There's Some Grit In Them Furry Beasts  —  As if going to Pittsburgh for a one game rainout makeup isn't exciting enough, the Mets were also able to catch the phenomenon known as Anthrocon 2009, a convention where people can dress like animals.  Boy, it was the club's lucky day ... let alone Kevin Burkhardt's lucky day.

Branyan punctuates win with long blast  —  Slugger hits restaurant in center field at Yankee Stadium  —  NEW YORK — After going nearly two games without hitting a ball between the white lines at Yankee Stadium, Mariners first baseman Russell Branyan hit one where no else has gone.

Report: Rangers borrowed money from MLB  —  The Texas Rangers borrowed millions of dollars from Major League Baseball within the last week, according to a Yahoo! report.  —  Rangers spokesman John Blake told the website that the club would have no comment, and Rich Levin …

Braves complete sweep of Phillies, 5-2  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Diaz drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning double and the Atlanta Braves beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Thursday night to complete their first home sweep of the Phillies in four years.  —  Diaz had his second straight three-hit …

Hanson named NL's top rookie in June  —  Wins over Yankees, Red Sox among righty's highlights  —  ATLANTA — One month into his Major League career, right-hander Tommy Hanson has been as good as advertised.  Braves fans have known about the 6-foot-6 phenom since he dominated opponents in the Minor Leagues.

Boras's Next Assault on Draft Might Come From Far East  —  The Major League Rules is a sprawling, dense, little-known, 254-page document, periodically updated, that governs the business side of baseball.  Among other things, it lays out, in painstaking legalese, the process and guidelines …

Morosi On Yankees, Qualls, Tigers  —  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports has a few more rumors worth passing along:  — The Yankees' bullpen has been performing well, but that's not stopping the team from keeping a close eye on D'Backs closer Chad Qualls.  — If Brian Bruney doesn't start pitching …

Bobby Abreu homers twice in Angels' victory  —  Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu hits a solo home run as Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters and home plate umpire Bill Hohn look on during the fourth inning.  Abreu also hit a three-run home run in the fifth as the Angels won, 5-2.

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez making return on Friday against San Diego Padres  —  SAN DIEGO — Manny Ramirez will be back in big leagues on Friday night after a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy.  His return should be nothing short of a spectacle.

Twins make offer to Miguel Angel Sano...sort of  —  STILL FROM KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MO. — I was told today that the Twins have made an offer to Dominican superprospect Miguel Angel Sano - but it's contingent on him being able to prove that he's 16.

July 2 Signings Update, Recap  —  As you've seen, we have confirmation of several major signings on the first day of the international signing period.  —  However, most signings have either not been officially announced or will wait until after July 2 to commence as the market sorts itself out.

A Real Fastball  —  Relief pitchers throw hard.  This isn't news.  Jonathan Broxton, Brian Wilson, Matt Lindstrom, and Mark Lowe all average 96 MPH+ with their fastballs.  Angel Guzman throws a 90 MPH slider.  These guys are big, power arms who come in and light up radar guns.

Former Yankee Jim Leyritz to spend weekend in jail after domestic battery arrest  —  Ex-wife denies making up domestic battery story  —  DAVIE - Former New York Yankee Jim Leyritz will be spending the Fourth of July weekend in jail following his arrest early this morning on charges of domestic battery, a Broward judge decided today.