Top News:
Rick Morrissey / Chicago:
Less could be more for Jake Arrieta and the Cubs in 2016 — MESA, Ariz. - Here in the land of outsized hopes and sun-stroked dreams, anything is possible. Well, almost anything. The 2015 Jake Arrieta is not possible again. The Big Bang happened only once. — That's not being negative.
RELATED:
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Maddon wants club to ‘embrace the target’ this season — MESA, Ariz. — The theme for 2016, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, is “embrace the target,” and he'll deliver that message on Saturday prior to the first workout by pitchers and catchers. Of course, anyone not in Cubs camp by now got a directive from Jon Lester.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue and World Series Dreaming
Charlie Wilmoth / MLB Trade Rumors:
Padres Sign Casey Janssen To Minor League Deal — 10:09am: The Padres have officially announced that they've signed Janssen to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. — 9:36am: It appears possible the Padres have agreed to terms with veteran righty Casey Janssen, perhaps on a minor league deal.
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, NBCSports.com, Gaslamp Ball, Todays Knuckleball and MLB Daily Dish
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Barry Bonds arrives with Marlins, ready to once again chase the unknown — JUPITER, Fla. — Barry Bonds pulled his white Cadillac SUV into the Miami Marlins parking lot at 9:45 Thursday morning, and drove around. — And around. — And around. — He finally gave up …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report and CSN Bay Area
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
Tony Phillips, former A's infielder, dies of apparent heart attack — Infielder Tony Phillips, a member of the A's 1989 title team, died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 56, according to former Oakland starter Dave Stewart. — “T.P. was like my little brother,” said Stewart …
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James Jahnke / Detroit Free Press:
Former Tigers 2B Tony Phillips dead at 56
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, FanGraphs Baseball and Bleacher Report
Caitlin Rearden / KHQ-TV:
Cheney woman celebrates 110th birthday — “There's days she just gets tickled and tells everyone how old she is,” says Jerri Carver, Flossie Dickey's granddaughter. — Flossie Dickey is 110 years old. To really tell Flossie's story we have to take you back in time to the early 1900's …
Discussion:
WGN-TV
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
In Jim Benedict, the Marlins have added a pitcher whisperer to their front office — The Marlins picked up relief pitcher Bryan Morris in a midseason trade with the Pirates in 2014. He'd had success in Pittsburgh during Jim Benedict's tenure. — Steve Mitchell — JUPITER, Fla. — Edwin Jackson, bounce-back candidate?
Discussion:
Greensburg Tribune-Review and MLB Trade Rumors
New York Post:
Islanders, Barclays eye escape clause to get team out of Brooklyn — The Islanders' relationship with Barclays Center has been on such thin ice during the club's first season in Brooklyn that both sides are secretly exploring ways to cut ties or modify the existing terms of their lease, The Post has learned.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, Lighthouse Hockey and The Hockey News
ESPN:
Jung Ho Kang (leg) unsure if he'll be ready for Opening Day — Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang, who had surgery after suffering a serious leg injury in September, is still unsure whether he'll be ready for Opening Day. — Five months after having surgery to repair a broken bone …
Discussion:
Bleacher Report
ESPN:
Zack Greinke's Diamondbacks chapter officially begins — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Zack Greinke should be right in his element by Opening Day. He'll take the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and if past performance is a harbinger of future results, the Colorado Rockies will have difficulty solving …
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit
Connor Sheets / al.com:
Harper Lee dead at age of 89: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ author passes away — Author Nelle Harper Lee, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 for her book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” passed away in her sleep Friday morning at the age of 89, her family has confirmed. — “This is a sad day for our family.
Discussion:
New York Times, NOLA River, Gothamist, WREG-TV, KTLA, fox13now.com, WCDC-TV, WTVR-TV, WHNT-TV, CBS Miami and New York's PIX11, more at WeSmirch »
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ESPN:
Rob Manfred expects some domestic violence decisions within days — BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred expects to have a decision within a few days on two of the first three cases covered by the sport's new domestic violence policy. — Major League Baseball …
Discussion:
On the Rox and Associated Press
KSL-TV:
Snake head found in Farmington woman's can of green beans — FARMINGTON — Is that a snake? — A Farmington woman and an LDS Church Young Women's group say they discovered the decapitated head of a snake in a can of Western Family green beans as they prepared dinner for elderly neighbors Wednesday night.
Discussion:
CBS 4, CBS San Francisco and KOIN-TV
