Top News:
Bob Hohler / Boston Globe:
Inside the collapse — Dedication waned, unity unraveled, and manager lost influence as a once-inspiring Red Sox season ended in epic failure — With their team in peril and their manager losing his authority, three Red Sox pitchers last month were uniquely positioned to prevent …
RELATED:
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Theo Epstein on brink of joining Cubs — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — Two baseball sources have confirmed that Theo Epstein is on the cusp of leaving his job as general manager of the Red Sox [team stats] to accept a position with the Chicago Cubs that is believed …
Jerry Spar / WEEI:
D&C: THEO HAS 5-YEAR DEAL WITH CUBS — WEEI's John Dennis reported Wednesday morning that Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed with the Cubs on a five-year deal worth more than $15 million. — According to Dennis' sources, the Red Sox granted the Cubs permission to talk with Epstein late last week.
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Report: Theo Epstein agrees to a five-year deal with the Cubs — John Dennis of WEEI just reported that Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed with the Cubs on a five-year deal worth more than $15 million. This is a huge moment for the Cubs. Franchise-altering.
Discussion:
VFTB, Pirates Prospects and The House That Dewey Built
Fox Sports:
Report: Epstein agrees to deal with Cubs — FOX Sports — It looks like Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is off to try to end another curse, reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Chicago Cubs. — Epstein, who was granted permission to talk to the Cubs last week, is expected to accept a deal worth …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Epstein not out the door — yet — Major league sources said tonight that no deal is in place for Theo Epstein to join the Chicago Cubs in an upper management capacity. But a resolution is expected in the coming days. — Epstein is weighing the decision and is not necessarily a lock to leave the Red Sox after nine seasons.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish, The LoHud Yankees Blog and joy of sox
Alex Speier / WEEI:
HEIR APPARENT: HOW BEN CHERINGTON EMERGED AS THEO EPSTEIN'S LIKELY SUCCESSOR — It was a time when general managers had suddenly been turned into the iconic faces of franchises. — The Red Sox had engaged in a public and dramatic courtship of Billy Beane, the GM who was quickly coming …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
JONATHAN PAPELBON BRACING HIMSELF FOR THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF FREE AGENCY
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Noah Trister / Associated Press:
Fister, Martinez help Tigers pull to 2-1 in ALCS — DETROIT—Victor Martinez slowed his home run trot to barely a jog, stepping gingerly around the bases after hurting himself with a big swing. — The banged-up Detroit Tigers are teetering but still standing, thanks to Martinez …
Discussion:
Reuters, Bless You Boys and Lookout Landing
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Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Beltre's knee is hardest hit as sluggers struggle
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Chris Cox / MLB.com:
Texas must brush aside Comerica Park woes
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score and Bless You Boys
Sports Illustrated:
Tigers head home in 0-2 ALCS hole
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball, Yahoo! Sports, Associated Press and baseballmusings.com
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Rangers' Napoli at DH for break from catching
Discussion:
Bats, MLB and Yahoo! Sports
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Yankees' killer instinct appears to have vanished — NEW YORK - Joe Girardi spent a lot of time Tuesday talking about how much “luck” goes into winning a championship. It's a popular anesthesia, meant to keep fans from feeling bitter about early round losses in the playoffs.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Philly.com:
Phillies GM wants smarter, more productive at-bats — ON THE WHOLE, he'd have rather been in Milwaukee. — Which is where Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. - Philly born, Philly bred - would have been yesterday if his team had advanced to the National League Championship Series instead …
RELATED:
Daily / Philly.com:
Amaro: ‘This is a championship caliber lineup’
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and MLB Rumors
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Williams considered Konerko for Sox manager — While team captain wasn't interviewed, he was in candidate mix — CHICAGO — Picture this scenario at the first full-squad White Sox workout of Spring Training at Camelback Ranch next February. — Paul Konerko takes his physical and then joins …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
RELATED:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Williams briefly considered Konerko as player-manager
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Baseball Nation, HardballTalk and Deadspin
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Giants:
San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey passes a big milestone in his recovery from his serious leg injuries — Good news from Scottsdale, Ariz., if you're a fan of the Giants and Buster Posey. — Dave Groeschner, the Giants' head athletic trainer, just told me that Posey …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
The Worst Contracts in Baseball — Dan Quisenberry said many wonderful things in his too-short life, but probably the most famous is his line about the future. “I've seen the future,” he said, “and it's much like the present, only longer.” — A version of that quote kept popping …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, baseballmusings.com and We Should Be GMs
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
Silver anniversary: the Donnie Moore-Dave Henderson game — 25 years ago, one of the most famous (or infamous) games in baseball history occurred. On Oct. 12, 1986, the greatest pair of LCS of all-time were underway. In the ALCS, the Angels appeared to be on the verge of their first pennant in franchise history.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
