Top News:
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Park, Mets near deal on contract — NEW YORK (AP) — Chan Ho Park reached a preliminary agreement with the New York Mets on a $600,000, one-year contract, giving the team another option for its starting rotation heading into spring training. — His agreement was disclosed by two people familiar …
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Reuters:
Mets reach oral agreement with Park — SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean starting pitcher Chan Ho Park has reached an oral agreement on a one-year deal with the New York Mets, his management company said on Friday. — The deal would pay Park a base salary of $3 million …
Discussion:
...getting paid to watch, Mike's Mets, MiracleMets.net, Baseball Crank and Amazin' Avenue
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Source: Mets to sign righthander Chan Ho Park — When pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie in six days, the Mets will have another starter in the mix. Chan Ho Park is expected to sign with the Mets in the next 48 hours, a source told the Daily News late last night.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets are on the rise — Omar: New park, team built for future — They didn't match the Red Sox's posting bid for Daisuke Matsuzaka. They wouldn't go to the Giants' lengths to sign Barry Zito. Yet Mets GM Omar Minaya could still offer a chuckle yesterday. — "Put it this way," Minaya said.
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Rob Blackstien / Rotoworld.com:
Can Offense Carry Mets? — The Mets have done precious little to strengthen a team that came within one win of going to the World Series last year. They were foiled in their attempts to add a top notch starter, losing out on both Daisuke Matsuzaka and Barry Zito.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Associated Press:
Hank Bauer dead at 84 — NEW YORK (AP) — Hank Bauer, the tough ex-Marine who set a World Series record with a 17-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees and later managed the Baltimore Orioles to the 1966 title, died Friday. He was 84. — Bauer died in the Kansas City area …
Hardball Times:
Introducing College Splits — Last week, Baseball Prospectus prospect guru Kevin Goldstein marked the opening of the college baseball season with a reminder of just how little we "know" about college players: … To some, that could be taken as a warning; to others, it reads as a simple celebration of the role of the scout.
Discussion:
Purple Row, The Pastime, Beyond the Box Score, Batter's Box Interactive … and Brew Crew Ball
Phil Rogers / ESPN:
Angels' outfield has the potential to be superior — Are the luxury tax and increased revenue sharing spreading talent around? Or is this merely a down cycle for big league outfielders? — Either seems possible in assessing outfield collections entering 2007.
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Rookies have big shoes to fill — When historians look back at the 2006 season, they might not fixate on what actually happened during it. What last year begat - the greatest rookie class in perhaps 25 years - should be a greater gift than the pleasure of watching Ryan Howard blast 58 home runs …
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John Sickels / Minor League Ball:
Thinking About Tyler Clippard — Here is what I wrote about Tyler Clippard in the book this year: — Others have similar views. My friend Deric McKamey in his 2007 Minor League Baseball Analyst rates Clippard as a potential number five starter, and points out that he gets his strikeouts …
Awful Announcing / AwfulAnnouncing:
Do Not Anger The Basketball Gods — You may remember last week when Bulls' Rookie Tyrus Thomas said that he was only in the dunk contest for the money. Well I don't know if anyone was up late last night like me (watching the Bulls get worked by the Kings), but Ty had a breakaway dunk, and it was Brilllllliant!
Hal McCoy / Philly.com:
Schmidt criticizes Burrell for strikeouts … DAYTON, Ohio - Unprompted, Mike Schmidt ticked off two names that, well, "tick me off. Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn, because they strike out so much." — This came from a guy who struck out 1,883 times during 18 years with the Phillies, including five seasons of more than 135 whiffs.
Bill Ladson / washington.nationals.mlb.com:
Q&A with Nationals president Kasten — Washington executive talks about the future of the organization … MLB.com: We are a few days away from Spring Training. How do you think the team will do during the 2007 season? — Stan Kasten: First of all, it's such an exciting time.
Associated Press:
Arroyo cashes in with Cincinnati — Former Sox pitcher gets $25m extension — Bronson Arroyo is furthering his musical career in Cincinnati, but it's his right arm, not his voice, that Reds GM Wayne Krivsky (right) values most. (TOM UHLMAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
