Top News:
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Indians bullpen has one less option with Foulke out … Cleveland's bullpen was a disaster last season, the difference between the Indians being competitive or not, and the hope of general manager Mark Shapiro was to create as many options for manager Eric Wedge going into the 2007 season.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe
RELATED:
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Manuel keeps laboring — Pat Gillick knows something about winning with a manager who is bland and often criticized by the public. He twice won the World Series in Toronto with Cito Gaston as his manager and now he's the Phillies general manager trying to do it with Charlie Manuel.
wtam.com:
PLAY BALL! — Indians pitchers and catcher report to Winter Haven — They're here! All of the pitchers and catchers had to be in "The Haven" by today. They'll have physicals tomorrow and be on the field Saturday for the first scheduled team workouts. Some guys did things today but they were limited drills.
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
SPRING TRAINING: Moose to Carl: Show us — TAMPA, Fla. - Carl Pavano brushed aside questions about any work he needs to do in the clubhouse, saying his bad reputation among teammates is overhyped by the media. — "I think it's just something you guys have had fun with," Pavano said yesterday …
RELATED:
NY Daily News:
Billy wants '06 season closed out — PORT ST. LUCIE - Billy Wagner had 40 saves in his first season in Flushing, but the closer wasn't impressed. "My numbers say I was good, but mentally I know I wasn't," Wagner said. "... What I'm looking for is the old Billy." — By that, Wagner means 1-2-3 innings.
RELATED:
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Schoeneweis's Jersey Isn't Just Any Number — After signing with the Mets, Scott Schoeneweis figured he had his big chance. Finally, after all these years, he could stop being No. 60. But when he walked into the clubhouse Wednesday evening and saw his new jersey, he recoiled.
David Lennon / Newsday:
Wagner gets a pen pal — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Tobacco Road takes a detour through the corner of the Mets' clubhouse at Tradition Field, where Billy Wagner and his new best friend, Scott Schoeneweis, pull up stools and talk Duke basketball. — Wagner never had met Schoeneweis before walking through the door yesterday.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Robinson Declines Celebration in His Honor — Former Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson has declined an offer to be honored by the club during a game this May, according to team president Stan Kasten, who said officials hold out hope that Robinson will reconsider.
RELATED:
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:
Japanese star shows humor, directness, diplomacy — FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Daisuke Matsuzaka revealed Thursday that his first pitch to a spring training opponent will be a fastball. — He also revealed a side of his personality that could endear him to Red Sox fans even before he throws that pitch.
Discussion:
The Griddle
RELATED:
Mike Petraglia / MLB.com:
Notes: Okajima arrives at camp — Japanese left-hander meets some teammates, Francona — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Daisuke Matsuzaka isn't alone in trying to adapt from one culture to another this spring. — Hideki Okajima held court with the Japanese media Thursday afternoon …
Boston Herald:
MLB: Rivera would even listen to Sox — Mariano Rivera had this warning for the New York Yankees: If he becomes a free agent, he'll consider offers from other teams, including the Red Sox [team stats]. — "Everybody has the same shot," Rivera said yesterday in Tampa. "The Yankees will not have an advantage."
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan
Associated Press:
Zito unveils pitching changes on first day with Giants — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Barry Zito unveiled a different delivery on his first day with the San Francisco Giants, making at least one of his new coaches a little nervous. — Pitching coach Dave Righetti went as far as to say the tweaks Zito …
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Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Bonds, Giants agree; MLB approves — Slugger expected to report to training camp by Monday — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Barry Bonds contract odyssey has come to an end. The Giants announced on Thursday that the club and the left-handed-hitting slugger have signed off on his one-year …
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
New year, new hope for Penn … FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. // First, it was Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo who sought out pitcher Hayden Penn in the clubhouse this morning and gave the pitcher a brief pep talk, telling him to relax and be himself. — Moments later, hitting coach Terry Crowley visited Penn …
RELATED:
David Lennon / Newsday:
Lo Duca: I'd like to stick around — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The hand appears to be fine. The contract situation? That remains unresolved. Those are the two biggest issues facing Paul Lo Duca at the start of spring training, and the catcher insists that neither fazes him right now.
RELATED:
Richard Barbieri / Hardball Times:
This Annotated Week in Baseball History: Feb. 11-17, 2006 — On Feb. 14 across the world, Valentine's Day is celebrated. So what better day to look back at some of the best and worst of baseball Valentines? — As with most history, there is much debate as to the history of Valentine's Day.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Jeff Sackmann / Hardball Times:
Ranking Organizations — If you want to rely on statistical measures, how do you rank a farm system? It's tough enough to compare two disparate prospects, let alone measure two entire organizations against each other. For John Burnson's Graphical Player 2007, I tried to overcome …
Discussion:
A CITIZEN'S BLOG
Rbrianc / Halos Heaven:
They're back! Angels in Tempe Today — Moved From the Diaries Thanks to rbrianc — There's not much comparable in the baseball season than the first day of spring practice. I was there with a contingent of Angel Nation when they hit the field this morning (since there were only 5 or 6 of us there …
