Top News:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
A few thoughts on the clubhouse — The Red Sox played just shy of 1,500 innings this season spread out over 181 days. In an ideal world, all 25 players would pay rapt attention to all 1,500 of those innings and be at their best all 181 days. But that's not the case for any team.
Discussion:
NESN.com
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Fox Sports:
Sources: Epstein may not be GM for Cubs — ST. LOUIS — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein will be headed to the Cubs any day now, but not necessarily as general manager. — Epstein is actively looking to hire a GM, a move that would enable him to serve the Cubs as president of baseball operations …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Bleed Cubbie Blue
WHDH-TV:
Sox pitchers drank beer in dugout during games
Discussion:
Boston Globe, SawxBlog, LA Times Sports Blog, Fenway West, HardballTalk, NESN.com and joy of sox
MLB.com:
Statements from the Boston Red Sox, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, and Terry Francona
Discussion:
Associated Press, Baseball Nation and HardballTalk
Sports Illustrated:
Cubs, Epstein eyeing Padres GM Hoyer for role
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, SignOnSanDiego.com, Sports Illustrated, Baseball Nation and NESN.com
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Varitek: Red Sox were not in turmoil
Discussion:
Over the Monster, Yahoo! Sports and NESN.com
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Lester's confession is little consolation
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …, Dan Shaughnessy Watch, ESPN and Boston Globe
TSN.ca:
Rangers visit Cardinals in opening game of World Series — The Sports Network — (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals weren't even sure there was a spot for them in these playoffs heading into the final day of the regular season. — But, here they are back in the World Series …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue and The Crawfish Boxes
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
McGwire getting well-deserved credit as hitting coach — On the eve of his first World Series as a coach, Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire sat patiently as members of the media peppered him with questions Tuesday at Busch Stadium. He talked about Albert Pujols, raved about David Freese …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Marc Stein / ESPN:
Source: Dirk Nowitzki denied first pitch — The Texas Rangers nominated Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki to throw out a first pitch before one of their home games in the World Series, but sources with knowledge of the team's plans say that the recommendation has been nixed by Major League Baseball.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
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Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Notes: Scouting meetings, Kuroda & Soriano — Here are a few notes that have come up in the phone calls we have made the past few days. — * The Yankees will begin their scouting meetings on Wednesday. They are scheduled to go three days. When asked what they are like …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Bronx Baseball Daily and Yankees Fans Unite
Bruce Olson / Reuters:
Occupy St. Louis to show commercial-free World Series — (Reuters) - Occupy St. Louis invited baseball fans on Tuesday to watch the World Series for free on a big screen at its campsite, and said it would stream its message against economic inequality between innings.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Baseball America:
2011 Draft Report Card Chat With Jim Callis and John Manuel — Moderator: Jim Callis and John Manuel will answer your draft questions as well as other baseball questions beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. — Jim Callis: Hi, everyone. I wrote the NL Draft Report Cards (minus Houston) and also did Boston in the AL.
mdn.mainichi.jp:
Baseball: Darvish ready for major league challenge — TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Yu Darvish sweepstakes are set to begin. — Nippon Ham Fighters ace Darvish, long said to be Japanese baseball's next biggest export to the majors, is ready to make a move stateside through the posting system this offseason …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Lone Star Ball and Sliding Into Home
David Laurila / FanGraphs Baseball:
Q&A: Kelly Johnson, Sabermetrically Savvy FA — Kelly Johnson may or may not be a Toronto Blue Jay next season, but wherever he ends up, he promises to have a better year with the bat — regardless of how many times he strikes out. The free-agent-to-be second baseman hit a respectable .270/.364/.417 …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and THE BOOK
ESPN:
Gooden missed Mets' 1986 parade to do drugs — While his 1986 New York Mets teammates basked in the glory of millions during a ticker tape parade to celebrate their World Series title, Dwight Gooden sat in a drug dealer's apartment, too high and paranoid to join them.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Free Agent And Trade Market For Catchers — The Rays, Angels, Pirates, and Twins may seek help at catcher this winter, and none of the available players will be expensive to acquire. — Starting Catchers Available In Free Agency — Ramon Hernandez and Rod Barajas qualify as starting catchers …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Whitey forecasts a ‘strange, strange Series’ — Only one man has managed both the Cardinals and the Texas Rangers, tonight's World Series opponents. He finished his managing career with the former and he started his career with the latter. He is Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog …
