Top News:
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays will choose Beckham at No. 1 — Tampa Bay opts for talented Georgia high school shortstop — BOSTON — Tim Beckham will be No. 1. — The Rays, holding the first overall selection in today's First-Year Player Draft, will select the talented high school shortstop from Griffin, Ga. …
RELATED:
Baseball Analysts:
Live Blogging the 2008 MLB Draft — As detailed in the Ins and Outs of the MLB Draft, today's proceedings will get underway at 2:00 p.m. ET. Baseball Analysts will bring you all the picks from the first and supplemental rounds right here as they happen (with detailed information on the teams and draft picks below).
Marc Topkin / The Heater:
Beckham is the 1 — The Rays took Griffin (Ga.) High SS Tim Beckham with the top pick in today's draft. — “We project him to be a true impact player,” Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said in a team statement. “He has an advanced offensive approach, coupled with outstanding athleticism and a genuine enthusiasm for the game.
Kevin Goldstein / Unfiltered:
Tim Beckham @1: Redux — Last night the story came out that Posey wanted a truckload of money (still the case), and that the Rays were selecting Tim Beckham (also, still the case). However, to make the assumption that those two things were intertwined was not correct.
Discussion:
Future Redbirds
Kevin Goldstein / Unfiltered:Rays On Beckham (or, Money Changes Everything)
Discussion:
Fox Sports, Walkoff Walk, Saber-Scouting, Deadspin, Batter's Box Interactive …, Associated Press and Minor League Ball
Ed Price / New Jersey Online:
Cashman, brass to talk contract — NOTEBOOK — NEW YORK — Brian Cashman's contract as Yankees general manager is up after the season, and Hank Steinbrenner intends to discuss an extension while Cashman is in Tampa, Fla., this week. — “We're going to be talking about it,” said Steinbrenner, the team's co-chairperson.
Discussion:
The Transaction Guy, River Ave. Blues, MLB Rumors, WasWatching.com and Scott Proctor's Arm
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Jim Callis / Baseball America:
BA's 2008 Final Mock First Round — Rays will take Tim Beckham No. 1 overall — Signability concerns made for a wild night before the draft. Florida State catcher Buster Posey's asking price suddenly jumped to $12 million and Missouri righthander Aaron Crow's target became $10 million …
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Keith Law / ESPN:
Law: First-round projection — In his final first-round projection, Keith Law has Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham going No. 1 overall to Tampa Bay.
Discussion:
Future Redbirds
Jerry Brewer / The Seattle Times:
McLaren's words came too late for Mariners — The contrived tirade began with a warning. — “We're gonna do this a little different,” John McLaren said. — He sounded a little like Tina Turner at the beginning of “Proud Mary.” Then the downtrodden Mariners manager unleashed …
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Roderick Boone / On the Yankees beat:
Gameday Live 60: Blue Jays at Yankees — And a hearty good afternoon. Rod Boone here for the quick turnaround following last night's bounce back 5-1 win over the Blue Jays. Can the Yankees win two straight and take their first series since sweeping Seattle at The Stadium May 23-25?
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Ian / SOX & Dawgs:
Coco Shows Some Fire — During last night's game between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, Coco Crisp tried to steal second base in the 6th inning. When he tried to slide into second, Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett put his knee down in front of the bag, which is a no-no since someone can get seriously hurt.
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John Harper / NY Daily News:
Harper: Joba moving, doubt rising — You can feel the concern creeping into the Yankee clubhouse. By now the Yankees are practically the home office for slow starts, but the players are all too aware that improved pitching throughout the American League East means it won't be so easy to bludgeon their way to the top this year.
Discussion:
Ken Davidoff's baseball …
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Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Draft 2008: Pirates set to pick Alvarez — Next step: Sign Vanderbilt star to contract by Aug. 15 — When the Pirates' turn comes in Major League Baseball's draft this afternoon, according to multiple sources, they plan to use their No. 2 overall choice to take Vanderbilt University third baseman Pedro Alvarez.
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Kevin Baxter / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers' Matt Kemp suspended four games, fined for Tuesday's fight — Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, left, has been suspended for four games and fined an undisclosed amount for his part in a shoving match that resulted in the clearing of both teams' benches.
Discussion:
Associated Press
John Manuel / Baseball America Draft Blog:
Late-Morning Buzz — Jim Callis is en route to an undisclosed location in Chicago to join ESPN's broadcast of the draft, and Matt Blood is live in Orlando, I'm just here blogging late-morning rumors in preparation for today's feast of Q Shack and draft goodness. Here's some of what we're hearing:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Teammates react to loss of Smoltz — What teammates and others are saying about John Smoltz: — • From JEFF FRANCOEUR: — “To be honest with you, I'm happy for him in the fact that he can have some closure this season. He wanted to get back worse than anybody, but his arm wouldn't allow him to do it.
Thor Nystrom / MLB.com:
Trembley's admiration comes to fruition — O's, skipper squander early lead as Mauer rallies Minnesota — MINNEAPOLIS — Orioles manager Dave Trembley sought Twins catcher Joe Mauer before Wednesday's game to give him a message. — “I told him I thought he is a real credit to the game, the way he plays,” Trembley said.
Mike Puma / New York Post:
SHEPPARD IMPROVING — Public-address announcer Bob Sheppard's health is improving, and the 97-year-old Yankee Stadium icon could be in his familiar seat in time for the All-Star Game on July 15, Yankees COO Lonn Trost told The Post yesterday. — “We've spoken to Bob, and with a little luck he'll be there …
Discussion:
Hot Stove New York, New York Times, YanksBlog.com, Sliding Into Home, The Biz of Baseball and MLB.com
