Top News:
David Lennon / On the Mets beat:
Sunday happenings at Tradition Field — The day after the Mets' set an unofficial record by attracting 800 fans to the first workout on Saturday, the tidal wave slowed to more like a trickle this morning. Maybe the Daytona 500 had something to do with it.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Pedro takes the mound on Day 2 — Quick hits from Port St. Lucie on the second day of pitcher-catcher workouts: — 1. After a one-day delay, Pedro Martinez made his debut off the mound today. He threw off flat ground for 10 minutes to get loose, then felt so good that he took the hill for 30 or so pitches.
Discussion:
The Ropolitans
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Carlos' Belt: Mets are best in East — PORT ST. LUCIE - The most soft-spoken Met made the biggest noise at camp so far with a pronouncement Saturday that should make him public enemy No. 1 in Philadelphia, leapfrogging Terrell Owens and J.D. Drew. — After revealing that he'll likely miss …
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing, We Should Be GM's, Phillies Nation, Babes Love Baseball and The700Level.com
Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Kendrick target of elaborate prank — Second-year rookie hurler ‘traded’ to Japan in practical joke — CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kyle Kendrick really had no chance. — The second-year rookie became the victim of an elaborate practical joke pulled off expertly by those in Kendrick's circle of trust, though that ring has been broken.
RELATED:
Todd Zolecki / philly.com:
Trade bait? Something's fishy — Did Kyle Kendrick get sent packing to Japan? Nah, he just got punked. — CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies traded Kyle Kendrick yesterday. — To the Yomiuri Giants. In Japan. For Kobayashi Iwamura. — “Do they have good food in Japan?” …
Tom Haudricourt / Brewers Blog:
Gallardo to miss 4 weeks after knee surgery — Phoenix — Right-hander Yovani Gallardo indeed does have torn cartilage in his left knee and will return to Milwaukee tomorrow to have arthroscopic surgery. — Gallardo is expected to be sidelined four weeks, virtually guaranteeing he will open the season on the disabled list.
Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Spring Training 2008 — For the Web's most comprehensive coverage of Spring Training, visit our Spring Training page. There you will find daily video reports on the Mets and Yankees. — Yankees — Meet Yanks' new pitching coach — TAMPA, Fla. — Before asking how someone …
Discussion:
Bombers Beat
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:Wrapping up the second day of camp
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com, WasWatching.com, The Bronx Block, Pinstripe Alley and Bronx Liaison
San Francisco Chronicle:
These Giants are why Bochy is here — (02-17) 04:00 PST Scottsdale, Ariz. — Every doubt you have about the Giants in 2008, every pessimistic thought, every snide (yet accurate) remark about their unworthiness to contend this year is why Bruce Bochy is the manager.
Wallace Matthews / Greenwich Time:
Girardi sets different tone from the old Joe — All they know is, he's not Torre, which is why he got the job. How far that will take him, and the Yankees, remains to be seen. — Joe's law A partial list of rules the Yankees have for spring training: — 1. Be on time. No excuse for lateness.
Associated Press:
Prior pain free after first workout of spring — PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - Mark Prior didn't experience any pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder during his first spring training workout with the San Diego Padres. — Manager Bud Black said Sunday that all of his active pitchers were injury free …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Notes: McCarthy, Gabbard ready to go — Benoit wants to share award; Rupe has best of Texas ink — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Right-hander Brandon McCarthy and left-hander Kason Gabbard each took the mound for the first time on Saturday. — Both threw 10 minutes without problems.
Sean McAdam / Providence Journal:
Varitek may be Red Sox' best catch — FORT MYERS, Fla. — When he's home in Georgia during the offseason, Jason Varitek tends to tune out the business of baseball. — He still keeps in touch with some teammates and maintains his conditioning, but otherwise remains blissfully ignorant about what's going on in and around the game.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets limping into spring — PORT ST. LUCIE - They may be the newly self-declared “team to beat” of 2008, but the Mets continue to be gimpy this spring. — Carlos Beltran, who had surgery on Oct. 3 to clean out both knees, has yet to run full-throttle and may not participate in games until late in the Grapefruit League season.

