Top News:
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Cubs eyeing Crisp; Sox don't want Marquis — FORT MYERS, Fla. - While major league sources indicate the Chicago Cubs have Coco Crisp on their wish list, the Red Sox have no interest in expendable starting pitcher Jason Marquis or Arizona League MVP outfielder Sam Fuld.
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Defense helps veteran Lieber pitch 4 shutout innings — MESA, Ariz. - Jon Lieber's four shutout innings Saturday against Arizona put him in good position for the Cubs' fifth starter's spot. — But Ryan Dempster and Jason Marquis also have pitched well, making it a tough call for manager Lou Piniella.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Dodgers seeking assistance for Nomar, Kent — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. — add this — Emptying the spring-training notebook: — Instead of pursuing …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Associated Press:
Rays surprised Yanks' Girardi miffed at hard play — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Don Zimmer likes Joe Girardi and even goes as far as to say the New York Yankees' manager is like a son to him. — But when it comes to the home-plate collision in which Tampa Bay's Elliot Johnson ran over Francisco Cervelli …
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Cincinnati Enquirer:
Baker judges by his senses — Knowing what makes his players tick more important than their stats — digg us! del.icio.us! — The best baseball managing is done by the seat of your pants, using good, old-fashioned, pre-sabermetric logic. That's another reason to like Dusty Baker.
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Joe Posnanski:
Statheads and True Wins — I'm all over the map on this one ... maybe this is from the excitement of THE SOUL OF BASEBALL paperback coming on on Tuesday. It's also available now as an Amazon Kindle Book, whatever that is. I guess at some point I should write about this whole wireless book thing — is this going to take off?
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Kershaw promoted to big league camp — Young phenom may have shot a winning fifth-starter job — VERO BEACH, Fla. — Dodgers manager Joe Torre caught himself in mid-sentence, realizing that comparing Clayton Kershaw to Sandy Koufax is exactly what he didn't want to do. — But Torre couldn't help himself.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Angels' Hatcher believes in law of averages — Batting coach doesn't view team's low number of walks as a negative, saying the lineup thrives on contact, with four hitters who could contend for batting title. — TEMPE, Ariz. — The Angels have four potential batting champions in their lineup …
Baltimore Sun:
Quiroz favorite to land backup catcher spot — O's show interest in Houston infielder Loretta — JUPITER, Fla. - In the race for the Orioles' backup catcher job, Guillermo Quiroz has separated himself from the pack. And while the finish line is a few miles down the road, he's expected to cross it first.
Maureen Mullen / MLB.com:
Matsui returns with three at-bats — Yankees slugger serves as DH while rehabilitating right knee — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Making his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee performed in November, Hideki Matsui made his first appearance in Grapefruit League action on Sunday.
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Beckett tweaks his back — As a precaution, he's scratched from start — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Red Sox ace Josh Beckett walked to the mound at City of Palms Park yesterday, threw one warm-up pitch, and put his hand to his lower back. He tried five more tosses before alerting catcher Jason Varitek …
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Associated Press:
RHP Eaton diagnosed with herniated disk, arthritis — CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Adam Eaton has a small herniated disk and slight arthritis in his balky back. — The 30-year-old right-hander had an MRI and CT scan on Saturday, and the results came back Sunday.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
A win before Red Sox Nation invades — A quick wrap-up from Port St. Lucie after the Mets' 3-0 Grapefruit League victory over the Astros here today: — 1. The victory was the Mets' seventh in eight games after a 0-3 start. — 2. Aside from John Maine's four innings of no-hit ball …
Discussion:
The 'Ropolitans
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers sign right-hander Ponson — Veteran will challenge for spot in Texas' starting rotation — SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers have signed veteran right-handed pitcher Sidney Ponson to a Minor League contract and added him to their Spring Training roster.