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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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 …
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
Deadspin:So ... We've Got Some Affidavit Names
Discussion:
Double Play Depth, USA Today, Viva El Birdos, Faith and Fear in Flushing, Dan Agonistes, Bad Altitude, Straight Flushing, CUBDUMB, Red Hot Mama, Camden Chat, The Catbird …, The Cub Reporter, d.a. humber, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Ben Maller, 12eight, Where have you gone … and Cardinals Diaspora
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Lester to debut tomorrow — Rookie lefty will start vs. Rangers — NEW YORK — Once last night's game started, it was clear Jon Lester, the most celebrated Red Sox lefthanded prospect since Bruce Hurst, was going to make his major league debut in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Wright Crumbles in Sixth and Yanks Follow — They will part for the next 10 weeks, stalking each other from afar. The Yankees and the Boston Red Sox do not play again until Aug. 18, in a doubleheader at Fenway Park. They are separated by a half-game, and they expect it to be roughly the same the next time around.
David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
Lester To Make Debut Saturday — NEW YORK — Jon Lester will probably be keeping an eye on the forecast this weekend because it might dictate whether he makes his major league debut. — Manager Terry Francona said Lester, the Red Sox's top prospect, will start the first game of a day-night …
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:Pauley to 'pen: No room for rookie in reshuffled rotation2-4562
Discussion:
Boston Sports Media Watch
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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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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Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Sheffield likely out until September — Yankees right fielder to undergo surgery on left wrist — NEW YORK — With Hideki Matsui out until September with a fractured wrist, the Yankees were hopeful that therapy would be enough to get Gary Sheffield and his ailing wrist back on the field before too long.
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
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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 …
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 …
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
Injuries dim A's victory Harden back on DL, Crosby hurt — Cleveland — Oakland's optimism as players began to trickle back from the disabled list is over. Thursday, before the team's 4-1 victory over the Indians, the A's placed one of their most important players back onto the DL …
Discussion:
At Home Plate
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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
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Milledge or Cabrera: This Town's Big Enough for Both — PHOENIX, June 8 — Lastings Milledge is proving that New York has enough room for two precocious outfielders. — The Yankees' Melky Cabrera stole a home run from Manny Ramírez on Tuesday, but their game against the Red Sox …
Chris Haft / Contra Costa Times:
Giants accept gift-wrapped win, thank you — San Francisco prevails in the bottom of the ninth inning on a two-out, bases-loaded wild pitch — SAN FRANCISCO - Anybody suspecting that the Giants might be leading a charmed life should refer to their charmless 5-4 victory Thursday night over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Clark Spencer / Miami Herald:
Agent has vested interest — Agent Matt Sosnick represents several key Marlins players, including four-fifths of the rotation. — cspencer@MiamiHerald.com — SAN FRANCISCO - It's nothing personal. — ''I love Brian Moehler,'' Matt Sosnick said. ``He's a great guy.''
