Top News:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
What's the delay in hiring Epstein? — Sources say Cubs and Red Sox can't agree on compensation — Mike Quade, still manager of the Cubs, had a favorite saying whenever his team came out on top despite a dire predicament: — “We never do anything the easy way.”
Discussion:
New York Times, Boston Herald, MLB Rumors, Boston Globe and Baseball Nation
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
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:
Fenway West, NESN.com and MLB Rumors
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:
Over the Monster, ESPN, Surviving Grady, Chicago Sun Times, Fox Sports, Bats and Dan Shaughnessy Watch
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:
TSN.ca, Viva El Birdos, Brew Crew Ball and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Wolf gives Brewers much-needed win — ST. LOUIS (AP) — All those clutch hits by Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals disappeared Thursday night. — Randy Wolf flummoxed the Cardinals with pitches that were slow, slower and slowest, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-2 victory that tied the NL championship series 2-all.
Fox Sports:
Verlander steps up for Tigers — Justin Verlander walked down the steps and headed straight to the other end of the dugout, still wearing his game face. He put down his glove, turned back around and walked purposefully toward the Tigers' clubhouse, not stopping, not saying a word.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Sports Illustrated
RELATED:
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 …
Bill Shaikin / Dodgers Blog:
Angels — not Dodgers — close to new TV deal with Fox? — As Dodgers owner Frank McCourt seeks the intervention of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to pursue a new television contract for his team, the Angels could be nearing a lucrative deal of their own with Fox Sports.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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:
NY Daily News:
Harper: Heavy hitter could fit in city — The Yankees need an aging, slow-footed, full-time DH like they need higher ticket prices. But it was pretty funny to hear David Ortiz wax poetic about the team he killed for so many years because, well, honestly - did you ever think you'd hear …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Deadspin
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, ESPN and Projo Sox Blog
