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
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.
Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Vukovich passes away at 59 — Coach, who was a part of Phillies for 31 years, dies from cancer — CLEARWATER, Fla. — There are many funny, sad and heartwarming stories about John Vukovich, as there should be for a man who touched so many lives. — A person who spends 41 years in baseball …
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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MY BASEBALL BIAS
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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.
MLB.com:
Nationals trim Spring Training roster to 56 — The Washington Nationals today reassigned infielder Tony Blanco, infielder Melvin Dorta, outfielder Wayne Lydon, first baseman Jorge Toca, outfielder George Lombard, right-handed pitcher Felix Diaz, right-handed pitcher Anastacio Martinez …
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NATSTASTIC
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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 …
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Deadspin
Jeff Sackmann / Beyond the Box Score:
2007 Team Preview: Toronto Blue Jays — Coming: — Frank Thomas, Victor Zambrano, Tomo Ohka, John Thomson, Royce Clayton, Jason Smith, Matt Stairs — Going: — Bengie Molina, Frank Catalanotto, Ted Lilly, Justin Speier — The Blue Jays In a Nutshell:
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Fogg, Kim on the bubble — Fight for the fifth rotation spot may be either/or thing — Box score — TUCSON — Josh Fogg and Byung-Hyun Kim are the incumbents in the battle for the final two spots in the Rockies rotation. But it doesn't give them an advantage in their bids to retain the spots in 2007.
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 …
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The Mariner Monitor
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Miller wades to forefront in arms race — Seizes early edge as Cubs' 5th starter — MESA, Ariz. — With one start down and five to go, Wade Miller is the front-runner in his bid to capture the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation. — Just don't tell Miller. — "I've only had one outing," he said.
