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ESPN:
Rod Beck dies at 38 — Rod Beck, who saved 286 games in a 13-year major league career, has died at the age of 38. — The cause of death is unknown at this time. — Beck, who played for the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox and Padres, was a three-time All-Star and saved a career-best 51 games with the Cubs in 1998.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, Lone Star Ball, The View From The Bleachers and El Guapo's Ghost Rambles …
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Post / Washington Post:
All-Star Relief Pitcher Rod Beck Is Found Dead — Rod Beck, an all-star relief pitcher who wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves, has died. He was 38. — Beck was found Saturday by police officers responding to a call to his home in suburban Phoenix, police department spokesman Andy Hill said yesterday.
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built
Greg Beacham / Yahoo! Sports:
Former reliever Rod Beck dead at 38 — Rod Beck was a menacing sight on the mound, with a bushy mustache and a searing stare that intimidated batters throughout his 13-year career as one of baseball's best closers. — Yet his friends in the game knew Beck as a hardworking teammate …
Discussion:
Chad Gramling's Baseball Blog
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Former All-Star Closer Rod Beck Dead at 38 — Rod Beck, the bushy Fu Manchu mustached former All-Star Closer that played 13 years in the major leagues was found dead yesterday in his northeast Phoenix home. He was 38. Police do not expect foul play, and the cause of death has not been released.
The Biz of Baseball:
Griffey Says: "I want to retire a Mariner" — Written by The Staff — Prior to Sunday afternoon's Mariners-Reds game, Fox Sports Northwest's Angie Mentink scored an exclusive one-on-one with former Seattle Mariner and current Cincinnati Red Ken Griffey, Jr.
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David Andriesen / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners Notebook: Guardado, Hargrove talk, make peace — It was inevitable that Mike Hargrove and Eddie Guardado would cross paths over the weekend, and it happened quickly. — Hargrove, the Mariners manager, and Guardado, Hargrove's former closer now with Cincinnati, saw each other on the way into Safeco Field on Friday.
Gregg Bell / Associated Press:
Griffey homers twice to pass McGwire — SEATTLE (AP) — Ken Griffey Jr.'s homecoming to Seattle got even sweeter on its final day. — Griffey hit his 583rd and 584th home runs during the Cincinnati Reds' game Sunday against the Mariners, tying and then passing Mark McGwire for seventh on the career list.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
John Hickey / seattlepi.com Mariners blog:
Griffey shows interest in coming to Seattle (some day) — The post-game interview room with Ken Griffey Jr. Sunday figured to be something. — During a pre-game interview with the folks at FSN, Griffey opened the door for the first time since his trade to Cincinnati in February of 2000 …
Discussion:
Associated Press
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Buehrle to Boston? — Red Sox overtake Mets, Braves as front-runner for left-hander thanks to loaded farm system — Patience is a trait Ken Williams still is trying to acquire. — That's becoming more evident in the case of starting pitcher Mark Buehrle and his future with the White Sox …
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Rick Gano / Associated Press:
Soriano homers again, Cubs sweep ChiSox — CHICAGO (AP) — Alfonso Soriano took his game 8 miles to the other side of town and powered the Cubs to a three-game sweep of the punchless White Sox, using both his lively bat and his strong arm. — Soriano threw out a runner at the plate …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:Inside the Pirates: Sweet-hitting catcher sought
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout, Pittsburgh Lumber Co., Where have you gone …, Chop-n-Change and MLB Trade Rumors
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Blue Jays may listen to offers for Glaus — FOXSports.com, Updated 14 minutes ago — LIKE THIS STORY? — The Blue Jays say they aren't looking to move third baseman Troy Glaus, but their perspective might be changing. — FOX Bite — Videos — Rosenthal's Full Count
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Rodriguez's Numbers Climb, but the Yanks' Don't — Alex Rodriguez leads the major leagues in home runs, runs and runs batted in. His average in June is .440. He has reached base in 10 of 12 plate appearances this weekend, and he launched a 458-foot home run to center field to tie the score in the ninth inning Saturday.
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Bill Konigsberg / Associated Press:
Maine pitches Mets to sweep of A's — NEW YORK (AP) — A blooper to right, an inexperienced outfielder and Jose Reyes' speed became a messy combination for the Oakland Athletics. — Reyes led off the bottom of the first inning with a popup down the line that Jack Cust, normally a designated hitter, couldn't run down.
Associated Press:
Oregon St. earns second straight CWS title — OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Oregon State became the first team in a decade to repeat as College World Series champion, completing a dominant run through the tournament with a 9-3 victory over North Carolina on Sunday night.
Discussion:
The Big Picture
Bernie Wilson / Associated Press:
Red Sox's Beckett outduels Padres' Peavy — SAN DIEGO (AP) — While Jake Peavy got dirty, Josh Beckett's stuff was simply filthy. — Beckett topped Peavy in a matchup of two of baseball's top pitchers, becoming the first 11-game winner in the majors and leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 victory Sunday over the San Diego Padres.
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Padres put on display — Wakefield offers up the fireworks — SAN DIEGO — Somehow, on a night when Padres starter Chris Young dominated for seven innings and Josh Bard and Khalil Greene (twice) blasted Tim Wakefield offerings out of the ballpark, prompting center-field fireworks that befitted …
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