Top News:
Chris Snow / Boston Globe:
Battery Park — Yankees unload on Sox, Beckett in Stadium rout — NEW YORK — When Josh Beckett walked off the mound last evening, the sky was still a soft blue, the lingering sun illuminating the Bronx courthouse that looms beyond Yankee Stadium in right-center.
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Murray Chass / New York Times:
Mussina May Be Making Change for a 20 — IN his 16-year major league career, Mike Mussina has won 19 games twice, 18 games three times and 17 games twice. He has never won 20 games. — "You know, I've been close a couple times," the 37-year-old Mussina said Sunday.
Sean Brennan / NY Daily News:
Moose picks perfect time for off night — Mike Mussina knew he was due for a night like last night. A night where he was beatable under different circumstances. Like a night when the Yankees don't pound out 13 runs on 11 hits. — But he'll take the win, even if he wasn't in his usual form.
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Classic case of bombing in the Bronx — NEW YORK — Ex-major league pitcher Bob Tewksbury insists he was summoned for one reason, and one reason only: to pitch batting practice, because manager Terry Francona needed a fresh arm. — Just because Tewksbury is the organization's sports psychology coach …
Jackie MacMullan / Boston Globe:
Surprise ending— after 1 1/3 — NEW YORK — Of all the possible scenarios, this surely was not one that occurred to anyone wearing red socks. — Or, as it turned out, the guys in the blue socks, either. — "You never — ever — expect a game like this with Beckett pitching," said Yankees ace Mike Mussina.
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Phillips Finds His Stroke, and a Foothold at First — Andy Phillips hitting a three-run home run in the second inning off Boston's Josh Beckett. Phillips has three homers in his last four games. — Andy Phillips had 48 major league at-bats sprinkled across the last two seasons …
Baseball America:
Tuesday Morning Mock Draft — For the first time since 1999, when the Devil Rays deliberated between Josh Hamilton and Josh Beckett, scouting directors will wake up on draft day without knowing for sure who will go No. 1. The Royals own that pick, and if they've finalized their decision, they've kept it closely guarded.
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David Andriesen / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:Mariners expected to take college pitcher
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner
Dylan Hernandez / Contra Costa Times:
Giants roll as Bonds rocks — Slugger gets homer No. 716 and will get additional support with Alou's return — SAN FRANCISCO - The Giants had crushed the Florida Marlins, Moises Alou was about to be activated, and the clubhouse was theirs again. — Gone were the scores …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Clark Spencer / Miami Herald:Rotation is on the rise — SAN FRANCISCO - They're young, but they're durable.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Chris Constancio / Hardball Times:
Visualizing Draft Strategies — Oakland's Moneyball draft received a good deal of criticism and inspired countless "statheads versus scouts" debates concerning player development. Teams like the Dodgers used their first ten picks of the 2002 draft on high school players like James Loney, Greg Miller, and Jonathan Broxton.
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John Sickels / Minor League Ball:National League Central MOCK DRAFT Review
Discussion:
Get Up, Baby!
Mark Schlabach / Washington Post:
Nationals Win Fifth Game in a Row — Cordero Escapes Trouble in the Ninth: Nationals 5, Braves 4 — ATLANTA, June 5 — About three hours earlier, Washington Nationals Manager Frank Robinson sat in a small office in his team's clubhouse at Turner Field. Asked if he worried …
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Brian Heyman / The Journal News:
Valentin named starter for Mets — NEW YORK — Jose Valentin wanted to prove to manager Willie Randolph that he should be the everyday second baseman for the Mets after Kaz Matsui was benched for weak work at the plate. — Seven games and six starts later, Valentin has made his point.
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Kevin Baxter / Miami Herald:
Searching for diamond in the rough — The Marlins have made shrewd draft picks recently, something they hope to duplicate considering that there is a relatively weak crop of players this year. — kbaxter@MiamiHerald.com — The conventional wisdom holds that the talent …
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Jim Salisbury / Philly.com:
Former umpire Gregg, 55, dies after stroke — Eric Gregg, the fun-loving West Philadelphia native who became a popular Major League Baseball umpire, died last night at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood after suffering a massive stroke at his Ardmore home Sunday morning. Mr. Gregg was 55.
Conor Nicholl / MLB.com:
Tough loss for Izzy, Cards — Isringhausen allows three-run home run in ninth — ST. LOUIS — Jason Isringhausen sat at his locker, head bowed, looking straight ahead. — Finally, he let out a sigh, stood up, turned around and faced the media, reliving his ninth inning in typical Isringhausen honesty.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Baseball Adopts a Candy, Whatever It's Named For — For 85 years, Babe Ruth, the slugger, and Baby Ruth, the candy bar, have lived parallel lives in which it has been widely assumed that the latter was named for the former. The confection's creator, the Curtiss Candy Company …
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan
Joe Roderick / Contra Costa Times:
Zito puts money ball on reserve — CLEVELAND - They see the streak, see the ease with which he is retiring hitters and see a flashback to his 2002 American League Cy Young Award season. — The conclusion, naturally, is that Barry Zito is amping up his game as he readies for the big sweepstakes …
