Top News:
George King / New York Post:
JOE IN JEOPARDY AS YANKS BOMB — BOSOX HAND TORRE'S TEAM 7TH STRAIGHT LOSS — A seven-game losing streak has George Steinbrenner so concerned he is wondering if replacing Joe Torre is the answer. — Last October, The Boss came very close to boxing Torre after the second straight first-round elimination in the postseason.
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Karstens fractures right fibula — Surgery ruled out, but no return date set for rookie hurler — NEW YORK — Yankees right-hander Jeff Karstens suffered a fractured right fibula on his first pitch Saturday, as he was struck by a line drive that forced him to exit the game.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Torre: 'I'm in charge here' — Skipper not paying attention to speculation about his job — NEW YORK — There are any number of explanations for the Yankees' seven-game skid entering play Saturday. But even as speculation begins to swirl concerning the tenuous nature of manager Joe Torre's job …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Red Sox 11, Yankees 4: When Needed Most, Pettitte Can't Steady Yankees — The season is too young to be slipping away from the Yankees. But it has gotten ugly quickly, with the team on its longest losing streak since 2000. The voices in the organization that grumble about Manager Joe Torre …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Pat Borzi / New York Times:
An Ugly Month Gets Even Uglier for Rivera — Even on his worst days, Mariano Rivera rarely suffered the indignity of handing the baseball to Manager Joe Torre in the middle of an inning. But this has been an April of indignities for the Yankees' closer, and Rivera had another such moment Friday night.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Juliet Macur / New York Times:
Former Mets Bat Boy Says He Gave Players Steroids — A former New York Mets bat boy pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to distributing performance-enhancing drugs to dozens of former and current Major League Baseball players and their affiliates for a decade.
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Jeff Seidel / MLB.com:
Notes: Pelfrey remains in rotation — Young right-hander has struggled to be consistent early on — WASHINGTON — General manager Omar Minaya and manager Willie Randolph both said Friday that Mike Pelfrey will remain the team's fifth starter for now. — Pelfrey has struggled in his first three starts, going 0-2 with a 7.90 ERA.
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cubs: No Tinker. No Evers. No chance. — We put a new twist on an old poem* to capture in verse why the Cubs will never break the curse ... and list the reasons they are destined to not win a World Series. — These are the cruelest of echoing words: — No Tinker. No Evers. No chance.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Other closer options exist if 'spiral' continues — The Pirates wore the No. 42 last night, honoring Jackie Robinson against the Reds at PNC Park. — The Pirates' unquestioned preference is for Salomon Torres to be their closer. — If he overcomes his recent struggles …
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Lineups, etc. — It has pretty much progressed from quiet to dead in the clubhouses today, especially on the Yankees side. Media are pretty much the only people around there. — Terry Francona's pregame availability was quieter than normal as well, though that could have been attributed …
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
The Jason Schmidt question — How he injured his shoulder and lost his velocity remains a mystery. — SAN DIEGO — Which came first, the shoulder inflammation or the decreased velocity? — When it comes to pitcher Jason Schmidt, the Dodgers don't know the answer.
Associated Press:
Cleveland 5, Baltimore 4 — CLEVELAND (AP) — Perhaps the only player in the ballpark that could have caught Grady Sizemore's home-run ball was the guy who hit it. — Sizemore sped around the bases with an inside-the-park home run, Jake Westbrook got his first win in five starts …
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe
Brian McTaggart / Houston Chronicle:
Randolph replaces White — The Astros purchased the contract of lefthander Stephen Randolph from Class AAA Round Rock prior to Thursday's game to replace righthander Rick White, who was put on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained oblique. — Randolph was called upon to escape …
Associated Press:
White Sox's Thome likely headed to DL with rib cage injury — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — CHICAGO — White Sox slugger Jim Thome is likely headed for the 15-day disabled list with a rib cage injury. — Thome left Friday's game against the Los Angeles Angels after fouling off a pitch in the first inning.
Discussion:
Associated Press
