Top News:
Associated Press:
Botched calls prompt World Series umpire switch … NEW YORK (AP) — Stung by a rash of blown calls in the playoffs, Major League Baseball is breaking tradition and sticking with only experienced umpires for the World Series. — Longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis …
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Pinstripe Alley, Circling The Bases, bronxbanterblog.com, Athletics Nation and Lookout Landing
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NY Daily News:
Harper: Yankee failure starts with A.J. — ANAHEIM - A.J. Burnett was at his dazzling best Thursday night as long as he was losing by four runs. When it really mattered, however, he didn't look at all like the guy the Yankees saw as a big-game pitcher when they gambled $82.5 million on him last winter.
Sam Borden / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
ALCS Game 5: Yankees at Angels — YANKEES — Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 2.19 ERA in postseason) — ANGELS — Pitching: RHP John Lackey (1-1, 1.38 ERA in postseason) — WEATHER: More of the same - clear skies, temps in the 60s and 70s and plenty of sun. Check out the full forecast here.
George Vecsey / New York Times:
Highest Payroll, but Short a Run — Money still talks, although its impact is a bit muted right now, after the Angels, with their payroll of a mere $116 million, managed to stun the Yankees, with baseball's highest payroll of about $206 million, by a 7-6 score, on Thursday night.
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:Burnett tries to pitch Yanks into Series
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Yahoo! Sports, bronxbanterblog.com, Blogging The Bombers and Sliding Into Home
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Dodgers owner fires wife as team CEO … Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has fired wife Jamie as CEO of the team, the first shot in what promises to be bitter battle over the storied baseball team, SI.com has learned. — Jamie McCourt was fired within the last two days, according to several sources.
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Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers' owner Frank McCourt fires wife Jamie — She had been the club's chief executive. The couple announced last week that they had separated. — Dodgers owner Frank McCourt watches as his estranged wife Jamie enters their field level box for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series last week.
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Circling The Bases
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:Dodgers' nucleus will be back in 2010 — Starting rotation likely …
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ESPN
ESPN:
Chat with Keith Law — Welcome to SportsNation! On Thursday, MLB Insider Keith Law will be here to take your questions on anything baseball related. — Law is the senior baseball analyst for Scouts Inc. Before joining ESPN, Law served as special assistant to the general manager …
Rebecca / This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes:
It's all about the leverage (or why Mariano should have pitched the 7th) — Leverage is a funny word. A loaded word, if you will. — For one thing, it's more or less responsible for the financial collapse of America. — In baseball parlance, leverage refers to an on-field situation …
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily
Billy Witz / New York Times:
For Angels, Thrill of Victory, Then a Rush of Relief — ANAHEIM, Calif. — If it was going to end, this was not the way the Los Angeles Angels wanted it to. Not with Manager Mike Scioscia wondering if he had handled a pitching change like Grady Little. Not with John Lackey seething about a strike that the plate umpire said was not.
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Strasburg takes loss in second AFL start — Right-hander allows seven hits, including three homers — PEORIA, Ariz. — It was a learning experience for the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg on Thursday at Peoria Stadium. In his second Arizona Fall League start for the Phoenix Desert Dogs …
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Wakefield looking for 200 wins — ANAHEIM, Calif. — Having undergone surgery to repair a herniated disk on Wednesday, Tim Wakefield said yesterday that he expects about a four- to six-week rehab before he begins to get down to his usual offseason program. — “Everything went awesome,” Wakefield said yesterday.
Sam Mellinger / Kansas City Star:
This is gonna hurt, but the Royals should at least look at trading Joakim Soria — Aside from a barstool, there may be no more emotional position in baseball than closer. This is certainly true for Jonathan Papelbon and K-Rod, but more, it's true for the people watching.
Discussion:
Jorge Says No!
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Former ump says go to video — ANAHEIM, Calif. - Don Denkinger is living a quiet, peaceful retirement these days, playing golf in the Arizona sun. But just like any former major league umpire, he still follows the game. And as one, in particular, whose career was defined by a bad call …
Discussion:
Circling The Bases
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Steve Pagliuca / WEEI Online Audio and Video Archive:
AUDIO & VIDEO ON DEMAND — WEEI » Audio & Video On Demand » Theo Epstein, Red Sox GM — THEO EPSTEIN, RED SOX GM — PODCAST — Get Adobe Flash Player to see this content. — Theo joins D&C to talk JD Drew, Jason Bay and the post season
Discussion:
Yawkey Way Academy, Boston Red Sox Blog, baseballmusings.com, Boston Globe, Over the Monster, NESN.com and Fenway West
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David O'Brien / Atlanta Braves with David O'Brien:
Wren's plan for Braves: Get better — As we begin typing, the Phillies are two outs from returning to the World Series, this time for a likely Amtrak series against the New York Yankees, who with a win against the Angels on Thursday can wrap up their first AL pennant since 2003 …
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Bottom9 Baseball
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