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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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.
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Lack of offense puts Mets in a hole — Upbeat Randolph says club has been in tougher spots — ST. LOUIS — It took more than six months, most of those golden in a summer of love, but the Mets' first real crisis of 2006 has arrived. — How they respond will determine if their autumn features …
Discussion:
Always Amazin'
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.
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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.
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Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Padres still covet mercurial pitcher Perez — ST. LOUIS - The Padres will be watching the National League Championship Series tonight with extra interest. One of their own will start for the Mets - left-hander Oliver Perez, who was a gangly, bespectacled 17-year-old when the Padres signed him out of Mexico in 1999.
Bleed Cubbie Blue:
The 2006 Major League Baseball Bottom-of-the-Heap Awards — While we await Jim Hendry's managerial decision — and I do NOT believe it has been made yet — it is time, once again, to hand out awards to the forgotten, the maligned, the worst of the worst in baseball.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Peter Abraham / The Journal News:
Baseball beat: A-Rod has plenty of places to land — Brian Cashman will say he has no intention of trading Alex Rodriguez right up until the day he trades him. And Rodriguez will swear by his desire to play for the Yankees until he agrees to that trade. — It's the game they have to play.
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
Not So Fast! — How tof ix the Yankees: First, keep A-Rod — As the Joe Torre "I'm staying!" news conference neared an end Tuesday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stood up and returned to his Yankee Stadium office smiling. — Now starts the fun part of the baseball offseason.
Murray Chass / New York Times:
For Leap Forward, Tampa Bay Tries Taking Step Back — If a team wins 67 games one season and 61 the next, is it going backward or forward, regressing or progressing? — The simple answer, in the case of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, would seem to be the negative.
Discussion:
Management
NY Daily News:
White Sox still eyeing Rodriguez — Now that Joe Torre has come full circle with George Steinbrenner - facing the same "show me what you're made of" edict in the potential final year of his Yankee managerial tenure as he did in his first - his main mission must be to re-establish the …
John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer:
Krivsky offers Twins peek — Reds insider — The firing of Chris Chambliss was the latest move in the "Minnesota-ization" of the Reds. If the Minnesota-ization continues we could see bigger moves. — Let's explain the Minnesota-ization theory. — Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky worked …
Associated Press:
Trachsel's status for rest of NLCS still uncertain — ST. LOUIS — The Mets were unsure about pitcher Steve Trachsel's availability for the rest of the series because of a bruised right thigh. — "He's icing down," manager Willie Randolph said. "We'll wait and see how he feels tonight and tomorrow and go from there."
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Weather Report For Game 5 May Benefit the Mets — The forecast here for Monday calls for a considerable amount of rain. If Game 5 is rained out, that would certainly favor the Mets, just as the Cardinals exploited the postponement of Game 1 to start Chris Carpenter in Game 2 instead of Game 3.
Discussion:
Betty's No Good Clothes Shop …
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
With whom will Barry bond? — Prospects for 2007 may be problematic — Played a name-association game with a National League scout last week. — ``Barry Bonds. Answer: ``Advil. That's where you start. Any team thinking about signing Bonds for what should be the historic season …
Discussion:
The Catbird …
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers Interview Two for Farm Director's Job — Marc DelPiano and DeJon Watson have been interviewed for the job as Dodgers farm director, industry sources said, joining internal candidates John Shoemaker and Chris Haydock. — DelPiano is a special assignment scout for the Boston Red Sox …
Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Fox Fires Baseball Analyst Over Ethnic Comments — Steve Lyons, the No. 2 Fox Sports baseball analyst, was fired Friday night for offensive comments he made earlier in the day during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Detroit. — He was replaced by Jose Mota …
Discussion:
Deadspin
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