Top News:
MLB.com:
Jack Zduriencik named Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations for the Seattle Mariners — SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln and President Chuck Armstrong announced today that Jack Zduriencik has been named the Mariners new Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations.
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Dave / U.S.S. Mariner:
Welcome To The Zduriencik Era — The M's have chosen Jack Zduriencik as their new GM. Despite the fact that he's the oldest of the candidates interviewed and comes with a scouting background, do not assume that this is just more of the same. Zduriencik has been the best regarded scouting director …
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners hire Milwaukee's Zduriencik as general manager — Jack Zduriencik, the last person to interview for the job, was named general manager of the Mariners on Wednesday morning. — Zduriencik, whose candidacy for the job was first reported by the Seattle P-I, will have to wait a couple of days for his coronation, however.
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
World Series Analysis Game 1: Phillies at Rays — Welcome to the first Daily News World Series blog/analysis, where we hope to answer burning baseball questions such as whether the Phillies are sunk if they don't win when their ace, Cole Hamels, starts tonight. — The answer to that one, dear readers, is yes.
Discussion:
6-4-2
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ESPN:
Simulations heavily favor Rays to win Series — The 2008 postseason has produced one of the more intriguing World Series matchups in recent years: a pair of “Cinderella” stories. The young upstarts from Tampa Bay, who went from worst to first after beating the defending champion Red Sox and the big-market …
Mike Fitzpatrick / Associated Press:
Utley helps Phillies lead 3-2 after 6 — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Chase Utley hit a two-run homer and Cole Hamels pitched out of trouble several times, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 3-2 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays after six innings in the World Series opener Wednesday night.
Discussion:
The Heater
New York Post:
PEAVY MAY BE HEADED TO ATLANTA — ST. PETERSBURG - The Jake Peavy sweepstakes will proceed concurrently with the World Series, and the expectation of major league executives polled over the past two days is that the Braves are going to end up with the Padre right-hander.
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball, Atlanta Braves, Baseball Digest Daily Blog, iYankees, 24 Hours From Suicide and MLB Rumors
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Fire Brand of the American League:
Schilling blasts Manny — Curt Schilling's latest entry on his blog, 38pitches.com, was very, very interesting. It has been removed from 38pitches.com (unsurprisingly), but the text still comes through on my RSS reader. I have quoted a few relevant excerpts...
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox, 38 Pitches, Sox and Pinstripes, MLB FanHouse, MLB Rumors and The Big Lead
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets likely to retain Johnson, Warthen — Pitching, hitting coaches were praised for work in 2008 season — NEW YORK — Changes to the coaching staff of Mets manager Jerry Manuel remain a possibility. Those revisions, though, apparently will affect the status of neither Dan Warthen nor Howard Johnson.
Rich Lederer / Baseball Analysts:
World Serious Predictions — The World Series is finally upon us. — Courtesy of ESPN.com, the following bullet points provide a concise look at the matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies. … Schedule — Game 1: Phillies (Hamels, 14-10, 3.09) @ Rays (Kazmir, 12-8, 3.49) 10/22, 8:00 PM ET
Discussion:
ESPN, Phillies Nation, Baseball Prospectus, The Good Phight, The Futility Infielder, South Side Sox, ShysterBall, Sabernomics and DRaysBay
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs may help open new Yankee Stadium — Will Lou Piniella be managing the Cubs in the first game in the new Yankee Stadium? — Piniella indeed may be returning to the Bronx, as the Associated Press is reporting the Cubs and Yankees are in negotiations for either one or two exhibition games at the $1.6 billion ballpark in April.
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Moore hired by Rangers — Former Astros bench coach headed for Arlington — Jackie Moore, who spent eight years as a coach in the Astros' Minor League system before serving as bench coach for Houston in '08, has been hired by the Texas Rangers to be their bench coach.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Associated Press:
MLB: New park for AL champion Rays a must have — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Even before Tropicana Field hosted its first World Series game, Major League Baseball insisted the Tampa Bay Rays must get a new stadium. — “I think they need a new ballpark here. Absolutely,” said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.
