Top News:
David / Newsday:
Great 'D' is catching — Valentin, Beltran make highlight plays that encourage Willie — ST. LOUIS - The importance of Carlos Beltran's precise throw or Jose Valentin's diving grab cannot be overstated in the wake of the Mets' season-opening 6-1 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
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Pat Borzi / New York Times:
Mets' Randolph Takes Early Measure of Rookie's Nerve — The first day of anyone's major league career is usually filled with special moments. By the time he put on his uniform Sunday, the Mets rookie reliever Joe Smith said he already had a great one. — "I rode a golf cart to the ballpark," Smith said.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Bruce Miles / Daily Herald:
Trib sale holding up Zambrano's contract — CINCINNATI - Just when it looked like the Cubs were oh-so-close to signing ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano to a contract extension, the impending sale of the team has changed all that, at least for now. — Cubs president John McDonough admitted today …
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Curt Schilling / 38 Pitches:
Game 1 4/2/07 @ KC — Not sure where to even start. Two words sum it up best, no command. Can't remember a game where I couldn't make adjustments but today was certainly one of those. Not so much the secondary pitches but no fastball command is not something that happens much, if at all …
Larry Lage / Associated Press:
Toronto 5, Detroit 3, 10 innings — DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers raised the 2006 AL pennant and fireworks were set off to help commemorate the accomplishment. — Three-plus hours later, the Toronto Blue Jays stole the show. — Troy Glaus hit a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning …
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Tigers know they must now turn the page … DETROIT — It's a day to remember. Except it's supposed to be a day to forget. — It's a day when all that cool stuff you did last year becomes officially irrelevant. Except it's also a day when all that cool stuff you did last year gets replayed …
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
38 not so special — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Worse than Ellen DeGeneres's first night hosting the Oscars. Worse than Arsenio Hall's first shot at late-night television. Worse than Patriots coach Clive Rush's first press conference, when he was nearly electrocuted.
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Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
A first-pitch strike, all right — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hideki Okajima, whose natural inclination is to smile in the face of most circumstances, admitted that he, too, was not anticipating what happened when he threw his first pitch that counted in America's major leagues.
Bronx Banter:
Yankee Stadiums new and old from the 4 Train platform. — Inside the new Stadium looking toward home plate from right field. — Looking south along the tracks toward center field. — Exiting the 4 Train at 161 Street behind the center field frieze. — Looking down from the platform as the crowd starts to gather.
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners Notebook: Johjima, Hernandez on same page — Catcher says first-pitch strikes key to success — Catcher Kenji Johjima had a tough time settling in with many of the Mariners' starting pitchers last year, none more so than Felix Hernandez. — The maturation of their relationship …
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David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:
Opening Day at RFK Brings Smiles, Gripes — As the Washington Nationals began a third season yesterday, the sky was cloudless, but neither the home team nor the ballpark seemed quite ready for Opening Day. — On the field, the Nats fell behind early and eventually lost their first game of 2007 to the Florida Marlins, 9-2.
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
Chris Jenkins / Associated Press:
Milwaukee 7, LA Dodgers 1 — MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ben Sheets started the season in dominating style. — Sheets gave up an early home run, then retired his next 22 batters in a two-hitter Monday that led the Milwaukee Brewers over the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 in their opener.
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
La Russa bothered by attention paid to opening lineup — A non-combatant in Sunday's 6-1 opening-day loss, Cardinals power project Chris Duncan probably will start in left field and bat second tonight against New York Mets righthander Orlando Hernandez. — His manager, however, may have had enough of the issue.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals' Logan, Guzman day to day — Opening Day injuries could prove costly after healthy spring — WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Nationals were virtually injury free during Spring Training. The only serious one came from right-hander Jason Simontacchi, who strained his right groin …
Associated Press:
Sticking around — Rockies GM, manager get two-year extensions — DENVER (AP) — A summons from the general manager 23 years ago was bad news for Clint Hurdle, who was released by Seattle an hour before the season's first pitch. — This time, it was good news.
Discussion:
Bad Altitude
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Percival officially retires as an Angel — Closer spent 10 years as a Halo, earning 316 saves with Anaheim — ANAHEIM — Wearing his No. 40 Angels jersey and his emotions on his sleeves, Troy Percival formally retired from Major League Baseball on Monday after signing a Minor League Angels contract.
Discussion:
6-4-2
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Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates launch late attack for uplifting opener — McLouth, Nady, Bay go deep to upend Astros, 4-2 — Xavier Nady is greeted by Jose Bautista after hitting a home run with two outs in the ninth inning to tie the score against the Astros last night at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
