Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
Mets seriously considering changes … Willie Randolph's status as Mets manager is extremely tenuous now. General manager Omar Minaya is seriously considering changing managers and at least a couple of the team's coaches, sources told SI.com. — A Mets official indicated that nothing …
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Newsday:
Willie has the weekend to save his job — Source confirms Mets manager has until the end of this weekend's series against Texas to turn team around — A source confirms Mets manager Willie Randolph has until the end of this weekend's series against Texas to turn the team around.
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Sources: MLB working to start replay this season … Major League Baseball is attempting to institute instant replay on home run calls before the end of this season, according to two sources familiar with those discussions. However, in order to accomplish that, MLB still needs to settle …
Discussion:
Associated Press, FanHouse, THE BOOK, BBTF's Baseball Primer … and It is about the money, stupid
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Paul White / USA Today:
MLB may use instant replay starting Aug. 1 — Major League Baseball wants to implement instant replay by Aug. 1, according to two high-ranking officials from the World Umpires Association. — The officials said MLB approached the umpires Wednesday to request that replay be used on …
Discussion:
Baseball Digest Daily
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Baseball a big part of Russert's life — ‘Meet the Press’ host was board member of Hall of Fame — Tim Russert, the host of NBC's “Meet the Press” and a board member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, collapsed and died at work on Friday after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 58.
Discussion:
The Biz of Baseball, Federal Baseball, SPORTSbyBROOKS, Hot Foot, River Ave. Blues and MSNBC
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yanks Would Have Interest in Sabathia — OAKLAND, Calif. — A painful swing by the Cleveland Indians' Víctor Martínez on Wednesday could have significant ramifications for the Yankees. An elbow injury to Martínez all but ended the Indians' flickering playoff hopes …
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Would Griffey consider being dealt to surprising Rays? … Those who know Ken Griffey Jr. know that nothing is more important than family to the newest member of baseball's 600-home run club. Now Griffey, a longtime resident of the Orlando, Fla. area, is telling friends he's monitoring …
ESPN:
Papelbon: Red Sox not finished paying back Rays — Over? Did you say over? — The Red Sox-Rays rivalry has turned into one of Major League Baseball's nastier feuds. And even after multiple suspensions for the teams' last dust-up, in which brushback pitches and punches were thrown …
Associated Press:
Chipper, hitting .414, out after freak BP injury … ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) — Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who leads the majors with a .414 average, was scratched from the lineup Friday night against the Angels after a freak accident during batting practice.
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Martinez, Barfield headed to DL — CLEVELAND — The Indians got the news on catcher Victor Martinez and second baseman Josh Barfield on Thursday, and it was bad news on both fronts. — Martinez (right elbow inflammation) and Barfield (left middle finger sprain) are both headed to the 15-day disabled list …
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
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Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Hit List: Comebacks, Snappy and Otherwise by Jay Jaffe — So Sori: Rough stuff for the Cubs, who may lose Alfonso Soriano for six weeks due to a broken metacarpal. Since coming back from a calf strain on May 1, Soriano had been on a .323/.368/.639 tear with 13 homers …
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Yankees make some roster moves — The Yankees have made some moves to improve their bench in advance of the interleague series against Houston. — Shelley Duncan has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton and replaced on the roster by infielder Alberto Gonzalez.
Associated Press:
Rays take Percival off DL, put Reyes on 15-day DL — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated closer Troy Percival from the 15-day disabled list and put reliever Al Reyes on the DL before Friday night's game against Florida. — Percival strained his left hamstring …
Howard Megdal / New York Observer:
The Mets' Trade-Deadline Options — It's still too early for the Mets to make the irrevocable decision to be sellers at baseball's non-waiver trade deadline on July 31. But just barely. — The Mets found themselves seven games out of first place Thursday evening following a 5-4 loss to Arizona …
Denver Post:
Spilborghs' potential puts others on bench — Ryan Spilborghs' promotion could have ramifications. — With Spilborghs set to receive a string of at-bats in center field, that has created uncertainty regarding the future of backups Willy Taveras and Scott Podsednik.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
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