Top News:
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Mets likely to give Backman minor-league gig amid staff shakeup … The Mets will announce a few changes to their coaching staff today, but a more intriguing personnel decision is on deck. — The team now appears willing to give scrappy fan favorite Wally Backman a second chance to return to baseball in a minor-league job.
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets make changes to coaching staff — Alicea not returning; new roles for Alomar Sr., Jr. and Shines — NEW YORK — Acknowledging the Mets' problems running the bases in 2009, the club has changed the role of third-base coach Razor Shines and opted not to retain first-base coach Luis Alicea.
MLB.com:
Mets Announce 2010 Coaching Staff Changes — The New York Mets today announced that Bench Coach Sandy Alomar Sr. and First Base Coach Luis Alicea will not be returning for the 2010 season. Alomar Sr. will be offered another position within the organization.
Brian Costa / New Jersey Online:
Mets manager Jerry Manuel explains changes to coaching staff
Mets manager Jerry Manuel explains changes to coaching staff
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Buster Olney / MLB:
Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers agree to 1-year, $8 million deal — Trevor Hoffman has agreed to another one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. — Hoffman — Hoffman, who turns 42 next week, had 37 saves and a 1.55 ERA with the Brewers this season, pushing his career saves total to 591, the major league record.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Jorge Says No!, FanGraphs Baseball, MLB Daily Dish, JSOnline and Associated Press
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JSOnline:
Hoffman option has escalators — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — A source just confirmed to me that closer Trevor Hoffman indeed has reached agreement on a new deal with the Brewers that will pay him $8 million next season with a mutual option for 2011 that has escalators in it.
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse
Detroit Free Press:
Police: Cabrera was drunk during fight with wife — First baseman had .26 blood-alcohol level — Miguel Cabrera had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit when he was involved in a physical altercation with his wife early Saturday morning, according to the Birmingham Police.
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Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Note: Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya on WFAN at 5 pm — “We are in a results town in a results business,” Wilpon said. — Wilpon said he will give Minaya the resources he needs, ‘whatever that is,’ to put a Championship team on the field. — The team has not discussed ‘slicing payroll,’ he explained, adding:
Discussion:
The Mets Police
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ESPN:
Introducing ... the SweetSpot Network! — As you might have noticed already, there are changes afoot here in SweetSpotLand. In a sort of experiment that's likely to become much more than that, this month we're partnering with blogs covering eight of the nine still-alive teams.
Discussion:
Dan Shanoff
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Chico Harlan / Nationals Journal:
Q&A With Mike Rizzo — So, here's the full let's-begin-the-offseason Q&A with GM Mike Rizzo. If you want the microwave version, here goes: 1) Rizzo seems to want a veteran baseball guy as his next manager. 2) He doesn't believe Bryce Harper is the surefire No. 1 pick in 2010, as Stephen Strasburg was this year.
New York Post:
Minaya might hire fired GMs — Omar Minaya reached out to Kevin Towers and J.P. Ricciardi over the weekend to express his support after the two were fired as general managers and also to lay the groundwork to speak to both soon about possible jobs in the Mets' organization, The Post has learned.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yanks set club record with 243rd homer — With two in one inning, A-Rod breaks '04 record, ties McGwire — ST. PETERSBURG — Alex Rodriguez helped the Yankees set a new franchise record for home runs in a single season, punctuating the final day of the campaign by sending two homers …
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Associated Press:
Griffey to get $3.15M for return — SEATTLE — Ken Griffey Jr. will collect $3.15 million of a potential $5 million for returning to the Seattle Mariners. — The 39-year-old slugger earned an additional $1.15 million in bonuses tied to playing time and home attendance, according to contract details obtained by The Associated Press.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Fox Sports:
This time, Angels might run wild on Red Sox — The Red Sox can't throw anybody out. The Angels love to run. Ken Rosenthal says that's a recipe for trouble.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Inside The Numbers: Final 2009 MLB Regular Season Attendance — With Major League Baseball feeling the full weight of the recession and decreasing seating capacity in two new ballparks, the 2009 regular season ended with 73,364,441 in total attendance a decline of 6.65 percent.
Discussion:
Hardball Times
Aaron / AaronGleeman.com:
The Beginning? — That was kind of amazing. — When the Twins lost in Detroit last Wednesday it looked (to me at least) like the season was over, save for “a miracle if things break perfectly for the Twins and horribly for the Tigers.” They were three games back with four games left …
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, FanGraphs Baseball, Baseball Digest Daily Blog, Circling The Bases and 6-4-2
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