Top News:
ESPN:
Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines — While baseball's latest focus in its fight against ridding the sport of performance-enhancing drugs is on human growth hormone, it's another banned drug that a former Yankee fan favorite has confessed to using.
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Sports Illustrated:
Rumor has it — Pujols' trainer denies link to performance enhancers — Whew, the rumors are running wild out there. The rumors, in fact, are going on anything. Speculation has a major green light right now. Hearsay's just run straight through a stop sign.
Discussion:
Cardinals Diaspora
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Trainer refutes report linking him to Grimsley — A personal trainer and former employee of the Kansas City Royals who works with Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols refuted an Internet report that links him to the investigation of pitcher Jason Grimsley. — Chris Mihlfeld told the Kansas City Star …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Howard Bryant / Washington Post:
Congress Might Seek Blood Tests For Baseball — Fifteen months after a seminal confrontation with Major League Baseball over its drug-testing policy, members of Congress expressed disappointment yesterday over the inability of the sport to deter the use of performance-enhancing drugs …
Discussion:
The Baseball Journals
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Matsui's contract an obstacle for Mets — The Mets, continuing their efforts to trade second baseman Kaz Matsui, could find a surprise taker: The Rockies. — Utility man Eli Marrero would go to the Mets in a proposed deal, FOXSports.com has learned, but Matsui's $8 million salary remains an obstacle to any move.
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Jon Heyman / Newsday:
Matsui traded to Rockies — Mets deal disappointing infielder and significant cash to Colorado for Marrero — The disappointing Kaz Matsui era with the Mets has come to an end. The Mets have sent Matsui and significant cash to the Rockies for Eli Marrero.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Mark Hale / New York Post:
MATSUI A LOST KAZ? — June 9, 2006 — PHOENIX - In the near future, Kazuo Matsui's days as a Met could be over. — When Xavier Nady comes back from the disabled list - which could be as early as Tuesday - Matsui is a candidate to be released by the Mets, according to a person with knowledge of the club's thinking.
Discussion:
Yankees 2000
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Another lowlight vs. Sox for A-Rod — Misplay turns into double in 6th that gives Boston lead for good — The ball does seem to find Alex Rodriguez when the Red Sox are around, doesn't it? It did again last night in a crucial spot. All A-Rod got was a puff of air instead of a baseball …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:Pauley to 'pen: No room for rookie in reshuffled rotation2-4562
Discussion:
Boston Sports Media Watch
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Arizona Sees a Hernández It Didn't Know Before Trade — PHOENIX, June 8 - The Arizona Diamondbacks spent seven weeks of spring training getting acquainted with Orlando Hernandez, their new teammate, and another seven weeks learning his quirks and habits. — That familiarity yielded a whole lot of nothing Thursday night.
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Soriano Keeps Nats Running — There is a generations-old image of what a leadoff man should look like, how he should hit, what pitches he should take and at which ones he should swing. At various points, the Washington Nationals wanted men named Endy Chavez and Brandon Watson …
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards trade talks have intensified — The day after his replacement first baseman detected a "flat" aftertaste to the Cardinals' three-game sweep by the Cincinnati Reds, general manager Walt Jocketty confirmed Thursday the club has accelerated its search for another hitter to support …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Baseball America:
Daily Dish: June 9 — See also: Yesterday's Daily Dish — Mets righthander Mike Pelfrey was impressive in Thursday night's showdown against Phillies lefthander Gio Gonzalez. — Pelfrey allowed just two hits over seven shutout innings, striking out seven and walking one in Double-A Binghamton's 5-1 win at Reading.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Future Shock — NL Draft Notebook — Max Scherzer, rhp, Missouri - 11th overall — Brooks Brown, rhp, Georgia - 34th overall — Brett Anderson, lhp, Stillwater HS (Oklahoma) - 55th overall — Dallas Buck, rhp, Oregon State - 86th overall — Cyle Hankerd, of, Southern California - 87th overall
Discussion:
Redleg Nation
David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets shrug off Grimsley's HGH involvement — STAFF CORRESPONDENT; Staff writer Jon Heyman contributed to this notebook. — PHOENIX - The Diamondbacks still are dealing with the fallout from Jason Grimsley's alleged involvement with steroids and human growth hormone.
Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Notebook — Indians, Rangers — CLEVELAND INDIANS — The Indians are the poster child for wild inconsistencies in the young 2006 season. At times they appear as an offensive juggernaut with a talented rotation and bullpen, and at other times they look like they are fielding …
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Leyritz: I was taking 'greenies' — In his April 19 interview with federal officials, Jason Grimsley reportedly said, "Everybody had greenies. That's like aspirin." — Count Jim Leyritz, Yankees fan favorite, as one of "everybody." — In an interview yesterday morning with radio shock jocks Opie …
Richard Durrett / Dallas Morning News:
Cordero is finally coming around — Former closer has momentum back on his side — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Francisco Cordero's confidence is up and his ERA is down. — Cordero pitched in pressure-packed, late-game situations Tuesday and Wednesday nights and responded with two saves.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
