Top News:
Associated Press:
Taubenheim's staph infection forces Blue Jays to clean clubhouse — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays disinfected their clubhouse after being forced to place right-hander Ty Taubenheim on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with an infection in his left foot …
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Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Scouting the free agents — Passan's picks: National League American League — Whether Daisuke Matsuzaka throws the gyroball is irrelevant. He'll be rich with or without it. — Matsuzaka, the MVP of the World Baseball Classic and Japan's best pitcher since Hideo Nomo …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Notes: Taubenheim gets staph infection — Rookie becomes second Blue Jay with similar ailment — TORONTO — It looked like another inside joke within Toronto's clubhouse. After Friday's game, the white board hanging on a wall in the back corner of the room read, "Word of the Day: Shower Shoes."
MLB.com:
Mets sign former Met Edgardo Alfonzo to Minor League contract — The New York Mets announced today that they have signed former Met Edgardo Alfonzo to a minor league contract. Alfonzo, who played with the Mets from 1995-2002, will join Norfolk (AAA) of the International League on Monday on the road in Indianapolis.
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Sports Illustrated:
Mets sign Alfonzo to minor league deal — CHICAGO (AP) -The New York Mets signed infielder Edgardo Alfonzo, a star on their 2000 World Series team, to a minor league contract Saturday and assigned him to Triple-A Norfolk. — Alfonzo, 32, began the season with the Los Angeles Angels …
Associated Press:
Braves-Padres Preview — San Diego's Petco Park is known as a pitchers' park. On Friday, it was anything but. — One day after the highest-scoring game in the park's three-year history, the Atlanta Braves will look to extend their longest winning streak in nearly two months Saturday …
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
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Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Politte designated for assignment — Reliever Tracey to return to the big leagues — NEW YORK — Cliff Politte stood in front of his locker in the visitors clubhouse of Yankee Stadium on Saturday and explained what had to be one of the toughest moments of his 10-year career.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Rangers' Matthews has golden dreams — BALTIMORE - Outfielder Gary Matthews acknowledged Friday that he has given thought to winning the Gold Glove. — "Only since I was about 5 years old," Matthews said. "I walked into Bobby Bonds' house and saw his trophy case full of them.
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:NOTES — Ballpark wind study results due — BALTIMORE …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
David Lennon / Newsday:
Making their cases — Trachsel wins 7th straight, Floyd gets big hit as Minaya looks on — CHICAGO - When the Mets opened the second half of the season Friday at Wrigley Field, general manager Omar Minaya was in attendance, cell phone to his ear, tireless in his quest to find a No. 3 starter and another offensive weapon for October.
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Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Second Half Begins With Quiet Debuts — PITTSBURGH, July 14 — The acquisition of Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez was touted, by all parties involved, as a move for the long-term success of the Washington Nationals, certainly not a quick solution for this season's woes.
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Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Pavano, Beltre haven't lived up to contracts … Every year major league teams spend millions of dollars on players who are almost always injured, who don't take their clubs to the next level or who simply don't live up to expectations. — The majority of these "busts" were either free-agent signings …
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Future murky for Bonds, manager Alou — Giants president admits there will be substantial changes — SAN FRANCISCO — Peter Magowan, the Giants president and managing general partner, said this weekend that the composition of the team will be different next year and that he will continue …
Sam Miller / MLB.com:
Horton trying to bridge past, present — Former Tiger to be part of Negro Leagues Weekend — DETROIT — Put down that PDA. Set aside that stylus. Instead of learning about your favorite baseball team via wireless updates, how about reading a book like Roger Kahn's "Boys of Summer" …
Lindsey Frazier / MLB.com:
D-Backs call up Drew — Shortstop set to make debut in place of injured Counsell — PHOENIX — The future is now for at least one Diamondbacks prospect. — After veteran shortstop Craig Counsell broke a rib in the seventh inning of Friday night's win over the Brewers …
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Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Notes: Tomko may land in bullpen — After DL stint, Dodgers righty could return as a reliever — ST. LOUIS — When Brett Tomko returns from the disabled list, he'll probably return as a late-inning reliever. — Tomko was able to make 20 throws off a mound on Saturday at about 90 percent effort …
David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
Foulke Says Selig Was Unfair — Backs Ramirez's All-Star No-Show — BOSTON — Keith Foulke thought commissioner Bud Selig was out of line to criticize Manny Ramirez for skipping Tuesday night's All-Star Game. — "Being a guy who's gone through the experience, the All-Star break is not a break," Foulke said Friday.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding


