Top News:
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Sox release Mirabelli … FORT MYERS - The Red Sox [team stats] almost seemed reluctant to re-sign Doug Mirabelli [stats] to one-year contracts during the last two offseasons. This morning, their reasons became more apparent. — They released him. — Prior to today's meeting between …
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Mirabelli released — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Who knows whether the Sox will stick with Kevin Cash as their backup/Tim Wakefield catcher, but for now he appears to be the man. — The Sox haven't yet announced it, but they've released Doug Mirabelli. The veteran, who has been with the Sox since 2001 …
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Sox make Mirabelli release official — FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Red Sox have just made Doug Mirabelli's release official. He was placed on unconditional release waivers. — Will he be back? — That all depends on how well Kevin Cash or Dusty Brown handles Tim Wakefield.
Maureen Mullen / MLB.com:
Manny finds wisdom with touch of gray — Slugger refines exercise, diet as career begins to wind down — FORT MYERS, Fla. — The experts will tell us one of the keys to aging well is to continue learning along the way. Older and wiser, as the saying goes.
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Francona and Theo chat with Coco — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Willie McGinest used to say “You can't make the club from the tub.” In the case of Coco Crisp, “you can't make a trade from the shade.” — If Coco Crisp wants an exit out of Boston, teams want to see that he's healthy and playing before trying to swing a deal.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
A Slide Leads to a Cut and a Festering Wound — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two of his players and two of his coaches were ejected Wednesday, but Yankees Manager Joe Girardi insisted his team had not been looking for a fight. In the visiting dugout after Round 2 of a bruising bout with the Tampa Bay Rays …
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Boston Herald:
Clay throwing his A game with new Pet … As you may have suspected, life is good if you're Red Sox [team stats] hurler Clay Buchholz. — First he throws a no-hitter in his second start in the bigs. Then Josh Beckett [stats] goes down with a bad back, meaning Clay's odds of starting just got a whole lot better.
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
No arms surplus here … FORT MYERS — In the unlikely event you're looking for one, here's an opinion: The Red Sox [team stats] need another starting pitcher. — “Six wasn't enough,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona mused yesterday following the Sox' 12-7 win over the Minnesota Twins …
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Capuano can't find groove vs. Seattle — Left-hander struggles for third straight outing in Cactus play — MARINERS 5, BREWERS 1 — Mariners at the plate: Outfielder Mike Morse tacked on three more hits to his productive spring: a single in the fifth, run-scoring double in the seventh …
Discussion:
Associated Press
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Patrick Sullivan / Baseball Analysts:
To Take or Not To Take — I can't imagine that many readers of this site do not have at least some form of addiction to Baseball Reference, a veritable data goldmine for any baseball junkie. I know I sure do. — Recently I have taken to coming up with some point of interest …
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Tom Spousta / New York Times:
Crystal Puts Bat on Ball and Tongue in Cheek — TAMPA, Fla. — Say this about Billy Crystal, a 5-foot-5 infield prospect who bats right-handed, throws right-handed and left everything on practice field No. 2 at Legends Field during a workout Wednesday: He has a strike zone the size of a fire ant.
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Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Lee not a fan of batting in five-hole — Slugger prefers to hit cleanup, but will do what's best for team — LAKELAND, Fla. — Before the start of Spring Training, Astros manager Cecil Cooper projected the Opening Day lineup to include Miguel Tejada hitting third, Lance Berkman fourth and Carlos Lee fifth.
Howard Megdal / New York Observer:
The Yanks Need Mussina, and That's Not So Good — The Yankees may have been encouraged by Mike Mussina's second outing of the spring over the weekend, when the 39-year-old veteran struck out 5 batters in just 2 2/3 innings. Then again, he also walked a pair and allowed a home run, failing to finish the third frame.
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Mariners release Ramirez — Lefty's struggles, stocked rotation spell end of road in Seattle — PEORIA, Ariz. — The Mariners' first roster move of Spring Training was a stunner. — Left-handed pitcher Horacio Ramirez, who spent most of last season in the starting rotation …
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Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Mets looking for outfielder; how about Endy? — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Barry Bonds. Sammy Sosa. Xavier Nady. Marcus Thames. Kenny Lofton. Juan Rivera. Reed Johnson. Coco Crisp. — These are the outfielders that have been linked to the Mets ever since it was learned …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Associated Press:
Awed Padres perched atop Great Wall of China — BADALING, China — Perched on the Great Wall of China, Trevor Hoffman gazed over the slick cobblestones and through the watchtowers to survey a barrier to invading armies that once stretched 4,000 miles. — This weekend, the Padres …
