Top News:
Chicagosports / Hardball:
Buehrle packs. . . for good? — It was a very strange scene at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the White Sox clubhouse. At the very moment general manager Kenny Williams strode into a meeting with manager Ozzie Guillen and coaches, ace pitcher Mark Buehrle was carrying a large box to his locker.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Nats drive a hard bargain for Young — LIKE THIS STORY? — The Braves made a run at Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young, and the talks advanced to the point where Nats assistant GM Mike Rizzo scouted the Braves' Class AA club. — However, the discussions cooled due to the Nats' high asking price …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates' McClatchy to step down as CEO later this year — Kevin McClatchy will step down as the Pirates' chief executive officer after the current baseball season, the team announced today, and the search for his replacement will begin immediately. — Mr. McClatchy, 44 …
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
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MLB.com:
Kevin McClatchy's letter to fans — Dear Pirates Fans: — Today I announced that I will be stepping down as the Chief Executive Officer of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of the 2007 season. — A decision of this personal and professional magnitude is not something you make overnight.
Alan Robinson / Associated Press:McClatchy stepping down as Pirates CEO
Discussion:
The Biz of Baseball
Sports Illustrated:
Neifi Perez first to be banned for stimulant — The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced on Friday that infielder Neifi Perez of the Detroit Tigers has been suspended 25 games, effective immediately, for testing positive for a banned Stimulant in violation of Major League Baseball's …
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Associated Press:
Tigers' Perez tests positive for banned stimulant — DETROIT — Detroit Tigers infielder Neifi Perez was suspended 25 games Friday, the first player penalized for testing positive for a stimulant under Major League Baseball's drug program. — Perez, a seldom-used utility player …
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Five and Fly: Stimulating workload — Apparently, Red Bull just wasn't getting the job done for Neifi Perez, and now the Detroit Tigers' utility infielder will have to sit 25 games because he tested positive at least twice for amphetamines. — Here's the contradiction regarding Perez …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Chad Finn / Fox Sports:
Jeter's leadership, Bay's slump — Special to FOXSports.com, Updated 3 hours ago — LIKE THIS STORY? — Playing nine innings while waiting for Rafael Betancourt to throw the freakin' ball already . . . 1. Jeter as a leader — The Yankees, 40-42 and slumbering toward second-half irrelevance …
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan
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Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Under The Knife — Deep in the Heart — I'm making my annual trip to Newberg Night at ... well, what is the Rangers stadium called these days? (You know, with the All-Star Game in the telcom stadium nom du jour, the commoditization of naming rights is becoming bothersome for reasons of consistency rather than anticommericalism.)
Shawn Langlois / MarketWatch:
Baseball prepares to celebrate, as it should — Despite lingering steroid issue, game is alive and well ahead of All-Star bash — SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Steroids, labor disputes, the dilution of talent, a deep divide between the haves and the have-nots: Major League Baseball …
Discussion:
The Biz of Baseball
Sports Illustrated:
Talking A Good Game — Hall of Famers Gwynn, Ripken huddle on hitting — Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn combined to play 5,441 regular season major-league games, none of which involved the two of them playing against one another. Their lives and baseball careers ran parallel tracks all the way to Cooperstown.
Discussion:
Catbird in the Nosebleed Seats
Jim Molony / MLB.com:
Guerrero, Ordonez join Derby field — Six sluggers set for Monday night's event in San Francisco — Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit's Magglio Ordonez have joined the field for the State Farm Home Run Derby, Major League Baseball officials confirmed Friday.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Maine helps Mets strike back — John whiffs nine & wins 10th to end skid — HOUSTON - John Maine isn't an All-Star. He'll have to settle for being the Mets' stopper. — Maine took a scoreless effort into the eighth to notch his 10th victory and Ricky Ledee and Ramon Castro …
Discussion:
...gettingpaidtowatch
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Chris Duncan / Associated Press:Mets' Maine wins again, Ks 9 Astros
Discussion:
Flushing University, New York Post, Mets Geek, The Musings and Prophecies … and Blogging Baseball
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Angels could use another big bat — LIKE THIS STORY? — Imagine Ken Griffey Jr. batting behind Vladimir Guerrero. The Angels would be transformed from World Series contender to World Series favorite. — Any legitimate slugger would fit nicely behind Guerrero, but Griffey is the most romantic possibility.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Chad Jennings / The Times-Tribune:
Local Yankees release pitcher — MOOSIC — Rain hammered PNC Field on Thursday, cancelling the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees' series finale against the Pawtucket Red Sox after a rain delay of an hour and 15 minutes. — While the steady downpour fell outside the stadium …
