Top News:
Doug Miller / MLB.com:
Prince reigns supreme in Derby — Brewers star tops Cruz in Finals; Pujols thrills home crowd — ST. LOUIS — Prince Albert, meet Prince Fielder. — With a sellout red-clad Busch Stadium crowd chanting for the hometown royalty, Albert Pujols, to claim the State Farm Home Run Derby hardware …
Discussion:
Purple Row, Associated Press, Blue Collar Baseball, The DL, MLB Babble, It's About The Money and FanGraphs Baseball
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Paul Hoynes / Plain Dealer:
Victor Martinez rejects trade talks: ‘I want to retire as an Indian’ — All-Star Insider … ST. LOUIS — Victor Martinez, given his choice, would retire wearing an Indians uniform. — “I can't see myself in another uniform,” said Martinez, during Monday's media session for American League All-Stars.
Rand Huguely / Examiner:
Did the Home Run Derby keep Ian Kinsler out of the All-Star Game? — As Major League Baseball prepares for All-Star festivities the next two days in St. Louis, there is a certain weirdness hanging over the Texas Rangers' participation. — The Ranger reaction to this particular All-Star season …
Toronto Sun:
Angels hot to trot for Halladay — The second installment of summer book odds on the running of the first Roy Halladay sweepstakes leading to the July 31 trade deadline: — ANGELS 5-2 — Infielder Brandon Wood, a pitching prospect like Trevor Reckling or Jordan Walden. Will Halladay go to the coast?
RELATED:
Thunderbaseball / Mike Ashmore's Thunder Thoughts:Why The Yankees Should Trade Jesus Montero
Discussion:
Major League Baseball
Associated Press:
Longoria out of All-Star game; Young will start … ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria is out of the American League starting lineup for the All-Star game because of an infected right ring finger. — He is being replaced in the starting lineup for Tuesday night's …
RELATED:
Ted Keith / Sports Illustrated:
2 first-time All-Stars who will be back ... a lot … ST. LOUIS — When he first found out he was going to the All-Star Game, Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks was lost and there was only one person he could turn to for advice: his teammate and fellow All-Star, Dan Haren.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets hope Johan stays out … ST. LOUIS - Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen offered this bit of parting advice to Johan Santana before the ace joined Francisco Rodriguez and David Wright on a private plane bound for the All-Star Game: Be careful. — In fact, the Mets prefer that Santana goes unused in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic.
Mark Herrmann / Newsday:
A tale of two new ballparks — Citi Field in Queens / Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (Newsday Photo by John Keating, April 13, 2009 / Newsday Photo by Audrey Tiernan, April 16, 2009) — This just proves that all rookies need a while to settle in, even a pair that came in together …
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Experts say A-Rod no longer No. 1 — Shortly after the Yankees tweaked his playing schedule in June to give him regular rest, Alex Rodriguez felt full of vigor. No longer, he says, did he feel like he “needed a bed to crash in by the fourth inning” and his confidence was soaring as he emerged from a slump.
John Shea / San Francisco Chronicle:
Who is Tim Lincecum anyway? — Some All-Stars come and go, make one appearance and aren't heard from again. Not Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. They keep coming back. — Of this year's 66 All-Stars, the Yankees' teammates have been selected the most, 10 times each …
RELATED:
MLB.com:
New York Yankees form new fan club called Yankees Universe — Members of Yankees Universe to receive exclusive benefits, excellent access and special merchandise discounts with a portion of proceeds supporting the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Discussion:
Fack Youk, sox1fan.com, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS, River Avenue Blues and Sliding Into Home
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Glove story for Tim Wakefield — ST. LOUIS - Having labored through 17 major league seasons to finally reach his first All-Star Game, Tim Wakefield [stats] is leaving nothing to chance. — He has brought along a catcher's mitt, one that is suited to handle his tricky knuckleball.
RELATED:
Washington Post:
Nationals Fire Acta as Team Breaks for All-Star Game — Employed by an organization with a tenuous infrastructure and in charge of a crumbling team, Manny Acta, in the end, ran out of support both from those above him and below him. The team he managed couldn't win.
RELATED:
Philly.com:
Sources say Phillies to sign Martinez if he passes physical — THE SUREST sign that Pedro Martinez will soon wear Phillies red came yesterday when the pitcher himself was scheduled to touch down in Philadelphia in advance of a physical that team sources suggest will take place today.
Matthew Carruth / FanGraphs Baseball:
Lucky Teams — At the break and with the official news finally coming in that Manny Acta has been let go in Washington, I decided to take a look at which at which teams have been lucky or unlucky the most so far this season. Of course, the definition of lucky is going to be pretty subjective to people.
