Top News:
Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Joba's job on the line — Yankees starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain reacts on the mound after giving up a three-run home run on Sunday in Seattle. — “It's time for him to step it up,” the manager said. “He needs to step it up.” — As Girardi spoke in the Yankees' dugout before Monday night's …
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
First of Yanks' many goals crossed off — Truest test of club's superiority will come in postseason — NEW YORK — The Yankees have been confident for weeks that they will eventually arrive at the postseason, so there was no boisterous celebration in the visitors' clubhouse at Angel Stadium …
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yanks first club to secure playoff berth — Rangers' loss to A's seals entry before rally tops Angels — ANAHEIM — On the evening the Yankees became baseball's first team to finalize a playoff entry, they were presented with a refresher course of just how emotional and gratifying the next month could be.
Discussion:
Replacement Level …
Bob Raissman / NY Daily News:
Bobby Valentine close to making return to TV, nears deal with ESPN — It appears that BOBBY Valentine won't be unemployed for long. — Television industry and baseball sources say Valentine, completing his final season as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League …
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Bobbie Dittmeier / MLB.com:
Valentine returning to television — Former MLB skipper reportedly on verge of deal with ESPN — Former Rangers and Mets manager Bobby Valentine, on the verge of completing his final season with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League, is close to signing a multiyear deal to return to television with ESPN.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets' top official for Latin American talent canned — Fred Wilpon may have offered a vote of confidence to Omar Minaya, but the GM's inner circle quietly is being dismantled. — The Mets have fired Ramon Pena, the organization's top official in charge of signing Latin American talent, the Daily News has learned.
Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune:
Despite big mistakes, Jim Hendry deserves one more shot — (M. Spencer Green, Associated Press / January 8, 2009) — Based on 2 division titles, Chicago Cubs GM can turn roster around — I'm trying to come up with someone who has had a worse year than Jim Hendry, of course exempting …
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:Next season could determine Aramis Ramirez's future with Chicago Cubs
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Mark Bradley:
Bobby Cox: “Everything is fine. [Wren] has been outstanding” — Bobby Cox says all's well between him and Braves GM Frank Wren. (AP photo) — Bobby Cox responded this morning to a Yahoo! Sports report of discord between him and Braves GM Frank Wren. Said Cox, speaking via iPhone from New York: “Everything is fine.
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Alex Speier / WEEI:
DIVIDED LOYALTIES: WHY ONE SOX OFFICIAL WILL FIND IT HARD TO ROOT AGAINST ZACK GREINKE … digit from 88 to 96 mph on the radar gun with his fastball. — But in 2005, Greinke took his lumps. He went 5-17 with a 5.80 ERA, marks that were puzzling based on his stuff and his feel for the game.
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Safe at Second, but No Stolen Base to Show for It — A player takes an unchallenged lead off first base, dashes to second and makes it safely without a throw. The runner has advanced but because there was no attempt to thwart him, he does not receive a stolen base.
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.
Discussion:
Hardball Times, Circling The Bases, TigerBlog, Tiger Tales, Mack Avenue Tigers, Bless You Boys and MLB FanHouse
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Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Sluggish offense wastes Laffey's outing — Lefty allows just one run; Cabrera's defense shines — CLEVELAND — The Indians have found their way back into the American League Central basement. Getting out is going to require a better effort than the one the Tribe delivered Tuesday night.
Discussion:
The Daily Fungo
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Dave Sheinin / Washington Post:
Hernandez, Nationals Are Throttled at Home By Dodgers — Livan Hernandez was young once, like his current Washington Nationals rotation-mates, except when he was young, he was on magazine covers. He was hoisting hardware. At 22, Hernandez was most valuable player of both the Nationals …
Associated Press:
Barmes, Hawpe homer as Rockies win wild one over Padres — DENVER (AP) — Brad Hawpe (FSY) homered for the first time since Aug. 29 and the Colorado Rockies beat San Diego 11-10 on Tuesday night despite a rare rough outing from lefty Jorge De La Rosa (FSY) and a four-run ninth-inning rally by the Padres.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies' Cook to start Friday vs. Cardinals — Aaron Cook will be rewarded for a month of tireless rehab, starting Friday at Coors Field against the St. Louis Cardinals. — Cook has been out with a strained right shoulder, but has been making steady progress.
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Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:Cook to start to Friday against Cardinals; two minor leaguers suspended
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
(Excerpts) Interview with Mariners Broadcaster, Dave Sims — The following are excerpts from the Dave Sims interview that can be seen here in its entirety on The Biz of Football — UPDATE: It was announced Tuesday that Sims will lead the broadcast team for the first season of the United Football League …
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 152: Yankees at Angels — YANKEES (95-56) — Pitching: RHP Chad Gaudin (1-0 3.68). — ANGELS (90-60) — Figgins 3B — Izturis 2B — Abreu RF — Guerrero DH — Hunter CF — Morales 1B — Rivera LF — Aybar SS — Mathis C — Pitching: vs. RHP Ervin Santana (7-8, 5.43).
Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com:
Rivera apologizes to Scioscia for swagger — Slugger shows remorse after gawking at Monday's double — ANAHEIM — Angels left fielder Juan Rivera apologized to manager Mike Scioscia for breaking out into a home run trot a little too early during his RBI double in the eighth inning of Monday's 5-2 win over the Yankees.
Yahoo! Sports:
Padres Team Report — Because Kevin Kouzmanoff has been the Padres' third baseman as long as Chase Headley has been in the major leagues, Headley has been playing out of position in left field. — But with Kouzmanoff out of the lineup since Sept. 8 because of a strained left calf muscle …
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
More On Cardinals Voiding Mateo Deal — Wagner Mateo was the crown jewel of the Cardinals' international signing efforts. The Cardinals celebrated the signing of the 16-year-old outfielder for $3.1 million with a press conference in the Dominican Republic when the international signing period began on July 2.
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