Top News:
William C. Rhoden / New York Times:
Randolph to Be Steinbrenner's All-Star Guest — Willie Randolph is expected to watch the All-Star Game Tuesday as a guest of the Steinbrenner family, providing a bit of local intrigue for an evening that will be filled with history and emotion because of Yankee Stadium's impending demise.
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NY Daily News:
Jonathan Papelbon says he should close All-Star Game instead of Mo — While the rest of baseball heaped praise on Mariano Rivera for his Hall of Fame career during Monday's All-Star media day, Jonathan Papelbon declared that he deserves to be the AL's ninth-inning man at Yankee Stadium Tuesday.
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Sam Borden / The Journal News:
Steinbrenner deserves an ovation — NEW YORK - There will be lots of cheers at Yankee Stadium tonight, starting with the ones for the Hall of Famers who will be honored in a pregame ceremony and, of course, for the players who will be part of the All-Star Game.
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The LoHud Yankees Blog, WasWatching.com, My Pinstripes, Sliding Into Home and Pinstripe Alley
Alan Schwarz / New York Times:Some Players Hold Their Noses to Say Goodbye to Stadium
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Simon Lewis / Yahoo! Sports:Papelbon ready to defer to Rivera in All-Star game
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Associated Press:
All-Star Lincecum hospitalized, likely won't pitch … NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Lincecum could miss his first All-Star game Tuesday night after coming down with flulike symptoms. — The San Francisco right-hander got sick Monday night and was getting treatment Tuesday, Giants spokesman Matt Chisholm said.
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Biggest star at All-Star Game is Stadium — Midsummer Classic will celebrate Cathedral in its final year — NEW YORK — Cliff Lee and Ben Sheets have been named the starting pitchers, and both Terry Francona and Clint Hurdle had a pair of stacked lineups to fill out, loaded with the best talent in the big leagues.
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Associated Press:
Lincecum hospitalized before All-Star game — NEW YORK - Tim Lincecum was hospitalized today with flulike symptoms, and it appeared the San Francisco Giants pitcher was likely to miss his first All-Star game. — Lincecum was taken from his hotel to a Manhattan hospital after feeling ill early in the day …
Associated Press:
Yanks' Matsui may need surgery, Damon delayed — NEW YORK — Hideki Matsui's left knee swelled, increasing the possibility he will need season-ending surgery and perhaps giving the New York Yankees reason to contemplate signing Barry Bonds. — General manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday …
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Associated Press:
Matsui, Damon might be out longer than hoped … TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Injured Yankees outfielders Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon could be sidelined longer than first expected. — Matsui did not hit Tuesday after experiencing additional discomfort in his sore left knee.
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Big Apple Sports
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Ichiro's speech to All-Stars revealed — NEW YORK - Piece by piece, the legend started to reveal itself. — “How do you know about that?” Michael Young asked. — A whisper here. A story there. Something about the greatest pregame speech since Rockne invoked the Gipper …
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David J. Neal / MiamiHerald.com:
All-Star Game needs an update, not a total overhaul — Let's be clear: Major League Baseball's remains the best of the All-Star Games. Tuesday night's exhibition adds another link to the longest continuous All-Star Game tradition, and the nature of baseball allows players to run …
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Hamilton's power display defies explanation … NEW YORK — Even before Monday night, the Legend of Josh Hamilton was already an onrushing storybook train, building speed on its way to a Cineplex near you. — But that was before he brought his little magic show to Yankee Stadium, a place where legends are born.
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ottawasun.com:
Wearing nothing but a smile and a thong, a young beauty was on display at a hotel window overlooking the Rogers Centre field. (DAVE ABEL/Sun Media) — TORONTO - Thank God for nostalgia. — Not only are the Blue Jays wearing their baby blues on Fridays, but the Rogers Centre …
New York Post:
AMAZIN' PLANS — MINAYA MAY SKIP DEALS, PROMOTE FROM MINORS — THE METS are more seriously considering promoting from within (Fernando Martinez for the outfield, Jon Niese for the rotation, Bobby Parnell or Eddie Kunz if a bullpen arm is needed) then making a trade between now and the July 31 deadline …
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Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Worldwide draft likely postponed to '12 — NEW YORK (AP)—Baseball owners likely will postpone any effort to institute a worldwide draft until their next labor contract with players begins in 2012. — Commissioner Bud Selig said interest in a worldwide draft has increased among management …
Matt P / The700Level.com:
Chase Utley Doesn't Appreciate Being Booed — Clearly the talk of the Home Run Derby so far tonight is Chase Utley. Many of the ESPN announcers were picking him to win it, and when he got introduced to the New York crowd, he was booed by some of the (presumably Mets) fans in attendance.
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
ASG CONFIDENTIAL: Garcia, Milton, Bedard — The Yankees and Mets are among at least nine teams monitoring the progress of Freddy Garcia as he intensifies his workouts to come back from shoulder surgery. Garcia will begin throwing breaking balls off the mound this week in...
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