Top News:
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves dominate Phillies in season opener — Lowe pitched eight scoreless innings; McCann, Francoeur and rookie Schafer homer — Philadelphia — Yes, it was only the first game of 162. But on Sunday night, the Braves provided a few reasons to believe things might be different this season.
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Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Cool, calm Lowe tosses gem in debut — Righty throws eight scoreless innings, gets early support — PHILADELPHIA — With a frenzied crowd prepared to bring the defending World Series champion Phillies into the 2009 season, Derek Lowe wasn't provided the best setting to make a good first impression …
Discussion:
Hardball Times, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, Sons of Steve Garvey and Archie Bunker's Army
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Transactions — This time: March 31-April 3 … Arizona Diamondbacks — Signed: RHP Bobby Korecky, LHP Travis Blackley — Released: RHP Adam Howard, RHP A.J. Shappi, LHP Eddie Romero, C Richard Mercado, C Bill Musselman, 3B Steve Mena, 3B Cesar Nicolas, OF Frank Curreri, OF Jimmy Principe
New York Post:
A-ROD RETURN MAY NOT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MAY — BALTIMORE — Forget mid-May. Alex Rodriguez is showing signs he is going to return to the Yankees well before that. — Hitting coach Kevin Long, who speaks daily with A-Rod, told The Post that Rodriguez has begun to hit and reported that he “feels 70 percent.”
Discussion:
MLB.com, Newsday, NY Daily News, New Jersey Online, New York Yankees Fan Blog, Hardball and Bronx Baseball Daily
David Lefort / Boston Globe:
Opener postponed until tomorrow — Due to a forecast of heavy rain in the Boston area, today's Red Sox-Rays season opener at Fenway Park has been postponed to tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. — “All of the festivities surrounding Opening Day will take place tomorrow,” Red Sox president Larry Lucchino confirmed …
Greg Sandoval / CNET News:
Why baseball benched Microsoft Silverlight — The thwacking sounds of bats striking balls will once again fill stadiums, as Monday is opening day for Major League Baseball. This year, Microsoft will watch from the sidelines. — MLB.com no longer uses Microsoft's Silverlight to stream games to its 500,000 subscribers.
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Incredible shrinking payroll: 14 of 30 MLB teams cut back — Fourteen of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball will have a lower opening-day payroll than a year ago, according to USA TODAY's annual salary survey. — Ten of the 14 teams are cutting their 25-man-roster budget by at least $10 million.
Ted Berg / SNY.tv:
What's cooking — Is faith in Murphy a sign of organizational enlightenment? — It's Opening Day and I'm revved up. — There's all the usual Christmas-in-April stuff, complete with a sleepless Sunday night spent wondering what the 2009 baseball season has in store for my Flushing Nine …
Discussion:
ESPN
Tony Jackson / Inside the Dodgers:
The last 40-man move: Dodgers release Greg Miller — They might re-sign him to a minor-league contract over the next couple of days if he willing to accept such a deal, so they haven't officially given up on him. But they needed a roster spot, and it didn't make much sense for a pitcher …
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Peavy likely will be gone if Padres get off to bad start — The backdrop to a Padres season that begins today at Petco Park is that if the team falls out of playoff contention, Jake Peavy could be traded before or shortly after the All-Star break, perhaps to the Dodgers club that opposes Peavy this afternoon.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Offseason In Review: Milwaukee Brewers — Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Brewers. Here's what we wrote about them on October 16th. Changes for 2009: — Additions: Trevor Hoffman, Braden Looper, Jorge Julio, R.J. Swindle, Chase Wright, Craig Counsell (re-signed) …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Patrick Saunders / All Things Rockies:
Surprise? Stewart gets opening-day start — Phoenix — Looking for maximum firepower - as well as another left-handed bat in the lineup against Diamondbacks ace sinkerballer Brandon Webb - Ian Stewart gets the start at second base in today's season-opener. He replaces usual second baseman Clint Barmes.
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Pitching plans — The Sox were clearly prepared for this rainout. They had already said that if today's game were postponed, they would flip-flop Josh Beckett and Brad Penny this weekend with the sudden need for a fifth starter. — So Penny will start on Saturday, with Beckett taking the finale of the series in Anaheim, Calif.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Bill Ladson / All Nats All the Time:
Acta announces starting lineup for Opening Day — About an hour after addressing his team, Nationals manager Manny Acta announced his starting lineup for Opening Day against the Marlins. — 1. Lastings Milledge — CF — 2. Cristian Guzman — SS — 3. Ryan Zimmerman — 3B — 4. Adam Dunn — LF
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