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12:30 PM ET, October 21, 2009

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
Umpire Tim McClelland makes the worst call of all time  —  Just when you thought the 2009 postseason umpiring couldn't get any worse, Tim McClelland goes ahead and makes what ends up as the worst call — or non-call — of all time.  —  Yes, you read that right.  The worst call of all time.
RELATED:
Steve Bisheff / Angels Unplugged:
Ugly umpiring continues  —  So what exactly is going on with the umpires this postseason?  —  There have been almost as many bad calls as repetitive TV commercials, and the trend continued in the fourth and fifth innings of Game 4 Tuesday night.  —  First, second base umpire Dale Scott appeared to miss a pickoff play.
Erik Boland / Newsday:
Sabathia, offense give Yankees win in Game 4  —  CC Sabathia, feet propped up, sat in a golf cart outside the Yankees' clubhouse three hours before his start last night in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series talking on the phone.  —  “How y'all doing?” a smiling Sabathia said …
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Stymied by CC, Angels move to brink
Discussion: 6-4-2
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:   UPDATES, Game 4, Angels vs. Yankees
New York Post:
MLB: No evidence Rivera threw spitter  —  The Commissioners Office reviewed available video and still photography from Mariano Rivera spitting toward a baseball in ALCS Game 3 and “found no evidence that Rivera spit on the ball,” a spokesman for the commissioner told the Post.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
MLB says Rivera did not throw spitball … ANAHEIM, California (AP) — Video that appeared to show New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera spitting on the ball made the Internet rounds on Tuesday, with Major League Baseball saying there was no reason to consider any discipline.
Discussion: Halos Heaven and Yahoo! Sports
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Rivera cleared in spitting incident
MLB:
MLB: Video doesn't show Mariano Rivera doctoring ball
Discussion: Generation Third
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
MLB says no evidence Rivera spit on ball
Discussion: NESN.com
Erik Larson / Bloomberg:
Mets Entity May Be Sued for $48 Million Profit From Madoff Firm  —  Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) — An entity tied to the New York Mets baseball team and its owner Sterling Equities Inc. might be sued for withdrawing $47.8 million more from Bernard Madoff's firm than it deposited with the con man, a lawyer said.
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Mets Win One: Owners Made Money on Madoff  —  The New York Mets just emerged from a woeful season but the team's financial picture may not be as dire as previously believed.  —  A partnership connected to the baseball team — which had widely been rumored to have lost money investing with Bernard Madoff …
MLB:
Court documents: New York Mets profited from Bernard Madoff  —  The owners of the New York Mets baseball team made about $48 million in dealings with swindler Bernard Madoff, court documents showed.  —  The Mets Limited Partnership, which is connected to the Wilpon family …
Discussion: Mets Merized Online
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Chicago Cubs hire former Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo  —  The Cubs will announce Wednesday that former Texas Rangers hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo has signed a three-year, $2.42 million contract to become Chicago's next hitting coach, player sources told ESPNChicago.com on Tuesday.
Hannah Karp / Wall Street Journal:
Casey Blake: The Dodger Diplomat  —  As the Los Angeles Dodgers walked out to the field to stretch on a recent drizzly afternoon, they assembled in their usual clusters.  Third-baseman Casey Blake, as always, had a hard time choosing his spot.  —  “There's the little Latin community, the white guys and the black guys.
RELATED:
New York Post:
Affair is foul for ESPN star  —  Ex-Met GM's dumped mistress has a ‘Fatal Attraction’ freakout  —  She's not going to be ignored, Steve!  —  ESPN analyst Steve Phillips had a fling with a 22-year-old production assistant, who, after being dumped, taunted his wife with “Fatal Attraction” …
Ben Goessling / The washington times Blogs:
Mattingly says Nats asked for permission to interview him  —  Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly said this afternoon the Nationals have asked Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti for permission to speak to Mattingly about their managerial opening.  —  The former Yankees first baseman …
RELATED:
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Hate 'em or love 'em, these gritty Phillies are something else
Discussion: Circling The Bases
Scott Lauber / delawareonline:
Williams thinks Utley's woes stem from injury
Discussion: Circling The Bases
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Piece by piece, putting it together  —  Picked-up pieces while packing for London and wondering how Schill got overlooked by the Nobel Committee . . .  Anybody else spooked by that center-field door opening when the Red Sox were batting in the bottom of the ninth 10 days ago?  It was a moment.
Discussion: Dan Shaughnessy Watch and YFSF
Danny Wild / MLB.com:
Heisey powers Saguaros to first win  —  Fellow Reds prospects Cozart, Alonso lead comeback  —  Reds prospect Zack Cozart hit a go-ahead two-run single to highlight a six-run ninth inning Tuesday as the Peoria Saguaros rallied for an 11-8 victory over the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Towers has standing offer from Sox  —  ANAHEIM - Former San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he'll take a couple of months off and enjoy some of the time (2010 season) remaining on his Padres contract before deciding his next step in baseball.  —  Towers could easily land …
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Mark Wiley philosophical about dismissal as Florida Marlins pitching coach  —  Mark Wiley doesn't hide his disappointment at being fired as Marlins pitching coach, but he takes solace in knowing that it wasn't the biggest shock of his career.  —  Wiley, 61, was fired as Cleveland's pitching coach …
Discussion: FanGraphs Baseball and FishStripes
RELATED:
JSOnline:
Peterson gets 2-year deal
 
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 More News: 
Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Cruz to return to Astros in new role
Rebecca / This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes:
The Legend of Mariano Rivera
 Earlier Picks: 
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Inbox: Should the Mets trade their stars?
Discussion: MetsBlog.com
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
Phun Phillie Phacts
Dave / U.S.S. Mariner:
Dave's 2010 Off-Season Plan
Discussion: MLB Rumors and Al's Ramblings
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets release Takahashi
Discussion: MetsBlog.com
 

 
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Wall Street Journal:
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TMZ.com:
Diddy Sued for Sexual Assault by Winner of 2006 Radio Contest NYC Trip, With Pics

Antonia Blyth / Deadline:
Zoe Saldaña On ‘Lioness’ Season 3, What To Expect From ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ & Her Hopes For ‘Star Trek 4’: “I Wish We Were Able To Do It Sooner”

 
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