Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Graduation day nearing for Wells … LOS ANGELES — David Wells is planning a trip to Africa in November. He will pack his bow and arrow and go on a safari to hunt lions, leopards and water buffalo. — He wants to shoot golf consistently in the 70s, and climb on a surf board and cut …
RELATED ITEMS:
Associated Press:
Padres-Cardinals Preview — Now that their star closer has set a new all-time saves record, the San Diego Padres can focus on wrapping up the National League West for the second straight year. — Trevor Hoffman will try to help the Padres to their fifth straight victory when they open …
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
Amanda Branam / MLB.com:
Padres open decisive road trip — San Diego (83-72) at St. Louis (80-74), 5:10 p.m. PT — Players have begun to throw around the cliché "this time of year separates the men from the boys" during the last week or two. — It's the final week of the regular season …
Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Twins quiet KC to clinch playoff berth — Bonser two-hits Royals through 6 2/3 innings — MINNEAPOLIS — Clinching a spot in the playoffs seemed an impossible task for the Twins nearly four months ago, but on Monday night, that's exactly what the club did by defeating the Royals, 8-1, at the Metrodome.
RELATED ITEMS:
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Online and Off, Morneau Has the Look of an M.V.P. — Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins was startled and amused that there was a Web site selling T-shirts trumpeting his candidacy for most valuable player in the American League. Morneau still seems to feel he is too anonymous for the award and unworthy of the modest campaign.
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
After Loss, Trachsel Faces Postseason Questions — Endy Chávez of the Mets could not reach Brandon Harper's double in the seventh inning. Harper later scored on a double by Henry Mateo. — Asked to sum up his performance in yesterday's 5-1 loss to the Nationals, Steve Trachsel unwittingly assessed his season.
Discussion:
Always Amazin'
RELATED ITEMS:
Amanda Branam / MLB.com:
Jones, Holliday meet again — After Mile High slugfest, they are NL Co-Players of the Week — The level of play around baseball always seems to jump up a notch in September, and 2006 is no different. — In the second-to-last week of the regular season, play was so strong in the National League …
Discussion:
Purple Row
RELATED ITEMS:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Gardenhire stuck in classic quandry — From the managers-can-never-win dept: — If the Twins are still in contention for the AL Central title on the final day of the season, Ron Gardenhire will be damned if he starts left-hander Johan Santana and damned if he doesn't.
Baseball America:
Minor League All-Star Team — C Chris Iannetta • Rockies — Though he didn't play enough at either Double-A or Triple-A to make either of those all-star teams, Iannetta's breakout season was the most impressive by a catcher this season. He split his time evenly between Double …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Jan Hubbard / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Arias will get his chance this week — ARLINGTON — Rangers manager Buck Showalter planned to start Joaquin Arias, the organization's top minor league prospect among non-pitchers, on Sunday, but delayed it for two reasons. — First, Showalter likes the matchup of the right-handed hitting Arias …
RELATED ITEMS:
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Salmon Is Getting Ready for His Last 'Stand — OAKLAND — The Angels, barring an unprecedented collapse by the Oakland A's, aren't headed to the playoffs, but for veteran outfielder Tim Salmon, who will begin the final homestand of his 14-year career tonight, this week will have a postseason feel to it.
Discussion:
6-4-2
RELATED ITEMS:
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Notes: Miller gets scouting lesson — Top pitching prospect spending final week with Indians — CLEVELAND — Top Indians prospect Adam Miller has been brought up to the big leagues. — All right, calm down. It's not an official roster move or anything.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe
MLB.com:
Mariners select RHP Jorge Campillo from Triple-A Tacoma — RHP Cha Seung Baek placed on 60-day disabled list — Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Bill Bavasi announced today that the club has selected right-handed pitcher Jorge Campillo …
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune:
Skipper roulette risky business — Somehow, in the space of several years, Joe Girardi has gone from cerebral catcher to control-freak manager. There's nothing inherently wrong with this kind of metamorphosis, if you don't mind all the facial tics. — Being a control-freak manager sometimes …
RELATED ITEMS:
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:Gonzalez could be Girardi's successor
Discussion:
Ben Maller's Sports …
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Only integrity is revealed — Judge plays hardball but reporter won't give — He has already sat down with his 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son and explained that their daddy might be going to jail. This is the part that cuts hardest at San Francisco Chronicle reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Michael Lewis / New York Times:
The Ballad of Big Mike — I. Looking for the Next Anti-Lawrence Taylor — As he drove into Memphis in March 2004, Tom Lemming thought that everything about Michael Oher, including his surname, was odd. He played for a small private school, the Briarcrest Christian School …
Discussion:
freedarko.com
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
D-Backs stifled in finale vs. Dodgers — Quentin's RBI double the only score as LA wins on walk-off — LOS ANGELES — Say this for the Diamondbacks on the day they were officially eliminated from any postseason contention: They went down fighting. — The D-Backs held the Dodgers' hitters …
Discussion:
AZ Snakepit
Lee Jenkins / New York Times:
New Orleans Hopes to Make Superdome a Home Again — As the granddaughter of the man who owns the New Orleans Saints, Rita Benson LeBlanc grew up watching football games at the Superdome, wondering how concrete walls could always feel as if they were shaking. — "I remember a lot of excitement," Benson LeBlanc said.
