Top News:
ESPN:
Report: 'Zero' chance Girardi manages '07 Marlins … MIAMI — Joe Girardi has a chance to win National League Manager of the Year, but it seems he has no chance to return to the Florida Marlins next season. — According to a report in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Girardi will be out as Marlins manager after just one season.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Mike Berardino / Sun-Sentinel:
Marlins' Girardi not coming back, source says — Joe Girardi, who guided the surprising Marlins into playoff contention despite baseball's lowest payroll, will soon be out as manager after just one season. — On a scale of 1 to 10, Girardi's chances of returning next year are "zero," …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Bad Altitude, The Catbird …, Baseball Musings, FishStripes, Hot Foot, Always Amazin', The Griddle and NY Mets Blog
Clark Spencer / Miami Herald:
Sweeps will be needed — NEW YORK - Their wild-card chances are so remote that the Marlins aren't talking in one-game-at-a-time clichés any longer. And with six of their remaining nine games against the Philadelphia Phillies, the math is simple: — ''We better win most of them and …
Discussion:
Philliesflow
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Closers closing in on perfection — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LOS ANGELES — Not since Eric Gagne nailed down all 55 save opportunities in 2003 has any National League closer had a spotless season. — What the Pirates have achieved this season pales by comparison, of course.
NY Daily News:
Subway Series no gravy train — While the Yankees clinched the American League East sitting on their backsides in Toronto Wednesday night, no one should dare downgrade this truly auspicious occasion. — The ninth straight division title officially opened the gate for a Yankees-Mets run through October.
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NY Daily News:
Series-ly - tix for $10G! — It's scalpers' going rate for a Game 7 — Dreams of a Subway Series are driving postseason ticket prices to insane heights - with Yankees ticket holders already hawking World Series Game 7 ducats for $9,999. — Seems crazy, especially since the 10-grand tickets are far from home plate.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Will his fastball be ready? — Pedro fools hitters through four, but gets roughed up in the fifth — With his pitches and emotions under better control, Pedro Martinez left his tune-up against the Marlins last night feeling "extremely happy." Happy is better than weepy …
Discussion:
Always Amazin'
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Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:Prospectus Today — An Important Start — Monday night …
Discussion:
the metropolitans
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Notes: Fairly calling it quits — Announcer set to retire; Feierabend to start Sunday — CHICAGO — After being on the field or in the broadcast booth for what he estimates as 7,000 games, Ron Fairly has decided to walk away from baseball following this season.
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
First pitch, September 22 — TOUGH LUCK — 7 blown saves for the Rockies bullpen in relief of Aaron Cook tied with Jarrod Washburn of Seattle for the most blown saves for a starting pitcher. The Rockies bullpen has a 7.26 ERA in relief of Cook, the highest for any starting pitcher with at least 10 starts.
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Sam Borden / NY Daily News:
Boss issues new order — Says Yanks will go 'all the way,' downplays health concerns — George Steinbrenner has stayed relatively quiet this season, but with October looming the once bombastic Boss is back. — "We're going to win (the World Series)," Steinbrenner told The Associated Press in a recent phone interview.
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Robinson Getting the Silent Treatment — Unsure of His Future, Manager Says He'd Like to Return — It is getting on to the end of the baseball season, to autumn in the winter of Frank Robinson's career, and the manager of the Washington Nationals wants to know: Tonight …
Rob Gillies / Associated Press:
Halladay's season over because of strained right forearm — TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay will miss the rest of the season because of a strained right forearm — Halladay said Friday that forearm has bothered him off and on all season.
baseballthinkfactory.org:
Bullpen Mechanics — The Complex Case of Oliver Perez — Oliver Perez, in a span of a few years, has gone from a guy who routinely pitched at 95 mph+ in '04 to a guy who rarely broke 90 mph early this year (watch the WBC if you have to) to a guy who is back at around the 93-96 mph range.
Discussion:
Where have you gone …
Dave Carpenter / Associated Press:
Tribune Board Signals Big Changes Coming — Tribune Board Signals Potentially Transforming Changes by Year's End After 5-Hr. Board Meeting — CHICAGO (AP) — Tribune Co., under pressure from shareholders to boost its stock price, is signaling it may sell, break up or take private …
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Notes: Raines' status unclear — Bench coach in wait-and-see mode regarding future — CHICAGO — The end of the 2006 season not only could mark the last vestige of the White Sox 2005 championship run, but it also could signal the final days of Tim Raines as a part of the White Sox coaching staff.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Mark Hale / New York Post:
BELTRAN FEELING 'STRAIN' IN QUAD — Carlos Beltran has not played the Mets' last three games, and the All-Star center fielder revealed after last night's 5-2 loss to the Marlins that he has a "little strain" in his left quad. — Beltran said he had an MRI on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Ryan Quinn / MLB.com:
Harden sharp as A's top Tribe — Right-hander strikes out seven over three innings — OAKLAND — When Mark Kotsay glanced up from the dugout to see Rich Harden walking around the mound, he noticed something he hadn't seen since the beginning of the season: a smile.
USA Today:
'Moneyball' equations retooled for this A's club — This just in: Billy Beane has misplaced his copy of Moneyball. — Mention this to the celebrated general manager of the Oakland Athletics and there's a long silence over the phone. Of course, the loaded question of how this A's team …
