Top News:
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Rivera Throws, and Yankees Hold Breath — On a small patch of grass in left-center field yesterday, about two and a half hours before a real pitch was thrown, the most important development of the day unfolded for the Yankees. That was where Mariano Rivera tested his valuable right elbow with a modest throwing session.
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Paul Doyle / Hartford Courant:
One Lidle Problem — Starter Struggles, But Yanks Roll On — NEW YORK - Joe Torre cringed when the subject came up before the game Wednesday. — He wanted no part of a discussion about his postseason pitching plans. Too soon to be engaging in such chatter, said the manager of a team …
Discussion:
New York Post
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
Sampling the bigs — Top-prospect Hughes works out at Stadium and gains experience — A year from now Phil Hughes very well could be on the mound for the Yankees pitching meaningful games. But for now he's been watching from the stands, in the family section. — Understandably, he hasn't been recognized once.
Julian Garcia / NY Daily News:
This time it counts for Jeter — Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak with a hit last night. — Though that may seem like an obvious statement, it's not. On Tuesday night, Jeter kept the streak alive without getting a hit because he walked three times and got hit by a pitch without making an out …
Jack Curry / New York Times:Matsui and Sheffield: Future Is All in the Wrist
Discussion:
NY Daily News
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Bullpen can thank Garcia for time off — ANAHEIM — The biggest beneficiaries of Freddy Garcia's eight-inning masterpiece in Thursday's 9-0 White Sox victory are the club's weary relievers. — They got a day to recover from an array of setbacks before an off day.
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Los Angeles Times:
Watching the Angels Play Can Become a Real Drag — They played like girls matched against big leaguers, so I wasn't surprised to see a number of the Angels hitching up their skirts and stuffing their bustiers with sanitary socks after a 9-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Garcia flirts with perfection — Garcia gem keeps rotation on roll, falls 4 outs short of perfect game — ANAHEIM — Freddy Garcia had no regrets Wednesday, even after coming within four outs of the White Sox's first perfect game since 1922. — Garcia lost his chance to pitch …
Discussion:
Exile in Wrigleyville
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
In Nats' Loss, Former Mates Use Old Tricks on Each Other — Brian Schneider had never been in such a situation, so intimately familiar with a subject yet completely unsure of how to approach it. For 3 1/2 seasons, Schneider was Livan Hernandez's catcher, his sounding board, one half of his brain.
Discussion:
William F. Yurasko
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Fox Sports:
Three AL Central teams fight for two spots — Here's the rub in American League Central: three very good teams, two playoff spots. — The Tigers, Twins and White Sox are on pace for, respectively, 97, 96 and 93 wins, but one of them will be shut out of the 2006 postseason fray.
Discussion:
Cutoff Man
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Bob Sherwin / MLB.com:
Mariners dismiss two coaches — Bench coach Hassey, administrative assistant Rohn released — SEATTLE — In a surprise this late in the season, the Mariners released two members of the coaching staff, bench coach Ron Hassey and administrative assistant Dan Rohn, on Wednesday.
Discussion:
The Griddle
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Bob Ryan / Boston Globe:
Choice is clear: Jeter — What fun would life be without a good old-fashioned baseball MVP argument? — I know poor Papi never imagined the consequences of just being a loyal member of Sluggers, Inc. David Ortiz was simply stating the case for his fellow boppers, as opposed to the table setters of the world.
Discussion:
Canyon of Heroes
Dave Studeman / Hardball Times:
Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week — What a great time of year. We've got close races in several divisions, plus the drama of a couple of young teams (the Tigers and Marlins) heading in opposite directions. According to SABR-L's Frank Vaccaro (as of September 8) ...
Jeff Wallner / MLB.com:
Padres set for finale with Reds — San Diego (75-69) at Cincinnati (72-73), 9:35 a.m. PT — Clay Hensley has pitched brilliantly for the past two months with limited results. — He has pitched six innings or more in six of his past 10 starts and allowed fewer than three earned runs in eight of those outings.
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Count on Crawford to provide bright side … NEW YORK - The Devil Rays' 8-4 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday can be described and detailed with a dizzying blur of numbers. — For the Yankees, it reduced their magic number for clinching the AL East to seven (and makes it likely they'll …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
One that got away delivers the blow for Dodgers against Cubs — The Los Angeles Dodgers are putting the ex-Cub factor to the test this season, employing no fewer than six former Cubs in their pursuit of a World Series title. — There's a 25-year-old theory that no team can win a World Series with three or more ex-Cubs on its roster.
