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MLB.com:
Mets to honor Robinson on Friday — Pregame ceremony at 6:30 p.m. ET before game vs. Braves — The New York Mets today announced that they will honor Jackie Robinson on Friday night, April 20, when the Mets return to Shea Stadium to host the Atlanta Braves. The pregame celebration is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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MetsBlog.com
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals, Mets rained out at Shea — Chico's start moved to Monday against Atlanta at RFK — NEW YORK — Sunday afternoon's game between the Nationals and Mets has been postponed because of rain. There is no word of a makeup date between the two clubs or if they will reschedule another Jackie Robinson …
Rich Lederer / Baseball Analysts:
Prior and Wood: Dusty Track Records — Mark Prior experienced discomfort in his right shoulder and left his first extended spring training start after two innings last Thursday in Mesa, Arizona. He was scheduled to throw no more than 45 pitches or three innings.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Breaking news: Pavano, Mussina on DL — Mike Mussina (left hamstring) and Carl Pavano (right forearm) were placed on the disabled list. — RHP Chris Britton arrived this morning. The team will play a man short today. The team has not decided who will start on Tuesday but Class AA LHP Chase Wright …
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Roch Kubatko / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles call up Stern and Knott … The Orioles boarded their team charter with a three-game winning streak that stayed intact after today's postponement. They savored a rain-shortened sweep of the Kansas City Royals and looked ahead to a series against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that has the chance …
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Maddon welcomes opinions … MINNEAPOLIS - Manager Joe Maddon didn't necessarily agree with Rocco Baldelli's assessment that the Devil Rays didn't show up "ready to go and have a good effort" on Saturday. — But Maddon had no problem with Baldelli saying it.
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
The center of scrutiny: As Coco's struggles continue, blame game should be pointed at Sox — The season is still young, but time is starting to catch up with Coco Crisp [stats]. And soon, unless things change, we must all ask the obvious question: — What, exactly, did the Red Sox [team stats] see in this guy?
Matt Smith / MLB.com:
A's top Yankees on Scutaro's walk-off — Ninth game-winning hit for vet; Harden leaves with tightness — OAKLAND — There were so many reasons that Marco Scutaro shouldn't have been able to hit a walk-off home run on Sunday afternoon. — For one, he was facing perhaps the greatest closer …
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves suspend AWOL Aybar — Injured infielder docked three games after not showing up — ATLANTA — Willy Aybar's future with the Braves became even cloudier on Sunday afternoon, when the club announced that he had been suspended for three games for violation of team policy.
Michael Morrissey / New York Post:
WILLIE LOOKS TO HIS BENCH — Because of what he called a "weird schedule" that featured three off-days before the Mets had played eight games, Willie Randolph hasn't been able to get his bench players much starting time. — He partially remedied that yesterday, when catcher Ramon Castro …
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Fast fact: Jenks' velocity is down — CLEVELAND — Somewhere in Sox closer Bobby Jenks' psyche is a 99 mph fastball just waiting to get out. — It's the job of full-time pitching coach, part-time team psychiatrist Don Cooper to help Jenks find it again. — ''I don't feel overused …
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune
Joe Sheehan / New York Times:
Why 100 Pitches Don't Go as Far as They Used To — You can't open a newspaper, a magazine or a browser without reading a complaint about starting pitchers. Complete games are at a historic low, the quality-start statistic has purists up in arms and the idea of pitch counts sends many people into convulsions.
Discussion:
It's Mets For Me
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
WE ARE WITNESS TO RISE OF REYES — RICK Down begins ticking off numbers and does not stop for a while. A hundred runs, the Mets hitting coach says, 100 steals, 100 runs batted in, 100 walks and 200 hits. Some day, and soon, Down proclaims, Jose Reyes is going to become the first major leaguer to do all of that in one season.
Curt Schilling / 38 Pitches:
4/14/07 vs. Los Angeles — Felix Hernandez is good. Wow. I remember watching Dwight Gooden when he first came into the big leagues and this kid has better stuff. He throws harder and has 4 pitches. Doc had that HOF curveball to go with his fastball but Felix was throwing a 91-93 mph slider …