Top News:
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Weeks leads Brewers past Dodgers — Second baseman drives in three with four-hit night — LOS ANGELES — Rickie Weeks returned to the top of the Brewers lineup after missing four games with a sore wrist to set a career high with four hits, match a career high with three RBIs and lead …
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Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Cool Brew — MILWAUKEE - The junk-bond investor sat in the middle of the room, a slight and bespectacled man surrounded by grizzled baseball lifers wired on snuff and coffee, sure that his new business would be little like his old. — About an hour earlier, Mark Attanasio …
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Rogers recalled; Chacon likely to start — It will not be a starter, but a reliever, coming to the Pirates from Class AAA Indianapolis. — And, in all likelihood, it will be Shawn Chacon who becomes the new fifth starter. — Brian Rogers, owner of a 1.35 ERA …
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Brian O'Neill / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Stats Geek: Don't always save the best for last — Has bullpen management devolved to the point that a team must bring in its worst pitcher at the game's most crucial point? — Pirates fans know what I'm talking about. With the Pirates ahead by four runs in the seventh inning on Saturday night …
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Roger Rubin / NY Daily News:
Red Sox: No time to bury Bombers — Boston won't revel in rival's struggles — BOSTON - The Yankees are staggering enough to have everyone in the franchise concerned. The Red Sox are confident, loose and boast baseball's best record. And after defeating a solid Atlanta team, 6-3 …
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David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
Gabbard Stops By For A Win
Gabbard Stops By For A Win
Discussion:
Empyreal Environs, Boston Herald, Boston Sports Media Watch, Boston Globe and SOX & Dawgs
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Notes: Losing Crawford would be bad move — If the Devil Rays are thinking about trading left fielder Carl Crawford, they should think again, one rival general manager says. — "I don't think they will do it and I don't think they should," the GM says. "He's getting better and better.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Around the Horn: Abreu washed up? — The way right fielder Bobby Abreu is going, the Yankees could pass on his $16 million option for 2008. Without Abreu, the Yankees could play Melky Cabrera every day or pursue a free-agent center fielder such as the Braves' Andruw Jones, Twins' Torii Hunter or Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Mailbag: What will happen with Teixeira? — Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers Rangers fans' questions … What is it with everybody wanting to get rid of Mark Teixeira? Yes, he has had a slow start to the season, but then again, who hasn't? Last year, we watched him have a slow start …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
Ortiz activated, goes to Giants' bullpen — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Russ Ortiz came off the disabled list Monday and assumed a new role for the San Francisco Giants: as a reliever. — Ortiz, the right-hander who began the season as the team's fifth starter, returned after being sidelined since …
Tom Withers / Associated Press:
Indians improve to 17-4 at home, top M's — CLEVELAND (AP) — One hefty snowstorm and 45 days later, the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners finally played nine innings. — Casey Blake homered and Josh Barfield had two RBIs as the Indians remained baseball's best home team …
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe
Maury Brown / Baseball Prospectus:
Remembering Doug Pappas: 1962-2004 — 1962-2004 — There are days in all of our lives that we'd like to forget, days we wished had not happened. Days that place matters in perspective. Today is the anniversary of one of those days. And while we might have been talking the sale of the Braves …
Second Ave. Sagas:
Breaking News: MTA, City come to terms on Yankee Stadium Metro-North hub — The Yankee Stadium Metro-North hub should alleviate some traffic concerns in the Bronx. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Click the image for a bigger view.)
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Dempster: Closer to starter and back — Ryan Dempster moved from closer to starter back to closer in a 20-minute span Sunday, capping off one of the most bizarre days in his nine-year career. — Dempster told reporters after Sunday's game that manager Lou Piniella asked him on Thursday …
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MLB.com:
Arizona's Valverde, Houston's Pence named co-winners of Bank of America Presents the National League Player of the Week — Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence, whose .591 (13-22) batting average led the Majors, and Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Jose Valverde, who led the Majors with four saves …
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
John Kekis / Associated Press:
O's beat Jays 13-7 in Hall exhibition — COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Minor leaguer Brian Bock hit a double and two home runs, including the first grand slam he could remember, to lead the Baltimore Orioles over the Toronto Blue Jays 13-7 Monday in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Pitch by Pitch, the Yankees' Mood Brightens — The tower atop the Empire State Building will glow blue and orange for a few hours this evening. The Mets earned that honor by winning the first two games of their series against the Yankees, but their supremacy in the city is not quite complete.
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Joel Sherman / New York Post:
KID IS ALL RIGHT — BABY-FACED ROOKIE BAILS OUT BOMBERS
KID IS ALL RIGHT — BABY-FACED ROOKIE BAILS OUT BOMBERS
Discussion:
New York Times
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Monday Morning Ten Pack — Aaron Bates, 1B, High-A Lancaster (Red Sox) — While Lancaster's weekend was mostly bad (if not downright embarrassing), Bates provided at least one highlight for the club by smacking four home runs on Saturday. Surprisingly enough, in a circuit known …