Top News:
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Notes: Graffanino turns the page — After offseason of discontent, infielder focuses on baseball — PHOENIX — Tony Graffanino's long, strange offseason came to a happy end on Friday, when he became the final Brewers regular to report for Spring Training.
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Pitching duo helps give Brewers depth — Jackson, Villanueva likely to start season in Nashville — PHOENIX — Last year at this time, Zach Jackson was a newcomer to the Brewers who quietly dressed at a corner locker. Carlos Villanueva was entering his third season with the club …
Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Nightmare living — Koskie struggles to return from head injury
Nightmare living — Koskie struggles to return from head injury
Discussion:
MLB.com
Andrew Baggarly / Contra Costa Times:
Sabean is on the hot seat — Giants boss Magowan says status of the GM's expiring contract will not be addressed until later in the season — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - If there is such a thing as an empty vote of confidence, Giants general manager Brian Sabean has it.
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ESPN:
Legal troubles remain an issue for White Sox's Uribe — TUCSON, Ariz. — Conflicting reports emerged Friday about the status of Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe's legal troubles. — Uribe is alleged to have shot a farmer in his native Dominican Republic during the offseason.
Discussion:
The Griddle
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Uribe off the hook, reports to camp — Shortstop cleared in shooting, lawyer says — TUCSON, Ariz. — White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe reported to spring training Friday, looking fit and happy after a winter ordeal in his native Dominican Republic. — Uribe arrived late Thursday night …
Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Notes: Comebacker fells Walker — Lefty suffers minor concussion after taking line drive off head — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The serene and carefree atmosphere of Spring Training was shattered in a moment Friday, when Baltimore reliever Jamie Walker was hit in the back of his head by a line drive.
Discussion:
TigerBlog
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Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Mets Bench Coach Prefers Being Heard and Not Seen — Jerry Manuel sat in his hotel room in Dearborn, Mich., early in the 2000 season watching his Chicago White Sox eke out a tense victory against the Detroit Tigers when he started planning a welcome back party.
Jeff Sackmann / Hardball Times:
Five National League Bullpens in Flux — In writing a series of team previews for Beyond the Boxscore, I've discovered that forecasting bullpens in February is fraught with difficulty. I suppose that's obvious, but as I've tried to project the relief performance of teams like the Mariners …
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
Dice-K gets busy: Extends 'pen session — FORT MYERS - The Red Sox [team stats] typically ease pitchers into their first bullpen session of spring training, permitting them to throw 35-40 pitches in 7-10 minutes. — Yesterday, Daisuke Matsuzaka threw 103 pitches off the back bullpen mound …
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Jan Hubbard / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Q&A with Tom Hicks — SURPRISE, Ariz. - Rangers owner Tom Hicks encountered a strong headwind as he flew into Arizona on Friday and because he was 30 minutes late, he missed the first team meeting conducted by new manager Ron Washington. — "I got a little tardy," Hicks said.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Associated Press:
Hard-charging Giles brothers reunited on hometown Padres — SAN DIEGO (AP) - Brian Giles never gave it a second thought, even though that was his little brother Marcus covering second base for the Atlanta Braves. — With runners on first and third and one out, Brian slammed into Marcus and knocked him head-over-heels.
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Scott Miller / CBS SportsLine.com:
Here's a bombshell: Jeet-Rod drama not a Bronx issue — Miller: Five things to know — TAMPA, Fla. — Let me ask you something. — When Barry Bonds wrapped his hands around Jeff Kent's throat in the middle of that game in 2002 and was pulled away before he made like a crumpled Pepsi can with Kent …
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Sox to Curt: Fat chance — Team sticks with wait-and-see tactic — FORT MYERS - When you really stop and think about it, Curt Schilling [stats] never had a chance. Not when he is 40 years old and just one in a strong class of potential free agent pitchers.
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Gary Shelton / St. Petersburg Times:
Imagine a world with Rays in the penthouse … ST. PETERSBURG - What if they mattered? — What if they were good? — The Devil Rays open their 10th spring training camp today, and shockingly, the public schools have not closed for the holiday. If you judge by the fans who showed …
Discussion:
DRaysBay
TSN.ca:
Blue Jays sign Matumoto — DUNEDIN, Fla. (CP) - Calling pitcher Jo Matumoto an underdog wouldn't even begin describing the long odds the Brazilian left-hander faces of ever pitching in the major leagues. — But thanks to his determined wife, the clout of agent Randy Hendricks …
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Space oddity — Dodgers' prospect goes from LaRoche to La Roche — VERO BEACH, FLA. — Andy La Roche wants a little space. Is that so wrong? — From now on, he said, his name should be spelled with a space before Roche, not as LaRoche, as the Dodgers have spelled it since he was drafted in 2003.
Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Extra Innings Deal Has F.C.C.'s Attention — For five or six minutes yesterday, there was delicious speculation that Major League Baseball would officially announce its extremely pending $700 million deal with DirecTV to carry its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games. — It didn't happen.
Discussion:
It's Mets For Me