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:
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Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Oswalt, Lee among Astros in Classic — Six Houston players selected for final tournament rosters — KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Houston will be well represented in the World Baseball Classic. — Three Astros players participating in Major League Spring Training, and a total of six from the organization overall …
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
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
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.
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.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Yankees Blog, The Voice of Yankees Universe and The Yankee Scrolls
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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)
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 …
Discussion:
iYankees
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.
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.
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
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.
Discussion:
Hugging Harold Reynolds
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.
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 …
Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
The Yankees Stick It to Their Ticketholders — Eleven years ago, I banded together with four of my friends and bought a Yankees partial season-ticket package which gave us a pair of tickets to 15 games of our choice. We were instantly rewarded with the opportunity to frequent a once-in-a-generation ballclub, the 1998 Yankees.
La Velle / Twins Insider:
Bonser to have surgery on Wednesday — Twins reliever Boof Bonser will have exploratory surgery on Wednesday in St. Petersburg to try to get to the bottom of why he's having shoulder problems. — The surgery will be performed by Rays' team physician Dr. Koco Eaton.
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Elder LaRoche wants to be Buc for life — First baseman open to renewing talks to stay in Pittsburgh — BRADENTON, Fla. — Despite not being one of the players approached with a multi-year deal this offseason, first baseman Adam LaRoche continues to reaffirm his interest in staying in Pittsburgh beyond the 2009 season.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Rob Bradford / Archive:
This Is J.D. Drew: Outfielder Remains Unchanged by Boston — FORT MYERS, Fla. - The question: “How have you changed since coming to Boston?” — The answer from J.D. Drew is frustratingly non-committal - a fact that, in its own way, reveals a great deal about the outfielder. — “It's hard to say,” Drew mused.
JSOnline:
Brewers Blog — The Journal Sentinel sports staff brings fans the latest news and inside dope on the Brewers — Lawrie shifts to second base — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — Phoenix - I just talked with Brewers' top draft pick Brett Lawrie about his decision to switch …
Lance Zierlein / Houston Chronicle:
Albert Haynesworth will be a Washington Redskin — Remember back on December 23rd when I told you guys that Scott Pioli would be the GM for the Kansas City Chiefs before anyone had it? I got it from a very well-connected league source. That source is talking (actually texting) again.
Peter Schmuck / Baltimore Sun:
O's future on display vs. Italian national team — Club has been built on pitching and defense — It is a very long season and it would be folly to attach much significance to any single day during the first two weeks of spring training, but I'm going to anyway.