Top News:
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Proctor to have surgery on right elbow — Dodgers reliever expected to be ready for Spring Training — LOS ANGELES — Dodgers reliever Scott Proctor, who was left off the National League Championship Series roster after battling arm problems, will undergo right elbow surgery Wednesday.
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Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers defeat Phillies, 7-2, thanks to big first inning — Blake DeWitt's three-run triple is the key hit in a five-run first as Dodgers take Game 3 on a strong outing by Hiroki Kuroda and cut Phillies' series lead to 2-1. Teams nearly brawl in the third. — The Dodgers knocked Jamie Moyer out of the game.
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Close pitches cause benches to clear — Martin plunked, buzzed before Kuroda nearly hits Victorino — LOS ANGELES — Tempers flared and benches cleared during the third inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday, sparking more than a fair bit of animosity between the Dodgers and Phillies.
Associated Press:
Benches clear in Game 3 of NLCS — LOS ANGELES (AP)—Both benches and bullpens cleared Sunday night in Game 3 of the NL championship series, moments after Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch over Shane Victorino's head. — Plate umpire Mike Everitt immediately warned …
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES — Colletti walks line between baseball genius and scapegoat — (10-12) 04:00 PDT Los Angeles — Word on the street here a few months ago was that Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti better not sign a long-term lease on his Los Angeles apartment.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Blogging Baseball, Dodger Thoughts, Phillies Nation, The Good Phight and Boston Globe
New York Post:
GIRARDI SHOULDN'T TRY TO BE THE NEXT JOE — LOS ANGELES - To be around Joe Torre again is a reminder of his impressive blend of self-confidence, serenity and stature. — Torre exudes a comfort in his own skin and, thus, brings a comfort to those who enter his sphere.
Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com:
Scolded at school, fan lauded by Rays — Sharples, 12, meets favorite players after taking suspension — ST. PETERSBURG — On Monday, Zachary Sharples wasn't even allowed to rest his head and take a nap. On Saturday night, the seventh-grader had a hard time believing he wasn't dreaming.
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
A Nation worries about its ace — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - While New England slept, the Tampa Bays Rays evened the American League Championship Series last night, winning a 5-hour-27-minute marathon, 9-8, on B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the 11th at 1:35 this morning.
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Texas Rangers' president takes aim at pitchers — egrant@dallasnews.com — SURPRISE, Ariz. - For the 15 years between retiring as the world's greatest living pitcher and taking on the task of reforming the world's worst living pitching staff, Nolan Ryan was - and is - a cattle rancher.
Mike Lupica / NY Daily News:
Shooting from The Lip: Mets, Yanks should stay away from Manny — Both the Mets and Yankees, who are a little desperate these days as they watch the baseball postseason go on without them, should stay away from Manny Ramirez. Let the Dodgers pay him. And have him.
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Victor Wang / Hardball Times:
How much should Ben Sheets get? — Background — The free agent pitching pool this year is relatively large, with pitchers such as CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Ryan Dempster and Derek Lowe available. Included among these pitchers is Ben Sheets, who has become slightly overshadowed with Sabathia arriving in Milwaukee.
Discussion:
It is about the money, stupid
John Shea / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants little more than longshot in Sabathia sweepstakes — Let's say the Giants won't sign CC Sabathia for two reasons: Bill Neukom and Barry Zito. — Neukom, the new managing general partner, has been a Giants investor since 1995 and a general partner since 2003.
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Beckett received shot — He had injection for oblique injury — Josh Beckett appears to be progressing toward full health, but team sources confirmed that the Red Sox pitcher required an injection of a painkiller and anti-inflammatory medication after injuring his right oblique during …
Ian / SOX & Dawgs:
Please Don't Quit Your Day Jobs — I am not sure there are really any words to explain this from the end of the TBS postgame coverage after Game 2 of the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. — At least they all agree they were brutal.
The Times-Tribune:
Early guess at the Triple-A and Double-A rotations — A question from the comments: If every pitcher returned( no trades, rule 5 draft) what would the pitching staff at SWB look like. I think if this would happen it's gonna create an even bigger log jam for a lot of these pitchers in AA and AAA.
Wallace Matthews / Newsday:
Mets are legends in their own minds — There's a feeling around the Mets that somehow they are the uncrowned champions of the National League, the best team with the worst luck, or some such nonsense. — They tell themselves they should have been in the 2006 World Series …
