Top News:
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Buehrle deal: Now or never — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — White Sox general manager Ken Williams continued to deny he has had any dialogue with pitcher Mark Buehrle about a contract extension. — Jeff Berry, Buehrle's agent, insisted the same thing about talking to Williams.
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Fred Goodall / Associated Press:
Buehrle wins, wants to stay with ChiSox — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ozzie Guillen wants Mark Buehrle in his rotation, and the White Sox left-hander wants to stay in Chicago. — "I think everyone knows where my heart's at ... and how bad I want to stay here," Buehrle said Wednesday after beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5-3.
Discussion:
DRaysBay
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox on verge of sweep — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mark Buehrle's future with the White Sox looks more promising. — Assistant general manager Rick Hahn, the team's chief negotiator, flew Wednesday from Chicago to Florida to negotiate an extension that would keep Buehrle from being traded before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.
Roger Rubin / NY Daily News:
Revitalized Tom Mets' reign man — 1-hits Cards over six — There's a strange reverence in the Mets clubhouse on the days Tom Glavine pitches. Teammates respect that every time he takes the mound, it could be a step toward 300 wins and baseball immortality.
Discussion:
...gettingpaidtowatch
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Glavine's 297th win worth the wait — Tom Glavine stretched out on a clubhouse couch for an afternoon nap Wednesday before his start against the Cardinals. Had an alarm clock next to him, too. With fierce thunderstorms in the forecast, maybe Glavine knew he was in for a long night.
Discussion:
Blogging Baseball
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Bats erupt for 22 hits as Smoltz wins ninth — Four days after they feuded, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones returned to the business of leading the Braves to victories — in this case a seriously one-sided win. — Order was restored on several fronts Wednesday night, as Smoltz got …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Notes: Kearns not producing runs — Nationals right fielder realizes he must be more patient — ATLANTA — A lot of people in the Nationals' organization expected Austin Kearns to put up similar power numbers like he did last year, when he hit a career-high 24 home runs and drove in 86 RBIs, also a career high.
Discussion:
Oleanders and Morning Glories
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Huff launches Rocket … The game set up for Roger Clemens' latest monumental achievement, but when a pitching duel finally broke up on a humid night at Camden Yards, it was the Orioles' ace who had turned in one of the signature performances of his burgeoning career.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:A New Low for Clemens and the Yankees
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Hillenbrand could plug hole at first — BALTIMORE - The Yankees are trying to bring Shea to the Bronx. — Shea Hillenbrand could become the next righthanded hitter to play first base for the Yankees. The team is engaged in serious talks to acquire the 31-year-old who is about to be dumped by the Angels …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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Jacob Jackson / Hardball Times:
The best unemployed GM in baseball — In his 18-month tenure as Dodgers' GM from February '04 to October '05, Paul DePodesta did all of the following things: — Helped construct a roster that produced the 2004 NL West Divison title, the Dodgers' first playoff berth in eight years.
Patrick Brown / MLB.com:
Well-deserved headache — Lopez delivers walk-off double as Seattle sweeps Boston — SEATTLE — Jose Lopez knew his former teammate, Joel Pineiro, was going to throw him fastballs. — That knowledge translated into a sweep — and a headache. — Lopez's double in the 11th inning …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Diamondbacks eke past Dodgers — Bob Melvin's hands were tied Wednesday night, so all the Diamondbacks manager could do was stand behind the railing in the dugout and watch the drama unfold just like everybody else. — Normally, when the less-dependable components of his bullpen falter …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Andrew Bagnato / Associated Press:Arizona's Webb shuts down Dodgers 2-0
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Sosa might be Rangers' only All-Star — egrant@dallasnews.com — DETROIT - Sammy Sosa's remarkable return to baseball could take another dramatic turn this weekend. He could end up as the Rangers' lone representative to the All-Star game, to be played July 10 in San Francisco.
Marc Fisher / Washington Post:
Peanuts, Cracker Jack and Jesus Make an Unsavory Mix at Ballparks — T he last time the Washington Nationals tried to mix baseball and religion, the team ended up suspending its volunteer chaplain and having to apologize for a player who suggested that Jews are destined for eternal damnation.
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
Dave Studeman / Hardball Times:
Major league shame — You think steroids are a plague in the baseball universe, right? My sense is that most Hardball Times readers are angry that so many players took steroids, while Major League Baseball, the union and the media looked the other way. Heck, I'm angry about it too.
Discussion:
Chop-n-Change
Leitch / Deadspin:
Wally Backman Has Had A Tough Few Years: How The "Mighty" Have Fallen — WALLY BACKMAN HAS HAD A TOUGH FEW YEARS — How The "Mighty" Have Fallen — You might remember, almost three years ago, when the Arizona Diamondbacks hired former Met Wally Backman to be their manager before firing …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Joe Lapointe / New York Times:
Young Hopes to Show Others How to Learn From Mistakes — When someone mentioned to Dmitri Young of the Washington Nationals that he had changed a lot of things about himself lately, his face turned serious and his answer was succinct. "Kind of had to," he said in a deep voice. "Either that or die."
Discussion:
Washington Times
