Top News:
Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Madden: Yanks still can't overcome their fear of unknown — They waited 5-1/2 hours in the rain to play a baseball game at Yankee Stadium Thursday night, and if you didn't know better, it could have been because the Yankees wanted no part of Craig Stammen. — It mattered not that the …
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Chico Harlan / Washington Post:
For Nats, This One Is Worth The Wait — Stammen's First Big League Win Caps Long Day: Nationals 3, Yankees 0 — Waiting is all relative. On a day defined by a 5-hour 26-minute rain delay, the Washington Nationals finally pulled off the sort of accomplishments they'd long been waiting for.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Stammen steamrolls Yankees for first win — Kearns, Harris contribute stellar defense behind Nats rookie — NEW YORK — Nationals right-hander Craig Stammen had to wait five hours and 26 minutes to pitch in Thursday's game against the Yankees because of a rain delay.
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Yankees try to make best of bad situation — On a long, long day at Yankee Stadium, the comic highlight occurred in the middle of the first inning, when public-address announcer Paul Olden invited fans to move up to the field- and main-level seats. — A few lax security guards …
Matt Gelb / New Jersey Online:Washington Nationals beat New York Yankees, 3-0, to win series
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Newsday:
Yankees are in area, so they'll watch Pedro — The Yankees will watch Pedro Martinez throw a bullpen session Friday in the Dominican Republic, a person familiar with the situation confirmed. But the club would be interested in signing the three-time Cy Young Award winner only to a minor-league contract …
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Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Pedro Martinez pitches comeback bid with contender — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — Pedro Martinez is ready again for the lights, camera and action. — Sounding restless, peppy and in good humor, Martinez spoke from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic …
Jack McCaffery / Delaware County Times:
Phils need to sharpen mental game — The Phillies lost another home game Thursday, their fifth of their homestand, their19th of the season, their second in less than 24 hours. — Coincidence? — Or justice? — “It's done,” Ryan Howard said. “I'm pretty much tired of hearing about it.
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David Gurian-Peck / MLB.com:Phillies' Ibanez lands on disabled list
Discussion:
Newsvine, Bless You Boys, MLB Rumors, Ken Davidoff's baseball … and 24 Hours From Suicide
Mark Bradley / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Bradley's Buzz: Glavine tells WAGA he won't pitch in 2009 — Tom Glavine informed Buck Lanford of Fox 5 Atlanta on Thursday he won't pitch in 2009. Via text message, Glavine wrote: “I'm not going to pitch or do anything in baseball until at least next year.”
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Howard Megdal / MLB Rumors:
Glavine Won't Pitch In 2009 — Breaking news out of Atlanta: Tom Glavine told Buck Lanford of Fox 5 Atlanta that he won't pitch in 2009. — “I'm not going to pitch or do anything in baseball until at least next year.” Glavine stopped short, according to Fox 5, of announcing his retirement, saying he plans to be “a full-time dad.”
Discussion:
ESPN
Associated Press:
Huff's RBI single off K-Rod in ninth lifts Orioles over Mets — BALTIMORE (AP) — Aubrey Huff drove in the winning run with a ninth-inning single off Francisco Rodriguez, capping a two-run rally that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the New York Mets 5-4 Thursday night.
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Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs GM Jim Hendry wouldn't hesitate to deal — Will the breakdown of negotiations over the Cubs sale result in a short-term return to the payroll flexibility the Cubs had the last two seasons? — It's probably too soon to tell, especially if the Ricketts family stays firmly in the picture …
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Howard Megdal / MLB Rumors:
Tigers Bench Magglio Ordonez Indefinitely — News comes from Tom Gage of the Detroit News that the Tigers are benching Magglio Ordonez indefinitely. — Ordonez hasn't been terrible with the average or plate discipline, but his power has disappeared. His season line is .273/.347/.343 …
Discussion:
Tigers Blog
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USA Today:
New York Mets Team Report — INSIDE PITCH — Gary Sheffield served as the designated hitter during the Mets' six-game stretch in American League ballparks. Now, he is due to return to the outfield. — Manager Jerry Manuel said he would have to strategically rest the 40-year-old veteran …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Andy Gardiner / USA Today:
Arizona State ousts North Carolina with late outburst — OMAHA — Arizona State will get a chance at payback against Texas Friday because of Kole Calhoun and Josh Spence. — Calhoun drove in six runs with a grand slam and a double and Spence gave ASU enough starting pitching to overcome …
Harold Reynolds Presents:
Enjoy it for what it's worth — It's been real interesting in the last couple years as I've watched how the importance of statistics has taken over how to analyze a baseball game. I used to play for an old time manager named DIck Williams who used to tell me, “The situation will dictate what happens.”
MLB.com:
Yankees reward fans for patience and understanding with free ticket offer — The New York Yankees announced that they are rewarding all fans with tickets for today's game vs. the Washington Nationals for their patience and support with a free ticket offer. Please note that the Yankees …
