Top News:
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 …
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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 …
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
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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Yahoo! Sports:
Cooper might not be the only manager fired — The spring day that Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane picked up Cecil Cooper's contract option for 2010 was the day another club official predicted Cooper would not last the season. The option, the official said, gave McLane cover to drop …
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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
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.
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 …
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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