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.
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Tom Withers / Associated Press:
Foulke retires; Indians have one less closer … CLEVELAND // Reliever Keith Foulke, who was on the mound when Boston ended its 86-year World Series drought, retired Friday just as he was about to begin competing for a closer's job with the Cleveland Indians.
Discussion:
Mets Heads
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Closer Foulke withdraws from camp — Right-hander to announce Major League retirement — WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Forget the two-man race for the Indians' closer's job. Keith Foulke has gracefully bowed out. — Surprisingly, Foulke is announcing his retirement Friday …
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.
Mike Petraglia / MLB.com:
Matsuzaka shows his lighter side — Humble right-hander gives insight on what motivates him — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Without throwing a pitch, Daisuke Matsuzaka gave an entertaining performance at his City of Palms Park debut Thursday afternoon. — With about 150 reporters and photographers …
Discussion:
Keep Your Sox On In Brooklyn
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Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:With Japanese star, we've seen it all
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:Japanese star shows humor, directness, diplomacy
Discussion:
The Griddle
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.
Discussion:
Uni Watch
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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.
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.
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
No ribbing: Wood hurt — Odd (minor) injury, Big Z's arrival make for bizarre 1st day — MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs officially opened Camp Lou on Thursday with the kind of day that can only be described as Cub-like. — Carlos Zambrano met with reporters and announced he's close to signing …
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Patrick Saunders / Denver Post:
Fierce competition behind plate — Three's a crowd with only two spots open — Tucson -Three catchers competing for two roster spots equals one intense position battle for the Rockies as they open spring training today. — One candidate is baby-faced Chris Iannetta, 24.
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
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Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:Monfort: O'Dowd contract extension on way
Discussion:
Purple Row
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 …
USA Today:
Johnson is healed and hungry for '07 season — PHOENIX — He stands in a parking lot, throwing to a kid behind a white station wagon. Dry-cleaning racks are behind him. A vacant lot, littered by tumbleweeds and separated by a barbed-wired fence, is to his left, a warehouse to his right.
Baltimore Sun:
Sharp curve for Trachsel … FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. // Rather than sit around his house and watch television footage of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, Steve Trachsel decided to start making some weekend plans that didn't include baseball.
Baseball America:
College Weekend Preview: Feb. 16-18 — Meaningful Matchups — Evansville at Mississippi, Wichita State at Pepperdine — The good news for Evansville and Wichita State is they get to escape the brutal Midwestern winter for a weekend, at least. The bad news is neither team …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Maine will have to earn role — Right-hander has shown inability to pitch deep into games — PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — None of the assigned parking spaces has his No. 33. But his newly-located locker is there on Pitchers' Row. As John Maine sat on the stool Thursday …
Discussion:
Always Amazin'
