Top News:
Matt Snyder / CBSSports.com:
Magic Johnson's group reaches agreement to buy Dodgers — From McCourt to Showtime. — Tuesday afternoon, Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved the three remaining bidding groups as possible owners of the Dodgers. The next step was an auction to buy the club …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Matthew Futterman / Wall Street Journal:
Magic Johnson Wins Auction for Los Angeles Dodgers — Basketball legend Magic Johnson led a group that won an auction for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Tuesday night, marking the final chapter in a soap-opera-style saga for the legendary franchise. — With a bid of $2.15 billion …
Discussion:
ESPN, Dodger Thoughts, Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, LA Observed, True Blue LA, Gaslamp Ball, The Big Lead and Deadspin
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers sold to Magic Johnson's group — GLENDALE, Ariz. — A deal has been consummated between the Dodgers and Magic Johnson's bidding group for the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium, according to a baseball source. Johnson's group includes former baseball executive Stan Kasten and Guggenheim Partners.
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball
Mike Axisa / MLB Rumors:
Johnson/Kasten Group Agrees To Purchase Dodgers — 11:48pm: The Magic/Kasten/Guggenheim Partners group will in fact control the Dodger Stadium parking lots, reports Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). There was no auction between the three bidding groups …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish and Mike Scioscia's tragic illness
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Approach here isn't very defensible — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Someday - maybe when hell freezes over - we will hear a Red Sox manager or general manager say that the team is sacrificing offense for defense at shortstop. — We thought this might be the time, but the rejection button on defense …
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
John Lackey sorry for offensive remark — Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey has apologized for using “a thoughtless choice of words” during an interview this week. — Speaking with a Boston Globe columnist, Lackey said it was “retarded” to make too much of reports about some Red Sox starters drinking beer …
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Catching up with pitcher Lackey
Catching up with pitcher Lackey
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Over the Monster, Yahoo! Sports, Getting Blanked and The Soxaholix
Sports Illustrated:
R.A. Dickey writes of confronting darker sides of human nature … From WHEREVER I WIND UP: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, by R.A. Dickey with Wayne Coffey, published by arrangement with Blue Rider Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright © 2012 by R.A. Dickey.
Discussion:
CBSSports.com, Sports Illustrated, The Big Lead, Yahoo! Sports, New Jersey Online and NESN.com
RELATED:
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
R.A. Dickey book: Childhood sexual abuse revealed in memoir with Daily News' Wayne Coffey …
R.A. Dickey book: Childhood sexual abuse revealed in memoir with Daily News' Wayne Coffey …
Discussion:
Deadspin, HardballTalk and MetsBlog.com
Associated Press:
Lee Pitches 6 Shutout Innings in Phillies Win — CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Cliff Lee definitely looks ready for the regular season. — Lee pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-4 exhibition victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
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David Murphy / Philly.com:
Phillies trim roster, cut three
Phillies trim roster, cut three
Discussion:
Philliesflow.com and Phillies Nation
Kieran Darcy / ESPN:
Chamberlain: ‘Great chance’ I'll pitch in 2012 — TAMPA, Fla. — An emotional Joba Chamberlain spoke with reporters for just under 14 minutes on Tuesday, for the first time since suffering a serious ankle injury while playing with his five-year-old son, Karter, last Thursday.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Mike Axisa / MLB Rumors:
Jack Cust To Sign With An NL Team — Jack Cust will sign a minor league contract with an NL team, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter). That team is not the Rockies however, and we can also rule out the Astros since they released him this morning.
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Marshall confident he can close — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The question of who might replace the injured Ryan Madson remained the top question on Tuesday in the final week of Reds camp. — On the heels of another solid outing vs. the Cubs, his former club, left-handed setup man Sean Marshall again voiced …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Dan Hayes / North County Times:
PADRES ANALYSIS: Moorad's departure leaves many questions regarding franchise's future — PEORIA, Ariz. — John Moores is back in control of the Padres after Jeff Moorad's attempt to buy the baseball team disintegrated. But what the longtime Padres owner will do next with the franchise is unknown, perhaps even to Moores himself.
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Associated Press:
Mat Latos leaves after bad step — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Reds starter Mat Latos left the game in mid-inning after appearing to make a bad step on a pitch, giving Cincinnati another pitching scare. — Latos left in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday after apparently hurting himself on a pitch.
Discussion:
Cincinnati Reds and Yahoo! Sports
Paul Lukas / ESPN:
It's Uni Watch's 2012 MLB preview! — Certain Uni Watch readers have occasionally accused your friendly uniform columnist of being too much of a naysayer. “You never like anything!” these readers say. “Whenever a team unveils a new uniform, all you do is complain about all the things wrong with it!”
Discussion:
HardballTalk