Top News:
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Sosa Said to Test Positive in 2003 — Sammy Sosa, who joined with Mark McGwire in 1998 in a celebrated pursuit of baseball's single-season home run record, is among the players who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003, according to lawyers with knowledge of the drug-testing results from that year.
Discussion:
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 64: Nationals at Yankees (updates with Girardi audio, Veras DFA'd and now Slade Heathcott audio) — YANKEES (36-27) — Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (5-4, 3.68). — NATIONALS (16-45) — Guzman DH — Johnson 1B — Zimmerman 3B — Dukes CF — Dunn LF — Kearns RF — Gonzalez SS
David Lefort / Boston Globe:
Smoltz to make Sox debut next Thursday — John Smoltz's first start in a Red Sox uniform will come against the Nationals next Thursday, June 25, in Washington D.C., the pitcher and club confirmed before tonight's game at Fenway Park. — Smoltz, who has won 210 games and saved 154 more during …
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MLB.com:
Sox proving they are East's best — Boston shows mettle by winning nine of 12 vs. top teams — PHILADELPHIA — The Evil Empire has been inhaling strong fumes from Red Sox Nation exhausts for a week now. That's how long it's been since Boston knocked the Yankees out of first place …
Stephen Oh / Yahoo! Sports:
AccuScore: Playoff shifts after week 10 — Buzz up! … AMERICAN LEAGUE — The Red Sox have managed to lead this American League list two weeks in a row thanks to their resounding sweep of the Yankees (wins are doubly important when they are over a primary division rival) and their taking two of three on the road in Philadelphia.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Catchers May Have Hand in Yanks' Pitching Problems — “Jorge is obviously that rare combination of being a catcher and an offensive player,” Brian Cashman said. “Cervelli and Molina are more one-sided, to the defensive side. I can't really say why there's a difference.”
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Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com:
Youkilis moves up in All-Star balloting — First baseman slides ahead of Teixeira in tight race — While the Red Sox currently have the lead in the AL East over their rival Yankees, they also have the lead in projected American League All-Star starters, along with the upstart Texas Rangers.
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Morning links: Dude singing on that video — I put out the word last week, seeking the identity of the young man who produced this song about the Nate McLouth trade ... (Please visit the site to view this media) — ... and I ended up hearing from Jesse Andrews himself:
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Congrats to Chien-Ming Wang — Chien-Ming Wang and his wife Chia-Ling are proud parents. Justin Jesse Wang arrived this morning in NYC. He checked it at 7 pounds, 12 ounces. — J.J. Wang is a good name. Sounds like a shortstop maybe. — My Taiwanese friends say that in their culture …
David Lennon / Newsday:
If Mets keep fading, will Manuel follow Randolph? — BALTIMORE - Set your alarm clocks. — At 3:11 a.m. Wednesday, it will be exactly one year since the Mets fired Willie Randolph, hours after his team rallied to beat the Angels in Anaheim. — The move was largely applauded …
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New York Post:
OMAR MINAYA'S GOTTA FIX METS — NOT only did GM Omar Minaya watch the Mets lose two of three to the Yankees — including the 15-0 Sunday slaughter and Friday night's ultimate give-away, when Luis Castillo dropped that pop fly — but he's had to do it from a sick bed.
Associated Press:
Ackley, UNC pile on hits in 11-4 victory, oust Southern Miss — OMAHA (AP) — Dustin Ackley went 5 for 6 and became the College World Series' career hits leader, and North Carolina tied a CWS record with 23 hits in an 11-4 victory over Southern Mississippi on Tuesday.
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Surgery still a possibility for Peavy … While the hope and likelihood remains that Padres ace Jake Peavy can return in a month or two, surgery on his badly injured right ankle hasn't entirely been ruled out. — If he does need surgery to repair the torn tendon injury, Peavy's season would be over.
Richard Deitsch / Sports Illustrated:
Artie Lange Goes Wild … NEW YORK — Artie Lange began his assault in the green room. It was 30 minutes before his segment on Joe Buck Live at the Equitable Center Theater in midtown Manhattan and Lange was searching for victims. First up was Brett Favre.
Discussion:
Deadspin, Fang's Bites, The Big Lead, AwfulAnnouncing, Watchdog, USA Today and SPORTSbyBROOKS
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Hunter crashes into outfield wall, injures ribs — The Los Angeles Angels gasped for breath Monday night, watching center fielder Torii Hunter lying on the ground, wincing in agony. — They have survived a horrific performance by their bullpen this season. Their starting rotation has been in shambles.
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Associated Press
R.J. Anderson / FanGraphs Baseball:
Ervin Santana to the DL? — As if the Angels hadn't been through enough already, Ervin Santana will miss tonight's scheduled start with right forearm tightness. Santana has already missed time this season with an elbow injury that left him out until mid-May.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Associated Press:
New York Mets left-hander Johan Santana: Location, not knee, is only problem — BALTIMORE — New York Mets left-hander Johan Santana insists his left knee isn't hurt and said location was the only problem he experienced while surrendering a career-high nine runs in a 15-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday.
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Yahoo! Sports
Sky Andrecheck / Baseball Analysts:
Draft Picks and Expected Wins Above Replacement — Last week here at Baseball Analysts, we covered the baseball draft in detail with player interviews, scouting reports, and a live blog of the draft. Each team of course has high hopes for the players they draft - hopes that often go unrealized.
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THE BOOK
