Top News:
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Williams would like to hear from Uribe — White Sox GM still unsure of shortstop's spring availability — Kenny Williams had nothing new to report on the troublesome legal situation involving Juan Uribe in the Dominican Republic. — He would have liked to explain how Uribe's comments Friday concerning …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
RELATED:
Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Uribe maintains innocence, expects case to be resolved … MIAMI — Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe is confident his legal problems in the Dominican Republic will be resolved in a few days and will not keep him from attending spring training in February.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Estes agrees to deal with Padres — UNION-TRIBUNE FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS — The Padres may have found a No. 5 starting pitcher - provided they can wait until roughly the All-Star break. — Left-hander Shawn Estes, who suffered a season-ending elbow injury in his first start April 5 …
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Sox's Uribe now certain he'll play — Shortstop confident legal issues will be cleared up soon — Despite what he was quoted as saying a day earlier, White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe said Saturday he plans to report on time for spring training and that his legal problems in his native Dominican Republic will be resolved in a few days.
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Ballot First-Timers Could Keep Repeaters Out of Hall of Fame — Conventional wisdom doesn't have a vote, but it says that Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn will be elected to the Hall of Fame this week. History says that no one else will be. — Of the 20 players elected in the past 14 years …
RELATED:
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
Taking a Pass On McGwire — For the first time, I've met a baseball question that is such a karmic train wreck, such a total mess and so unfair to everybody involved that I am proud to say I have no opinion. For now, the least rotten position to take on whether Mark McGwire deserves to be in the Hall of Fame is no position at all.
Discussion:
Oriole Post
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Blalock rehabilitating his shoulder and attitude — DEL MAR, Calif. - The sun-splashed deck of The Brigantine restaurant encourages people to linger. A wall of windows overlooks sculpted gardens and the backstretch of Del Mar Race Track. More windows peek out at Del Mar Beach …
Discussion:
Knuckle Curve
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Erstad appears to have options, though Angels may not be one of them — Free agent continues to recover from ankle injury and hopes to play in the outfield again. — Though his 10 1/2-year run with the Angels might be over, it appears Darin Erstad's baseball career …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Rex Immensae Majestatis Chapman / WIZZNUTZZ:
Exclusive Arenas Express Soiree Incites!! — PRELUDE A LA NUIT D'UN INTERNE — The invitiation turned up at Wizznutzz Central a couple days before the party. Like a good intern, I swiped it. Strindberg can have his own shindig with a black silk handkerchief and an album of Grieg's Lyric Pieces …
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Ca$h bag Yanked shut — There are still roughly six weeks to go before the start of spring training, so there is still work to be done. But as things stand, the Red Sox [team stats] do not appear to have merely closed the gap on the New York Yankees in the American League East.
Fox Sports:
SCOUTING REPORT BY STATS INC. — Belliard is a line-drive hitter with more than enough power to reach the gaps. He batted leadoff against lefties and wore them out, helping stabilize the top of the lineup by making contact and showing patience. He concentrated on driving the ball from gap to gap.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals offer contracts to five pitchers — Washington eyes right-handers, depth for starting rotation — WASHINGTON — In need of depth in the starting rotation, the Nationals have offered contracts to right-handers Tony Armas Jr., Ramon Ortiz, Steve Trachsel, Jorge Sosa and Jerome Williams …
Discussion:
Nats Triple Play, Federal Baseball, Brew Crew Ball, William F. Yurasko, MLB Rumors and MLB Trade Rumors
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
YANKS RE-SIGN CAIRO FOR 1 YEAR — After flirting with Mark Loretta, the Yankees returned to a comfortable, familiar place to secure their utility infielder, re-signing Miguel Cairo for one year at $750,000. — It is a move sure to be met with general appreciation within the Yankee clubhouse since Cairo …
Chicago Tribune:
2 sure bets, 1 conspicuous omission — Tribune writers favor a fab 4 but shy away from McGwire — Baseball players' careers are defined by numbers. Once those players have been retired for five years, the most important number becomes 75. That's the percentage of ballots on which a player must …
Discussion:
The View From The Bleachers
Sports Illustrated:
Rewriting history — Selig finally appreciated for his work as commissioner — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, who picks up an award or honor almost every other week now, recently was named Sports Executive of the Year by the Sports Business Journal. And no one even thought about snickering.
