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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:Eiland hops into new job
Discussion:
New York Post, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Bronx Banter, MY BASEBALL BIAS, Bombers Beat and 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.
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets sign pitcher Armas to beef up rotation — Tony Armas Jr. signed him to a minor-league contract with the Mets, who hope he can provide some depth for the starting rotation. (AP Photo) — Tony Armas Jr., one of the pitchers traded to the Expos for — Pedro Martinez a decade ago …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Twins pick up free-agent hurler Hernandez — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. — Livan Hernandez, who lingered on the free-agent market far longer than anticipated, finally has found a new team.
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, Signal to Noise, FanHouse, SPORTSbyBROOKS, Baseball Time in Arlington, Rain Delay and iYankees
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Ian Begley / NY Daily News:
Rocker throws A-Bomb at A-Rod — John Rocker may have a new enemy in New York City. — The loudmouth former reliever said he and then-Rangers teammate Alex Rodriguez, among others, were advised in spring training of 2002 by management and players' union doctors on how to use steroids in a way that is “not going to hurt you.”
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Pelfrey Looks to Make Mets' Decision Difficult — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mike Pelfrey is alone. Not stranded-in-the-Sahara alone. He did, after all, have a 2 p.m. tee time Monday with John Maine, Duaner Sánchez and others. But still, he is the only member from a group …
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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Eric Pfahler / TCPalm.com:
Meet the Mets: N.Y. Mets celebrate their 20th anniversary in Port St. Lucie — PORT ST. LUCIE — When the New York Mets moved into Thomas J. White Stadium, now known as Tradition Field, the club was greeted with its own facility for both major league and minor league players along with a mound of excitement for the upcoming season.
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.
