Top News:
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cardinals secure first title since 1982 — Weaver pitches gem, and Eckstein plays pivotal role yet again — ST. LOUIS — It didn't take 80-plus years. It only felt that way. — The Cardinals won their first World Series championship since 1982 on Friday night, topping …
Discussion:
The Baseball Desert
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Jose de Jesus Ortiz / Baseball:
Is Kenny Rogers scared? Are the Tigers choking? — Do you get it? The Tigers are on the brink of elimination, but they just refuse to start the supposed best starter of the postseason. No wonder Jim Leyland got testy on Wednesday when he was asked if he'd start Kenny Rogers in Game 5.
Sports Illustrated:
Closer Look — Thirty-eight years later, history is repeated in Series — ST. LOUIS — The question was inevitable. What did Curtis Granderson know about Curt Flood's famous World Series slip in 1968? "Uh...I was nowhere even close to being born," the 25-year-old Tigers centerfielder …
USA Today:
Tigers' surprising season comes to an inglorious end — ST. LOUIS — The Detroit Tigers' magical season came to an end on a cold Midwestern Friday night when they threw away a chance to extend the World Series and bring it back to Detroit this weekend. — The Tigers made eight errors …
Discussion:
Cutoff Man
Murray Chass / New York Times:
A Pitching Staff Throws It All Away — If the Detroit Tigers were George Steinbrenner's team, the pitching staff would have been at Busch Stadium early yesterday morning going through a punishing fielding workout. That's punishing as in grueling and as in penalizing.
Associated Press:
Giants hire Bochy — Longtime Padres manager signs three-year deal — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bruce Bochy had no intention of leaving a winning situation with the San Diego Padres — until the division rival Giants came calling. — On Friday, Bochy concluded a whirlwind week with his introduction as San Francisco's manager.
Discussion:
Only Baseball Matters
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Associated Press:
Agent says Bonds will file for free agency quickly — SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds plans to file for free agency the first day he can, and no negotiations have taken place with the Giants about keeping the slugger in San Francisco. — With the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series on Friday …
Discussion:
The Catbird …
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Bonds to file for free agency — Slugger plans to put in paperwork after the World Series — ST. LOUIS — Barry Bonds will file for free agency as soon as the period opens at midnight a day after the end of the World Series, his agent said on Friday when reached via telephone in Los Angeles.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
With this title, La Russa changes his legacy — ST. LOUIS - It's about the players. It's always about the players, except when it's about the manager, too. — The Cardinals' Tony La Russa, who is as controversial as he is successful, rarely avoids scrutiny. But this time, he is the focus for all the right reasons.
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Sports Illustrated:
Game 5 Grades — Congrats to Cardinals Nation. There will be a great deal of fretting from purists who don't like to see an 83-win team win it all, but this isn't the time to debate that right now. (Just tell them to go take a horse-and-buggy ride off a cliff.)
Discussion:
Cutoff Man
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
St. Louis 4, Detroit 2 — ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals barely got to the postseason, much less the World Series, and then they had to survive rain and cold as much as the bumbling Detroit Tigers. — They'll take it, though. — They beat the Tigers 4-2 on Friday night behind …
Tom Timmermann / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
David Eckstein: 'Cute little kid' or 'man of iron?' — In the World Series, no one may have stood out more for the Cardinals than their shortest player. — David Eckstein, the Cardinals 5-foot-7 shortstop who was playing with a sore shoulder he hurt in the National League Championship Series …
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Rich Draper / MLB.com:
Dodgers hire Conte as head trainer — Veteran physical therapist spent 15 years with San Francisco — LOS ANGELES — Stan Conte, who spent 15 years with San Francisco and the last seven as head trainer/physical therapist, was named on Friday as the director of medical services and head athletic trainer of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Discussion:
6-4-2
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Tim Leonard / MLB.com:
Evans continues to elevate his game — Angels prospect playing well in Arizona Fall League — Jeremy Bonderman has shown that being traded for Jeff Weaver can help your career. The young right-hander was a key member of the Detroit staff that has the Tigers in the World Series.
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Associated Press:
Cubs add three to coaching staff — The Cubs added three coaches to new manager Lou Piniella's staff Friday. Mike Quade will be the third base coach, Matt Sinatro the first base coach and Lester Strode the bullpen coach. — Piniella last week hired former Tigers manager Alan Trammell …
Discussion:
GROTA
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Tigers lose big on 'the little things' … ST. LOUIS — The optimist in Jim Leyland sees one positive in the embarrassment his pitchers endured in the World Series: Come February, when he gathers the Detroit staff to work on bunt plays, pickoffs and comebackers, he won't hear any griping about what drudgery it is.
Discussion:
Cutoff Man
Mike Freeman / CBS SportsLine.com:
One of these teams doesn't belong here — that'd be you, Tigers — ST. LOUIS — This is what dominance looks like. Albert Pujols, sprawled on the ground, whizzing a ball toward first base while on his back, throwing out Placido Polanco, with assistance from pitcher Jeff Weaver's size 13 cleats.
Discussion:
Cutoff Man
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Notes: Franco to coach MLB All-Stars — Mets veteran will act as hitting instructor for Japan series — PHOENIX — Even at the age of 47, Julio Franco is still an active baseball player. But over the next couple of weeks, the right-handed hitting reserve of the New York Mets will get a feel …