Top News:
New York Post:
HIGH'JINX' HITS YANKEES — CREW SABOTEUR — The new Yankee Stadium may be cursed! — A devilish Boston fan working on a concrete crew at the $1.3 billion stadium covertly buried a Red Sox T-shirt under what will become the visiting team's locker room to jinx the Yanks, two construction work ers told The Post yester day.
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Joe Girardi: Bring on Bosox — KANSAS CITY - Joe Girardi has plenty of experience playing at Fenway Park, but when the Bombers and Red Sox resume their rivalry Friday in Boston, it will mark Girardi's first time running the show in enemy territory. — The Bombers and Bosox will face off three times …
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Heilman has been weak link in Mets' bullpen — Good cheer pervaded the Mets' clubhouse late last night, and why not? They badly needed this victory, 4-3 in 12 innings over the Phillies, to establish further street cred in the National League East and even their record at 4-4.
Discussion:
On the Mets beat
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Joshua Robinson / New York Times:
Mets Slide Past Phillies as Bullpen Holds Late — A good day for pitchers at Shea Stadium has been about as rare as a left-handed catcher lately. But until about 9:30 p.m., Thursday seemed like one of those elusive days. — John Maine bounced back from his rough outing against the Atlanta Braves …
Zach / Phillies:
ROLLINS OUT, KLINE IN — 1. Jimmy Rollins is watching batting practice with hitting coach Milt Thompson. After doing some early stretching, he determined his sprained left ankle still isn't feeling better enough for him to resume playing. So, for a second straight game, Rollins will watch from the dugout.
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Pettitte, revamped lineup power Yanks — New No. 2 hitter Cabrera leads offensive charge in Kansas City — KANSAS CITY — It wasn't necessarily going to make or break the Yankees' season, but with the hype and drama of their first Fenway Park visit looming straight ahead, it sure beat the alternative.
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Todd Wills / Dallas Morning News:
Win-win situation: Texas Rangers above .500 after DH sweep — twills@dallasnews.com — ARLINGTON - The Rangers are over .500 for the first time in the Ron Washington era. — But that was the last thing the second-year manager wanted to talk about after the Rangers swept Thursday's doubleheader …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com:
Harden lands on disabled list — Oft-injured righty sidelined by strained muscle in shoulder — TORONTO — For the sixth time in less than four seasons Athletics starting pitcher Rich Harden has landed on the disabled list. — Oakland placed the hard-throwing right-hander on the 15 …
Discussion:
Bronx Liaison
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Associated Press:
D-backs' Davis has surgery — PHOENIX—Left-hander Doug Davis had surgery for thyroid cancer Thursday, two days after pitching the Arizona Diamondbacks to a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. — Davis had insisted on making his two scheduled starts before the operation to remove his thyroid gland.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
Injury bug bites infield — Lowell on DL; Cora hurts elbow … As of yesterday, the Sox had yet to place Kyle Snyder [stats] on waivers, and there were indications that they were looking to trade the right-hander. Among the teams interested in Snyder, who was designated for assignment Sunday, are the Tigers, Rays and Phillies.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
So many key players on the shelf … As far as we can tell, no team's superstar has gotten hurt in the last 30 seconds. But never fear. That'll probably change by the time you hit the pillow tonight. — The heck with Grady Sizemore's iron-man streak. The 30 people in baseball …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Piniella hints Hill's on thin ice — Skipper implies rotation shuffle would be option — PITTSBURGH — Cubs starter Rich Hill's three poor innings and reliever Jon Lieber's 4 1/3 scoreless innings Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates might be raising ideas about how to fix what's wrong with the pitching staff.
Barry Lewis / Tulsa World:
Tulsa starts right — Dexter Fowler homers twice in home opener — Much-heralded Colorado Rockies' prospect Dexter Fowler began his first home game for the Tulsa Drillers with a bang. — Fowler homered in his first two at-bats and had three RBIs to help propel Tulsa past …
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
Don Ehrke / Dugout Central:
Crime Dog: Baseball's Lost Man — I remember an announcer once explaining why Fred McGriff wasn't an elite player. He claimed McGriff was never dominant, citing that he had never won a home run title as evidence. — Of course, the announcer was wrong. Fred McGriff won two home run titles (1989, 1992).
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
NY Daily News:
Panic is too much, too soon for Mets — Events surrounding these early days of the Mets' 2008 season suggest cobwebs from the 2007 collapse have not cleared. The memory lingers on. It will continue to do so. — It's turning into a strange psychosis bordering on paranoia.
The Times-Tribune:
Better Alan Horne update, plus postgame notes … The final pitch was a fastball, and his arm knotted up so badly, “it pulled my whole side down.” The tightness ran up and down his arm and even his fingers were tingling. He went to the trainer's room where he said his arm loosened …
Doug Glanville / New York Times:
Way Inside — If Major League Baseball had a starter kit for players, it would no doubt contain a fortune cookie. Crack it open and you would find a little slip of paper with the message, “You have to believe in yourself or no one else will.” In general, good advice.
Discussion:
ShysterBall