Top News:
Larry Dobrow / CBS SportsLine.com:
Thoughts in a bottle: The day after Santana changed baseball — Finally, some consummation in the Johan Santana derby. My God, it's like finally being allowed to eat after staring at the cold-cuts spread for 11 hours. Ten thoughts: — 1. The Mets are the best team in the National League East.
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Notes: Santana is talk of baseball — Left-hander has pitched well at Shea; Pelfrey never a factor — NEW YORK — The considerable ripples caused by the Mets' conditional acquisition of Johan Santana reached all corners of the hemisphere by Tuesday night.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Michael Rosenberg / Fox Sports:
Cashman should have pulled the trigger for Santana — Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg is a contributor to FOXSports.com. An archive of his Free Press columns can be found here. — So if you're Brian Cashman, what is the worst part of this? — That somebody else got Johan Santana?
Sports Illustrated:
John Donovan: With Santana, Mets are the class of the NL — Adding Santana makes the Mets the favorites — Take the best pitcher in baseball and put him into the lesser of the leagues. Move him from a killer division to a tepid one. Stick him into a good pitcher's park against thinner lineups …
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
MLB umpires angry over background checks — NEW YORK (AP) — Umpires are livid that Major League Baseball has sent investigators to their hometowns, asking neighbors a series of questions that include whether the ump belongs to the Ku Klux Klan. — “The questions that we found out are being asked …
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Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
MLB Investigation Asks if Umpire is Member of KKK — File this under “ugly”. — In August of last year, MLB announced that it was going to conduct credit checks for all umpires in the wake of the Tim Donaghy betting scandal in the NBA, much to their chagrin. The umpires are unionized under the World Umpires Association.
Discussion:
FanHouse
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:Umpires' union: MLB background checks go too far
Discussion:
It IS about the money, stupid
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Bedard deal remains undecided — Last-minute attempt by O's to sign ace holding up trade — SEATTLE — A last-minute attempt by the Baltimore Orioles to sign Erik Bedard to a multi-year contract appears to be the only thing standing in the way of a proposed trade that would send the left-hander …
RELATED:
Baltimore Sun:
MacPhail: Angelos didn't veto Bedard deal — O's president says owner not obstacle to proposed trade with Seattle — Orioles owner Peter Angelos didn't veto a proposed trade that would have sent ace pitcher Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for a package headed by young outfielder Adam Jones …
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Notable Mets trades — Since their inception in 1962, the Mets have made numerous trades, dealing the likes of Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver, while acquiring legends like Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Mike Piazza. — April 5, 1972: Acquired Rusty Staub from the Expos for Ken Singleton, Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates eyeing Bako to compete at catcher — Another free-agent pursuit, Estrada, chooses Nationals — The Pirates lost out on Johnny Estrada yesterday, but another free-agent catcher should be added soon. — The team is negotiating with Paul Bako, who spent all of last season with Baltimore …
Charles V. Bagli / New York Times:
Office Tower to Rise in Harlem for Baseball TV Network — Major League Baseball plans to build a home on 125th Street, Harlem's premier boulevard, for its cable network, which is scheduled to make its debut early next year with some 50 million subscribers, real estate and baseball executives said on Wednesday.
Discussion:
ShysterBall
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Baseball America ranks the prospects — The Baseball America Prospect Handbook came in the mail today. Here is their top 30 for the Yankees: — 1. Joba Chamberlain, RHP — 2. Austin Jackson, OF — 3. Jose Tabata, OF — 4. Ian Kennedy, RHP — 5. Alan Horne, RHP — 6. Jesus Montero, C
Joe Cowley / Inside the White Sox:
Cowley's Top 5 ... Top 5 observations to come out of the SoxFest weekend: — 5. Make room: Speedy outfielder Jerry Owens might not win a starting job out of camp, but he will undoubtedly win a spot on the 25-man roster. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wants him to make it, as does GM Ken Williams.
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Clemens present at Astros' Elite Camp — Vet shrugs off recent controversy to coach third straight year — HOUSTON — Roger Clemens' son, Koby, doubted his dad would show up at the Astros' Elite Camp this week, but on Wednesday, the Rocket emerged from the Astros' dugout, ready to throw batting practice.
