Top News:
New York Times:
Pettitte Will Not Testify at Public Hearing — WASHINGTON — Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee will face off at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday without any testimony from two other ballplayers or a steroids distributor who had also been scheduled to testify …
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Dan Wetzel / Yahoo! Sports:
Clemens is either innocent or stupid — Roger Clemens is either completely innocent or completely stupid. — There really isn't another option, not after Clemens has so aggressively defended himself against performance-enhancing drug charges that he has, perhaps unwittingly, raised the stakes to felony levels.
Brian Costello / New York Post:
DAMNING WORDS — REPORT: PETTITTE BACKED TRAINER VS. ROG — Andy Pettitte was excused yesterday from testifying against his friend Roger Clemens at a congressional hearing - but it appears Pettitte already has done plenty of damage to Clemens' contention that he never used steroids or human growth hormone.
Newsday:
Congressman: Pettitte's account backs McNamee — The affidavit of Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte helps to support the account of Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens' former trainer, that he gave Clemens injections of banned drugs, according to a ranking member of the congressional committee investigating the use of illegal drugs in baseball.
Discussion:
River Ave. Blues
MLB.com:
Mets sign right-handed pitcher Tony Armas Jr. — FLUSHING — The New York Mets today signed right-handed pitcher Tony Armas, Jr. to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. — Armas, 29, spent the entire 2007 season as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Discussion:
Mets Today
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Joel Sherman / New York Post:
IT'S A SETUP — JOBA STARTS YEAR IN 'PEN — Joba Chamberlain will prepare during spring training as a starter, but will begin the season in the Yankee bullpen barring injury to any of the other five main rotation members, team officials confirmed to The Post.
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Managing the Present in Order to Protect the Future — TAMPA, Fla. — Joba Chamberlain tossed a baseball over and over on a sunny Monday at the Yankees' minor league complex here. His valuable right arm was not wrapped in gauze. He did not have a pitching coach inquiring how he felt after each casual throw.
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:Eiland hops into new job
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, New York Post, Bronx Banter, MY BASEBALL BIAS, Bombers Beat, River Ave. Blues and NJ.com
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
It's status quo as Sox head to camp — With core of '07 championship team back, club sets aim high — The last image most New Englanders have of the Red Sox is the joyous celebration at the end of Game 4 in Colorado, which wrapped up the team's second World Series championship in four years.
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Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Trachsel returns with Minor League deal — O's invite righty to Spring Training to compete for rotation spot — BALTIMORE — The Orioles welcomed Steve Trachsel back into the fold with a Minor League contract Monday, marking the second straight season that the veteran has signed with Baltimore shortly before Spring Training.
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ESPN.com:
Rocker: Selig knew I was on steroids in '00 — John Rocker Goes On the Steroid Offensive — Former major league pitcher John Rocker said Monday that baseball commissioner Bud Selig knew he failed a drug test in 2000 and that doctors for the “league” and the “players association” …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Baseball Time in Arlington, Signal to Noise, FanHouse, SPORTSbyBROOKS, Rain Delay and iYankees
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
New Era/Spike Lee Launch “Spike Lee Joint” Collection — New Era Cap Co., Inc. announced today that it will be expanding its relationship with renowned filmmaker and devoted New York sports fan Spike Lee with the launch of a new series of exclusive caps dubbed the “Spike Lee Joint” Collection.
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Reds reportedly interested in Lofton — Veteran outfielder played for Baker in San Fran, Chicago — CINCINNATI — The Reds could have interest in signing well-traveled veteran outfielder Kenny Lofton, according to a FOXSports.com report on Sunday night. — Lofton is one of several free agents …
Discussion:
The Griddle
Justin Wolfers / Freakonomics:
Analyzing Roger Clemens: A Step-by-Step Guide — Yesterday, I posted about the conclusions that Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, Adi Wyner, and I drew from analyzing Roger Clemens's career statistics. I thought that it might be useful to show how we got from the findings in the Clemens Report …
