Top News:
Deadspin:
So ... We've Got Some Affidavit Names — Everyone's guessing about who the blacked-out names in the Jason Grimsley report are, and it has been a fun parlor game so far. But we all knew eventually the names would get out. And we've been digging around ... and some sources have given us some names.
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Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Under The Knife — Grimsley — When I heard the Jason Grimsley story on Tuesday afternoon, the first thing that came to mind was...no, the first is unprintable. The second thing that came to mind was "good people are going to get sucked into this." Logic escapes the performance-enhancement zone with perfect consistency.
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Names change, drugs remain — Affidavit starts witch hunt — So by now you're probably familiar with the Jason Grimsley affidavit regarding human growth hormone. Pretty shocking stuff, even in a sport synonymous with steroids. He names names, and lots of 'em.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Associated Press:
Sheffield to have surgery; out until at least September — NEW YORK — Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist but is not expected to miss the rest of the season, general manager Brian Cashman said on Thursday.
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Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Sheffield likely out until September — Yankees right fielder to undergo surgery on left wrist — NEW YORK — Gary Sheffield will undergo surgery to repair his injured wrist on Tuesday, and the outfielder isn't expected to return to the Yankees until September.
Discussion:
YanksBlog.com
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
With Sheffield Still Injured, Cabrera Makes a Case to Stay — Like most people, Johnny Damon had one major impression of Melky Cabrera before the season. Damon, the Yankees' center fielder, remembered Cabrera breaking the wrong way on a liner by Trot Nixon at Fenway Park last July, turning it into an inside-the-park home run.
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Notes: Gagne shut down for a few days — Closer experiences soreness in elbow, MRI shows no damage — LOS ANGELES — An MRI on Eric Gagne's elbow Wednesday revealed swelling around the ulnar nerve but no structural damage. He has not yet been placed on the disabled list.
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Sports Illustrated:
A personality to Last — Mets rookie Milledge shouldn't tone down his act — Lastings Milledge had better not turn into Nuke LaLoosh. — The Mets took off on a three-city swing on Sunday, promising to win some games and bring their rookie back an official major leaguer. Which could be good.
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Young arms thrown into fire: No time for kid gloves — NEW YORK - We are bound to find out now, one way or another, slowly but surely. In the coming days and weeks, we are destined to learn whether the future of the Red Sox is as bright as we have been led to believe or the result of propaganda and hype.
Discussion:
SawxBlog
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Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Notebook — Braves, Marlins — ATLANTA BRAVES — Braves-haters know the story all too well. Injuries strike, the bullpen underperforms, Travis Smith somehow gets a start, yet Atlanta is still hovering at the fringes of the NL East race. Why?
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Harden returns to DL with elbow injury — Disturbing news for the A's. Right-hander Rich Harden is back on the disabled list, this time with a sprained ligament in his right elbow. — Harden, 24, was out from April 26 until last Sunday with a lower back strain.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Younger Papelbon aims to beat odds — Drafted in 48th round, brother of Sox closer has plenty of desire — NEW YORK — In a way, it couldn't be more fitting that Josh Papelbon was taken at pick No. 1,443 (and round 48) in the First-Year Player Draft by the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Cursed To First
David Andriesen / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Carl comes to Mariners rescue — Echoing through the quiet and mostly empty cavern of Safeco Field came a plaintive cry from a fan: — "I want to go home, Carl!" — Seconds later, Carl Everett obliged, sending everyone home happy after a night that threatened to haunt the Mariners.
Discussion:
Nice Guys Finish Third
Bryan Smith / Sports Illustrated:
Draft winners & losers (cont.) — Best One-Two Punch: Mike Rizzo earns praise every year for his drafts, and this one is no different as his Arizona Diamondbacks collected yet another solid group of players. The class is led by Max Scherzer, just four months removed from sitting alone atop the Royals' (and others) draft board.
Jon Cooper / MLB.com:
Ortiz outduels Smoltz in finale — Washington takes series in Atlanta behind solid pitching — ATLANTA — It was a night of improbabilities for the Washington Nationals. — The Nationals not only beat John Smoltz, who hadn't lost to this franchise since 1994, they did so behind …
David Nakamura / Washington Post:
Nationals Say No to Underground Parking — Early Problems Consume Nearly Half of Contingency Fund — The Washington Nationals ownership group firmly told District government leaders yesterday that it expects a new baseball stadium to be completed by April 2008 with aboveground parking garages …
