Top News:
MLB.com:
Mr. October gives A-Rod a sitdown — Yankees legend lends advice to oft-discussed slugger — DUNEDIN, Fla. — There's nothing like a stern lecture from Mr. October to help a troubled friend focus on the priorities of life and career when enormous distractions are closing in and his reputation is crumbling.
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
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Tyler Kepner / Bats:
Gardner and Swisher Stand Out In Yanks' Win — DUNEDIN, Fla. — Brett Gardner's son, Hunter, was born last November and attended his first baseball game on Wednesday with his mom. It's probably a good thing he doesn't understand what he's watching yet, because his father stepped out of character with his first swing of the season.
Discussion:
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre …
Jorge Arangure Jr / MLB:
Washington Nationals to fire special assistant Jose Rijo in wake of prospect age scandal — The Washington Nationals have decided to fire special assistant Jose Rijo and will shut down the team's academy in the Dominican Republic as part of a restructuring of the team's operations in Latin America …
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Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers make two-year offer to Manny Ramirez — The deal calls for $25 million this season and $20 million for the next — providing the slugger chooses to exercise the second-year option. — Reporting from Mesa, Ariz. — The Dodgers have made another offer to Manny Ramirez …
Discussion:
Associated Press, MLB.com, Dodger Thoughts, MLB FanHouse, Baseball Musings, sox1fan.com, Yahoo! Sports and Boston Globe
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Tony Jackson / Inside the Dodgers:
Dodgers make offer to Ramirez, deal could be at hand — From what I understand, though, there WON'T be a deal tonight. The offer is a two-year, $45 million contract, with salaries of $25 million the first year and $20 million the second, but the second year is a PLAYER option so Manny …
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, Fire Ned Colletti Now, MLB Rumors, 6-4-2 and Spring Training '09
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Nothing floats past Bard — Catcher handles rusty Wakefield — Josh Bard keeps this Tim Wakefield knuckleball in front of him in the Sox' 5-2 loss to the Twins. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff) — FORT MYERS, Fla. - It might have been his first tryout, at least in this incarnation …
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:
In '09 debut, Beckett ‘free and easy’ — Veteran righty, Francona pleased with first spring appearance — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Unlike the last time he took the mound in a game for the Red Sox, Josh Beckett didn't need anti-inflammatories just to make it bearable.
Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Opener odds and ends — FORT LAUDERDALE — Some tidbits after Luis Castillo and Ryan Church combined for four hits and seven RBIs in the Mets' 9-3 win here over the Orioles in the Grapefruit League opener for both teams: — * Jerry Manuel's introduction of an intense …
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Neil Best / Newsday:
Yankees lower partial-view seat price to $5 — The price of watching a fraction of Yankees games dropped to a fraction of its original cost yesterday, with obstructed-view bleacher seats abruptly falling from $12 per game to $5. — Lonn Trost, the team's chief operating officer, made the announcement during an interview on WFAN.
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Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune:
Ozzie Guillen comes alive as manager of Chicago White Sox — TEMPE, Ariz. — As sure as the sun rises in the east and Ozzie Guillen rises in a talkative mood, it will happen. — At some point this season, Guillen will talk about retiring, going home to Miami and living the good life.
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse
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Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Angels' John Lackey heads impressive list of potential free agents — Unheralded Angels ace fronts deep group of walk-year players to watch — An under-the-radar ace on a talented, deep team, John Lackey somehow has avoided attention throughout a remarkable big-league career.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Free-agent update: Beimel ‘offering flexibility’ — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. — add this
Andy Meek / The Memphis Daily News:
McCarver Awarded $100K in Morgan Keegan Claim — Memphis native and sports broadcaster Tim McCarver has been awarded $100,000 in compensatory damages as a result of the arbitration claim he filed over losses from Morgan Keegan & Co. mutual fund investments.
Discussion:
Hardball Times
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Prior determined to make it back — Former star pitcher continues comeback bid with Padres — PEORIA, Ariz. — He can move almost seamlessly from clubhouse to bullpen, unnoticed by those who are busying doing the same. This suits Mark Prior perfectly fine.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
