Top News:
Associated Press:
Duncan, Gomes, Cabrera suspended; Girardi fined — NEW YORK — Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera and first baseman Shelley Duncan were suspended for three games each for their roles in Wednesday's spring-training fracas between New York and the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Girardi may be suspended for opener — TAMPA - For the first time in 13 years, the Yankees might be managed by someone not named Joe on Opening Day. — According to a baseball source, there is a possibility that both Joe Girardi and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon could face suspensions …
MLB.com:
Yankees, Rays disciplined — Discipline has been issued to six members of the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays as a result of the bench-clearing incident that occurred during the top of the second inning of their Wednesday, March 12th Spring Training game at Progress Energy Park, Home of Al Lang Field, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Ordering up a trade — MESA, Ariz. — Alfonso Soriano says getting used to batting anywhere but leadoff will take time. That's why he sees the logic in moving down in the Cubs' batting order now, rather than waiting for a Brian Roberts trade that isn't likely to get done until the final week of camp.
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
On the fast track? Colon solid in debut — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Bartolo Colon was hitting 94 miles per hour, throwing 92-93 consistently with his four-seam fastball, 84-88 with his slider, and 81 on his changeup, according to a scout's radar gun yesterday. In his heyday, Colon could reach 100 m.p.h.
Discussion:
Peter's Red Sox Forever
RELATED:
Tim Marchman / New York Sun:Sox Tend To Hedge Their Bets Better Than Yankees
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
Barry Jackson / MiamiHerald.com:
Sports bloggers weave a tangled web — Y ears ago, the only way sports fans could have their voices heard by the masses was calling a talk-radio show or writing a letter to the editor. — But expanding technology has provided myriad forums to vent and opine — whether it's launching blogs …
Discussion:
Kranepool Society, FanHouse, The Big Lead, With Leather, ShysterBall, Flotsam, THE BOOK, Drunk Jays Fans and Deadspin
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Minor League Report: Larry Broadway — First baseman trying to make strong impression for front office — VIERA, Fla. — The 2007 season was supposed to be the year in which Larry Broadway became the starting first baseman for the Nationals. The position was open because Nick Johnson was disabled due a broken right leg.
Discussion:
Oleanders and Morning Glories
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Sports Illustrated:
Jon Heyman: Rangers struck out for Santana and Hunter — Also in the Daily Scoop... SURPRISE, Ariz. — Several weeks before Johan Santana went to the Mets, the Texas Rangers came very close to making a blockbuster trade for the superstar pitcher, people familiar with those talks say.
Walter Villa / Sports Illustrated:
Mets top prospect Martinez a keeper — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — He's the great Mets hope — the prospect New York refused to trade, not even for arguably the best pitcher in the major leagues. — He's the anti-Lastings Milledge — a young man who has earned the veterans' respect with his hard work and humble nature.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards look to Lohse for help — JUPITER, FLA. — The Cardinals addressed an innings-short starting rotation Thursday by reaching agreement with durable free agent righthander Kyle Lohse on a one-year, $4.25 million contract, pending Lohse's passing a team physical this morning.
Barry Svrluga / Nationals Journal:
Pena likely out a month — The results from Wily Mo Pena's MRI are back, and they reveal what many in the organization suspected yesterday. It is a Grade 2 strain of the left oblique. A club spokesman — delivering the report from the medical staff — said it was a “significant tear of the muscle …
Discussion:
Nationals Farm Authority
Extreme Brigs / From the Mixed up Files …:
What's In a Name? (MLB) — Apparently I have too much time on my hands these days. Either way, I won't make a big stink for an introduction. The following is a list of team nicknames in Major League Baseball and where those names come from. I started this research today on a whim and thought I'd share it with you.
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
Spring Training / Yahoo! Sports:
Rangers prospect is exhibit A — SURPRISE, Ariz. - Matt West said he doesn't know the name of the performance-enhancing drug he used that almost killed his baseball career. He was taking nitric oxide and creatine and all the other standard supplements, and, poof, somehow his urine came back dirty.
Discussion:
TEXAS RANGERS
