Top News:
NY Daily News:
Harper: Pelfrey & pen pitch in to make change for better — There is a very real sense these Mets are in good hands with Jerry Manuel taking over for Willie Randolph. Manuel's ascension seems to have loosened the atmosphere around the Mets and helped them refocus on baseball.
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Bart Hubbuch / New York Post:
MANUEL LIKENS ANGRY METS FANS TO FERTILIZER — NEW MANAGER PUTS FOOT IN MOUTH AGAIN … DENVER - Angry Mets fans are a big pile of ... fertilizer? — Manager Jerry Manuel apparently thinks so, at least when it comes to their harsh treatment of reliever Aaron Heilman at Shea Stadium this season.
Bart Hubbuch / New York Post:
MANUEL SAYS MOISES MAY BE FINISHED — Interim manager Jerry Manuel says Moises Alou might not return to the Mets this season and could decide to hang them up at age 41. — With Alou already on the disabled list for the third time this season due to various ailments, Manuel said he at least …
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Mulder may start vs. Royals — BOSTON — The Cardinals are projecting lefthander Mark Mulder for a start in next weekend's series against the Kansas City Royals, pending a successful “light” outing tonight with Class AAA Memphis. — Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan insisted Sunday …
Jason / It is about the money, stupid:
An Interview with Matt Sosnick — An interview with Matt Sosnick — I was recently privileged to spend some time with professional baseball agent Matt Sosnick of Sosnick-Cobbe Sports. Matt Sosnick was the subject of ESPN analyst/writer Jerry Crasnick's book “License to Deal …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Dempster pitches Cubs to sweep of White Sox — Dempster leads Cubs' 14th home win in row — The White Sox are only three years removed from their last World Series championship, while the Cubs are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their last title. — These are historical facts most everyone in Chicago knows by now.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings, Bleed Cubbie Blue, umpbump.com, South Side Sox and GoatRiders of the Apocalypse
David Waldstein / New Jersey Online:
Home crowd fans Farnsy's flames — NEW YORK — Kyle Farnsworth was bloodied and needed stitches, but after the game he seemed to have more problems with fans cheering for Ken Griffey Jr. than with his injured right hand. — The Yankees reliever was forced out of the game after reaching …
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Fred Kerber / New York Post:
FARNSWORTH OK DESPITE STITCHES — DOESN'T EXPECT TO MISS SIGNIFICANT TIME — The two shortest time frames on the planet, according to most scientific research, are: how long it takes for a hard-batted ball to get back to a Major League mound; and how long it takes the guy behind you to honk his horn when the red light turns green.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Ponson lined up for Friday — Prepare yourself for the return of Sir Sidney Ponson. — Per Chad Jennings, the Scranton rotation lists TBA on Thursday, which would have been Ponson's spot. It seems pretty evident that Ponson will pitch one of those games against the Mets on Friday.
Mark Kiszla / Denver Post:
Admit it: Helton's status slipping — The singles hitter formerly known as slugger Todd Helton wore a black T-shirt and walked slowly through the Rockies clubhouse, past teammates he has repeatedly left on base and too often let down. — The slumping Helton bats cleanup in the Colorado batting order on reputation, not merit.
John Branch / New York Times:
Ensuring It Still Feels Like the Old Ball Game — OMAHA — People always ask Lambert Bartak about the time an umpire tossed him from a baseball game, a dubious distinction for an organist. — But that was just one song — a perfectly timed rendition of the Mickey Mouse Club theme …
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers' Matt Kemp puts his power on hold — for an at-bat — Leading by a run, Manager Joe Torre asks his slugging outfielder to bunt with two runners on and no out. — The Dodgers were clinging to a one-run lead over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. They had runners on first and second …
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Paul DePodesta / It Might Be Dangerous:
AA Rotation — At the beginning of the season, we sent three starting pitchers to AA San Antonio whom Baseball America had ranked among our top 30 prospects: Steve Garrison #6, Will Inman #7, and Matt Buschmann #21. All three have lived up to expectations, and another pitcher has forced himself into the group.
Associated Press:
Cinderella story: Fresno St. reaches CWS finals … OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Fresno State Bulldogs fans have been wearing their “Underdog to Wonderdog” T-shirts around Rosenblatt Stadium for days en masse. — They just might get a chance to order some national championship shirts pretty soon.
Discussion:
Baseball America
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels beat Phillies to finish series sweep — Casey Kotchman homers and Francisco Rodriguez gets his 30th save. — PHILADELPHIA — A train in vain, it wasn't. — The Angels shunned their usual mode of air travel for a ride on the railways Sunday evening, chartering a train …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
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Steve Adams / MLB Rumors:
Rays Promote Price to Double A — MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli writes that the Tampa Bay Rays have promoted David Price to Double A Montgomery. Price, the #1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, is on the fast-track to the Major Leagues, and there has been speculation that he could join the big league club before season's end.
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