Top News:
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Seven things must happen for path to postseason — The object, former Red Sox manager Jimy Williams was fond of saying, is to play in the cold twice: once in April and once in October. — The Red Sox have played pretty good baseball since April and, now, with summer settling in …
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Sox knee-d to keep Manny happy — If you are the Red Sox, you ultimately have one decision. Either you tick off Manny Ramirez or you tick off Major League Baseball, and we all know that it has been quite some time since Bud Selig knocked in a run. — The Red Sox will open the second half …
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Ramírez expected to start — GM: It's 'status quo' with outfielder's knee — Manny Ramírez hit 24 home runs in the first half of the season, part of the reason he was named an All-Star for the 10th time in his career. (AP Photo) — Manny Ramírez …
Discussion:
Basegirl
Dallas Morning News:
This Rangers edition needs additions — It wasn't so much the moment when Michael Young drilled the triple into right-center field that would win the All-Star Game for the American League on Tuesday night. — It was a minute or two later when, the inning over, Young ran down the dugout steps …
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Title thoughts — Tied for first, Rangers aim to win AL West — Just 2 1/2 games separate the first-place Rangers and Oakland Athletics from the last-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West. What the Rangers need to do — and keep doing — to help their chances of winning the AL West for the first time since 1999:
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Scott Miller / CBS SportsLine.com:
Second half begins with a game — of 20 questions — PITTSBURGH — All-Star break? What All-Star break? — Let's get going with the second half of the season. You've got questions, we've got answers ... 1. Will Detroit keep playing .675 ball? — No. But that's not a knock on the Tigers …
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Chris Duncan / Associated Press:
Astros fire Gaetti, promote Berry from minors — HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros shook up their slumping offense Wednesday night by firing hitting coach Gary Gaetti. — The Astros have the second-worst batting average in the National League and their run totals (408) ranks 23rd in the majors.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Failure? The Possibility Exists — It may be a fallacy, this notion that the Yankees have a mandate to win a championship every season. For five years, they have not done it. And what has changed? — Joe Torre is still the manager. Brian Cashman is still the general manager.
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Shawn / Cincinnati Reds Blog:
Reds Bloggers Roundtable (July 2006 edition) Part I — It's time once again for that most celebrated of blogging traditions, the Reds bloggers roundtable. Eight of us got together in a virtual setting on Monday night, to discuss the state of the Reds. The parts of the discussion …
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Baseball America:
Roger Clemens Award Chat: July 12 — Moderator: The four finalists for the Roger Clemens award, given to the top college pitcher in the country, will be available to answer questions beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Ask your questions for Rice's Eddie Degerman, Washington's Tim Lincecum …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Todd Lighty / Chicago Tribune:
Big Hurt sues 2 of Sox's doctors — Claims foot fracture missed in diagnosis — Former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas alleges in a lawsuit he filed Wednesday that two of the team's doctors failed to detect he had broken his foot in 2004—an injury that subsequently led to his departure from Chicago.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
ESPN:
Report: Ex-friend told feds Bonds used steroids — Barry Bonds' former best friend and business associate told investigators that the San Francisco Giants slugger used steroids and suffered "roid rages," his lawyer told The New York Times. — Steve Hoskins also told investigators …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Dan Levitt / The Baseball Analysts:
Empirical Analysis of Bunting — Baseball analysts have been near universal in their condemnation of the overuse of the sacrifice bunt. While acknowledging it as the correct strategy in a small number of cases, most feel that any gain in moving players around the bases is more than offset by giving up an out, the "clock" in baseball.
Lisa Gray / The Dugout:
Starting Over — Well, we surely DO need to start over. — If I said we've been sucking, it's because it's the nicest way I could think to say it. We started out just great - had the best ever April in franchise history, then proceded to just suck - except for Lance and Roy - and Mike Lamb, who picked it up after May.
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nationals Are Ready For Their Makeover — Team Weighing Moves Before Trade Deadline — The group of Washington Nationals who leave tonight for Pittsburgh and the post-all-star break portion of their season are little more than a ragtag bunch who have, by their manager's estimation, underachieved.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Ponson will be cut loose — Rebuffed in attempts to trade Sidney Ponson, the Cardinals are expected to officially part ways today with the pitcher. — Ponson, designated for assignment Friday hours after making a quality start in a loss against the Houston Astros, is due to clear release waivers this afternoon, according to sources.
Steve Bisheff / Orange County Register:
Wills advocates lost art — It is an old-time baseball staple that has become something of a lost art. — Of course, in today's modern game, there is good reason. — If chicks dig the long ball, they definitely don't dig the bunt. — Nothing glamorous about laying one down.
