Top News:
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Inside The Numbers: 2008 MLB Attendance — The 2008 Major League Baseball regular season is the second highest attendance mark in history, drawing 78,624,324, falling just 1.14 percent below last year's record of 79,502,524 in paid attendance, a sign that baseball's popularity remains exceptionally strong.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Paul Hagen / Philly.com:
Quick reminder to Phillies: It takes three wins — THIS IS AS CLOSE to a wide-open shot or a gimme putt as baseball offers. Up two games to none in a best-of-five series. It isn't perfect but, like old age, it sure beats the alternative. — It doesn't stink to be the Phillies right now.
Mel Antonen / USA Today:
Victorino's slam sends Phillies past Brewers in Game 2 — PHILADELPHIA — Shane Victorino hit a grand slam Thursday to help move the Philadelphia Phillies within a win of playing for their first National League pennant since 1993. It was such a magical moment, he almost couldn't believe it.
Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers defeat Cubs, 10-3, at Wrigley (No) Field — The Dodgers' Chad Billingsley pitches Thursday night in Wrigley Field in the second game of a National League Division Series. Billingsley allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings in the Dodgers' 10-3 victory. — Chad Billingsley is dominant …
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Will Carroll / Unfiltered:
The Myth of Protection — Watching the Dodgers-Cubs game last night, one of the announcers discussed how much better Andre Ethier was hitting since Manny Ramirez came to the team. That's something we can test, so I asked Eric Seidman to take a look at this through the lens of Pitch F/X. His findings follow:
Discussion:
Hardball Times
Andrew Seligman / Associated Press:
Manny HRs again, Dodgers lead Cubs 6-0 — CHICAGO (AP)—Manny Ramirez hit his 26th postseason homer, extending his major league record, and the Los Angeles Dodgers led the Chicago Cubs 6-0 after six innings Thursday night in Game 2 of their NL division series.
John Branch / New York Times:In Chicago, Fans' Moods Swing From Gleeful to Gloomy
Discussion:
Boston Globe
David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets digging in heels in negotiations with Manuel — PHILADELPHIA - As much as the Mets would like Jerry Manuel to return as manager, they want him back on their terms, or not at all. — Removing the interim label from Manuel was supposed to be a slam dunk this week, with a Shea Stadium news conference expected any day.
Chicagosports / RosenBlog:
When Vazquez starts, the winning stops — It's Thursday, and I have all the answers ... The White Sox had to beat three different teams in three days to get to the playoffs, and what happens after they pull off that major-league first? — The Sox have to play inside a pachinko machine …
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune
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Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
A Network to Satisfy the Appetite of Baseball-Hungry Fans — Major League Baseball does not believe there is enough baseball on television. — Not on local and regional TV. Not on Fox, ESPN, TBS or mlb.com. — It wants ubiquity, a 24/7 home, so it is building its own cable channel …
Discussion:
ShysterBall
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Offseason Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks — By Tim Dierkes [October 2 at 4:58pm CST] — The Diamondbacks are next in our Offseason Outlook series. Their setup for 2009: — C - Chris Snyder - $1.85MM+ — C - Miguel Montero - $401K — 1B - Chad Tracy - $4.75MM — 2B -
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
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Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Leyland's contract status unchanged — Tigers skipper to return in 2009 for final contracted season — Jim Leyland won't just be managing the Tigers for a rebound season and postseason berth next year. He will apparently be managing for another contract.
Discussion:
TigerBlog
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
Francona on Lowell: 'I really don't know what we're going to do tomorrow' — ANAHEIM, Calif. — The news from Terry Francona on Josh Beckett is positive, and the news on Mike Lowell is somewhat surprising: — Francona indicated the ailing third baseman may not play tomorrow night in Game 2 …
ESPN:
Chat with Scouts Inc.'s Keith Law — Welcome to The Show! On Thursday, Scouts, Inc. senior baseball analyst, Keith Law, will stop by to talk some baseball. — Keith was formerly the special assistant to the general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays and has a wealth of knowledge for you to tap into.
ESPN:
The invisible villain — I thought of that story when Manny began acting up again this summer. Boston's brain trust had decided to dump him. Again. We were doing this dance for the fourth time in six years. There were two crucial differences this time, the first being Manny had canned …
