Top News:
New York Post:
3UP: Yanks postseason, AL MVP, Bradley — Yes, I am on Twitter. — 1. The Yankees are going to make the playoffs. The Rays and Rangers have made sure of that by falling apart late and leaving no potential wild card trapdoor. But the Yankees do not want to collapse out of first place late …
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Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Buzz: Mets-Cubs Rumors, Bradley and Zambrano — In a post to Twitter, SI.com's Jon Heyman wonders if the Mets and Cubs will eventually discuss swapping Milton Bradley for Oliver Perez. — “How could it not,” asks Heyman, who can be found here on Twitter.
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs suspend Bradley for rest of season — Outfielder informed by GM after harsh comments in interview — ST. LOUIS — Outfielder Milton Bradley's tumultuous season in Chicago ended Sunday, when he was suspended for the final two weeks following comments he made in which he said the Cubs were “not a positive environment.”
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Joba gets touched up in Seattle — Griffey's three-run shot headlines early flurry vs. righty — SEATTLE — This was supposed to be the start when the rules that revolve around Joba Chamberlain's universe were going to relax, with the Yankees anticipating that he would finally pitch long enough to earn another victory.
Discussion:
Subway Squawkers, Bronx Baseball Daily, Sliding Into Home, Zell's Pinstripe Blog and River Avenue Blues
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Allen Barra / Runnin' Scared:
Jockbeat: Why Yankees Fans Should Worry — ​Be afraid, Yankee fans — be very afraid. — A couple of weeks ago everything seemed all sewn up — the Yankees had vanquished the Red Sox, and all everyone wanted to know was if this year's editions was as good as the 1998 team.
Joseph Duarte / Houston Chronicle:
Astros fire manager Cooper, saying change was in order — Astros manager Cecil Cooper has been fired by the Astros, the team announced today. — Third base coach Dave Clark will serve as interim manager the final 13 games of the season. — “Coop is a very solid baseball guy and gave …
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Jorge Arangure Jr / ESPN.com:
Aroldis Chapman awaits ruling on MLB free-agency status — Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban defector considered to be one of the top pitching prospects in the world, petitioned Major League Baseball for free-agency status recently and is likely only weeks from becoming a free agent, according to his agent.
New York Post:
Mets' future bleaker than Nationals — THIS is the hard truth Mets fans must face today. The Nationals have a brighter future than the Mets. It doesn't get any worse than that. Washington has the worst record in baseball at 51-97. — It's so bad that it may be easier for the Nationals to attract free agents than the Mets.
RELATED:
Ben Goessling / Washington Times:Nationals Insider: A blueprint to escape futility
Discussion:
MASNsports.com
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates will pursue familiar faces in free agency — Grabow likely target this winter, as is St. Louis outfielder Rick Ankiel — The Pirates plan to be more aggressive in free agency than last year, general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday, and that could include a pursuit of recently traded players.
Discussion:
Pittsburgh Lumber Co., Bucs Dugout, Where Have You Gone …, MLB Rumors and Raise the Jolly Roger
Chris Moore / Baseball Analysts:
Best Fastballs in Baseball — A few weeks back, Jeremy Greenhouse presented a new method for evaluating who throws best pitches in baseball. Building on work by Dave Allen and John Walsh, the principle is to evaluate pitches based on their outcomes. Jeremy's innovation was to use regression …
Ken Belson / New York Times:
A Stadium as a Work of Art — When Jeffrey Loria says that the Florida Marlins' new stadium will be a work of art, he means it literally. Loria, the owner of the Marlins, who made his money as an art dealer, is overseeing many of the details of the design of the park …
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Markakis: 'I'm in a funk' — Struggling outfielder says his timing is off at the plate; in Sept., he's hitting .203 with no homers — Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis is adamant that he has had much tougher stretches in the major leagues, regardless of what the numbers suggest.
Discussion:
MASNsports.com
Gary Dzen / Boston Globe:
Sox place Tazawa on 60-day DL — The Red Sox today placed righthander Junichi Tazawa on the 60-day disabled list with a mild left groin strain, ending his remarkable first season in the United States with the Red Sox. — Tazawa tweaked his left groin Sept. 4, while covering first base as a reliever against the Chicago White Sox.
Discussion:
Fenway West
