Top News:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Past is inconsequential to Sabathia — Tabbed for Game 1, Yankees ace zeros in on Angels — NEW YORK — The Yankees may have spent the better part of the last decade-plus slapping their foreheads trying to handle the Angels, but those memories do not mean much to the most important man …
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Billy Witz / New York Times:
Laid-Back Practices for Dodgers and Angels — LOS ANGELES — Dodgers Manager Joe Torre looked laid-back late Tuesday afternoon as he sat down at a news conference at Dodger Stadium. Torre, dressed in blue jeans, an untucked dress shirt and a baseball cap from a Hawaiian golf resort, seemed as relaxed as ever.
MLB.com:
2009 League Championship Series broadcast schedule announced — Following is the national broadcast schedule for the National League and the American League Championship Series. TBS will provide national coverage of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies …
Discussion:
True Blue LA
Mike DiGiovanna / Angels Unplugged:
Scioscia to juggle playoff rotation; Kazmir or Saunders likely to start Game 2 — Angels Manager Mike Scioscia won't announce his playoff rotation until Wednesday, but he said before today's workout today that “in every scenario we've discussed, we'll have a left-hander in Yankee Stadium in Game 1 or 2” …
Mike Puma / New York Post:
Wagner eyes retirement, not 400th career save — Billy Wagner may have thrown his last pitch in the major leagues. — The former Mets pitcher told The Post yesterday he's planning to retire rather than pursue a closer's job — and 400 career saves — next season.
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Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Arizona Fall League begins — It's hardly a footnote to the American League Championship Series, but it's worth mentioning that the Arizona Fall League begins today. — The Yankees have Ian Kennedy, Mike Dunn, Zach Kroenke, Grant Duff, Colin Curtis, Brandon Laird and Austin Romine playing for the Surprise Raftors.
Discussion:
The Bronx Block
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Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:Miller headed to Arizona Fall League
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, Talking Chop, Red Reporter, Mack Avenue Tigers, Hardball Times, FishStripes and Baseball America
Tempny / YES Blog:
Official ALCS start times — Game 1: Friday, October 16, 7:57 p.m. (Angels vs. Yankees) — Game 2: Saturday, October 17, 7:57 p.m. (Angels vs. Yankees) — Game 3: Monday, October 19, 4:13 p.m. (Yankees vs. Angels) — Game 4: Tuesday, October 20, 7:57 p.m. (Yankees vs. Angels)
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily
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Sam Borden / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Girardi: Yankees “definitely considering” a three-man rotation — Joe Girardi just did a conference call with the beat writers and said that while the team won't have its roster/scouting meeting until tomorrow morning, “We are definitely considering going to a three-man rotation in this round.”
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Circling The Bases, It's About The Money, iYankees and New York Post
Robert Snell / Tax Watchdog:
‘Amazin’ debt for Miracle Met Ron Darling — Tax agencies in two states and the IRS have former New York Mets pitcher and TBS analyst Ron Darling caught in a squeeze play. Darling, who helped call the Yankees-Twins game Sunday, owes $544,197 in state and federal taxes, records show.
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Done playing, Sox go to work — Offseason issues begin with Bay — As many times as Jason Bay was asked the question, he never quite answered it. — With the left fielder set to hit free agency this winter, and the Red Sox facing a gaping hole in left field and their lineup without him …
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David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves lose scouting director to Nationals — The Braves are losing scouting director Roy Clark, who accepted a job with the Washington Nationals after 20 years in the Braves organization. — After interviewing Monday in Washington, Clark told the Braves Tuesday that he had accepted a post …
Devil Fingers / Driveline Mechanics:
2009 Catcher Defense: Filling in the Holes (yet again) — More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP — That Minnesota pretty boy might be in the playoffs, but he's go nuthin on One Man, Five Tools. — Browse more photos » — Even if you aren't a FanGraphs junkie like myself …
Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
Tom Verducci: Here's why it's so hard to close out a game in October … 1. How is Mariano Rivera looking right about now? Not that we didn't already know that the Yankees closer is the best all-time at what he does, but the Division Series, in which closer after closer blew up in the ninth inning …
Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Playoff Prospectus — Completion — If you followed last night's in-game roundtable, you got the visceral reaction to Jim Tracy's decision to allow Huston Street to face Ryan Howard in the ninth inning with the tying runs on base and two outs. (You got something similar if you follow my Twitter account, @joe_sheehan.)
