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John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Griffey returning to Mariners after 9 years — PEORIA, Ariz. — It was as difficult a decision as he'd ever had to make in baseball. — In the end, Ken Griffey Jr. stuck to what he said 18 months ago and agreed to a one-year contract, worth about $2 million plus incentives, with the Mariners for the 2009 season.
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Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Ken Griffey chooses to return to Seattle Mariners — Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to Seattle. — Griffey — The future Hall of Famer informed the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday that he's returning to the city where he carved out a Hall of Fame career as a perennial All-Star in the 1990s.
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Jorge Says No!, MVN, Chop-n-Change, MLB Rumors, MLB.com, Mets Merized Online and Seattle Times
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Griffey chooses to return to Mariners — Future Hall of Famer comes back to first big league team — PEORIA, Ariz. — Ken Griffey Jr. is coming home. — The future Hall of Fame outfielder who began his Major League career with the Mariners 20 years ago has decided to return to Seattle.
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Griffey's decision aided by Mays — Past legend offers advice to future Hall of Famer — PEORIA, Ariz. — A Hall of Fame outfielder apparently played a key role in Ken Griffey Jr.'s decision to sign with the Mariners. — A telephone conversation with Willie Mays on Wednesday morning helped Junior decide …
T.J. Quinn / MLB:
Sources: MLB wants A-Rod to sit down with its investigators — Alex Rodriguez isn't finished answering questions yet. — Major League Baseball will ask the disgraced slugger to meet with its investigators in the coming weeks to further explain his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs …
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Jeter Declares His Independence From the Steroids Era — TAMPA, Fla. — Derek Jeter subtly expressed his support for Alex Rodriguez on Wednesday as Rodriguez grapples with possible repercussions from admitting to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. But Jeter was much more forceful …
Chico Harlan / Nationals Journal:
Kasten: “I am angry. We've been defrauded.” — For about 20 minutes today, Washington Nationals team president Stan Kasten spoke to the media about the false identity of the prospect formerly known as Esmailyn Gonzalez. In the coming minutes, as you refresh this blog, a transcript of what he said will grow.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, Nats320, Nationals Farm Authority, The Nationals Enquirer and Baseball Musings
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Dan Steinberg / D.C. Sports Bog:
Stan Kasten and the Player to Be Named Later — Stan Kasten just completed his conference call with reporters about the Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez mess. With about a dozen reporters crammed into a small office on the third floor of Space Coast Stadium, and with a few others on the line …
Amy K. Nelson / MLB:
Alex's Rodriguez's cousin, Yuri Sucart, would do anything for him — As far back as anyone can remember, Yuri Sucart was always by Alex Rodriguez's side. — Sucart would tell anyone who would listen he was Rodriguez's cousin. But he was also Rodriguez's best friend, confidant and personal protector.
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Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays finalize deal with versatile switch-hitter Willy Aybar — Willie Aybar, right, with Jason Bartlett, has shown the Rays that he can handle multiple positions and hit effectively from both sides of the plate, and his work ethic has been a plus. — Times]
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Cardinals Best News Links
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
St. Louis Cardinals Pineiro upset with Jose Oquendo decision — JUPITER, FLA. — Debate continues over whether Major League Baseball devised the World Baseball Classic as a competition or global marketing opportunity. — In the Cardinals' training camp, the tournament has become a flash point.
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Duncan is back in the swing — JUPITER, FLA. — There were at-bats when his right arm would go numb as he swung and there were nights he couldn't sleep through the pain in his neck. Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan kept playing, kept increasing his work in the batting cage and kept struggling.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Lucchino, Henry in favor of salary cap — Red Sox brass address issue of competitive balance for MLB — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Despite their status as a big-market team, the Red Sox's ownership revealed Wednesday that they would be highly in favor of an “enlightened” salary cap …
Discussion:
PBC Blog
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Will Brinson / MLB FanHouse:
MLB Power Rankings: Preseason Edition — That's right, MLB Power Rankings. You do know that that means, right? It means we're only a few short weeks/months (depends on you how you want to look at it, you pessimistic jerk) from starting the 2009 baseball season.
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Sliding Into Home
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Bourn turns over new leaf in 2009 — Speedster more comfortable, set to raise walks, lower K's — KISSIMMEE, Fla — Michael Bourn doesn't plan to dwell on anything that happened during the 2008 season, and to prove that he's truly wiped the slate clean, he began Spring Training this year …
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Bottom9 Baseball
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Rating every team's winter activity (cont.) — 11. Cubs: Milton Bradley and the lovable losers have the potential to be a dicey mix, and it doesn't help that they'll need the volatile slugger to remain healthy enough to play the outfield. Kevin Gregg doesn't make up for the loss of Kerry Wood …
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Right Field Bleachers
