Top News:
David Kaplan / csnchicago.com:
Breaking: Cubs close to dealing Lee to Braves — The Cubs are close to trading first baseman Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves, I have learned exclusively per my earlier post on ChicagoNow.com. The trade was first discussed on Sunday evening when the Braves called Cubs GM Jim Hendry …
Discussion:
Baseball America, Yahoo! Sports, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, HardballTalk and NESN.com
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Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Source: Derrek Lee to Braves? — The Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves are working on a deal to send first baseman Derrek Lee to Atlanta for prospects, according to a league source. — Lee, who is presently dealing with a bulging disc on his lower left side, received an epidural on Monday …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and Associated Press
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Braves Acquire Derrek Lee For Three Prospects — 4:25pm: The Braves acquire Lee for three pitching prospects, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter). Chicago gets right-hander Robinson Lopez, right-hander Tyrelle Harris and left-hander Jeffrey Lorick according to the Cubs, who will send the Braves money in the deal.
Discussion:
Mark Bradley, Bowman's Blog, Phillies Nation and Talking Chop
Thomas Kaplan / Bats:
Report: Braves Close to Acquiring Derrek Lee — CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs were close Wednesday to dealing the slugging first baseman Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves, according to several published reports. — The one thing holding up the trade is Lee's iffy back, which has kept him sidelined this week …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and USA Today
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Mike Cameron done for the season — BOSTON — Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron, who has played in only 48 of the team's 120 games this season because of an abdominal tear and additional complications, said Tuesday night that he does not expect to play again the rest of the season.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Boston Globe, Full Count, Projo Sox Blog and NESN.com
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External / ESPN:
Lackey, Red Sox look to stay perfect vs. Angels … John Lackey's first season with the Boston Red Sox hasn't gone exactly according to plan, but he's saved two of his best performances for his former team. — The right-hander has a chance to beat the Los Angeles Angels for the third …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Boston Globe:
Ellsbury could be done for the season — Jacoby Ellsbury is scheduled to return to Boston today and could be shut down for the season after his exam in Los Angeles with Dr. Lewis Yocum revealed a possible rib fracture, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built and NESN.com
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: Jacoby Ellsbury has broken rib
Discussion:
NESN.com, Boston Globe, baseballmusings.com, Projo Sox Blog and Fanhouse MLB Blog
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Simply smashing — Buchholz's mastery and Kalish's slam give Sox a charge
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
Yanks GM Brian Cashman: 'This is the team we've got' — NEW YORK — Andy Pettitte may be marooned on the disabled list until sometime next month, Javier Vazquez may never again consistently break 90 m.p.h. on the radar gun and Phil Hughes may miss important games down the stretch because of his innings limit.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily
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TSN.ca:
Rays sweep AL West-leading Rangers, keep AL East race hot — Sports Network — St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two run-scoring doubles and knocked in four, as the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the American League West …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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Gregg Doyel / CBSSports.com Sports News …:
Hey, Mets, use K-Rod case as hammer to beat down union — Expert — Tell Gregg your opinion! — The MLB players union has gone too far. Finally, inarguably, the union has gone too far, and this money-seeking, drug-allowing, behavior-excusing juggernaut must be stopped.
Discussion:
Surfing The Mets
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Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Mets Alter Rodriguez's Contract
Discussion:
ESPN and Walkoff Walk
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
New York Mets put closer Francisco Rodriguez on disqualified list after surgery
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
James Kannengieser / Amazin' Avenue:
Wally Backman As Mets Manager Is A Bad Idea — Jerry Manuel's dismissal after the season seems imminent, so discussion about the Mets' next manager has materialized. One name that consistently pops up, for some reason, is Wally Backman, former Mets second baseman and current manager of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones.
Discussion:
Baseball America, MetsBlog.com and Can't Stop The Bleeding
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Numbers show Williams was right about Thome — If the Sox don't bounce back and win the AL Central, Guillen will get a lot of heat for passing on slugger Thome — It's the issue that helped put the souring relationship between White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams on public display.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and AaronGleeman.com
RELATED:
Dave Campbell / Associated Press:
Thome's shot wins it for Twins over White Sox, 7-6
Discussion:
Twinkie Town and Baseball Analysts
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
The New York Mess needs to be cleaned up — Ever since then, Minaya has been searching for one more player, that one missing piece, to no avail. The Mets have spent nearly $500 million in pursuit of a playoff spot that has eluded them. — Finally, with the disgrace of K-Rod's arrest soiling …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Roberto Baly / VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY:
Matt Kemp has a heart....and hustles too! — I've been defending Matt Kemp all year that it's getting to the point where people think I will never say anything negative about him. Not true at all. I've said it before, he's having a good year but not one that you would expect from him.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Bob Timmermann / LA Observed:
The Dodgers in 2010: The Year of Crabbiness
Discussion:
ESPN and True Blue LA
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
New York Mets plan on bringing Jenrry Mejia up when rosters expand in September; Alex Cora a Ranger — Ex-Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa gives the Astros five innings Tuesday night in a 4-3 win over his old club. Figueroa doesn't factor in the decision for Houston.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Mike Silva's … and Amazin' Avenue
Richard Goldstein / New York Times:
Bobby Thomson Dies at 86; Hit Epic Home Run — Bobby Thomson, who swatted the most famous home run in baseball history — the so-called “shot heard round the world” — for the New York Giants against the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds on Oct. 3, 1951 …
Discussion:
Bats, LA Observed and Ron Kaplan's Baseball …
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