Top News:
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Baseball's Steroid Concerns About the Trainer Angel Presinal Date to 2001 — George J. Mitchell dedicated more pages in his report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball to Angel Presinal, a trainer based in the Dominican Republic, than he did to almost any of the dozens of players he cited.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
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Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Bucs exercise Russell's option for 2010 — Skipper entering his second season at helm in Pittsburgh — BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates announced on Saturday that manager John Russell's contract option for 2010 has been exercised. — Russell, 48, is coming off his first season at the helm in Pittsburgh …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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Chuck Finder / PBC Blog:
Day 8: John Russell extended, Andy LaRoche returns, and more — BRADENTON, Fla. — Maybe it was the way the players were stretching today, but Pirates management — with President Frank Coonelly back in Pittsburgh — at 10:25 this morning announced they had decided to exercise the option …
La Velle / Twins Insider:
Crede: Twins announce one-year deal, Neshek to 60-day DL — The Twins have announced that they have reached agreement with third baseman Joe Crede's on a year=year contract — Another source with knowledge of negotiations called Joe Christensen with even more details.
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Crede agrees to deal with Twins
Crede agrees to deal with Twins
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Bugs & Cranks, MLB Rumors, Twinkie Town, The WGOM, Twins Insider and South Side Sox
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Players affected by Stanford scandal — Situation impacting investments of Damon, Nady and Pelfrey — TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees outfielders Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady and Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey are reportedly among those affected by the continuing Stanford Financial Group scandal.
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St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays sign Jason Isringhausen — Popular player First baseman Carlos Pe? signs autographs for fans after Friday's workout in Port Charlotte. Starting at about 10:50 a.m. today, Pe? and his teammates will take live batting practice for the first time this spring. — Times]
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George A. King III / New York Post:
JASON JOHNSON DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER OF THE RETINA — TAMPA - Pitcher Jason Johnson has been limited to indoor work due to being diagnosed with cancer of the retina in the right eye shortly before reporting to camp with the Yankees. — “I went to the eye doctor to get a new pair of contacts …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Silva gets trial run with Padres — Rotation candidate on loan from Mexican League's Monterrey team — PEORIA, Ariz. — The Padres have invited right-handed pitcher Walter Silva to join the team with hopes he'll earn a spot in their starting rotation. — Silva, 32, is on loan from Monterrey of the Mexican League.
Buster Olney / MLB:
Source: Nomar Garciaparra may have suitor in Oakland Athletics — The Philadelphia Phillies had talked with Nomar Garciaparra early in the offseason about joining them as a part-time player to balance their lineup and Garciaparra, not completely sure what he wants to do, didn't jump at the idea.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Redding out indefinitely — PORT ST. LUCIE — Fifth-starter hopeful Tim Redding is being kept off the mound indefinitely while the former National recovers from a previously undisclosed surgery on his foot in November, Jerry Manuel said today. — Redding said the surgery was to repair …
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Pitching matchups — FORT MYERS, Fla. — We've got pitching matchups! — In an early sign that baseball games will start being played eventually, the Red Sox announced their pitchers through the first six games of the spring training season. — So here we go... Wednesday vs. Boston College: Josh Beckett
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Joe Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Justin Ruggiano can see clearly now — PORT CHARLOTTE — Justin Ruggiano's offseason had a storybook feel to it. — The Rays outfielder got married in Mexico in January and vacationed for 10 days in the Bahamas. Soon after, Ruggiano and his wife, Shelly, found out they would be having their first child.
Discussion:
MVN
Jonathan Abrams / New York Times:
Dodgers' Wolf Accepts His Economic Downtown — GLENDALE, Ariz. — Often in sports, extravagant contracts meet extravagant egos, and attitudes contrast sharply with the rest of society's. In a penny-pinching economy, sports often holds the dollars. This off-season, the Yankees committed more than $400 million to three free agents.
David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets rising star Parnell's got stuff to make team — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Jose Reyes had never seen one of his bats split from the top of the barrel almost down to the knob. When the shattered half flipped in the air toward the mound, Reyes looked at the piece in his hand, shook his head and walked to retrieve the fragment.