Top News:
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.
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Associated Press, River Ave. Blues, Sliding Into Home, Baseball Musings, The Bronx Block and New York Post
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Duncan, Cabrera, Gomes suspended — ‘Violent and reckless’ slide sparks discipline; Girardi fined — SARASOTA, Fla. — Yankees first baseman Shelley Duncan and outfielder Melky Cabrera were each suspended three games for their roles in Wednesday's bench-clearing incident against the Rays.
Derrick Goold / Bird Land:
Duncan peeved, defends his son — DODGERTOWN — Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, flush with the excitement of having a new million-dollar arm in camp, still has something to be furious about. The slow-burn coach, the longest serving pitching coach in baseball history, was irate with how son …
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NJ.com
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Pena to start season on DL — Left fielder out at least four weeks with left oblique strain — VIERA, Fla. — Nationals left fielder Wily Mo Pena will likely start the 2008 season on the disabled list due to a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique. It's a significant tear in the muscle, and could take four weeks or more to heal.
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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 …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Notebook: Reds have prospects to make noise — 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 — To be a surprise team, you need surprise players. The Reds might open with two in their starting rotation.
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Byrd-to-Cubs deal not dead yet — Texas outfielder's slow spring doesn't deter potential suitors — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd has one outspoken supporter. His name is manager Ron Washington and that support hasn't wavered, despite Byrd's slow start this spring.
Bruce Miles / Daily Herald:
Leading question: Hey, Lou, what's up with your lineup?
Leading question: Hey, Lou, what's up with your lineup?
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
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 …
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Red Sox tag Leicester, Sarfate in O's rain-shortened loss — Leicester surrenders two long home runs; Sarfate retires just one of six Boston batters — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Jon Leicester is viewed as a long shot to win the Orioles' fifth starter competition, so the last thing he can afford to do is let a good opportunity slip away.
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
One last drop for Mirabelli — Sox release Wake's catcher
One last drop for Mirabelli — Sox release Wake's catcher
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Providence Journal, Basegirl, The Bottom Line, Boston Dirt Dogs, Boston Globe and Knuckle Curve
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.
Roch Kubatko / Baltimore Sun:
Trembley tries wooing two big Birds back to nest — Ripken open to manager's request; B. Robinson not interested in role with team — FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Orioles manager Dave Trembley received commitments from four of the organization's former players to work as spring instructors this year …
Discussion:
Oriole Magic
Associated Press:
Astros 2B Matsui to have surgery, out 2 weeks — KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Houston Astros second baseman Kazuo Matsui will undergo surgery to repair an anal fissure on Monday in Houston. — Matsui has struggled with the health problem for much of spring training and was diagnosed with the condition earlier this week.
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Dempster shaky; Lieber shines — Staff candidates offer two very different outings vs. Halos — ANGELS 6, CUBS 5 — Angels at the plate: Mike Napoli, who had one RBI in six games, hit an RBI triple in the second and scored on Dee Brown's double. Brandon Wood hit his third spring homer …
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.
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