Top News:
Bernie Wilson / Associated Press:
Buck's homers, Hill's doubles carry Blue Jays — SAN DIEGO—John Buck homered twice and Aaron Hill had three doubles and three RBIs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night as Jon Garland struggled on three days' rest.
RELATED:
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Quake shakes Jays, Padres at PETCO — Player reaction ranges from ‘freaky’ to ‘fun’ on 5.7 temblor — SAN DIEGO — Depending on where you stood or sat on Monday at PETCO Park, the 5.7-magnitude earthquake that sent a ripple through the downtown stadium was either a big deal …
Scott Cacciola / Wall Street Journal:
Yankees' Long-Forgotten Mascot — The biggest bust in Yankees history was 7 feet tall, made $40 every home game and spent most of his brief career in the upper deck. — From 1979 to 1981, the Yankees employed a mascot named Dandy. He was big and blue and a spectacular failure …
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
The Trade Market For Kosuke Fukudome And Ryan Theriot — 10:28pm: Morosi and Ken Rosenthal provided a Fukudome update on the FOX Sports MLB Buzz page. They note that the Nationals are on Fukudome's no-trade list, but the Yankees and Red Sox aren't. New York and Boston aren't known …
RELATED:
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Winds of change after Chicago series
Winds of change after Chicago series
Discussion:
Chicago Breaking Sports
Brad Johnson / Hardball Times:
See you soon: Pedro Alvarez — I missed some big call ups last week while moving from Minnesota to Washington D.C. I did stop by my ancestral home near Philadelphia long enough to drop by Citizen's Bank Park and watch Roy Halladay dominate the Marlins (and lose, kudos Josh Johnson).
RELATED:
Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Huntington should act fast on Alvarez
Huntington should act fast on Alvarez
Discussion:
Where Have You Gone …
Associated Press:
Pujols absorbs throw to head as Cards whip M's — ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols has a souvenir from the St. Louis Cardinals' latest victory: a good-sized welt on the left side of his neck. — The three-time NL MVP took one off the noggin on a perfect day at the plate …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Burrell homers again in Giants win over Orioles — SAN FRANCISCO—Pat Burrell homered for the second time in four days, Freddy Sanchez drove in four runs and the San Francisco Giants beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-2 on Monday night. — Jonathan Sanchez pitched 7 2-3 innings for the Giants, allowing two runs and eight hits.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Buzz: M's & Mets talk Lee, Seattle likes Jon Niese — ...from what i can gather, the Mets and Mariners have talked quite a lot about LHP Cliff Lee, however the M's continue to press for Jon Niese, who the Mets have little interest in trading... in fact, i've heard from people who know the M's …
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
DeJesus may be center of attention in countdown to trade deadline — It's all still wonderfully new for Royals outfielder David DeJesus and better than he ever imagined. Monday marked three weeks since he became a father for the first time. — “Just becoming a dad,” he said …
RELATED:
Aaron Gleeman / HardballTalk:
Alex Gordon is apparently too good for the Royals
Sean Kernan / Daytona Beach News-Journal:
Jackson hits for cycle and game-winner too — DAYTONA BEACH — Brett Jackson had the type of game Monday night that most players can only dream about. — The Daytona Cubs' all-star center fielder hit for the cycle, finishing in dramatic fashion with a two-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning …
Discussion:
Baseball America
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
MANNY AND PAPI: THE MYTHS AND MAGIC OF A ONCE DYNAMIC DUO — Manny Ramirez is coming back to Boston and the process will start all over again for David Ortiz. — Manny often times wouldn't talk about Manny. So many times it was expected that Ortiz would do the talking for him.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels have different options at first base — Team has plenty of players to fill in for the injured Kendry Morales, but it's the quality and not the quantity that might be a concern. — Utility player Robb Quinlan takes the throw at first base on a pickoff attempt of Dodgers catcher Russell Martin …
Matt Ehalt / NY Daily News:
Once a treasured commodity of teams, baseballs become an everyday giveaway for fans at ballparks — It was a surreal scene: the burly father in a Mets T-shirt, accompanying his 3-year-old, being booed by the Citi Field faithful. His transgression? Reaching in front of a 10-year-old fan …
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
MLB rips lenders' assertions in Rangers bankruptcy hearing — Major League Baseball said that documents filed last week by the Hicks Sports Group lenders opposing the sale process of the Texas Rangers show that the final sale price offered by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan increased during negotiations in January.
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Game Changers: Picking up the game's pace — Focus, some say, should be on changing on-field habits — Much of baseball's essence is wrapped in its timelessness. The game has stood through three centuries, two world wars, an ever-changing society, and, unlike most other major sports …
Discussion:
Confessions of a She-Fan
Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
Yankees' Brett Gardner will use protective ring on thumb for rest of season — NEW YORK — Every time he's swung the bat since spraining his left thumb last week in Baltimore, Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner has used a protective plastic ring that fits around his thumb.
New York Post:
BOX SCORE — Much can change between now and the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, but manager Jerry Manuel indicated he isn't campaigning for the Mets to add a starting pitcher. — Manuel pointed to the fact Nos. 4 and 5 starters, R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi, are a combined 9-2.
RELATED: