Top News:
ESPN:
The eyes of Texas upon CC? — A baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com today that the Texas Rangers, currently one win away from a second straight trip to the World Series but likely to lose starter C.J. Wilson to free agency over the winter, are preparing to make a strong bid to sign CC Sabathia …
RELATED:
TSN.ca:
Rangers look to close out ALCS with win over Tigers — The Sports Network — (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers hope to punch their ticket to the World Series for the second straight season when they try to put the Detroit Tigers away in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Comerica Park.
Yahoo! Sports:
Red Sox choose Cherington as GM — Ben Cherington has been chosen to replace Theo Epstein as general manager of the Boston Red Sox, Yahoo! Sports learned Thursday. — Cherington, the club's vice president of player personnel under Epstein, takes over in a chaotic period for the Red Sox.
Discussion:
NESN.com, Fenway West, MLB Rumors and ESPN
RELATED:
Alex Speier / WEEI:
SOURCE: SOX-CUBS NEGOTIATIONS HIT BUMP — WEEI's John Dennis is reporting that the initial day of negotiations between the Red Sox and Cubs regarding the compensation that Chicago would send to the Sox in order to hire GM Theo Epstein revealed a gap between the sides.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation and Fenway West
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Wind of change — Utter chaos. — It's back to the bad old days over on Yawkey Way. The Red Sox of 2011 are the Red Sox of Buddy LeRoux and Haywood Sullivan - doofus co-owners wrestling on the carpet of their Fenway Park offices back in 1983. They are the Red Sox of Tom Yawkey …
Discussion:
ESPN, Surviving Grady, Chicago Sun Times, Fox Sports, Bats, Dan Shaughnessy Watch and Chicago Tribune
Canadian Press:
Wolf goes seven strong, Brewers even series with Cardinals — ST. LOUIS - Randy Wolf outfoxed the St. Louis Cardinals for seven innings to earn his first post-season win at age 35 and the Milwaukee Brewers got two more hits from Ryan Braun in a 4-2 victory Thursday night that evened the NL championship series at 2-all.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Viva El Birdos, Brew Crew Ball and TSN.ca
RELATED:
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards resolve ticket issue with Brewers
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Associated Press:
Cardinals hold off Brewers, take 2-1 series lead
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball, Red Reporter, Viva El Birdos, baseballmusings.com and Yahoo! Sports
Andrew Keh / New York Times:
Cardinals 4, Brewers 3: N.L.C.S. — Cardinals Strike Early, and Bullpen Does the Rest
Discussion:
Baseball Nation and Brew Crew Ball
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Berkman, Ellsbury earn Comeback awards — All-Star outfielders Lance Berkman of the Cardinals and Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox were named the winners of the 2011 Comeback Player of the Year Awards on Thursday, as the annual rollout of Major League Baseball's individual hardware got under way.
Discussion:
Fenway West, River Avenue Blues and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
MLB.com:
Berkman, Ellsbury win 2011 MLB Comeback Player of the Year Awards — Lance Berkman of the St. Louis Cardinals and Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox are the recipients of the 2011 Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Awards, it was announced today.
Discussion:
Baseball-Reference Blog and joy of sox
Associated Press:
Jim Leyland: Valverde, Benoit unavailable for Game 5 — DETROIT - Tigers manager Jim Leyland says relievers Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit won't pitch in Thursday's fifth game of the AL championship series. — Detroit trails the Texas Rangers 3-1 in the ALCS but sends ace Justin Verlander to the mound for Game 5.
Discussion:
ESPN and The Daily Fungo
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Nelson Cruz, Rangers beat Tigers, take 3-1 lead in ALCS
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Yahoo! Sports and Bless You Boys
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Porcello left to wonder what might have been
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Baseball Prospectus
Brian Costa / Wall Street Journal:
Former Yankee Farmhand Finds New Life in Milwaukee — The phone call that would change the course of John Axford's career came in December 2007. A little-known Yankees pitching prospect at the time, Axford was at home in Hamilton, Ontario, scanning the Internet in search of an offseason job …
Arielle Aronson / Full Count:
Curt Schilling on D&C: ‘This is what happens when you piss people off that are really rich and powerful’ — Former Red Sox pitcher and ESPN baseball analyst Curt Schilling joined the Dennis & Callahan show Thursday morning to share his thoughts on an article published Wednesday outing …
Discussion:
Boston Dirt Dogs and Projo Sox Blog
Rany Jazayerli / Baseball Prospectus:
Starting Them Young, Part One — Everyone missed on Mike Trout. Don't get me wrong: Trout was a well-regarded player headed into the 2009 draft, a certain first-round talent. But he wasn't—yet—a phenom. Everyone liked Trout; it's just that no one loved him.
Steve Popper / NorthJersey.com:
David Wright ponders his future — In the final days of the season, David Wright would prepare himself at his locker almost unnoticed as crowds gathered regularly just a few feet away. Normally the face of the Mets' franchise and team spokesman, Wright dressed silently while Jose Reyes reluctantly held court.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
ESPN:
David Ortiz talks free agency, Sox mess … Could Big Papi really relocate to the Big Apple? — Longtime Boston Red Sox slugger and free-agent-to-be David Ortiz spoke about the possibility of signing with the AL East rival New York Yankees during an interview Wednesday with ESPN's Colleen Dominguez …
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Gary Carter gets more good news — An MRI exam at Duke University revealed positive news in Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter's battle with cancerous brain tumors, daughter Kimmy Bloemers wrote in an online journal. — Carter's doctors informed the family that the tumors have shrunk 10 percent …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue and New Jersey Online
