Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Limited trade opportunities in August … Baseball's non-waiver deadline has passed, and it's time for general managers Brian Cashman, Jon Daniels and Wayne Krivsky to put down their cell phones, enjoy a hot meal and re-introduce themselves to their families. — Pretty good theater, huh?
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Getting shortstop a huge steal — Greg Maddux? I hate to see him go. More to the point, so does everyone in the Cubs organization and anyone in Chicago lucky enough to have encountered him. — The man's not an aging right-hander; he's a national treasure.
Mike Downey / Chicago Tribune:
Maddux-for-Izturis gives team that glovin' feeling — A few minutes after word came Monday that the Cubs had been willing to part with the great Greg Maddux to get their mitts on the golden-handed infielder Cesar Izturis, I put in a call to the Los Angeles codger, my old pal Tommy Lasorda, to see what he had to say about all this.
Discussion:
FIRE JOE MORGAN
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Sheffield willing to shift to first — NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sheffield embraced Bobby Abreu's arrival with the New York Yankees, saying he would shift to first base if needed. — "I gave him a hug. I wanted him to feel welcome," Sheffield said Tuesday after Abreu reported to the Yankees …
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
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Sports Illustrated:
Instant impact — Five players who will help their new teams right away — Another trading deadline has passed, and once again, with apologies to a struggling but still game Greg Maddux, no impact starting pitcher changed teams, further underscoring how front-line starters are the most valuable commodity in baseball.
Murray Chass / New York Times:Phillies' Loss Looks Worse Than Steinbrenner's Gain
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Injured left knee forces Varitek to DL — Red Sox captain reportedly faces surgery, 4-to-6 weeks out — BOSTON — The Red Sox received some grim news Tuesday night when it was announced just before their game with the Indians that catcher and captain Jason Varitek was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Discussion:
The Griddle
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ESPN:
Report: Varitek to have surgery on injured knee — BOSTON — Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek will have arthroscopic surgery for cartilage damage in the left knee he injured in Monday night's game, The Boston Globe reported. — The club gave no indication Monday how long Varitek …
Gordon Edes / Extra Bases:Surgery for 'Tek — The Boston Globe has learned from team sources …
Discussion:
Basegirl
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
This hit-maker is off the charts — David Ortiz has elevated the fan experience to a new level. He has taken New England sports fans to a place where no others have been. He has put them in a state of mind where they expect a game-winning home run. And he has delivered. — Does anyone know how hard this is?
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
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Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Walk and roll — Ortiz trots out oldie but goodie: game-ending HR — John W. Henry thought he'd said everything he wanted to say about David Ortiz once before, under similarly inspiring circumstances. But on second thought . . . ``So," Henry said on a Fenway Park elevator that could not muffle the chants of ``MVP!
Redsock / The Joy of Sox:
David Ortiz in Walkoff Situations — David Ortiz gets another game-winning hit at Fenway Park and we hear it everywhere — he did it again, it's more surprising when he doesn't win the game, is he human? — but is it true? Does Ortiz excel over and above his usual performance in walk-off situations?
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates give up five players, get Nady, Chacon — Team saves $5.4 million, but what about first base? — Post-Gazette — The Pirates had been determined to peddle away as many veteran, pending free agents as possible by Major League Baseball's trading deadline, and they certainly achieved that.
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Joe Starkey / PittsburghLIVE.com:
Bucs miss target — TRIBUNE-REVIEW — Shortly after the Pirates traded their Opening Day starter, their third-leading hitter, their most experienced starting pitcher and their top bench player — not that any was having a particularly robust season — general manager Dave Littlefield somehow thought …
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:Sánchez Injured, and Mets Trade Nady to Fill Void
Discussion:
The Eddie Kranepool Society
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
The Left Fielder Stays in the Picture — In the end, the Nationals chose to believe Alfonso Soriano's words and, in a sense, trust his smile. Instead of worrying that they might look like saps in a few months, the Nats took a chance on laying the groundwork for a beautiful friendship.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Phillies strike out in Abreu deal … Would the Yankees have been able to trade for Abreu without their unparalleled five-tool check-writing talents? Of course not. But the people who think they're only about money are the same people who think everything in life is about money.
Discussion:
The700Level.com
Bernie Wilson / Associated Press:
Padres get Todd Walker to help out at third — SAN DIEGO (AP) — Todd Walker is about to find out how good of a third baseman he is. — And the San Diego Padres got through the non-waiver trade deadline Monday without parting with any relievers — specifically setup man Scott Linebrink …
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Deadline passes, as do Sox — There was tremendous excitement around Yawkey Way for at least 24 hours, because it appeared that after days of poring through scouting reports and statistical, financial, and medical data, after a couple of deals fell through, after the Yankees had made their big splash …
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George King / New York Post:
BRIAN CASHES IN YET AGAIN — RHODES BLASTS 'SCAB' LIDLE — New Yankee starter Cory Lidle saying there were some Phillies who didn't expect to win ticked off former teammate and fellow pitcher Arthur Rhodes, who unloaded on Lidle to The Post yesterday. — In a conference call …
Andrew Marchand / New York Post:
TRASH-TALK:CASHMAN RIPS RUSSO — Yankee GM Brian Cashman lambasted WFAN talk show host Chris Russo yesterday in a loud exchange that was ignited by Russo branding the newly acquired Cory Lidle as "not a good pitcher." — By the end of the heated 15-minute interview, Russo apologized for upsetting Cashman.
