Top News:
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers add Kuo to NLCS roster — Southpaw could neutralize Philly's lethal lefty bats; Saito left off — PHILADELPHIA — Closer Takashi Saito's comeback from elbow problems was derailed Thursday when he was left off the Dodgers' roster for the National League Championship Series …
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John Brattain / Hardball Times:
Why the Phillies will beat the Dodgers — It's been awhile. — The Dodgers haven't sniffed an NLCS since 1988—the Phillies were last in back in 1993. — It should be a good series, but I think we're going to see the City of Brotherly Love not treat the Dodgers with anything resembling filial kindness.
Discussion:
crashburnalley.com
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
LA uses same NLDS rotation for NLCS — Against Phillies, Lowe will be followed by Billingsley, Kuroda — PHILADELPHIA — Not messing with success, Dodgers manager Joe Torre on Wednesday named the same starting pitchers for the first three games of the National League Championship Series …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Kuo may replace Saito on NLCS roster — With lefty reliever returning, struggling closer could be bumped — PHILADELPHIA — Closer Takashi Saito could be bumped off the Dodgers National League Championship Series roster to make room for returning left-handed reliever Hong-Chih Kuo.
Joe Sheehan / Unfiltered:
Facts About Manny Ramirez — Fox broadcaster Tim McCarver joined the chorus-well, actually he stepped in front of the chorus, grabbed a mike, waved down the band and called for a spotlight-Wednesday, slamming Manny Ramirez based largely on the same secondhand stories that have passed around for more than two months.
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Armstrong opens up about club's future — President expounds on GM search, direction of Mariners — SEATTLE — Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said this week that an intense determination to get the Mariners back on course via a “collaborative and inclusive” management style that worked …
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner
Patrick Sullivan / Baseball Analysts:
Dodgers / Phills — Rob Neyer and David Cohen both make convincing cases that Philadelphia is every bit the team Los Angeles is and then some. Here's Rob: … And here's David: … Ok, let's dig a little deeper now. Here are some relevant numbers for the final few months of the season.
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk
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David S. Cohen / The Good Phight:
Ten Things You Might Not Know About the Philadelphia Phillies — A media narrative is developing, and it's not kind to the Phillies. So, in light of that, here are ten things you might not, but should, know about the Philadelphia Phillies: — 1. The Phillies had the second best record in the NL this year.
Steve Lombardi / WasWatching.com:
RUSSO: BELTRAN/CANO DEAL IN THE WORKS? — Frank Russo, on New York Baseball Digest Radio's Yankee Special, mentioned that his connections have shared that the Mets are accepting inquiries for Carlos Beltran. And, further, according to Russo, his sources have also shared that there's a rumor …
Signal to Noise:
Pushing The Narratives — The benefit of my current work schedule is the ability to watch Pardon the Interruption, which remains the only ESPN piece of programming worth investing too much time in. SportsCenter is not as essential as it used to be; much of the analyst shows focused on individual sports are background fodder.
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse
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Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Reds clear three off 40-man roster — Cabrera refuses Triple-A assignment, becomes free agent — CINCINNATI — The Reds have moved three players off their 40-man roster this week. — Utility player Jolbert Cabrera and pitchers Adam Pettyjohn and Jon Adkins were sent outright to Triple-A Louisville.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs pick up Harden's '09 option — Led Major League pitchers with .183 batting average against — CHICAGO — The Cubs took care of one offseason project Wednesday and picked up the $7 million option for pitcher Rich Harden for 2009. — If the Cubs had not picked up the option …
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Art Martone / Projo Sox Blog:
Transcript: Terry Francona's Wednesday press conference — On ALCS pitching rotation — We're going to go, Daisuke, Becket, Lester, Wakefield now. We reserve the right if something crazy happens in the middle to make a change but that's the way we're set up to go. The reasoning is actually pretty simple.
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