Top News:
Bob Klapisch / ESPN:
Yankees see no sense in juggling lineup — BOSTON — Once upon a time, when the Yankees weren't sure whether Jason Giambi was healthy, (and were convinced he would forever wound them in the field), there was a Plan B at the ready: Giambi would be eased into the DH spot …
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Murray Chass / New York Times:Fix Is In, on Scoreboard and Behind Plate
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:Clemens Still Undecided, and Cashman Won't Push Him
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
New York Post:
MAINE EVENT ON SHEA HILL — May 2, 2006 — MET NOTES With rookie Brian Bannister on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, the first pitcher to try to fill that hole in the Met rotation will be John Maine - tonight at Shea against the Nationals.
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Michael Oliver / Mets Geek:
Scouting Report: John Maine — John Maine is a 6-4 right-hander that turns 25 on May 8th and he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 6th round of the 2002 amateur draft. As we all know, he made his way over to the Mets this off-season with Jorge Julio in the Kris Benson deal.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Maine to make Mets debut against Nats — Washington (8-18) at New York Mets (17-8), 7:10 p.m. ET — The calendar may have changed to May, but the Mets didn't seem to notice, keeping the good vibes from their hot April intact. — After tying a club record with 16 victories last month …
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Maine gets the call for spot start — Lack of depth in the starting rotation could be a season-long concern for the Mets, as it is for most teams. But most teams didn't trade away a pair of starters, as the Mets did with Kris Benson and Jae Seo, and most teams don't have a wannabe starter …
Dallas Morning News:
Bad deal? Not for Rangers — Once upon a time - OK, that time was three weeks ago - I received plenty of e-mails complaining that the Rangers had been hoodwinked by San Diego in a winter time trade. — On April 12, Dallas-born, Ranger-reared Padre Chris Young threw six shutout innings, allowing only one hit.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:Loe and behold: Rangers pitcher blanks Rays
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Aditi Kinkhabwala / NorthJersey.com:
Mets' happy Endy — NEW YORK — No, Victor Zambrano said, one so-so outing and two lousy ones didn't have him feeling pressured. — No, the Mets' right-hander said, having a stat line with more runs allowed than innings pitched and more walks than strikeouts didn't give him any greater sense of urgency.
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Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Peavy, Hoffman will be OK — Padres reporter Lyle Spencer answers your questions — Is there any danger that Jake Peavy will hurt himself trying to overthrow, thinking he has to pitch a shutout just to keep his team in a game? — Your concern is not unwarranted.
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baseballamerica.com:
Daily Dish: May 2 — Double-A Jacksonville center fielder Matt Kemp extended his hitting streak to 16 games and his on-base streak to 19 as he came a single shy of hitting for the cycle in the Suns' 9-3 win against West Tenn on Monday. — Kemp is hitting .406 during the streak, and all four of his homers have come during that span.
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners Notebook: The joke's on Hargrove — Latin players get manager to bite on boycott prank — MINNEAPOLIS — Mike Hargrove didn't have a heart attack Monday. — But some of his players, intent on playing a practical joke on him, thought he came close.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Darren Rovell / ESPN:
This card costs 'cause you aren't supposed to have it' … Alex Gordon has yet to play a single game in the major leagues and yet his rookie card is the hottest in all of baseball, selling for as much as $2,550 in recent weeks. — Is Gordon the Kansas City Royals' next great player? Could be.
Discussion:
The Baseball Card Blog
John Perrotto / timesonline.com:
Don't blame Tracy ... yet — It is easy to jump to conclusions about the managing acumen of Jim Tracy after his first month with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The easiest one to make is that he hasn't made a bit of difference. — The Pirates went 7-19 in Tracy's first month …
NY Daily News:
Bannister delivers — Injured pitcher a hit as SNY voice — When Brian Bannister looks back at 2006, he will remember it as his rookie season with the Mets - and in broadcasting, too. — Such is life when the team you play for also owns a network. — On Friday, when the pitcher went …
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Jay Jaffe / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Hit List — Week of April 30 — Kill the Ump! It's a sentiment nearly as old as the game itself, and while it's not meant to be taken literally, it's nevertheless true that the men in blue are the outlet for a good deal of the frustration we fans express.
MLB.com:
Giambi and Contreras named American League Player, Pitcher of the Month — New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi and Chicago White Sox right-hander Jose Contreras have been named the American League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for April.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Broxton Gets Elevated as Carter Is Demoted — PHOENIX — Attention minor league pitchers. Want to be called up to the big leagues? Follow the formula of Jonathan Broxton. — Don't allow a run the first month of the season. — And it doesn't hurt when a pitcher on the major league club …

