Top News:
ESPN.com:
After 0-6 start, Giants move $126M ace Zito to bullpen — SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen Monday by the San Francisco Giants, who hope the former ace can correct his problems by working in relief. — The move was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
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Associated Press:
Giants send struggling pitcher Barry Zito to bullpen — SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen Monday by the San Francisco Giants, who hope the former ace can correct his problems by working in relief. — Zito, who only 16 months ago signed a $126 million …
Jim Carlton / Wall Street Journal:
Life After Barry Is a Strikeout At the Ballpark — Without Famed Slugger, Rubber-Chicken Sales And Kayak Rentals Fall — SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants this year got off to one of their worst starts since moving here from New York in 1958, losing 11 of their first 17 games.
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles
Associated Press:
Sox-Orioles game suspended after 11 innings — The White Sox and Baltimore Orioles were tied at 3 when play was suspended after 11 innings Monday because of rain. — The game will resume later this season, but no date was immediately announced. All the statistics from Monday count.
Discussion:
The Griddle
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David Pinto / Baseball Musings:
Which Hernandez? — It's not a good year to be a Hernandez on Baltimore. Luis, the shortstop came into the game hitting .233, although with some walks his OBA was a simply poor .314. Ramon Hernandez didn't start today, nursing a .181 batting average, but with a few extra base hits to make his slugging percentage .347.
Discussion:
Associated Press
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Curtain call Q&A with Carlos Delgado — So here are THE NUTS and BOLTS questions and answers from Carlos Delgado's entertaining 20 minutes of give and take with reporters a little while ago about the most talked-about “curtain” since Jamie-Leigh Curtis' mom had hers shredded in the original …
Discussion:
Surfing the Mets
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Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Today — Reality Check — Four weeks into the season, we have to start making calls. It's still a little early in most cases, but we have enough information to reach tentative conclusions about some players, teams, and issues. For the next three days, that's what we'll do …
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 27: Yankees at Indians — YANKEES — Notes: Cleveland will start LHP Aaron Laffey, who has never faced any of the Yankees. ... The Yankees are ending a stretch of 18 road games in 21 days. ... Jorge Posada is officially on the DL as of yesterday and Chris Stewart is here and wearing No. 38. ...
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Tyler Kepner / Bats:The Toughness of Jorge Posada
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home, MLB.com, Bugs & Cranks, Bronx Banter, River Ave. Blues, Bombers Beat and iYankees
Philly.com:
Lieberthal to retire as a Phillie — Mike Lieberthal, who spent 13 of his 14 major league seasons as a catcher with the Phillies, will retire as a member of the organization on June 1, the Phillies announced today. — The last player to retire as a Phillie in this manner was outfielder Doug Glanville in 2005.
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Monday Ten Pack — Bastardo can be seen as one of those “is what he is” kind of players: a short lefty with average velocity. However, beyond his left-handedness, he's also got fantastic command and a killer changeup. That's enough to make him some kind of prospect …
Discussion:
DRaysBay
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Texas Rangers going back to basics — egrant@dallasnews.com — ARLINGTON - With his team leading the majors in errors, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington is considering a remedial course for his fielders. — Washington said Sunday the Rangers may start taking organized infield practice …
Discussion:
Foul Balls
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Todd Zolecki / Philly.com:
Pirates top Phillies, 5-1 — Myers at a loss to explain anemic fastball — Poof. — The fastball that made Brett Myers a first-round draft pick in 1999 is nowhere to be found. The pitch that hit 95 m.p.h. suddenly cannot break 88 m.p.h. That is a concern for Myers and the Phillies …
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David Murphy / Philly.com:Phillies concerned about pitcher Myers' lack of velocity
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Brant James / St. Petersburg Times:
Eventful day for Rays' Bartlett leads to two runs — ST. PETERSBURG — Call it the Jason Bartlett hat trick: hard to replicate and maybe not completely desirable. — Score from first on a botched pickoff attempt, steal a base, get hit in the head with a fastball.
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ESPN:
Report: Clemens had relationship with country star — NEW YORK — Saying “all is fair game,” lawyers for Roger Clemens' former personal trainer Brian McNamee say they intend to capitalize on allegations of an extramarital affair involving Clemens and a country music singer in defending a defamation suit Clemens filed against McNamee.
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NY Daily News:Rocket and the country star
Discussion:
The Big Lead, Deadspin, FanHouse, Boy of Summer, SPORTSbyBROOKS, Diamond Hoggers, The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, Hot Stove New York, My Pinstripes, SOX1FAN, Mellinger's Blog …, Babes Love Baseball, Surviving Grady, The Heater, Oriole Post, Baseball Musings, ShysterBall, WasWatching.com, The Joy of Sox, Deuce of Davenport, yankeesdaily.com, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS and Bronx Liaison
Baseball Crank:
Up There Hacking — One of the interesting revelations about watching Johan Santana this season has been watching him hit. Pitchers, even ones who can swing the bat, usually have swings that are not that pretty to watch - they try to meet the ball, or take a butcher-boy approach to whacking …
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Will any GM join Krivsky on unemployment line? … This isn't like the old days, when some baseball teams were run by the lazy, the unqualified or the truly incompetent. Today there's only one team like that, two tops. — Almost every baseball owner now understands the importance …
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Associated Press:
Braves' Smoltz to have sore shoulder examined … ATLANTA (AP) — After lasting only four innings Sunday in New York, Braves pitcher John Smoltz returned to Atlanta on Monday and is to have his troublesome right shoulder examined on Tuesday. — Smoltz gave up seven hits and four runs in the 6-3 loss to the Mets.
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