Top News:
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Why didn't the Yankees stick with the plan? — When Alex Rodriguez returned from his hip surgery, the Yankees spoke glowingly about the work his surgeon and rehab specialist were doing. To listen to them talk, Dr. Marc Philippon and Dr. Mark Lindsay are the two best at what they do.
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Yankees GM ordered A-Rod to sit out … MIAMI — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman ordered superstar third baseman Alex Rodriguez be rested here Friday and Saturday after a conference call of Yankee bosses, including team owner Hal Steinbrenner, medical personnel and Rodriguez himself, people familiar with the situation tell SI.com.
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Don't count on any help, Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg says — NEW YORK — The Rays were unlikely to spend any money on in-season acquisitions anyway. The cost of replacing injured players such as 2B Akinori Iwamura and RHP Troy Percival make it even less likely.
Peter Gammons / ESPN:
Red Sox want rotation depth, will keep Penny — Be realistic. Jake Peavy and Erik Bedard probably won't be tradeable before Aug. 1. Drayton McLane is not moving Roy Oswalt. Jarrod Washburn could probably be had, and would be a good pickup for a National League team with a big ballpark (cue Dodgers, Mets and Giants).
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Webb could require surgery on shoulder — Profile: Brandon Webb — SEATTLE - Brandon Webb's troublesome shoulder will require more tests and maybe even surgery, and the possibility exists that the organization's most accomplished homegrown player has thrown his last pitch for the Diamondbacks.
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Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers give Leyland two-year extension — Manager has navigated injuries, slumps into first place — DETROIT — Jim Leyland's future will remain in a Tiger uniform. The team and the manager agreed Friday to a two-year contract extension, ending speculation while rewarding the veteran skipper …
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Jason Bargas / Houstonist:
Interview: Roger Clemens — Photo by Flickr user presson_on. — Let's play a word association game. Roger Clemens. What comes to mind? University of Texas Longhorn. Fastball. Burnt orange Hummer. 4,672 strikeouts. Houston resident. Major league pitcher.
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Dan Sewell / Associated Press:
Aaron urges more black participation in baseball — Buzz up! — CINCINNATI (AP)—Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron called on Major League Baseball on Friday to do more to increase participation by blacks in the game. — Aaron attended a panel discussion at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center …
Discussion:
Church of Baseball
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Polls / Brew Beat:
Trade talks? Brewers' Groch in town with Melvin — Ah, to be a fly on the wall in the lobby of the Brewers' hotel in Detroit on Friday morning, when manager Ken Macha met with GM Doug Melvin and Dick Groch, head of the team's pro scouting operation. The men talked over coffee for nearly two hours …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Denver Post:
Corpas likely headed to DL — The Rockies' bullpen got rocked Friday night before the first pitch was thrown against the Pittsburgh Pirates. — Setup reliever Manuel Corpas has bone chips in his right elbow and likely will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, a source close to Corpas confirmed.
Discussion:
Up in the Rockies
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Miller Park to be OK after flooding — Situation to be resolved by the time team returns Tuesday — DETROIT — A severe storm in Milwaukee early Friday morning knocked out power at Miller Park and caused what a Brewers official termed “moderate” flooding in parts of the ballpark's service level, including the clubhouses.
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Furman Bisher:
Brace yourselves, but Braves should put Chipper on the market — OK, now it's the Braves' turn. After all those seasons of shoring up their roster with blockbuster trades in mid-season, at the expense of raiding the farm system, consider this: (Are you sitting down?)
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Martin seeks light amid power outage — Buzz up! — LOS ANGELES - The rub of it is, Russell Martin — is living right. — And now he's hitting .238. — He gets his sleep, eats like a grown-up. — And now he's slugging .280. — He found a nice girl, goes home to her every night, couldn't be happier.
R.J. Anderson / Beyond the Box Score:
Please Everyone, Stop Using Catcher ERA — More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP — Non-defensive catcher. — Browse more photos » — The Nichols Law of catcher defense states the inverse relationship that exists between offensive abilities and perceived defensive performance.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
Jon Weisman / Dodger Thoughts:
Eighth-inning homer off Mota lifts Angels over Dodgers — Guillermo Mota came up big for the Dodgers in the bottom of the seventh inning, extending his scoreless streak to 13 innings by inducing a 6-4-3 double play from Vladimir Guerrero to preserve a 4-4 tie between the Dodgers and the Angels.
