Top News:
dailysouthtown.com:
'Dew' tell: Ripken, Gwynn votes won't be unanimous — EDITOR'S NOTE: The Daily Southtown's Paul Ladewski, a longtime member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, did not vote for any candidates listed on the 2007 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, meaning neither Cal Ripken Jr. nor Tony Gwynn …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
RELATED:
Gerry Fraley / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Hall Of Fame: 10 who should be here — If the National Baseball Hall of Fame does not call Tuesday, Mark McGwire should not be surprised. — Gavvy Cravath never got the call, either. — In the heart of the dead-ball era, Cravath set the single-season home run record with 24 blasts for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1915.
MLB.com:
How our writers voted — MLB.com scribes reveal their Hall of Fame picks … Mike Bauman — Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Bert Blyleven, Goose Gossage, Lee Smith, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson — Gwynn, an eight-time batting champion with a lifetime .338 average, is automatic for the Hall.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Tim Sullivan / San Diego Union-Tribune:Writer who turned in blank ballot says it's not a sign of disrespect
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Unit gets pact, needs physical — A physical examination today is all that stands in the way of the Yankees finalizing their divorce from Randy Johnson, and possibly setting up a reconciliation with Roger Clemens. — The Big Unit's agents reached agreement with the Arizona Diamondbacks …
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Unit agrees to new deal; physical likely Monday — NEW YORK — Randy Johnson agreed Sunday to a $26 million, two-year contract with Arizona, leaving physicals and final approvals to complete his trade from the New York Yankees back to the Diamondbacks. — Johnson most likely …
USA Today:
Romo's blunder bound to live in sports-TV infamy — Life brutally imitated art for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on Saturday night. In the 1979 movie North Dallas Forty (written by former Cowboys wide receiver Peter Gent), a young quarterback fumbles the snap on an extra point and his team loses.
Maury Brown / Baseball Prospectus:
The Monopolizing of MLB's Extra Innings Package — Last summer, I wrote in Blackout Blues how MLB's arcane territorial television broadcast system restricts consumer options for those that wish to see MLB games out-of-market through MLB.com or MLB Extra Innings. Now, MLB may be creating even more restraints on consumers.
Rich Lederer / Baseball Analysts:
Categorizing Pitchers by Batted Ball Types and Strikeout Rates — We all know that strikeouts are the best outcome for a pitcher. When a batter fails to put the ball in play, there is little or no chance for him to reach base or to advance runners on base.
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Baseball America:
New York Mets — Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.
Discussion:
Mike's Mets
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Garcia close to selecting Phillies or Colorado — The reinvention of outfielder Karim Garcia began in Japan and extended to Mexico this winter. — Maligned for never reaching his potential, Garcia has dropped 20 pounds, regained his power and will decide today whether to sign a minor-league deal …
John Beamer / Hardball Times:
Zoooomaya and speed guns — Radar guns, and their efficacy have always been a hotly debated topic, largely because no one is ever sure how accurate they are. This year the tongue wagging intensified with the emergence of perhaps the hardest thrower ever to step on to a pitching mound: the flame-arm tattooed Joel Zumaya.
Sal Baxamusa / Hardball Times:
Inside Job (Part 1) — While checking out Greg Rybarczyk's awesome Hit Tracker website, I noticed that some of this year's homers didn't even travel 300 feet from home plate. It took me a minute to realize that these were inside-the-park home runs. I've heard that triples are the most exciting play …
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Miami ballpark deal progressing — DuPuy says finishing details is 'highest priority' — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Major League Baseball is closing in on finalizing a new ballpark deal in downtown Miami that would keep the Marlins in South Florida for a generation, the sport's No. 2 official …
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Erstad appears to have options, though Angels may not be one of them — Though his 10 1/2 -year run with the Angels might be over, it appears Darin Erstad's baseball career — thought to be in jeopardy last season because of a chronic right ankle injury — will continue.
