Ben Walker / Associated Press:Detroit 6, Oakland 3 — DETROIT (AP) — All those people …
Discussion:
Blogging Baseball
Chris Constancio / Hardball Times:
Hughes, Bailey, and Gallardo — In another ten years, we might look back on the 2006 season as the season when a new generation of exciting young pitchers made their major league debut. Today, I would like to take a closer look at three young pitchers who are still in the minor leagues.
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Mike Berardino / Sun-Sentinel:
Who's waiting in the wings? — Girardi could be Yanks manager after Torre — So in the end, after several days of uncertainty and the threat of sweeping change, Joe Torre received a midnight pardon. — All right, Gov. George Pataki didn't need to intervene to help Torre retain his job …
George Will / Townhall.com:
The economics of baseball — Sins can be such fun. Of the seven supposedly deadly ones, only envy does not give the sinner at least momentary pleasure. And an eighth, schadenfreude — enjoyment of other persons' misfortunes — is almost the national pastime.
