Top News:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Rivera takes place in history with No. 500 — Yankees' closer just second player to hit saves milestone — NEW YORK — Another save? You'd have to excuse Mariano Rivera if that particular milestone didn't boost his excitement level — after all, he's been there and done that, now 500 times and still counting.
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
3 UP: RIVERA, YANKEE ROSTER, A-ROD — Yes, I am on Twitter. — A while back I was playing a game with a few colleagues trying to decide who was the best player we had seen play in our time covering baseball. The list of the usual suspects came up led by Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez.
Bobbie Dittmeier / MLB.com:
Rivera, Dye take home AL weekly award — Yanks closer gets 500th save; White Sox slugger bats .500 — Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who saved three games to reach the 500 mark in his career, and White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye, who batted .500, were named on Monday co-winners …
Kaat's Korner:
Well done, Mo — Great to turn on my Kindle this morning and read where Mariano Rivera got his 500th save. And no disrespect for Trevor Hoffman because 500 saves is a great accomplishment for anyone regardless of their team's position in the standings, but to get 500 saves as a New York Yankee …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:For Jeter, Memories of Shea Are Not All Happy
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:Career Milestone for Rivera and Sweep for Yanks
Discussion:
BASEBALL HOT CORNER
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:Game 75: Yankees at Mets (updated with Girardi and Matsui pre-game audio)
Discussion:
Mets Geek
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Sox hoping Lowell responds well to shot — Infielder could require DL stint if right hip doesn't improve — ATLANTA — The earliest that Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell will be back in the starting lineup would probably be Wednesday afternoon at Camden Yards against the Orioles.
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Ted Keith / Sports Illustrated:
The most exciting play in baseball … Earlier this season, Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was standing on third base at Fenway Park in the fifth inning of a nationally televised game against the Yankees. It was a relatively common occurrence in an otherwise common game …
Discussion:
bronxbanterblog.com
Craig Calcaterra / Newsvine:
Yankees and Mets fans are unimaginative — sports, yankees, mets — Freakonomics — the book, the blog, the phenomenon — is basically about applying economic theory to non-traditional things. Things like parenting and sumo and the Ku Klux Klan and what have you.
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Stephen J. Dubner / Freakonomics:
The Failure of Yankees Fans (and Mets Fans Too) — I took the family to last night's Yankees-Mets game at the new Citi Field. We had a great time despite the very late hour. (More on that later.) This was the final game of the season between the crosstown rivals.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Snell fans 17 for Indianapolis — Ian Snell found one good way to escape the “negativity:” Strike 'em all out. — In a superb return to Class AAA Indianapolis yesterday, he fanned 17 batters over seven innings, including his first 13 outs of a 2-1 victory against visiting Toledo.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals activate Olsen for opener — Washington (22-51) at Florida (38-39), 7:10 p.m. ET — BALTIMORE — After Sunday's 5-3 win over the Orioles, the Nationals activated left-hander Scott Olsen from the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-hander Shairon Martis to Triple-A Syracuse.
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Perfect time for Cubs to waive bye-bye to Carlos Zambrano — Carlos Zambrano covers his face as he listens to pitching coach Larry Rothschild. (Nam Y Huh, Associated Press / June 28, 2009) — As Lou Piniella was saying on Friday, enough's enough. — Get Carlos Zambrano out of here, even if the Cubs have to give him away.
Discussion:
Deadspin, Bless You Boys, Newsvine, Bleed Cubbie Blue, The Big Lead and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Trent Green / Sports Illustrated:
Guest MMQB (cont.) — 10 Things I Think I Think — 1) I think with teams going pass happy, there will be at least 10 quarterbacks to throw for over 4,000 yards this season. Seem like a lot? I see six locks and seven more with potential. Let's break it down:
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Jimenez's improvements key vs. Dodgers — Colorado (40-35) at Los Angeles (48-28), 8:10 p.m. MT — OAKLAND — The Rockies are 1-8 against the Natonal League West-leading Dodgers this year. But according to Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, that was then.
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Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Ken Rosenthal Joins MLB Network, Will Keep FOX Sports Duties — MLB Network today announced that Ken Rosenthal has joined its roster of on-air talent. Rosenthal will join the cast of MLB Tonight beginning Tuesday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Rosenthal, who will continue his reporting …
Tracy Ringolsby / Fox Sports:
Tracy thriving in third managerial stint — Jim Tracy tries to be diplomatic, but it isn't easy. — He is managing the Colorado Rockies, having taken over when Clint Hurdle was fired a month ago, and Tracy admits his third time as a big-league manager has extra meaning.
