Top News:
Associated Press:
Bonds, trades among topics at Yankees' meetings — TAMPA, Fla. — Barry Bonds in pinstripes? If nothing else, the New York Yankees talked about it. — High-ranking Yankees officials gathered for meetings at their spring training complex Thursday, a day off for the team before it begins …
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Jim Molony / MLB.com:
Inside Pitch: Braves may be sellers — Atlanta in an intriguing situation as Trade Deadline looms — One of the triggers in the final week of this year's midsummer trade session is in the hands of a perennial buyer: the Atlanta Braves. — Year-in, year-out, the Braves have been buyers …
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ESPN:
Braves — In theory, by the end of this weekend — after a week of dueling the Marlins and Phillies — the Braves will know exactly whether they're in a race or out of one. But it seems as if the Braves have been stuck for weeks in what GM Frank Wren calls “that middle ground” between contention and oblivion.
Discussion:
Royals Review
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Stark's Latest: Teixeira, Padilla, Sheffield, Beltre — ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings up. You may want to grab a glass of water or something, because this is a beast of a column. — If the Braves have a bad weekend and decide to trade Mark Teixeira, a deal could come together quickly.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Associated Press:
Report: Mavs' Cuban among finalists to buy Cubs — NEW YORK — Tribune Co. is inviting at least three potential buyers who each submitted bids for the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field near or above $1 billion to participate in a second round of proposals, according to a person involved in the process.
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Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Mets may have filled Saturday slot — In Pedro's absence, Knight appears likely to step in and start — NEW YORK — With Pedro Martinez back in the Dominican Republic, grieving the loss of his father, Pablo, the Mets on Thursday set about the business of determining who his replacement might be.
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Mike Scarr / MLB.com:
Yankees could seek help behind plate — With Posada hurting, Bombers need more offense at catcher — The Yankees are back where they expected to be, in the thick of a pennant race. — And with that comes the requisite roster reflection, heightened by the Trade Deadline that is ticking away …
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Tom Haudricourt / Brewers Blog:
Brewers not pursuing Sherrill — I've seen a lot of national reports in recent days that indicate the Brewers are interested in trading for Baltimore closer George Sherrill, so I called general manager Doug Melvin to see what's going on. — Melvin said he has not engaged the Orioles …
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Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Delgado's big hit lifts Mets into first place — The Mets' David Wright pumps his fist after he and Robinson Cancel, left, scored on Carlos Delgado's tiebreaking two-run double in the bottom of the eighth. (Newsday / Kathy Kmonicek / July 24, 2008) — The chants were heard on the ramps …
Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Orioles honor 1983 World Series team — Players reminisce about memorable championship season — BALTIMORE — It was an event 25 years in the making, a celebration designed to honor one of Baltimore's finest moments. The Orioles staged a full-fledged reunion of their 1983 World Series title team …
Ed Price / New Jersey Online:
Yankees' talks on Seattle lefty Washburn still hot — A person familiar with the Seattle Mariners' plans, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of trade discussions, said a possible trade of lefty Jarrod Washburn to the Yankees has “got legs” and predicted “something will happen there.”
Discussion:
Caffeinated Confines, iYankees, The LoHud Yankees Blog, MLB Rumors and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Associated Press:
Braun's 4 hits, HR in 9th lift Brewers — ST. LOUIS (AP)—Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers are on quite a roll. — The left fielder hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to cap his second straight four-hit game and lift Milwaukee to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Brewers' eighth straight win.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Answer Man: Milton Bradley talks labels, torn ACLs, dominoes — Rangers coach Gary Pettis strolled around the visitors clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field and noticed a rather informal-looking game of dominoes being played. “Did you see how many points Milton dropped last night?” Pettis asked.
Paul Hoynes / Cleveland Sports News:
Indians Insider: Military service in South Korea could interrupt Choo's big-league career — Anaheim, Calif. — Shin-Soo Choo is starting to emerge as a run-producing outfielder. He's recovering from ligament transplant surgery on his left elbow and is getting a chance to play regularly with the Indians in left and right field.
Nate Silver / Baseball Prospectus:
Lies, Damned Lies — Shrinking the Ballpark … Trivia question: Yankee Stadium seats 57,545 fans, which is presently the largest capacity of any park in Major League Baseball. When it closes this year, and is replaced by a ballpark that seats roughly 6,000 fewer fans …
Danielle Sessa / Bloomberg:
Mets Owner Wilpon Says He ‘Screwed Up’ How Randolph Was Fired — New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon said he mishandled last month's firing of manager Willie Randolph. — General Manager Omar Minaya should have waited until the morning after the Mets beat the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim …
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nats GM says Cordero will hit market — Bowden reveals intention to non-tender injured closer — SAN FRANCISCO — The offseason is a little more than two months away, but the Nationals have already decided that reliever Chad Cordero will be non-tendered. The news comes two weeks after Cordero had shoulder surgery.
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