Top News:
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Notes: Sosa shifted to bullpen — Mets hope right-hander can strengthen bridge to Wagner — MILWAUKEE — With their need for a late-inning, swing-and-miss pitcher unaddressed and the trade deadline passed Tuesday, the Mets have turned to the next logical source — their own rotation.
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Howard Megdal / New York Observer:
Meet the New Mets Mentor: Rickey Henderson — The team hires an unlikely shepherd; former cocky player now says he just wants to 'help guys reach their goals' — So maybe hiring Rickey Henderson to be a coach isn't such a crazy idea after all. — Certainly, in the weeks since …
Fortune:
The dismantling of the Yankee empire — YES Network is the MVP of Steinbrenner's business empire, and it's for sale, report Fortune's Jon Birger and Tim Arango. Will the team end up on the block too? His son Hal says no. — NEW YORK (Fortune) — The New York Yankees' cable network …
New York Times:
Baseball Gets Into Resale of Tickets — Major League Baseball once frowned on scalping, the resale of tickets among fans and sidewalk entrepreneurs. On Thursday, professional baseball will announce plans to get into the business. — In a nod to the growing strength of Internet ticket exchanges …
Michael Morrissey / New York Post:
DAMON NOT SURE WHAT LIES AHEAD — Johnny Damon doesn't want to be traded, but he doesn't sound convinced the Yankees want him in their lineup - or even on their team. — He sat out last night's 8-1 victory over the White Sox, and he's still thinking and talking about last week's report that the Yankees were shopping him.
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
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Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Damon out of lineup, questions role with team — Johnny Damon looked at the lineup posted on the door to the Yankees' clubhouse Wednesday afternoon. His name wasn't on it. Rookie Shelley Duncan's was, in the designated hitter spot. — Damon wasn't happy he wasn't playing and he wasn't happy Joe Torre didn't give him a heads-up.
Discussion:
Sports Scope
Marc Carig / Washington Post:
Lannan Receives Plenty Of Help — Rookie Earns First Victory : Nationals 7, Reds 2 — Good or bad, Washington Nationals starting pitcher John Lannan said it didn't matter. As he entered last night's game with the Cincinnati Reds, he simply wanted to give fans something else to talk about.
Discussion:
William World News
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Peter Bronson / Cincinnati Enquirer:
Potty-mouth Pete strikes out at camp for kids — Pete Rose may be the hit king, but he was no hit with some kids and parents at the U.S. Army Reds Legends Baseball Camp last week. The man whose name symbolizes the best years of the Reds was the worst speaker on a great program - no contest.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Analysis: Why trade for Morris now? — Job security surely a factor for Littlefield in seeking another quick fix — Let this much be clear, in the aftermath of the Pirates' sudden, stunning acquisition of pitcher Matt Morris that made him the highest-paid player in franchise history:
Discussion:
Bucco Blog
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Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Big Papi has good read on Santana's out pitch — Johan Santana, perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, vented publicly when the Minnesota Twins failed to bolster their roster at the trading deadlines. — Now Santana's former Twins teammate, Sox slugger David Ortiz [stats] …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Sosa's role reduced to reserve — Rangers want to look at Botts as designated hitter — CLEVELAND — Sammy Sosa, fifth on baseball's all-time home run list and the Rangers' leader in RBIs, will ride out the final two months of the season as a reserve outfielder and occasional pinch-hitter.
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Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers were wise not to trade the future for the present — Not making a major deal before the trade deadline could be the smartest thing Colletti has done with the Dodgers. — Jorge Sosa. Geoff Blum. Dave Roberts. Doug Mientkiewicz. Orlando Cabrera. Sal Fasano. Alex Ochoa.
Steve Popper / NorthJersey.com:
Mets' Perez is striking figure — There is the good Oliver Perez and the bad Oliver Perez. — The good Oliver Perez is the one who records strikeouts at a breathtaking pace between hurdles across the foul line. The bad Oliver Perez is the one who self-destructs, losing his control and his head …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Twins-Royals postponed on Thursday — Groundbreaking ceremony, game on hold after bridge collapse — MINNEAPOLIS — Thursday's Twins-Royals afternoon game has been postponed in light of the tragic I-35W bridge collapse that took place in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
Discussion:
Siberian Baseball
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Mike Puma / New York Post:
PEDRO START KO'D BY RAIN — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Pedro Martinez's much-anticipated debut wearing a St. Lucie Mets uniform was a washout yesterday, so now it's back to simulated games for the right-hander. — The plan calls for Martinez to face the Gulf Coast Mets today at 11 a.m. in simulated action.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
First and goal: Stay there — Bases-loaded wild pitch in 9th lifts Cubs into Central tie — The more Lou Piniella tries to temper everyone's enthusiasm, the more it seems to backfire on him. — After the Cubs beat Philadelphia 5-4 Wednesday night on Brett Myers' bases-loaded wild pitch …
Discussion:
The Cub Reporter
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Dlamothe / Red Sox Monster:
The Orioles have a new fan: Leroy the Duck — OK, OK. I have to confess, I held out on posting a video yesterday because I felt a bit badly for the individual who posted it. I mean, surely, someone can't love producing a daily videocast on Baltimore Orioles baseball for free, right?
Sports Illustrated:
Breaking down trade deadline's winners and losers — Was that the deadline that just went by? Or the deadly? — Unless you're the most hardcore of baseball fans, you probably fell asleep about the time the trade deadline rolled around Tuesday afternoon.
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