Top News:
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Rosters set for World Baseball Classic — U.S., Dominican Republic feature entire team of Major Leaguers — The final rosters of the 16 teams participating in the second World Baseball Classic were released on Tuesday evening, and they include a bevy of All-Stars.
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk, New Jersey Online, The Good Phight, The Heater, A DIE HARD YANKEES FAN, Sliding Into Home and iYankees
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David Andriesen / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
M's hope Beltre chooses to skip WBC — If Adrian Beltre plays in the World Baseball Classic, it wouldn't be against the Mariners' permission, but it would be against their wishes. — The third baseman left camp for the day Tuesday saying he remained undecided about whether to play …
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Decision-makers have decided on Manny — Whenever there are words here or elsewhere about the ugliness and the impact of Manny Ramirez's departure from Boston, there is uniform reaction from Ramirez defenders along these lines: — 1) The suggestion that Ramirez did something wrong …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
A fresh start — JUPITER, FLA. — Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan said if he was hurting for a starting pitcher last year and heard from Class AAA Memphis that the best available there was Blake Hawksworth, he would have “bypassed” him. — Today he's starting him.
Daulerio / Deadspin:
Andy Phillips And The Bizarre Porn Star Police Report — Former Yankee prospect Andy Phillips is considered one of the nicest family men in all of baseball by other writers and his peers. So why has an adult actress filed a police report against him? — There have been a slew …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
Dave Zirin / The Nation:
The US v. Barry Bonds — This is a story about garbage. There's the actual garbage overzealous federal investigators examined in their efforts to prosecute a surly sports celebrity. There's the shredding of the Bill of Rights, crudely ignored by the government in the name of obsession and ambition.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Spring Game 1: Yankees at Blue Jays — YANKEES — Pitching: Brett Tomko followed by Kei Igawa, Christian Garcia, Mike Dunn, Dave Robertson, Dan Giese and Jose Veras. — Notes: The Blue Jays will start LHP Brett Cecil. B.J. Ryan, Rick Bauer, Brian Burres and Ricky Romero will follow. ...
John Walsh / Hardball Times:
Beyond OPS: filling in the gaps — I wanted to talk a little about OPS. I love OPS. I use it all the time when I need to know, say, whether Nick Markakis had a good year in 2008*, or if I'm wondering which was Vlad Guerrero's best year. ** OPS will not give you a definitive answer, but it'll get most of the job done.
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
Appreciating Carlos Delgado, the lost slugger of the Steroid Era … PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — I came here to Mets camp looking for the lost slugger of the Steroid Era. There had to be some power hitter out there, I figured, whose profile and legacy suffered because too many other great hitters …
Discussion:
Hardball Times, It is about the money, stupid, The WGOM, The 'Ropolitans and Tales Of A Transplanted …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Matsui Works His Way Back, With Little Fanfare — TAMPA, Fla. — Shadows crept onto Steinbrenner Field just before 4 p.m. Tuesday. Most of the Yankees had been gone for two hours, having finished the final practice before their exhibition opener. — Yet there was Hideki Matsui standing near …
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals manager looks to long camp as way to experiment, find solutions — Cardinals bench coach Joe Pettini, second from right, and Tony La Russa, forground, center, instructs infielders on bunt defense during this week during spring training in Jupiter, Fla. (Chris Lee/P-D)
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
TV and radio coverage of spring training — GAMES ON YES — MLB NETWORK — GAMES ON WCBS — Note: ESPN is not doing any exhibition games.
Wayne Coffey / NY Daily News:
Ruth, other monuments settle in new Yankee Stadium — Monuments are moved two blocks into new Yankee Stadium in Bronx. (For more images of the historic move click the gallery link below.) — Rudy Lavazoli left his home in Center Moriches, L.I. at 4:30 Tuesday morning.
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers reassign four players — Former first-rounder Rogers among those sent to Minor League camp — PHOENIX — On the eve of the Cactus League opener, the Brewers reassigned four players to Minor League camp on Tuesday, including former first-round Draft pick Mark Rogers.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Ramirez will take a few days off — Yankees reliever has mild bursitis in pitching shoulder — TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees right-hander Edwar Ramirez has mild bursitis in his pitching shoulder and will not throw for a minimum of three days, the club announced Tuesday.
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Neil Best / Watchdog:
Yankees exec on costly tix: ‘Our prices are our prices’ — Had an interesting afternoon Monday, spent mostly talking to angry Yankees fans with partial season ticket plans, and with COO Lonn Trost, who offered his take on the events leading to this anger. — See photos of the new Yankee Stadium
Discussion:
New Stadium Insider
Greg Fieg / MLB Rumors at MLBnewsonline.com:
‘Skimming’ No Surprise to Reds Marty Brennaman — An unsubstantiated suspicion that Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden may somehow be connected with the supposed fraudulent taking of kickbacks from young player prospects “comes as no surprise to me,” says Hall-of-Fame Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings