Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Ex-White Sox starter Parque invited to Mariners camp … Former Chicago White Sox starter Jim Parque, attempting a comeback after being out of baseball three seasons with shoulder trouble, has agreed on a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. — Parque, 30, will attend major league camp …
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Bob Vanderberg / Chicago Tribune:
Ex-Sox pitching coach Berres dies — Pierce: Kenosha native 'never wanted to take credit for anything' — Ray Berres, the pitching professor whose "doctorate" in mechanics helped the White Sox staff to rank consistently among the best in baseball for nearly two decades, died Thursday in Kenosha after a lengthy illness.
Associated Press:
Former major-league catcher, coach Berres dies at 99 — CHICAGO — Ray Berres, a former major league catcher and longtime pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox, has died. He was 99. — Berres died Thursday of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Kenosha, Wis., the White Sox said Friday.
Dave Campbell / Associated Press:
Morneau, Punto, Ford agree with Twins — MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — AL MVP Justin Morneau agreed Friday to a $4.5 million, one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins, who also settled their salary arbitration cases with third baseman Nick Punto and outfielder Lew Ford.
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LaVelle E. Neal III / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Morneau signs one-year contract — for now — Still open to a multiyear deal with the MVP, the Twins also signed Nick Punto, Juan Rincon and Lew Ford. — It's not the multiyear deal the Twins hoped to complete (yet), but they did agree to terms Friday with reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau on a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies keep Fogg for $3.6 million — After severing one relationship, the Rockies renewed their commitment to another this afternoon. — On the same day that outfielder Choo Freeman was released, Colorado agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.625 million contract with starter Josh Fogg …
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Altered Deal Hardly a Done Deal — It would seem that a player would be delighted if the commissioner's office struck from a contract he signed a clause that benefited the club and not the player. That's what happened with the contract that Barry Bonds signed last Monday with the San Francisco Giants.
Baltimore Sun:
O's sign RHP Shuey to minor league deal … BALTIMORESUN.COM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS — The Orioles have signed right-handed pitcher Paul Shuey to a minor league contract and invited him to their major league spring training camp. — Shuey, 36, spent 10 years in the majors …
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Oriole Post
Associated Press:
Yankees' Pavano insists he's ready to pitch — Right-hander says he's finally healthy enough to start for Yankees — Carl Pavano hasn't pitched for the Yankees since June of the 2005 season. The right-hander is entering his third season with the team. — NEW YORK - Carl Pavano …
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WasWatching.com
Rocky Mountain News:
Ringolsby: Rockies on need-to-owe basis — Too much has been made of the Rockies' payroll. It's projected to be $54 million in 2007. — It will be among the lowest in the big leagues. — So? — Question: Which player who might have made the Rockies a markedly better team did they miss …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Alan Schwarz / New York Times:
Dark Days Follow Hard-Hitting Career in N.F.L. — Ted Johnson helped the New England Patriots win three of the past five Super Bowls before retiring in 2005. Now, he says, he forgets people's names, misses appointments and, because of an addiction to amphetamines, can become so terrified …
Marty Noble / newyork.mets.mlb.com:
Spring Training Fan Guide: Mets — Tradition Field, Port St. Lucie, Fla. — For the first time since 1988 — the same year the Mets moved their Spring Training home to Port St. Lucie — the Mets head to camp as the reigning National League East champions.
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Committee's stance should surprise no one — CLEARWATER, Fla. — We just hope Ron Santo and Tony Oliva didn't carve a lot of time out of their day Wednesday for their long-awaited Hall of Fame election celebrations. — Because they had no shot. — And it's clear now they'll never have any shot.
Discussion:
The Cub Reporter
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates avoid arbitration with LaRoche, Grabow — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — The Pirates avoided salary arbitration with two more players, agreeing to terms with first baseman Adam LaRoche and reliever John Grabow for one-year contracts.
Discussion:
Bucs Trade Winds
