Top News:
ESPN:
Not for the Birds: Girardi turns down Orioles job — BALTIMORE — Joe Girardi declined an offer Thursday to become the new manager of the Baltimore Orioles, saying the timing wasn't right "for the Girardi family." — "Baltimore is a fine organization, a fine team, and I'm flattered …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Oriole Magic, FanHouse, Yanksfan vs Soxfan, Camden Chat, Oriole Post, The Biz of Baseball and MetsBlog.com
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Girardi turns down O's managerial job — FOXSports.com, Updated 54 minutes ago — LIKE THIS STORY? — Former Marlins manager Joe Girardi turned down the Orioles' managing position on Thursday, saying, "At this point in time, it's not right for me and my family." — "It's a great organization.
MLB.com:
A's designate Milton Bradley for assignment — A's select Kevin Melillo From Triple-A Sacramento — OAKLAND — The Oakland Athletics announced today the club has designated outfielder Milton Bradley for assignment and has selected infielder Kevin Melillo from Triple-A Sacramento.
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Associated Press:
A's designate outfielder Bradley for assignment — OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics designated outfielder Milton Bradley for assignment Thursday, cutting ties with a player who was expected to play an important role on the team this season. — Bradley had been on the disabled list three times …
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Lo Duca figures Mets have to catch 5 of next 7 — The Mets season isn't exactly on the brink - not with a 1-1/2-game division lead. But with Oakland arriving at Shea tomorrow for a three-game series that concludes interleague play, then St. Louis visiting for four games …
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
As the Mets Flounder, Gómez Could Be a Catch — Carlos Gómez has few friends in New York, so he has been surprised when strangers have stopped him, acted as if they had known him forever and talked about the catch. Five weeks into his major league career …
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Could Pedro save the Mets? — NEW YORK - It wasn't so long ago that Pedro Martinez was adrift in that no-man's land between the disabled list and retirement - still a member of the organization but in the outer limits of the Mets' consciousness. — They weren't just surviving Pedro's absence, they were living large.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Mike Berardino / Sun-Sentinel:
Dontrelle Willis expects to make next start for Florida Marlins — CHICAGO Dontrelle Willis was back on the field Wednesday morning, playing his usual day-after game of catch and expressing optimism he would be able to make his next start. — He wants to make three more starts …
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Mike Berardino / Sun-Sentinel:Marlins rally past White Sox on Wood's pinch home run
Discussion:
FishStripes
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Five Sox homers back Tavarez's gem — Righty stymies Braves; Papi, Manny go deep in blowout — ATLANTA — A batting barrage and a pitching masterpiece. It isn't often that a team can combine both of those forces in one night, but the Red Sox had all of that going for them and more in Wednesday's 11-0 romp over the Braves.
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Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Rangers interested in Jones — Michael Barrett on Wednesday doesn't have any direct bearing on the Cubs' philosophy or intentions heading toward next month's trade deadline. But that doesn't mean they're done dealing. — The Cubs have talked with the Texas Rangers and several other teams …
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Rocky Mountain News:
Three keys — Key moments in the Rockies' 6-1 victory against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night at Coors Field: — 1 After back-to-back doubles by Melky Cabrera and Derek Jeter gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the sixth, Jeff Francis trapped Jeter off second base on Bobby Abreu's comebacker …
Discussion:
Purple Row
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:Once Again, Yankees' Bats Are Stifled by Rockies
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
T.J. Quinn / NY Daily News:
Giambi close to a deal to talk to Mitchell — Jason Giambi is expected to become the first active player to agree to speak to baseball's Mitchell Commission on doping today, handing Bud Selig a major victory, but also angering many players who feel Giambi is being punished for speaking the truth.
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Derek Jacques / Baseball Prospectus:An Interpretive Analysis of the Commissioner's Invitation …
Discussion:
The Weblog That Derek Built
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Ayala Is Back, Speigner and Abreu Depart — Luis Ayala smiled broadly as he grabbed his glove yesterday afternoon. The right-hander, once a stalwart of the Washington Nationals' bullpen, was active for a major league game for the first time since September 2005, finally …
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Win-loss records don't tell the whole story … How often have you heard this question asked this season: — What's wrong with Johan Santana? — Uh, how about nothing? — Yeah, his win-loss record is "only" 7-6. Yeah, that's exactly the same record as Miguel Batista.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Daniel Paulling / USA Today:
Bloggin' Nationals baseball — What's the best move made by management in the recent past? — Hiring Manny Acta as their manager. The man has the patience of Job, is very smart and ideally suited to manage a growing team of young guys. He's so even-tempered that if you watch …
Discussion:
Nationals Power
Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Path-Integral Fastballs — I have been listening to Richard Feynman and his classic series of physics lectures. It's not exactly light reading or whatever the audiobook equivalent is of light reading, but it's also amazingly interesting and challenging. The strange part is that these lectures …
Discussion:
True Blue LA
ESPN:
Evaluating Sosa's Hall of Fame candidacy … Last winter ESPN surveyed Hall of Fame voters and found that only 20.4 percent would have voted for Sammy Sosa if he'd been eligible. — Now that Sosa has become the fifth player in major league history to reach 600 home runs …
