Top News:
Sky Andrecheck / Baseball Analysts:
Can We Measure Clubhouse Chemistry? — This past weekend brought the news that Milton Bradley, the underperforming Chicago Cubs right fielder, was being suspended for the rest of the season. The suspension was brought about by his comments to the Daily Herald newspaper …
RELATED:
Chicagosports / Hardball:Report: Players Union considers challenge to Bradley suspension
Discussion:
GoatRiders of the Apocalypse
Jayson Stark / MLB:MLB Players Association considering grievance for Chicago Cubs' Milton Bradley
Discussion:
Jimmy Scott's High & Tight
Ted Keith / Sports Illustrated:Bradley headlines worst free-agent signings; Teixeira tops best
Discussion:
Jorge Says No!
Mike Puma / New York Post:
Francoeur: Marquis would love to join Mets next season — Jason Marquis apparently holds no grudge toward the Mets for their lack of interest in him last winter. — Jeff Francoeur told The Post yesterday that Marquis, whom he considers a close friend, desperately wants to pitch for the Mets next season …
Discussion:
Mets Fever, MetsBlog.com, Mets Today, Mack's Mets, Mets Merized Online, MLB Daily Dish and Circling The Bases
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New York Post:
Sheffield wants to return next year — GARY Sheffield is coming back for one more year of baseball. The man who has never been afraid to fight is going to come back in fighting shape. He's going to train with boxer Winky Wright and get down to about 210 pounds. His goal, he said, is to play 150 games.
Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com:
Saunders puzzles Yanks to lead Halos — Lefty's methodical win pulls Angels closer to AL's top record — ANAHEIM — If there was any doubt that Joe Saunders is back to his All-Star form from a season ago, the left-hander erased it with a superb performance against the Yankees on Monday.
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Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
NY Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte says shoulder fatigue no longer an issue … ANAHEIM, Calif. — Loss to the Angels aside, the Yankees scored a major victory on Monday night when Andy Pettitte emerged from his start feeling good. — “Physically, everything was good,” the lefty said after pitching six solid innings.
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
Wakefield stint? Pain, suffering — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The game was lost after Tim Wakefield had retreated to the Red Sox clubhouse, sanctuary from the rain and the aching in his left leg after he had thrown all 103 of his painful pitches. That he was an observer when the members …
Discussion:
NESN.com
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Chico Harlan / Washington Post:
At Pivotal Point in Career, Dukes Trying to Step It Up — Nationals Outfielder Is Seeking More of the ‘Amazing’ — One recent afternoon, hours before yet another baseball game, Elijah Dukes out of nowhere got really excited about something he did long ago that was kind of amazing — “even amazing to me,” Dukes said.
RELATED:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:Inbox: Could Guzman be dealt before '10?
Discussion:
Oleanders and Morning Glories
Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Cooper dismissed as Astros manager — Third-base coach Clark to serve as interim skipper — HOUSTON — Coming off a disheartening road trip in which they went -6 against division rivals Cincinnati and Milwaukee and played nothing short of lackluster baseball, the Astros decided …
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Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Free agents the Mets should avoid — I made what will probably be my final visit of 2009 to Citi Field last night, and what came to mind was Meredith Grey's pronouncement from this episode of “Grey's Anatomy”: “It's over. You can all go home. It's over. Sooooo over.”
Discussion:
24 Hours From Suicide
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Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:Torre Makes His Team Worse
Discussion:
Purple Row, Dodger Thoughts, Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, Memories Of Kevin Malone and MLB Rumors
Jeff Pearlman:
The Yankees are doomed — OK, maybe doomed is too strong. But, once again, I don't think Brian Cashman has built a team made for the playoffs. Mainly, the problem is pitching. Starting pitching. As the Atlanta Braves showed us throughout the 1990s, having a load of B+ starting pitchers …
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards void Mateo's contract — The Cardinals announced today that they terminated the contract of top Dominican prospect Wagner Mateo because of “pre-existing injuries and physical defects” discovered during a physical exam. — Post-Dispatch baseball writer Joe Strauss reported Saturday that Mateo has vision problems.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Reyes trying for 2009 return — Jose Reyes refuses to give up, even if he makes it back for just the final game of the regular season on Oct. 4. — After resuming indoor batting practice Monday, Reyes said he plans to test the torn right hamstring that has sidelined him since May in on-field running drills Friday.
Andrew Baggarly / Mercury News:
Giants prospect Angel Villalona a suspect in shooting death — LOS ANGELES — Top Giants prospect Angel Villalona, who began this season at Single-A San Jose, is the prime suspect in a fatal shooting in the Dominican Republic, according to an Associated Press report. He surrendered to authorities Sunday.
RELATED:
Beck / Beck's Blog:
On Jackson and tipping pitches — One of the things pitching coach Rick Knapp mentioned Sunday that he and bullpen coach Jeff Jones were working on with Edwin Jackson in his morning side session was a quirk that they believed was tipping his slider, letting hitters know it was coming.
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Timetable on Wedge remains the same — Ownership to determine skipper's fate at season's end — CLEVELAND — The Astros got a jump-start on the annual postseason purge of Major League skippers when they relieved Cecil Cooper of his duties on Monday. — For the Indians, however …
Pete Caldera / Pinstripe Posts:
Joba's October jeopardy — Talking earlier today about Joba Chamberlain's shaky stretch since early August, Joe Girardi said it was “time for him to step it up.” And in a phone conversation with the Record on Monday, GM Brian Cashman stressed the urgency of Joba's final two regular-season starts.
