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
Mets' Martinez out for at least four to six weeks
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Faith and Fear in Flushing, On the Mets beat, NorthJersey.com, MetsBlog.com and New York Post
Andrew Ryan / Boston Globe:
An omen? Hawk attacks girl with a familiar-sounding name at Fenway — A certain New York Yankee slugger should beware: A 13-year-old taking a tour of Fenway Park today was attacked by a red-tailed hawk that swooped off its nest, drawing blood from the girl's scalp. — Her name: Alexa Rodriguez.
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Associated Press:
Hawk attacks schoolgirl taking tour of Fenway Park — BOSTON — A student touring Fenway Park was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from a girl's scalp Thursday. — The girl was taken by ambulance to a hospital but wasn't seriously injured.
Discussion:
Boston Globe
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
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Why Bonds isn't playing … Once, he was everywhere. Now he's nowhere. — Once, he was The Man. Now he's just the Invisible Man. — Once, he was the most high-profile player in his entire sport. Now Barry Bonds is so low-profile, he could be a plot line on “Without a Trace.”
Associated Press:
Royals finish 3-game sweep of Tigers — DETROIT (AP)—The Kansas City Royals were supposed to provide a perfect launching pad for the Detroit Tigers' highly touted offense. — The Royals pitchers did not cooperate, and the Tigers failed to launch. — Zack Greinke had another outstanding …
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
RELATED:
Jon Paul Morosi / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers DH Sheffield says he tore tendon in finger; status unclear
Tigers DH Sheffield says he tore tendon in finger; status unclear
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
Charles Odum / Associated Press:
Braves' Hampton scratched from start — ATLANTA (AP)—Mike Hampton had another setback in his much-anticipated comeback when he was scratched from his scheduled start because of a chest injury Thursday night. — Hampton, scheduled to make his first start since Aug. 19, 2005 …
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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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Nate Silver / Baseball Prospectus:
Grab Bag and Final Projected Standings — Spring has a way of creeping up on you in the Midwest, and it crept up on me this year without my ever getting an article out on the PECOTA projected standings. So, rather than try and pretend that that I didn't see what happened over the first couple days …
Discussion:
6-4-2
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Dan Fox / Baseball Prospectus:
Schrodinger's Bat — Reminiscing with SFR, the Sequel
Schrodinger's Bat — Reminiscing with SFR, the Sequel
Discussion:
Dan Agonistes
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
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
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels' 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