Top News:
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
New skipper? Look to rivals' farm system — White Sox Triple-A manager Shines razor-sharp, could be answer to Cubs' woes, writes Phil Rogers — Evaluating? — Jim Hendry has seen this, and he's still evaluating? That's what the Cubs' general manager said on Tuesday in Houston …
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Mike Kiley / Chicago Sun Times:
Maddux hot commodity as contenders seek help — HOUSTON — Major-league sources acknowledged Tuesday that the Cubs have been contacted by multiple teams interested in trading for pitcher Greg Maddux. — No discussions have gotten serious between general manager Jim Hendry and any of those clubs …
Mike Kiley / Chicago Sun Times:
Baker may be lost cause — HOUSTON — "Day-to-day'' is no longer a boring cliche with the Cubs. It's the tense reality of manager Dusty Baker's increasingly precarious position. — Baker could be in his final days as the disheveled Cubs dived to 4-17 in their last 21 games with a 7-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
George King / New York Post:
YANKS DISPLAY DIREWORKS — TRIBE LIGHTS UP BOMBERS IN 19-1 THRASHING — July 5, 2006 — CLEVELAND - A year ago, he was a welcomed life raft in a turbulent sea. Today Shawn Chacon is a cement shoe attached to a body that is slowly sinking into the muck of a dirty river.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
RELATED ITEMS:
Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Notes: Torre says offense is bigger need — Manager sees outfield help as more important than pitching — CLEVELAND — With the trade deadline less than four weeks away, Joe Torre knows that a move or two could be made to bolster the Yankees for the second half.
Discussion:
Atheists are not doing things …
Chris Snow / Boston Globe:
Sox taken deep Schilling is lit up for three homers — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Walk into the Devil Rays' clubhouse, canvass the room, and you will walk out with this conclusion: Personal feelings aside, there remains immense respect for 39-year-old Curt Schilling.
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Richard Durrett / Dallas Morning News:
Millwood: Side work a must — Sore right-hander says bullpen session crucial to making Friday start — ARLINGTON - Kevin Millwood's status for Friday's start remains in question. — The right-hander continues to feel better but is still experiencing an ache in his right biceps muscle.
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Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers power past D-Backs again — Ethier's four RBIs paces Dodgers' eleven-run outburst — LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers generally don't schedule fireworks for July 5th, but Wednesday night's series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks promises to be explosive, considering the bitter rivalry that has simmered this week.
Discussion:
Dodger Hill
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Tony Jackson / L.A. Daily News:Dodgers: L.A. victory is sealed with a hiss
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Mets Come Back to Win and Wagner Saves 300th — On days like yesterday, the Mets' huge lead in the National League East does not seem as insurmountable. Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the worst road record in baseball, the Mets assumed the personality of their opponent.
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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:Endypendence Day for Mets — Prevail on fireworks in eighth
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Mitchel Lichtman / Hardball Times:
Is the AL Really Superior? (Part 1) — Conventional wisdom has it that the American League is (by far) the better league. This notion is based largely on anecdotal evidence (and win-loss records in interleague play, the All-Star games, and the World Series), as far as I am aware.
Nate Silver / Baseball Prospectus:
Lies, Damned Lies — More on Elo — These four-day weekends always confuse me. I spent Saturday and Sunday vacationing in Wisconsin, and Monday enjoying fireworks and alcoholic beverages over the Chicago skyline. But yesterday, the actual holiday that created all this ruckus …
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan
Associated Press:
Canseco seeks trade for personal reasons — RENO, Nev. — Jose Canseco, making his return to professional baseball in the minor leagues, has asked to be traded from the San Diego Surf Dawgs after playing one game. — Golden Baseball League commissioner Kevin Outcalt said negotiations …
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners Notebook: Fireworks in Hargrove's office — DH Everett, manager exchange unpleasantries after loss to Angels — It wouldn't be the Fourth of July without fireworks, and so it was for the Mariners on Tuesday. — About 45 minutes after the game, designated hitter Carl Everett went …
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Next test for Pedro hip today — Pedro Martinez will test his inflamed right hip by tossing a baseball again today, after which a decision on Saturday's scheduled start will be made. The prudent move appears to be placing the ace on the disabled list rather than having him face the Marlins.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Angels need another slugger — The Angels are showing life, averaging more than eight runs per game during their four-game winning streak. — In other words, they might delude themselves again. — The Angels, 11th in the American League in runs scored, need to acquire a big-time run producer to complement Vladimir Guerrero.
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
Mike McGann / NY Baseball Central:
An Organization Withers In Brooklyn — It's really tempting to go into detail about the Mets' current slump — from odd managerial decisions to dead bats, to pitchers publicly ripping said odd managerial decisions. But the truth of the matter is, it's the first extended slump of the season for the Mets …
Discussion:
Mike's Mets
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Nomar, Liriano lead way in Final Vote — One is an 11-year veteran whose first name is instantly recognizable to the average baseball fan. He is about to celebrate his 33rd birthday, has been to five All-Star Games and is hardly a stranger to fan-ballot debate.
