Top News:
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:
AL MVP runner-up Ortiz gets extension — BOSTON —Red Sox slugger David Ortiz agreed Monday to a four-year contract extension through 2010, just five months after finishing runner-up for the AL MVP award. — The designated hitter was in the last year of a $12.5 million, two-year extension he signed in May 2004.
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Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Stern is at front, center — BALTIMORE - The calendar of Red Sox reserve outfielder Adam Stern hasn't been too booked up recently. — That's why he was pleasantly surprised to see his name atop the Red Sox lineup card when he arrived at the ballpark yesterday morning, giving him his first start this season.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Sox set to kick off 95th Fenway season — Toronto (3-3) at Boston (5-1), 2:05 p.m. ET, Tuesday — The unofficial New England holiday known as the home opener is set for Tuesday afternoon, when the 5-1 Red Sox begin their 95th season at Fenway Park with a matchup against the much-improved Toronto Blue Jays.
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Towers ready for Beckett matchup — Toronto (3-3) at Boston (5-1), 2:05 p.m. ET — TORONTO — The changes that Toronto made in the offseason have many fans and analysts believing the Blue Jays can contend for the division crown this year. If that's the case, Toronto will have to go through …
Mike Petraglia / MLB.com:
Ortiz gets four-year extension in Boston — Deal extends option for 2011 to Red Sox slugger — BOSTON — The Red Sox have called a 3 p.m. ET press conference, at which time they will announce a four-year contract extension with an option for 2011 for slugging designated hitter David Ortiz.
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Officials to warn Mets, Nationals — Recent hit batsmen influence call for peace in coming series — NEW YORK — Umpire supervisor Steve Palermo is expected to alert the crew working this week's Mets-Nationals series of the strained relationship that exists between the two National League teams …
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Associated Press:'Just play ball' — Watson has clear message for Mets, Nationals
Discussion:
..getting paid to watch
Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Under The Knife — A Friend is Gone Today — My Sidekick is dying. After two years, it's almost like a family member, but a mobile phone tied to the two-foot power cord due to a dead battery is hardly mobile at all. So my calls tonight were made standing at my bookcase here in the office …
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Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Today — Simmer. Down. Now. — friendly — Contact — So, this showed up in my inbox Sunday morning... My initial reaction was to say, "no." Then I thought about it, and figured, "sure, why not." — But this isn't the article D is looking for.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Associated Press:
Derrek Lee agrees to new five-year, $65M deal — CHICAGO — NL batting champion Derrek Lee and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $65 million, five-year contract, a deal expected to be announced Tuesday. — "It's fairly likely something will be worked out," agent Casey Close said Monday.
Conor / San Diego Serenade:
1986 World Series Game 6 Re-Enacted in RBI Baseball — So last week had the first day since I've been keeping the blog that I missed an entry. I felt bad about this lack of discipline, and no doubt you were upset as well. I wanted to post the little project that I was working on that diverted my attention from posting about music.
Discussion:
Deadspin
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves place Chipper on 15-day DL — Third baseman suffered right knee, ankle sprains Sunday — ATLANTA — Chipper Jones has been placed on the disabled list for the third consecutive season. But he and the Braves are hopeful that the sprains he suffered to both his right knee and right ankle won't prove to be a lingering problem.
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Colon Cures Yankee Slump — New York tees off on the Angel pitcher, who gives up eight runs in two innings in a 10-1 loss. — Bartolo Colon insists the shoulder he injured in October is OK and the groin he tweaked last week is fine. He doesn't feel he's overthrowing, as his manager suggested Sunday.
Discussion:
Chronicles of the Lads
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers' comeback bid falls short — Hall hits first homer in history of new Busch Stadium — ST. LOUIS — Bill Hall had three hits, including the first home run at new Busch Stadium, but a late Brewers comeback bid came up short in a 6-4 loss to Mark Mulder and the Cardinals in front of an Opening Day sellout crowd of 41,936.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Ted Miller / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Beltre on brink of being a bust — The World Baseball Classic made many Mariners fans giddy. Forget the U.S. flop — Adrian Beltre found his stroke! — Beltre, whose first season in Seattle was mediocre at best after he signed a five-year, $64 million contract, belted four home runs …
