Top News:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
No dirt on Ramírez-Youkilis dust-up — Although the most explosive portion of fight night at Fenway Park occurred during the bottom of the second inning, after James Shields hit Coco Crisp with a pitch, the undercard was no less intriguing. — Before the start of the fifth inning, there was an issue in the Red Sox dugout.
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Manny, Youkilis engage in dugout debate — Players have to be separated at end of fourth inning in Sox win — BOSTON — A couple of innings after being involved in a fracas with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox were suddenly fighting each other. Well, at least two of them were.
Mark Remme / MLB.com:
Tempers flare as Red Sox sweep Rays
Tempers flare as Red Sox sweep Rays
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs, Bronx Banter, The House That Dewey Built, Red Sox Monster and Keep Your Sox On In Brooklyn
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Waiting for the Call — NORWICH, Conn. — The ballpark here sits at the end of a winding industrial road, surrounded by trees, with no sense of place. It rained all day Wednesday, and most of the 1,353 paying fans stayed home. Kids were disappointed if they left with only one foul ball.
Discussion:
Bats, The Bronx Block, Pinstripe Alley, The Sommer Frieze, Bronx Liaison, iYankees and River Ave. Blues
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Red hot Damon attributes mustache to his success — Johnny Damon gets congratulations from first base coach Tony Pena after his 3rd inning single as the NY Yankees played the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, June 5, 2008. (Newsday/ Paul J. Bereswill) — It must be the mustaches.
Keith Law / ESPN:
Corner infielders dominate atypical first round … Overview — This year's first round was unusual in a number of ways. We had five college relievers taken, beating the previous record of three (set in 2003). We also saw eight corner infielders taken and four catchers …
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Iguchi heading to disabled list — Infielder separates right shoulder in spill on basepaths — SAN DIEGO — Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi suffered a separated right shoulder in the seventh inning of the Padres' 2-1 victory over the Mets at PETCO Park on Thursday night.
Associated Press:
Bonds pleads not guilty to refiled federal charges — SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds has pleaded not guilty to 15 federal charges of lying to a grand jury about his performance-enhancing drug use. — Bonds pleaded not guilty to similar accusations in December, but a judge ordered prosecutors …
Discussion:
The Biz of Baseball
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Chipper plans to play a lot longer — Chipper Jones, who hit his 400th homer Thursday night and is batting .418 in early June, is enjoying a career resurgence — at age 36. — The Braves third baseman looks as if he might be able to play a while longer, and Jones said that's his intention.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Newsday:
Mets regulars like Wright have little time to rest — When manager Willie Randolph spoke to his team before Tuesday's game against the Giants at AT&T Park, the message wasn't about anything the Mets needed to do on the field. After winning five of seven to that point, they appeared to be fine between the lines.
Chicago Sun Times:
Which team has the hotter fans: Cubs or Sox? — FROM SUN-TIMES STAFF REPORTS — Forget about who has the better team, that will be settled on the field — hopefully in late October. We want to know who has the hotter fans — Cubs or Sox. — Send your nominations — male and female …
Ed Price / New Jersey Online:
Wang needs a mechanic to fix problem — NEW YORK — Chien-Ming Wang knows what's wrong with him. But he hasn't been able to fix it. — Wang yesterday walked four batters as he allowed five runs in 4Ð innings, his sixth straight start without a win. — “He's in a little funk,” manager Joe Girardi said.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Baker sold on Reds' youthful transition … If we've learned anything new about Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker in April and May, it's that the man has a flair for child care. — For years, Baker has been characterized as no fan of young players — a perception that would suggest he's intolerant …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors