Top News:
John Ourand / SportsBusiness Journal:
Red Sox lose RSN ratings lead — Local numbers show Cardinals, Twins, Phillies, Reds in front — The Boston Red Sox's six-year reign atop MLB's local television ratings is about to end, as the team's local numbers have plummeted from first to fifth this season.
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Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers appear to be losing interest in Boston Red Sox's Mike Lowell. — ANAHEIM — Mike Lowell is doing his part in trying to prove he could be a useful piece to another club, collecting four hits in a game Saturday night and batting .357 (5 for 14) …
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
RED SOX HEADING FOR TRADE DEADLINE NIGHTMARE — The Red Sox would seem to be in a bind. — We aren't talking about the fact the Sox find themselves eight games in back of the first-place Yankees, or five behind the Wild Card-leading Rays. No, this is about forming a strategy in this …
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Delcarmen, Ramirez on move? — ANAHEIM, Calif. — While the Red Sox are on the hunt for relievers, one major league source said Monday that the Sox have indicated some willingness to move either Manny Delcarmen or Ramon Ramirez in the right deal. — Delcarmen
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
TV and radio ratings fall for Red Sox — Interesting story in the Sports Business Journal today about the decline in local television ratings for the Red Sox. — After six years atop baseball's local TV ratings list, the Sox are fifth this year as ratings have dropped 36 percent.
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Daily Rumble: Welcome to the Roy Oswalt Show — Cliff Lee is gone. Dan Haren is off the board. So strike up the band, because this is now The Roy Oswalt Show. — There's only one “premium” arm left on the starting-pitching market, and it's attached to the right shoulder of the 32-year-old Astros ace.
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Edwin Jackson-Adam Dunn Three-Team Rumor
Edwin Jackson-Adam Dunn Three-Team Rumor
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer, Trade Buzz, MLB Daily Dish, Beyond the Box Score and Federal Baseball
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Sources: New York Mets have decided to keep coaching staff intact; Rod Barajas placed on disabled list — NEW YORK — The New York Mets' coaching staff will remain intact when the team opens a homestand Tuesday evening against the St. Louis Cardinals. — The decision to leave …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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ESPN:
Carlos Zambrano apologizes for tirade … Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano apologized on Monday for his dugout tirade last month, professed his love for Chicago and thanked the team for helping him receive therapy for anger management issues. — The former Cubs ace has been on the restricted …
Discussion:
Associated Press
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Sports Network / Toronto Sun:
Garza gets Rays' first no-hitter, blanks Tigers — St. Petersburg - Matt Garza tossed the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay history in a 5-0 win over Detroit in the opener of a four-game set at Tropicana Field. — Garza (11-5) walked one, struck out six and faced the minimum 27 hitters for the Rays …
Associated Press:
Baseball Hall of Fame changes voting for veterans — COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — The baseball Hall of Fame has changed the way that managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players will be considered for election. — Candidates will be reviewed in three eras: Pre-Integration (1871-1946) …
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Trying To Trade Chan Ho Park — The Yankees are trying to trade Chan Ho Park, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (via Twitter). The market for relievers is thin, but adding Park to it doesn't change much for teams in search of relief help. The 37-year-old has allowed seven homers …
TSN.ca:
Jays' Anthopoulos considers options as trade deadline looms — It's late July, and the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in what has become a familiar position: hovering around the .500 mark and a long way from division and wild-card playoff contention. — And that, coupled …
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Fielder's future to be decided by Saturday — Brewers have three options regarding slugging first baseman — MILWAUKEE — By the end of the week, the Brewers will have declared themselves on first baseman Prince Fielder, the biggest bat available on this summer's trade market …
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Dipoto looks at Saunders W-L record, says Arizona got a ‘winner’ — A starting pitcher's won-loss record isn't what we crack it up to be. — If a pitcher hypothetically goes 16-7, he does so for the same reasons he might go 6-10. — He's at the mercy of how many runs his own team scores.
Discussion:
ESPN
Sports Illustrated:
Angels' trade coup for Haren leaves D-backs with little assets in return … The Angels have won three straight AL West titles, and despite being six games behind the Rangers, aren't giving up on the idea of making it four in a row. — Striking out of the blue, Angels GM Tony Reagins completed …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Fox Sports, Halos Heaven, FanGraphs Baseball, The Big Lead and baseballmusings.com
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Matthew Carruth / FanGraphs Baseball:
The Diamondbacks Get Cheap
The Diamondbacks Get Cheap
Discussion:
Redleg Nation, Purple Row, Hardball Times, ESPN, A Game Of Inches, Lone Star Ball and AZ Snakepit
Jeremy Greenhouse / Baseball Analysts:
Working Hard or Working Fast? — “The wrong way, but faster.” Max Power — I could point to a dozen articles discussing the varying shapes and sizes of the strike zone, but when my friend Don asked whether umpires really change their zone depending on the score, I drew a blank.