Top News:
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Young, Okajima win Final Vote — Fans select pair to final roster spots on All-Star squads — Chris Young of the Padres and Hideki Okajima of the Red Sox are your selections in the sixth annual Monster All-Star Final Vote, which will be remembered for unique grassroots campaigns …
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Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Young earns Final Vote as NL All-Star — Right-hander elated to be in his first Midsummer Classic — SAN DIEGO — While Chris Young was elated on Thursday after finding out that he had earned a spot on the National League's roster for the All-Star Game as the winner of the Monster 2007 …
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Okajima heading to All-Star Game — Japanese left-hander wins American League Final Vote — BOSTON — Red Sox Nation — which now extends all the way to Japan — has proved what a powerful force it can be once again with Thursday's announcement that Hideki Okajima has won …
Associated Press:
Bonds won't participate in Home Run Derby — CINCINNATI — Barry Bonds will sit out of the Home Run Derby on Monday night, opting to rest his tired body before Tuesday night's All-Star Game. — "Nope," Bonds said Thursday when asked about the Derby. "Especially when you're 42.
Discussion:
MLB.com
Watchdog:
Ticked-Off MLB Limits ESPN Presence at All-Star Game — In olden times, l would not have reported this until I had gotten official comments from both sides and fleshed out every last detail. But I have to tell you about this right now, because I know the basics are true …
Steve Silva / Boston Globe:
Okajima wins Star slot — Oki wins. — Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima was just selected to the American League All-Star team in the final vote balloting for the 32nd spot on the roster. — Okajima joins Red Sox All-Stars Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbon, and David Ortiz on the team.
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:Hideki Okajima Wins AL All-Star Final Vote
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Mets' Gomez out 6-to-8 weeks with hand injury — HOUSTON — The Mets' depleted outfield ranks took another hit Thursday when rookie Carlos Gomez underwent surgery in New York for a broken bone in his left hand. Gomez, who broke the hamate bone on a checked swing in the sixth inning …
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Associated Press:
Gomez out 6-8 weeks with broken hand — HOUSTON (AP) — New York Mets outfielder Carlos Gomez will miss 6-8 weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand. — Gomez, 21, broke the hamate bone in his hand on a check swing in the sixth inning of the Mets' 17-7 loss to Colorado on Wednesday, assistant general manager John Ricco said.
Matt Smith / MLB.com:
Gaudin, homers lift A's past Mariners — Left-hander allows two runs; Swisher, Crosby hit solo homers — OAKLAND — Chad Gaudin followed what was the best start of his young career with one of the longest. — In his last start, he gave up just one hit over seven shutout innings …
Discussion:
Catfish Stew
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John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners bats a bust — July struggles continue in loss to Oakland — OAKLAND, Calif. — June was a great month for the Mariners, the club winning 18 times, more than any team in baseball. — July, on the other hand, has been something of a bust. That's particularly true of the Seattle offense …
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
Sports News Canada:
Burnett a $55 M fourth starter? — Sportsnet.ca - Blue Jays' general manager J.P. Ricciardi had harsh words for often-injured starter A.J. Burnett on a Toronto radio station, saying that Burnett may now be considered a third or fourth starter, and if he had to do it all over again …
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Jeremy Anders / MLB.com:
Hall suffers sprained right ankle — Outfielder hurt while attempting to make leaping catch — PITTSBURGH — Brewers center fielder Bill Hall left Thursday's game in the second inning after sustaining a high ankle sprain to his right ankle. X-rays taken were negative for a fracture.
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Alan Robinson / Associated Press:Brewers CF Hall out indefinitely
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Kobrien / On the Yankees beat:
Lineup vs. Twins — Here are notes and the lineup for the finale of the four-game series against the Twins. Alex Rodriguez is not playing due to his strained left hamstring. He just left the ballpark to get an MRI done. If the MRI does not show anything severe, Joe Torre said they hope Alex will be able to play tomorrow night.
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
A National Celebration — Chico and Young Combine to Make This Fourth of July One to Remember: Nationals 6, Cubs 0 — The Washington Nationals could be scoring runs by the bushel or shriveled up in a drought, and Matt Chico would betray none of it on his 24-year-old face.
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:Acta Eagerly Awaits Return Of Escobar
Discussion:
dcprosportsreport.com
Michael Phillips / MLB.com:Notes: Slumping Church gets some rest
Discussion:
Oleanders and Morning Glories
Caleb Breakey / MLB.com:
Igawa's start a 'question mark' — Lefty unable to make progress from previous outing — NEW YORK — Kei Igawa's courtship with Yankees fans took another turn on Thursday. — The $20 million dollar man — not including the $26 million the Yankees paid for the rights to negotiate with him …
Discussion:
The Bronx Block
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Pat Tabler / The DiaTribe:
Remembering a Legend — With today marking the 60th Anniversary of Larry Doby's first appearance as a Cleveland Indian, I asked a longtime reader, who is an avid Larry Doby memorabilia collector and possibly one of the greatest fans of the influential trailblazer anywhere, for a reflection on Larry Doby …
Discussion:
Let's Go, Tribe!
