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Fox Sports:
Market for Lee is wide open this time — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter. — The Cliff Lee sweepstakes are somewhat democratic, as these things go.
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River Avenue Blues
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Geoff Baker / The Seattle Times:
Pressure mounts for Mets to acquire Cliff Lee from Mariners sooner rather than later — If you missed it, here's today's Talkin' Baseball segment from KJR AM 950. — Last week, I wrote about two players the Mariners could be looking at from the New York Mets in a Cliff Lee trade — pitcher Jenrry Mejia and outfielder Angel Pagan.
Discussion:
The Bitter Bill, NY Post, Seattle Times, MetsBlog.com, The Mets Police, Mets Fever and Mike Silva's …
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Ironman Utley leaves early as Phils fall — Infielder to have MRI; Kendrick stumbles after shining — CINCINNATI — Phillies second baseman Chase Utley once said an injury is an injury only if it keeps him off the field. — Utley could not take the field in the ninth inning Monday night …
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Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Wright gains; most NL positions up for grabs — Much still to be decided in final days of All-Star balloting — Can veteran Placido Polanco hang on to start in the All-Star Game at third base, or will a late push drive David Wright into his fifth consecutive Midsummer Classic appearance?
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Philadelphia Phillies place Chase Utley, Placido Polanco on DL
Philadelphia Phillies place Chase Utley, Placido Polanco on DL
Discussion:
ESPN
Joe Kay / Associated Press:
Rolen's 300th HR leads Reds over Phillies 7-3
Rolen's 300th HR leads Reds over Phillies 7-3
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, Red Reporter, Blogging Baseball, Balls, Sticks, & Stuff and Redleg Nation
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Who was the dude in the white shirt at the Braves-Nats game? — The most remarkable thing about he Braves-Nats game last night was not that Atlanta got to Stephen Strasburg a bit. It was not that the Nats' defense melted down. It was not even that Tim Hudson quietly shut down Washington.
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Dan Steinberg / D.C. Sports Bog:
The Braves fan in the white polo shirt — Meet White Polo Shirt Man. He's the worst baseball fan in America. — Somewhere around the middle innings on Monday night, he decided he should take advantage of his front-row seats for the Fifth Day of Strasmas to make a spectacle of himself on national television.
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Mets sign Barrett to minor-league deal — SAN JUAN, P.R. — The New York Mets have signed former major league catcher Michael Barrett to a minor league contract, a club official confirmed on Tuesday. — Barrett, 33, has not played since 2009, when he went into the season as Rod Barajas' backup …
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Dunn deal has appeal — GM Williams said to be ‘itchy’ for more ‘O’ from left side — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Throughout the SoxFest convention last winter, White Sox general manager Ken Williams proudly walked from ballroom to ballroom and back to his suite with a list of left-handed power hitters tucked in his pocket.
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Pursuit of Barry Bonds, all-time home run record, by Alex Rodriguez lacks buzz after PED admission — Alex Rodriguez is six homers away from hitting 600 in his career. As he chases No. 763, he can earn an extra $30M, an incentive in his contract suggested by billionaire friend Warren Buffet (b.).
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Lackey a pinch hitter? — Red Sox pitchers show off their free-swinging sides — BOSTON — The Red Sox will be missing an unexpectedly productive component of their offense when they meet the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in the first game of a quick two-game set in Fenway Park.
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Associated Press:
Rays' Upton not in lineup against Red Sox — BOSTON—Center fielder B.J. Upton was not in the starting lineup against Boston on Tuesday night, and Rays manager Joe Maddon said it was not because of Upton's confrontation with teammate Evan Longoria in the dugout Sunday.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Super Two Cutoff Less Than Expected — The next Super Two cutoff will require fewer days of service time than usual, MLBTR has learned. Last year's Super Two cutoff was at two years and 139 days of service time. In previous years, the cutoff was never less than two years and 130 days.
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Rodriguez to lead Marlins for rest of season — SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Marlins confirmed on Tuesday that they will retain interim manager Edwin Rodriguez for the rest of the season, eliminating any uncertainty that would have hung over the team during their search.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Zumaya injured in eighth vs. Twins — Collapses to ground after pitch, leaves field holding right arm — MINNEAPOLIS — Joel Zumaya has already had to battle through more arm injuries than a 25-year-old probably deserves. But for everything he endured, he never looked in as much pain …
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Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
New York Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland returns to team — Speaking for the first time since taking his nearly four-week leave of absence, Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland said he is back for good with the team after taking care of “a personal family matter.”
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Turnaround? Hardly. Cubs can't beat woeful Pirates — Pittsburgh ends 17-game road losing streak, improves to 8-2 this season against Piniella's crew — Alfonso Soriano can't catch ball hit by Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm in the fifth inning. (Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune / June 28, 2010)
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