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 …
RELATED:
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
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.
Jim Molony / MLB.com:
Oswalt replacing Smoltz as All-Star — Braves right-hander experiencing discomfort in shoulder — HOUSTON — Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt won't need to win the National League Final Vote campaign to go to the All-Star Game after all. — Atlanta's All-Star right-hander John Smoltz withdrew …
Discussion:
Rain Delay
Yahoo! Sports:
Okajima, Young are named last two All-Stars — NEW YORK (Ticker)- Boston Red Sox rookie lefthander Hideki Okajima and San Diego Padres righthander Chris Young were the final two players named to the 2007 All-Star Game on Thursday. — Okajima and Young were named by Major League Baseball's online voting …
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:Hideki Okajima Wins AL All-Star Final Vote
Discussion:
Boston Globe
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.
RELATED:
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 …
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.
RELATED:
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 …
RELATED:
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.
RELATED:
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
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.
RELATED:
Alan Robinson / Associated Press:
Brewers CF Hall out indefinitely — PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brewers center fielder Bill Hall badly sprained his right ankle while leaping to try to catch Ryan Doumit's solo home run for Pittsburgh in the second inning Thursday and will be out indefinitely. — The injury to one of its top players …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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
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!
John Harper / NY Daily News:
Santana's a money pitcher fit for the Bombers' bucks — As Johan Santana's pitch count reached 74 by the fourth inning yesterday, the Yankees no doubt had visions of forcing the Twins ace out of the game early and winning a third straight game. — After Santana had buckled down and pitched …
Discussion:
Twins Geek
RELATED:
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:Bombers let Santana, Twins off the hook
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
