Top News:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Jon Lester speaks out about beer in the clubhouse, Francona and other issues — Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester admitted today that he drank beer in the clubhouse during some games this season and that, “it was the wrong thing to do.” But he was adamant that such behavior was not to blame for the team's September collapse.
RELATED:
ESPN:
Jon Lester: Beer drinking ‘wrong’ … Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester admits to drinking beer in the clubhouse, but he says it has nothing to do with the team's September swoon. — “There's a perception out there that we were up there getting hammered and that wasn't the case,” Lester said, according to the Boston Globe.
Yahoo! Sports:
Cardinals began this epic rise four years ago — MILWAUKEE - On stage stood the architect, the puppeteer and the star. John Mozeliak, Tony La Russa and David Freese(notes), as they are better known, wore matching grins. They are the general manager, manager and third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Rangers Blog
RELATED:
Colin Fly / Globe and Mail:
MLB Playoffs: Cardinals slug their way to World Series
Discussion:
Associated Press, baseballmusings.com, Brew Crew Ball and Yahoo! Sports
Fox Sports:
Draft, realignment among labor issues — The announcement of the last collective-bargaining agreement before Game 3 of the 2006 World Series set a target for major league players and owners in their current talks: — Strike another new deal during the Series, announce it to the widest possible audience …
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Rosenthal On CBA Talks — Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest on the talks between the players' union and owners as they aim to strike a new collective bargaining agreement... - It's a coin flip that an agreement will occur during the World Series, a source with knowledge of the discussions tells Rosenthal.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, News …
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Source: Red Sox wanted Matt Garza — The Boston Red Sox initially wanted Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza to be included as compensation for general manager Theo Epstein, but the Cubs refused, according to major league sources. — Talks began a week ago, after Epstein and the Cubs agreed …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, The LoHud Yankees Blog, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors, NESN.com, Baseball Nation, Deadspin and ESPN
RELATED:
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Frank and Jamie McCourt reach settlement involving Dodgers — In the agreement, she would give up any claim to the team, multiple people familiar with the deal say. It would appear to set up a winner-take-all court showdown between Frank and Commissioner Selig.
Discussion:
Dodgers Blog, Associated Press, True Blue LA, MLB Rumors, Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk, Baseball Nation, 6-4-2 and The Big Lead
Mac Thomason / Braves Journal:
I wish I had good news. — And I wish there was an easier way to say it. The surgeons were unable to operate on Tuesday, because scans showed the regrowth of tumors that had been removed in July. From all appearances, the remaining cancer has entered a virulent stage.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Talking Chop and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Sports Illustrated:
Brewers owner Attanasio appears right at home in Milwaukee … Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, a Bronx-raised Brentwood, Calif. resident, is thriving in Milwaukee, the NLCS defeat notwithstanding. And while some folks around baseball envision him as a potential savior of the Los Angeles Dodgers …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and MLB Rumors
Scott Raab / Esquire:
Dwight Howard: The ESQ+A — The Orlando Magic's superstar talks about the lockout and fatherhood and being a brand wanting to be a brand — Lunch at Mesa Grill, downtown Manhattan. — SCOTT RAAB: You having fun at Fashion Week? — DWIGHT HOWARD: Yesterday I had front-row seats …
Discussion:
ESPN Florida and ESPN
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Arbitration Eligibles: Milwaukee Brewers — The Brewers came up short last night, and now one of the many concerns for GM Doug Melvin will be the status of his nine arbitration eligible players. — First time: Casey McGehee, Nyjer Morgan, George Kottaras, Mitch Stetter
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues and Al's Ramblings
Patrick Flood:
Signing Free Agent Pitchers … - Outis the Mets Fan, via email — First: I might have invented this email. But the question is a real one, and something I looked into recently — it seems that there are a lot of bad contracts given to starting pitchers.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Tedquarters
