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TSN.ca:
BLUE JAYS RELEASE RYAN, ACTIVATE DOWNS — The Toronto Blue Jays gave reliever B.J. Ryan his unconditional release and activated left-hander Scott Downs from the 15-day disabled list and on Wednesday. — Ryan, 33, had appeared in 25 games this season, posting a 1-1 record with just two saves and an ERA of 6.53.
Discussion:
Hardball Times
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Ricciardi getting plenty of calls on Halladay — Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi said today he's already received “several calls” from interested teams for pitching ace Roy Halladay, but he also said hold your horses. — “It would take a lot for us to part with him,” Ricciardi said.
Discussion:
Projo Sox Blog
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
If Mets falter, trading Sheffield may not be easy — Let's say that the Mets get neither increasingly healthy nor increasingly productive, which looks like the safe bet at this point. — Let's say they raise the white flag and decide to be sellers rather than buyers - a longer leap …
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Phils Are Early Favorites For Halladay — One source told Ed Price of MLB Fanhouse that “the Phillies are leaders at this point” in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. However, that doesn't mean the Jays ace will be dealt. As another source points out, J.P. Ricciardi is not in a hurry to trade Halladay …
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Toronto's Roy Halladay has Angels' attention — Blue Jays are fielding offers for their ace right-hander, but the price may be too high for GM Tony Reagins. — Toronto General Manager J.P. Ricciardi has made public what the Angels have known for weeks, that the Blue Jays are fielding trade offers …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Jorge Says No!, Fack Youk, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors and The Globe and Mail
Joel Sherman / Hardball:
HALLADAY UPDATE, PHILS AS FRONTRUNNERS — I have talked to a half-dozen baseball executives this morning and the general consensus is that the Phillies should be viewed as the front-runner if Roy Halladay does get traded. Boy the news keeps getting worse and worse for the Mets.
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog
Joel Sherman / Hardball:
RICCIARDI ON HALLADAY — Talked to Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi. He also will be a guess when I co-host The Show this afternoon from 4-6 p.m. on Sirius 210/XM175. He made these 10 points in our phone conversation about the potential of trading Roy Halladay:
Jon Weisman / Dodger Thoughts:
Kershaw twirls more zeroes in Dodger romp — As they say in the news biz, “We have a developing story.” And it's not about Manny Ramirez. — Clayton Kershaw pitched six shutout innings in the Dodgers' 8-0 blanking of the New York Mets. — In his past five starts …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, LADodgerTalk.com, Mets Geek, Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, 6-4-2 and Fox Sports
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Ben Walker / Yahoo! Sports:
Crew chief: Ump told Jeter he was tagged, too — Buzz up! — NEW YORK (AP)—Given another swipe at the play, the umpires said Derek Jeter — was told he got tagged, too. — A day after a disputed call left the New York Yankees and their captain peeved, crew chief John Hirschbeck tried Tuesday night to quell the ill will.
Discussion:
NY Daily News, River Avenue Blues, Newsday, Associated Press, Pinstripe Alley, Lady At The Bat and New Jersey Online
Larry McShane / NY Daily News:
Strike three for Lenny Dykstra: Former Met files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — It's strike three - and Chapter 11 - for Lenny Dykstra. — The one-time Mets hero, facing divorce, foreclosure on his mansion and a multitude of lawsuits, filed for bankruptcy protection in California, his attorney said Wednesday.
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Reuters:
Dykstra files for Chapter 11 — NEW YORK — Lenny Dykstra, the former star center fielder for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, court records show. — Dykstra, 46, has no more than $50,000 in assets and between $10 million …
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …
ESPN.com:
Bartolo Colon of Chicago White Sox missing with Triple-A start scheduled Thursday — Chicago White Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. — Problem is, the White Sox don't know where he is. — “I know where he is supposed to be right now.
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Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Embree earns ‘W’ without throwing pitch — Rockies reliever first hurler to accomplish feat since 2003 — DENVER — Call Rockies left-hander Alan Embree the winning picker. — Embree entered Tuesday night's game against the Nationals with two out in the eighth, Austin Kearns the runner on first and the score tied at 4.
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MLB FanHouse
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Dan Steinberg / D.C. Sports Bog:
How the Nats Lost Last Night — Yesterday evening, I wrote that one of the reasons you have to keep watching this baseball team every night is because of the chance “that you'll see something the universe has never seen before.” That was well-timed. — “In a weird, out of body experience way …
NY Daily News:
CC Sabathia shines as the Yankees crush the Twins 10-2 — MINNEAPOLIS — CC Sabathia allowed one run on three hits in seven innings and the New York Yankees roughed up Minnesota starter Scott Baker in a 10-2 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night. — Sabathia (8-5) showed that Friday's bad start …
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Mike Celizic / NBCSports.com:
Time to get over steroids — Outrage over drug use doesn't matter to people who see it as only a game — Manny Ramirez may be a drug cheat in the eyes of media members and baseball diehards, but the casual fans could care less, writes Mike Celizic. — The Mets' play-by-play guy couldn't believe what he wasn't hearing.
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Michael Obernauer / NY Daily News:
Punchless David Wright takes crack at the Mets — After another awful loss in a season already full of them before the All-Star break, David Wright stood in the home clubhouse Tuesday night at Citi Field and blasted the Mets for the way they've been playing. They were the best hacks Wright has taken all week.
Discussion:
True Blue LA