Top News:
ESPN:
Cubs GM Hendry to mull Baker's future over break — The Dusty Baker era could be entering its final days with the Chicago Cubs. — Cubs general manager Jim Hendry told Chicago reporters Tuesday he would use the four-day All-Star break to decide whether an overhaul, which could include firing manager Baker, is in order.
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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 …
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 …
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.
Sports Illustrated:
Soriano's suitors — Angels lock in on Nats slugger; is Milledge available? — The Los Angeles Angels may be in last place at the moment, but during a season where just about everyone's in a race (or thinks they are), the Angels are one of about 24 buyers.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
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Sports Illustrated:
Soriano's suitors (cont.) — • Even beyond Soriano, the outfield market is unusually strong. The Phillies' Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell are available, and Milwaukee's Carlos Lee could be, too. The Brewers likely won't meet Lee's price, around $65 million for five years.
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.
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
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Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:Notes: Torre says offense is bigger need
Discussion:
Atheists are not doing things …
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
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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
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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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.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Birds seek more early scoring — ATLANTA — The Cardinals' offense more closely resembles the form it had last year than does its pitching counterpart, but manager Tony La Russa is among those who believe his team's hitting could stand improvement as well. — "There are two ways to gauge it," he said.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Sports Illustrated:
Talking baseball with Tommy — You don't have to be a Dodgers fan to like Tommy Lasorda. You just have to like baseball. Indeed, it's hard to get anything but a smile from a fellow fan with the mere mention of his name. The guy is baseball. That said, Lasorda is nothing …
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 …
Tim Kurkjian / ESPN:
Braves trying to avoid a 'funny mark' … The look on Braves manager Bobby Cox's face was unmistakable. After another reliever (Jorge Sosa) had blown another save, resulting in another crushing defeat, Cox sat motionless on the bench at Yankee Stadium as Alex Rodriguez's walk-off home run beat the Braves 4-3.
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
