Top News:
ESPN:
Source: Fehr to leave job after 25 years — Don Fehr is stepping down as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, a position he's held since the mid-1980s, a source tells ESPN. — Fehr will be replaced by general counsel Michael Weiner, pending board approval, the source said.
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Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Chief of Baseball Union Will Retire — Donald M. Fehr, the executive director of the baseball players union who for 26 years presided over the game's boom in revenue and the bust of its recent steroids scandal, announced his retirement in a conference call with reporters Monday.
Adam Rubin / Surfing the Mets:
Breaking: Beltran could be headed to DL — Breaking news: Carlos Beltran may be headed to the disabled list with an ailing right knee. That would allow the Mets to return Fernando Martinez to the majors despite spending less than 10 days with Buffalo. — UPDATE: The Daily News has learned …
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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Breaking: Beltran headed to DL … The core is down to one player: David Wright. — Carlos Beltran became the latest Met to land on the disabled list, when an MRI exam on Monday revealed a worsened bone bruise in his right knee, GM Omar Minaya said. Beltran's loss for at least 15 days …
Associated Press:
Benched: ‘Moneyball’ flick on hold at last minute — LOS ANGELES — Brad Pitt and Steven Soderbergh's baseball tale “Moneyball” has been benched just days before the start of shooting. — Sony pulled the plug late last week after Soderbergh turned in a rewritten script substantially different …
Discussion:
Ken Davidoff's baseball …
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David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Can anyone spare $50 million so Brad Pitt can film ‘Moneyball’? — Hours before they were to start filming “Moneyball,” Hollywood big shots hit the “pause” button. — Director Steven Soderbergh and star Brad Pitt were to give Michael Lewis' best seller about the building …
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk
Bobbie Dittmeier / MLB.com:
A-Rod to rest one day a week through break — Yanks third baseman experiencing fatigue from hip surgery — Alex Rodriguez, who did not start on Friday and Saturday due to fatigue six weeks after returning from surgery on his right hip, will get one day of rest each week through next month's All-Star break.
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Craig Calcaterra / Hardball Times:
Ringolsby is mad at Manny's rehab stint — Tracy Ringolsby is mad: … I noted the fact of his rehab stint last week, and our friend Jack Marshall made Ringolsby's argument, albeit a bit more lucidly than did Ringolsby. My response, which Ringolsby acknowledges and then dismisses …
Discussion:
Inside the Dodgers
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Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
Byrnes reluctantly mulls player moves — As Trade Deadline looms, reality sets in for D-backs GM — PHOENIX — A few weeks ago, D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes was hesitant to talk about being a seller at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. — “We've dug ourselves a little bit of a hole to start,” Byrnes said at the time.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Associated Press:
Iwamura could make return to Rays in 6-8 weeks — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay's Akinori Iwamura could be back on the field a lot sooner than expected after undergoing surgery for a knee injury that was not as severe as the Rays initially suspected.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Bradford Doolittle / Kansas City Star:
Royals rumor mill starts churning — We're entering that nefarious time of the summer, when the trade rumor mill spits out an endless stream of b.s. whispers, which amount to and signify nothing. Nevertheless, it's our duty to report on these things. Here's one ESPN is reporting on Rumor Central …
Discussion:
Baseball Digest Daily Blog
Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs fans' love for Mark DeRosa a little out of whack — The only question left is where to erect the Mark DeRosa statue. — The sculpture of Ernie Banks, fingers curled around a bat, is hogging the west side of Wrigley Field. So that site is out. Harry Caray, microphone in hand, owns the southeast corner of the park.
Roy Burton / Standard-Examiner:
Departing Cruz likes current crop of Raptors — OGDEN — Henry Cruz's return to Ogden didn't turn out like he expected. — Cruz, who served as hitting coach of the Ogden Raptors two years ago, was prepared to perform the same role this season. Instead, Cruz will be heading …
Discussion:
Diamond Notes
Dashiell Bennett / Deadspin:
Yankees-Marlins Fan Brawl Reveals Truth Of The Human Condition, With Punching — YouTube is filled with grainy cellphone videos of drunken bleacher brawls, but few capture the drama, action, suspense, and heartbreaking childhood trauma of this donnybrook from the Yankees-Marlins series.
Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Farrell offers insight on Matsuzaka — Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell says he expects Daisuke Matsuzaka to pitch again this season. But before the struggling righthander, who was sent to the disabled list yesterday with a weak right shoulder, does so, he will have to prove beyond …
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Report: ‘Fatigued’ A-Rod parties with Kate Hudson — Was Alex Rodriguez out partying with actress Kate Hudson on the same night the Yankees sat him because of fatigue? A report says yes. (Newsday.com composite) — MIAMI - Was Alex Rodriguez out partying with actress Kate Hudson …
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays Tales: Don't mess with Zorilla — Rays rumblings — Until they hosted the woeful Nationals last weekend, the Rays had played the toughest schedule in the majors (opponent winning percentage of .521), the way Baseball Prospectus figures it. ...