Top News:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Guillen goes off on McCarthy — Manager's latest mark: the departed McCarthy — TUCSON, Ariz. — Manager Ozzie Guillen fired on former White Sox pitcher Brandon McCarthy on Friday for questioning the makeup of Guillen's Sox clubhouse and alleging it possessed a negative atmosphere.
Discussion:
Wrigleyville23
RELATED:
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Notes: McCarthy draws Ozzie's wrath — Righty's comments on clubhouse criticized by ex-manager — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rangers pitcher Brandon McCarthy has drawn the wrath of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for comments he made in a Chicago newspaper 10 days ago.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:Notes: Rangers ready to get it started
Discussion:
Baseball Time in Arlington
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers pitcher Labine dies at 80 — Righty was integral member of Brooklyn's first Series win — VERO BEACH, Fla. — Clem Labine, one of — "The Boys of Summer" on the Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s chronicled by author Roger Kahn, died on Friday after a brief illness. He was 80.
Discussion:
6-4-2
RELATED:
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Clem Labine dies at 80 — VERO BEACH, Fla. — Clem Labine, a pioneering relief pitcher and a member of the "Boys of Summer" Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 World Series championship team, died Friday at Indian River Memorial Hospital. He was 80. — Labine, a right-hander, played in five World Series …
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Notes: Jenkins laying into lefties — Club signs five, renews Fielder; Villanueva blanks old team — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who was outspoken early in camp against giving up at-bats against left-handers, is apparently letting his bat do the talking.
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
RELATED:
Sports Illustrated:
Documents: Hairston received HGH — Bogus prescriptions at heart of probe; player 'baffled' … SI.com: You attended the raid of an anti-aging clinic and we know that an Orlando pharmacy was raided simultaneously, but where do the doctors who write the prescriptions fit into this alleged distribution network?
RELATED:
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Hairston defends reputation after report — Utilityman denies alleged link to performance-enhancing drugs — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rangers utilityman Jerry Hairston expressed shock and extreme disappointment on Friday that his name has been linked with performance-enhancing drugs.
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Bucs drop close one in 10 innings — Snell tosses two scoreless innings, Eldred goes deep in loss — BRAVES 5, PIRATES 4 in 10 innings — Braves at the plate: Martin Prado provided the game-winner with an RBI fielder's choice with nobody out in the 10th inning.
RELATED:
Pat / Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke?:
Pirates and Braves: Not quite a liveblog — Writing about baseball games is why I started this blog. Being a science major and all, I can crunch numbers pretty well and being a smartass and all, I can synthesize news reports and make snarky comments about them.
Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Phillies renew Howard's contract — NL MVP nevertheless gets raise from $355,000 to $900,000 — CLEARWATER, Fla. — Ryan Howard will earn $900,000 in 2007. — After exhausting talks with Howard's agent, Casey Close, the Phillies renewed the contract of the reigning National League …
RELATED:
TVWeek.com:
DirecTV Defends Its Play for Extra Innings — Story continues below... DirecTV on Friday defended its plan to acquire exclusive rights to Major League Baseball's Extra Innings out-of-market games package for $700 million over seven years. — The cable industry has stirred up opposition …
USA Today:
New identity: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — The Anaheim Angels' new name is long and controversial. — The city of Anaheim is seeking a temporary restraining order and filing a lawsuit against the team for changing its name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Discussion:
Catfish Stew
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Notes: Roster hopefuls impressive — Bigbie the hitting star, White shines in relief in Dodgers' win — VERO BEACH, Fla. — Jason Schmidt threw two scoreless innings Friday, but the $47 million free agent's Dodgers debut was overshadowed by a pair of non-roster players fighting for career survival.
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
Selig unsure whether Bonds will cooperate with Mitchell investigation — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig isn't about to guess whether Barry Bonds will cooperate with George Mitchell's steroids investigation. — "I don't know that," Selig said Friday.
Sports Illustrated:
Calling on A-Rod — Eight teams sought superstar; opt-out still possible — TAMPA, Fla. — If Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez exercises his opt-out clause after this season and walks away from the $81 million and three years remaining on his record contract, he may be subjected to even more boos in the Bronx.
