Top News:
Associated Press:
DirecTV, MLB agree; cable companies still negotiating — NEW YORK — Major League Baseball announced its $700 million, seven-year agreement with DirecTV on Thursday and said the deal contains a provision that allows its "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games to remain on cable television …
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MLB.com:
MLB, DIRECTV expand multi-year agreement — Deal includes launch of the MLB Channel, carriage rights to MLB EXTRA INNINGS package — Major League Baseball and DIRECTV, the nation's leading satellite provider, today announced a seven-year agreement that continues carriage rights …
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WasWatching.com
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Extra Extra Innings — Major League Baseball will allow the In Demand cable provider and the Dish Network satellite service a chance to match an agreed-upon deal with DirecTV to sell MLB's Extra Innings package, temporarily quelling fears that thousands of fans would barred from receiving out-of-market games.
Larry Stewart / Los Angeles Times:
Baseball deal with DirecTV 'imminent' — Despite recent counteroffers, satellite provider is about to gain exclusivity to Extra Innings package. — A proposed deal by Major League Baseball that would give its Extra Innings pay package exclusively to DirecTV "is imminent," …
Associated Press:
Vukovich dies at 59; won Series rings with Phils, Reds — PHILADELPHIA — John Vukovich, the longest-serving coach in Philadelphia Phillies history and a member of their only World Series championship team in 1980, died Thursday. He was 59. — Vukovich, who had been suffering …
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MLB.com:
Remembering John Vukovich — "As a player, coach, instructor, advisor and above all, friend, he made a tremendous contribution to our organization and all of us. He was a fierce competitor who possessed tremendous baseball knowledge and had great respect for the game. He always wanted to see the game played right.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals release Womack, trim roster — Team reduces number of players in Major League camp to 56 — VIERA, Fla. — The Nationals trimmed their roster from 72 to 56 on Thursday, when they gave infielder Tony Womack his unconditional release and reassigned infielders Tony Blanco …
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Roch Kubatko / Baltimore Sun:
Positive step in Penn's first spring outing … JUPITER, FLA. // Only once was Orioles pitcher Hayden Penn reminded about his sprained left ankle yesterday. His memory received a jolt, as did the ankle, when he threw a full-count curveball to the Florida Marlins' Joe Borchard in the fourth inning.
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Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Sox eye Japan trip: Henry: '09 opener possible — JUPITER, Fla. - Red Sox [team stats] owner John Henry said yesterday there is "a probability perhaps" that the Red Sox will open their season in Japan by 2009. — Red Sox forum: — There has been talk that the Red Sox could open …
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Catbird in the Nosebleed Seats
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Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Hampton hurt while taking swings — Latest injury will sideline lefty for the start of regular season — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Just as his left elbow was showing signs of improvement, Mike Hampton has endured an injury to his left side that will definitely erase his availability for the start of the regular season.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding, Talking Chop, Braves Baseball Blog, Knuckle Curve and Mets Fever
Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Love of Your Team Can Soon Be Everlasting — For the baseball fan who has everything in the here and now, how about a team-licensed urn for his ashes in the hereafter? — Yes, Yankees fans, an aluminum urn with pinstripes, the interlocking NY logo, a place on top for a ball that you might …
Discussion:
Deadspin
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Coats, Pie propel Cubs past Padres — Outfielders combine for five hits; Wood allows grand slam — Cubs 8, Padres 6 — Padres at the plate: Terrmel Sledge continued his hot spring with his third home run, a grand slam in the fourth inning that tied the game at 5. He's hitting .400 this spring with seven RBIs.
Discussion:
Cub Town
Associated Press:
Ex-big leaguer Holmes linked to steroid probe — Former major league pitcher Darren Holmes joined the list of athletes linked to a nationwide steroids investigation. — SI.com reported Thursday that Holmes received somatropin, a form of HGH, and testosterone from Palm Beach Rejuvenation in October 2003.
Jeff Albert / Baseball Analysts:
Yo, Adrian — After a stellar 2004 season, Seattle 3B Adrian Beltre has somehow lost his belt. Unfortunately, the belt I am referring to has to do with producing long hits instead of holding up long pants. What's intriguing is not that Beltre's production fell off after a career year …
