Top News:
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
La Russa Must Play by a Rule He Abhors — Tony La Russa managed more than 2,500 games in the American League before taking over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996. Playing in an A.L. park for Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday, La Russa had to adhere to a rule that he wishes would vanish.
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Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Smoke and fire — Leyland has lit up Detroit by leading Tigers back to the top — DETROIT — There's no computer on his desk. Jim Leyland doesn't spend a lot of time looking at spreadsheets and percentages. He is not a numbers cruncher and he probably wouldn't last long in a room with Bill James, Billy Beane, and Theo Epstein.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Weaver Wants Different Windup to This Series — Jeff Weaver, who will start Game 2 Sunday night, entered this year with a 9.72 career E.R.A. in the postseason. He has a 2.16 mark this postseason. — Three months ago, on the first night of the rest of his career, Jeff Weaver went to dinner …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Reyes' start tonight will be part of a first — DETROIT — A few innings into the first postseason start of his career, Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes had to make a shift because he may have been tipping his pitches. The Cardinals feel sure enough that the tick was fixed in a side session …
Discussion:
Sports Scope
Kevin Hench / Fox Sports:
Why the Cards will win the World Series — Yes, it's true the National League has not won a single World Series game in three years. — And, yes, it's also true that the Senior Circuit's representative in this year's World Series barely won half its games during the regular season.
Discussion:
Bad Altitude
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Ho-hum, Tigers should breeze — Are we all ready for the Fall Classic? Woo-hoo! I'll lead the way! — Um, folks? You coming? — What, you haven't seen those Tommy Lasorda commercials? Just because the Mets and Yankees are done, that's no reason to stop watching baseball! To the TV!
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Chicago Tribune:
Who has the World Series edge? — Tribune baseball reporter Mark Gonzales breaks down the World Series. — STARTING PITCHING — Detroit will benefit from the six-day break after each of its starters worked at least 186 innings in the regular season. Tigers have good lefty-righty balance …
Jim Molony / MLB.com:
Casey returns to lineup for Game 1 — Tigers expect to play veteran at first base for Tuesday's Game 3 — DETROIT — Sean Casey was back in the lineup at designated hitter for Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday night, marking the first time he had been in the lineup since leaving …
Discussion:
Sports Scope
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers' Series roster unchanged — Casey's improving health reduces need for Shelton — DETROIT — The Tigers left their postseason roster unchanged for the World Series, ending speculation that they could add 21-year-old Andrew Miller to the bullpen or Chris Shelton to the bench.
Jan Hubbard / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Mets coach delivers his best pitch — The 10 hours preceding one of the most important meetings in his life were not nice to Manny Acta, who spent six hours Friday interviewing for a chance to become the Rangers' next manager. — The nightmare before the audition began at about 11:30 p.m. …
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
MLB set to announce new labor deal — Any fear that Major League Baseball could go through another embarrassing labor dispute will be extinguished very soon. — FOX Bite — Videos — Rosenthal on MLB labor deal — FOXSports.com has learned that a new labor deal that will be for five years …
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Position is filled — Magadan named Sox hitting coach — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said he invited new hitting coach Dave Magadan to join the organization in September during a meeting in the Tampa area while the Sox were playing the Devil Rays.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
The Boras Bunch: Tigers Built a Winner on More Than a Hunch — A seed for the 2006 World Series was planted 30 years ago, at third base, in the Florida State League. Jim Leyland was a minor league manager and third-base coach in the Detroit Tigers' organization.
Marc Jimenez / MLB.com:
Sox prospects honing skills in AFL — Russell bounces back; Malone notches solid second start — Right-hander Adam Russell was roughed up for four runs on three hits and two walks while retiring only two batters in the Scorpions' 11-8 victory over Phoenix on Oct 13.
Rocky Mountain News:
Krieger: No quit in Tigers, but Leyland? — DETROIT - I am sorry to report I will not be reporting the most popular story going into the World Series. — No worries, though, you can find it pretty much everywhere else. — In fact, you may have already.
Eric Adelson / ESPN:
Tigers helping Comerica Park establish its own identity … DETROIT — Tiger Stadium did only one thing: baseball. Its right-field upper deck loomed out there like a teenager's overbite, making the weakest lefty hitter a threat. Its flag pole sat inside the center-field fence, making every deep fly ball an adventure.