Top News:
Ken Davidoff / Ken Davidoff's baseball insider:
How about Robinson Tejeda to replace Pedro Martinez? — It's nearly unheard of to make a big trade in April, and besides, it's not like the Mets expect Pedro Martinez to miss the entire season (although four-to-six weeks sounds optimistic, to echo what David Lennon wrote here).
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets' Martinez out for at least four to six weeks — MIAMI - All that remained of Pedro Martinez yesterday at Dolphin Stadium was a framed photograph of the three-time Cy Young winner in his empty locker alongside a plastic bottle of moisturizing lotion with PEDRO scrawled on white athletic tape.
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Sox travel well — Lester, Ortiz spark third win over A's — OAKLAND, Calif. - Josh Beckett is still in Florida. Curt Schilling is stuck on an exercise bike. David Ortiz doesn't have any pages left in his passport for new customs stamps, and there's still one country left before the Red Sox can fall into their own beds.
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Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
Lester follows Dice-K with another gem
Lester follows Dice-K with another gem
Discussion:
Peter's Red Sox Forever
Mark Herrmann / Newsday:
Jeter has earned monument at new Yankee Stadium — At this stage of his career, which is to say his prime, there is only one question left about Derek Jeter: monument or plaque? — A person couldn't help getting in a historical mood, what with the Yankees playing their final Opening Day …
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Mussina, Yanks left out in cold — The pageantry from Opening Day was nowhere to be found on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. — Neither was the energy the Yankees showed in their season-opening victory as A.J. Burnett breezed through the Bombers' lineup and the Jays did what they had to against a mediocre Mike Mussina.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Cold Start Catches Up to Mussina and Yankees
Cold Start Catches Up to Mussina and Yankees
Discussion:
IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Cardinals fans take flight — ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Cardinals fans love to tell anyone who will listen how they're the smartest in baseball, and on Wednesday night they may have proven it. — They knew better than to show up and watch this team. — Oh, the Cardinals won …
The Times-Tribune:
Yankees add catcher Chris Stewart — First transaction of the year didn't take long. On Thursday the Yankees signed catcher Chris Stewart to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A. To make room on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster, catcher Jason Brown was sent to the Gulf Coast League …
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Santana gets the win in Minneapolis — The Angels right-hander, who struggled on the road in 2007, allows two runs and four hits in six innings. — MINNEAPOLIS — The Angels knew Ervin Santana had this in him, because they've seen it so often in Anaheim, but it was nice for them to see it in a venue other than Angel Stadium.
Discussion:
Associated Press
Tom M. Tango / Hardball Times:
With the game on the line, I want ... Since the dawn of time, men have been vexed by the singular most puzzling question: Ginger or Mary-Ann? On the one hand, you have the obvious and more sizeable option; on the other hand, you have a prima facie somewhat less appealing choice …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Bob Rittner / Baseball Analysts:
Real Fans Love the DH — What do the following have in common? Sandy Koufax, Lefty Grove and Dazzy Vance. Right, they were all truly awful hitters. What about these three? Harmon Killebrew, Ralph Kiner and Hank Greenberg? Right again. They were all mediocre to poor fielders.
Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Koskie hopes to rejoin Majors — Former Twin still dealing with concussion aftermath — MINNEAPOLIS — Corey Koskie still holds on to some hope that one day he'll be able to return to baseball. — Whether that day will ever come, though, is still very much in question.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Ensberg learns some New York laws — First-year Yankee cited for talking on phone while driving — NEW YORK — Ballplayers sign plenty of items on a day-to-day basis — baseballs, bats, cards; pretty much anything you'd find at a memorabilia show or in the trophy room of a devoted fan.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 3: Blue Jays at Yankees — YANKEES — Notes: Thanks to Sam Borden for texting this to me from the clubhouse. ... Matsui will make his 2008 debut in left field as Damon gets a day as the DH. ... Posada (stiff right shoulder) remains out. ... This is the 2008 debut for Phil Franchise, the noted right-hander and blogger.
Discussion:
iYankees
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins Notebook: Andino's joy turns to relief — MIAMI GARDENS — Robert Andino says he'll always have fond memories of his first career home run, even if the aftermath was scary. — As Andino was circling the bases after his game-winner Tuesday night, an intruder was trying to break into his house in Kendall.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Long reliever Lincecum scores the winning run — (04-03) 04:00 PDT Los Angeles — Some folks believe that Tim Lincecum eventually will call the bullpen home as the Giants' closer. On Wednesday night, they got a preview. Lincecum emerged from the bullpen as a long reliever, in a game started by Merkin Valdez