Top News:
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Lester may have big plans for weekend — DETROIT — There was no official announcement from the Red Sox, but all signs point to 22-year-old Jon Lester making his major league debut Saturday in Fenway Park, when the Red Sox play a day-night doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.
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Jeff Goldberg / Hartford Courant:
Clement Turns Page, Goes 6 Innings — DETROIT — Matt Clement probably did more throwing between starts in the past week than in his previous two starts combined. — Searching for the solution to his recent struggles, Clement worked extensively on his mechanics, trying to improve his feel for the ball as it left his hand.
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Win was a special delivery — Clement tinkers with mechanics — DETROIT — Jason Varitek had spotted something. Three pitches into the seventh inning the catcher popped up and jogged to the mound, waving in manager Terry Francona and trainer Paul Lessard and putting an end to Matt Clement's afternoon.
Discussion:
projo.com
Baseball America:
Royals May Be Moving Past Miller — CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—If the Royals were looking for some kind of affirmation that Andrew Miller is the right choice with the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday's draft, they probably didn't get it in his NCAA regional start against Winthrop on Saturday.
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Baseball America:
Monday Morning Mock Draft — When Royals officials went to bed Sunday night, they still didn't know whose name they'd call with the No. 1 pick in the draft Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. Insisting money wouldn't be the determining factor, they still were debating the merits of North Carolina …
Joe Posnanski / Kansas City Star:The Royals' No. 1 dilemma — The only consensus on first pick is that KC better be right
Discussion:
Purple Row
ESPN:
Pujols lands on DL with 'moderate to severe' injury — ST. LOUIS — This is a much larger challenge for the St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols will be out indefinitely with a strained muscle on his right side. — Pujols, last year's NL MVP and this season's major league leader in home runs and RBI …
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Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Under The Knife — The Tipping Points — With apologies to Malcolm Gladwell, there are tipping points in each major league season. The Astros were dead and buried last season. We kept waiting for the White Sox to turn into pumpkins and they never did. Did the turn of the page to June cause some tipping point to be crossed?
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Schilling: Yanks skipper keeps team afloat — DETROIT - Curt Schilling stopped to watch ESPN before yesterday's game against the Tigers. A graphic happened to include the Yankees. — "That's your manager of the year right there," Schilling said. "Joe Torre has done an unbelievable job.
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Metstradamus / The Musings and Prophecies …:
Made To Be Broken — There are certain rules in major league baseball...and I'm not talking about the balk rule or the save rule or the stupid rule that awards home field in the World Series to the league that wins the All Star Game...I'm talking about those "unwritten rules".
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Benoit is baffled by recent struggles — CHICAGO - If Joaquin Benoit knew what he was doing wrong, he'd fix it. — If Benoit knew what had led to his giving up runs in each of his past six relief appearances for the Rangers, causing his ERA to swell from 2.55 to 5.61, he would stop making that mistake.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Laird earning playing time — CHICAGO - Gerald Laird's status changed Sunday. No longer does Rangers manager Buck Showalter search for occasional off-days for catcher Rod Barajas. He searches for ways to get Laird into the lineup. — Laird is making the most of every opportunity he gets to play.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
Businessman aims to have Israel in 2009 WBC — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — JERUSALEM — Israel has few world-class baseball players, its fan base is minuscule and the country has only one full-size baseball diamond. — Yet American businessman Larry Baras is determined …
Discussion:
The Griddle
Emily Fredrix / Associated Press:
Uecker files restraining order against woman — MILWAUKEE (AP) — Hall of Fame announcer Bob Uecker filed a restraining order against a woman he contends has been harassing him for years and last week confronted him at a hotel pool over his refusal to assist her charity work.
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
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George King / New York Post:
BOWA BLASTS PATTERSON — June 5, 2006 — BALTIMORE - When Corey Patterson stole second and third in the seventh inning with the Orioles leading by six runs Larry Bowa believed Patterson was rubbing it in the Yankees' nose. — From the top step of the third base dugout, Bowa let Patterson have it.
Jay Mariotti / Chicago Sun Times:
Fairy-tale ending for Maddux? Get out of town! — He didn't come here to pitch like Cy Old, punch water jugs and allow six runs a start. Greg Maddux returned to Cubdom because he believed in the romantic notion that he could bring his story full circle, that he was being summoned …
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
First-Year Player Draft a live event — Entire first round to be annnounced live from MLB.com studios — Every year, the question is always asked: Can Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft ever be turned into a TV event akin to the efforts of other major sports?
