Top News:
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Breaking news: Meacham fired — The Yankees have decided not to renew the contract of 3B coach Bobby Meacham. Brian Cashman just handed down word via media relations director Jason Zillo. — Cashman is in a meeting with his pro scouts at the moment. The hope is to speak to him later.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Yankees fire 3B coach, special pitching instructor — NEW YORK — Third-base coach Bobby Meacham and special pitching instructor Rich Monteleone were fired Tuesday by the New York Yankees. — Meacham spent six seasons as a player with the Yankees and was hired last November when Joe Girardi replaced Joe Torre as manager.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Meacham won't be back in 2009 — Former Yankee was third-base coach; Monteleone dismissed — BOSTON — The Yankees will not renew the contract of third-base coach Bobby Meacham, the club announced on Tuesday. — General manager Brian Cashman announced the decision through director of media relations Jason Zillo.
Discussion:
Green Pinstripes
Cliff Corcoran / Sports Illustrated:
Previewing today's playoff game … Rays at Red Sox — Series: ALCS, Game 4; Rays lead 2-1 — TV: TBS — Starters: Andy Sonnanstine (1-0, 3.18) vs. Tim Wakefield (10-11, 4.13) — By beating Jon Lester last night the Rays have completely changed the outlook of the ALCS.
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John Perrotto / Unfiltered:
ALCS Game 4 pre-game tidbits — Pre-game tidbits from Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday night between the Rays and Red Sox at Fenway Park: —Red Sox manager Terry Francona reconfigured his lineup after his team lost two games in a row to fall behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Associated Press:
Lowell done for the year, set for surgery on hip — BOSTON (AP) — Mike Lowell will undergo surgery on his right hip Monday, depriving the Red Sox of last year's World Series MVP for the rest of their season. — The third baseman, who is not on Boston's roster for the AL championship series …
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:History lesson — The narrative of a playoff baseball series …
Discussion:
tbo.com, Red Sox Monster, The Heater, SOX & Dawgs, Baseball Musings and Sports Illustrated
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cancer takes ‘nice, humble’ ex-Cubs pitcher — Former major league pitcher Kevin Foster, who fulfilled a lifelong dream by playing for the Cubs, died Saturday at the age of 39. — The former Evanston High star died in an Oklahoma City hospital after a six-month bout with renal cell carcinoma, his brother, Mark Foster, said.
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ESPN:
Former Cubs pitcher Foster dies of cancer at 39 — CHICAGO — Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Foster has died of cancer at age 39. — His brother said Foster died in an Oklahoma City hospital on Saturday after a six-month bout with renal cell carcinoma.
Dan Hayes / North County Times:
PADRES: Padres make Peavy available for trade — It has been 10 months since the Padres did everything in their power to keep Jake Peavy from testing free agency, signing him to a $52 million contract extension. But one season and 99 losses later, the team has let it be known …
Discussion:
6-4-2
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Eddie B / Detroit Tigers Thoughts:
Final Elias Rankings - American League Catchers — As a warning, you will know less after reading this post than you did before. I'll start by posting the rankings. I wouldn't put any stock at all into Rodriguez, Zaun, and Olivo's status without reading on.
Daniel Barbarisi / Providence Journal:
A younger Baldelli gets a feel for the bigs … BOSTON — Rocco Baldelli wasn't the only member of his family on the field at Fenway yesterday. His little brother, Dante, 10, stood wide-eyed just outside the cage while the elder Baldelli and the rest of the Rays took batting practice.
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Rockies prospect Weathers faces Tommy John surgery — Right-handed reliever Casey Weathers' fast-track to the big leagues was put on hold. — The Rockies' former first-round draft pick was diagnosed with “an acute tear of the ulnar collateral ligament” in his right forearm, minor-league director Marc Gustafson said Tuesday.
Discussion:
Baseball America
Los Angeles Times:
Second-guessing of Joe Torre begins — The Dodgers manager's decisions get a thorough once-over after the 7-5 loss to the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLCS. — T.J. Simers — At times like these, it's hard not to sound like a Steinbrenner. — It's as if Joe Torre suddenly never managed in a big game before, the stage too big.
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Matthew Futterman / Wall Street Journal:
As Economy Weakens, Sports Feel a Chill — The crisis in financial markets is sending a chill through the sports industry, cooling the ardor of many longtime season-ticket holders and formerly deep-pocketed corporate sponsors. — Fans have packed the nation's stadiums for the baseball playoffs this fall …
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
ModernTube: Barack Obama jumps on the Phillies bandwagon — Consideiring that Florida is also a battleground state, I'd say that nominee Barack Obama is limiting himself here by declaring his allegiance for the Phillies. Luckily, there was that time that Joe Biden mentioned the “Devil” …


