Top News:
John Powers / Boston Globe:
Sox happily shed the underdog label — Isn't this somebody else's script? The Red Sox have the best record in baseball for the first time since 1946. They won their division for the first time in a dozen years and swept their Division Series. They have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
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Howard Bryant / ESPN:
Indians must slay another behemoth to advance … BOSTON — There was a famous moment before the 2001 World Series when Curt Schilling was asked if his Arizona Diamondbacks would be affected by the mystique and aura of the venerable New York Yankees. — "When you use words like 'mystique' and 'aura …
Ben Jacobs / Hardball Times:
Why the Red Sox will beat the Indians — The Red Sox dispatched the Angels with ease because Los Angeles wasn't completely healthy and matched up terribly with Boston. — The Red Sox aren't a particularly bad matchup for the Indians in terms of what they do, they're just a better team overall.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe!
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Beckett aims to tame Tribe in Game 1 — Boston ace opposes fellow Cy Young candidate Sabathia — BOSTON — When the stadium lights set Fenway Park aglow on Friday night, all eyes will be trained on the mound. Boston will be graced with one of the premier pitching matchups of this season …
Discussion:
Fenway Blogger
Roger Rubin / NY Daily News:David Ortiz to Yanks: Letting Joe Torre go would be error
Discussion:
New York Post
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:Zeroes could abound — Pitchers' duel on tap
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, Hardball Times, Boston Sports Media Watch, Washington Post and Tribe Tracker
Bob Baum / Associated Press:
Francis bests Webb, Rockies win Game 1 — PHOENIX (AP) — Make it 18 out of 19 for the remarkable Rockies. Neither a ruckus by the Arizona crowd nor a four-day layoff could slow them down. — Jeff Francis outpitched Brandon Webb, Brad Hawpe got the big hit and Colorado won …
Discussion:
Knuckle Curve, Associated Press, Blogging Baseball, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, 6-4-2, The Musings and Prophecies … and Bucs Dugout
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Gerry Fraley / Rocky Mountain News:
Atkins gets to Webb at right time — PHOENIX - Brad Hawpe and Kazuo Matsui, Arizona ace right-hander Brandon Webb could understand. They have worn out Webb throughout his career. — But Garrett Atkins? — Meet the Rockies' newest Webb-killer. Chapter Two of Atkins' turnaround …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
George King / New York Post:
A SEAT AT THE TAMPA TABLE — JOE MIGHT MAKE MEETINGS; NEEDS TO PONDER A PAY CUT — If the Yankee brain trust can't agree on an alternative to Joe Torre next week in Tampa, and Torre wants to take a paycut, there is a chance Torre could return for a 13th year as the Yankees' manager.
Discussion:
New York Times, NY Daily News, FanHouse, Baseball Musings, Bronx Banter, Pinstripe Alley, YanksBlog.com and WasWatching.com
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Bob Raissman / NY Daily News:
Scott Boras exaggerating A-Rod's value to YES — If Yankees brass wants to get Alex Rodriguez's signature on a contract, it better change its network's name from Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network to A-RodVision. — Scott Boras, Rodriguez's agent, believes his client's star power …
Discussion:
Hardball Times
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George King / New York Post:
BORAS, ALEX LOOKING AT 12 YEARS — Is Alex Rodriguez set to sign the final contract of his career? A pact that would dwarf the record-setting 10-year, $252 million he inked following the 2000 season? — According to agent Scott Boras, Rodriguez getting a 12-year deal isn't out of the question …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Hello? Any Diamondbacks fans out there? — PHOENIX - The view from Section 307, Row 40, Seat 13 - the one that not a single person of the four million living in the Phoenix metropolitan area cared to inhabit Thursday night during the biggest baseball game of the Arizona Diamondbacks' season - was quite nice.
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Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
ALCS Matchups — Tying for the best record in baseball at 96-66 this season, the Red Sox [team stats] and Indians should have one very entertaining ALCS. Strong, sometimes excellent, pitching is a mark of both clubs, with the Indians having an unparalleled duo atop their starting rotation …
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Marlins find a new radio home — Team announces multi-year deal with 790 The Ticket — MIAMI — For the first time in franchise history, the Marlins have a new radio home. — On Thursday the team announced that it has reached a multi-year deal with 790 The Ticket (WAXY) to broadcast its games in English.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
MLB may suspend players in steroids case — NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball might suspend players implicated by the Albany County district attorney's office for receiving banned substances and that could trigger a grievance from the players' union. — Although baseball's drug …
