Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Yanks already in fight for playoff lives — LIKE THIS STORY? — It feels almost like checkmate. — Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang again pitched poorly on the road Thursday night in Game 1 of the AL Divisional Series, losing to the Indians 12-3. — Left-hander Andy Pettitte faces …
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Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Yanks fail to KO Sabathia when they have chance — CLEVELAND - It's hard to believe the Yankees could be looking so very vulnerable after a night in which they wore out the Indians' imposing monster lefty C.C. Sabathia for 114 pitches and six walks in just five innings.
John Perrotto / Baseball Prospectus:
Game One Report, Yankees versus Indians — CLEVELAND—Ryan Garko had never played in a playoff game in the major leagues prior to Thursday night. Nevertheless, the Indians first baseman knew one basic tenet about postseason play: "I know that what happens in the regular season has no bearing on what happens now," Garko said.
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Indians hammer Wang, Yankees in Game 1 — CLEVELAND - So the Indians can beat the Yankees after all. — After getting kicked around in all six regular-season meetings with the Bombers, the Tribe pounded Chien-Ming Wang and belted the bullpen, handing the Yankees an embarrassing 12-3 beating on Thursday night at Jacobs Field.
Discussion:
New York Post
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Duquette resigns from O's — Unhappy with role, O's VP will pursue front office position elsewhere — Unsatisfied with his role in the Orioles' front office, vice president Jim Duquette resigned today after two seasons with the club. Duquette had one year left on his contract …
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Sports Illustrated:
Orioles VP Duquette resigns after 2 years — BALTIMORE (AP) -Orioles vice president of baseball operations Jim Duquette resigned Friday after two seasons with the struggling franchise. — Baltimore ended its 10th consecutive losing season Sunday with a 69-93 record and a fourth-place finish …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Tracy decision 'doubtful' for today — Pirates' GM says he needs more time, MLB clearance for announcement — The Pirates could deliver their decision on manager Jim Tracy and his staff today, general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday, but two factors could foil that.
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Associated Press:
Pirates fire manager Tracy after just two seasons — PITTSBURGH — Jim Tracy was fired as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday after two seasons filled with long losing streaks and little discernible progress. — The team scheduled an afternoon news conference to announce the dismissal.
Discussion:
Mondesishouse.com
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Monster mash — After excessive hype, Dice-K focused on task … When Daisuke Matsuzaka arrived in Boston last winter, the Red Sox [team stats] staged an elaborate event that was part press conference, part celebration, part coronation. Such was the interest in the Sox' new right-hander …
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Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Dice-K to make postseason debut — After roller-coaster year, righty ready to write new chapter — BOSTON — Daisuke Matsuzaka is in the ideal spot to find success in his postseason debut Friday night. — After Josh Beckett's dominating performance in Wednesday night's 4-0 Red Sox win …
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Diamondbacks take Game 2 — If you saw just one moment, one play, from this game or this series, the full-count pitch from Ted Lilly to Chris Young in the second inning Thursday night would satisfy outcome and circumstance, pathos and bravado. — It was a snapshot moment in a series …
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Bob Baum / Associated Press:Young, Drew help Arizona go 2-0 vs. Cubs
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Associated Press, Fox Sports and THE BASEBALL SAVANT
John C. Drake / Boston Globe:
Red Sox fan assaulted in New York — A 25-year-old carpenter from Quincy is in serious condition after he was assaulted outside a Yonkers, N.Y. hotel last night by a group of men he said had earlier asked about his allegiance to the Red Sox. — Two men were arrested in the assault, authorities said.
Nate Silver / Baseball Prospectus:
2007 Pitcher Projection Roundup — This is Part 2 of 2 of the projection roundup; the first piece for position players ran here on Wednesday. The methodology is as identical to the hitter evaluations as is possible. I use 50 IP as my cut-off point. Pitchers are excluded from consideration …
Discussion:
insidethebook.com
Rocky Mountain News:
LITTWIN: Even the nuns can't believe this odyssey — PHILADELPHIA — The following account, I swear, is true. Two nuns — wearing Phillies' jerseys over their regulation gear — were stalking out of Citizens Bank Park as the eighth inning ended Thursday. — "Can you believe this?" one of them said.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
