Top News:
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Red Sox get Van Every back in trade — The Red Sox have made a trade. This release from the team: — The Boston Red Sox today acquired outfielder Jonathan Van Every from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later and optioned outfielder Josh Reddick to Triple-A Pawtucket.
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Associated Press:
Red Sox hang on to beat Orioles — Jim Johnson walked Adrian Beltre with the bases loaded to force in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning and David Ortiz [stats] hit his first homer of the season, leading the Boston Red Sox [team stats] to their ninth straight win over the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3 on Friday night.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Minor League Ball, Camden Chat, sox1fan.com, Boston Herald, Over the Monster and Yahoo! Sports
Joseph Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Rays color analyst Kevin Kennedy helps thwart potential hi-jacking on flight — Rays television color analyst Kevin Kennedy was one of several passengers that helped save the day and subdue a potential hi-jacker on a red-eye Delta flight last night. — Kennedy, on a flight from L.A. to Tampa …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Rays TV analyst helps thwart terror plot on plane — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster and former major league manager Kevin Kennedy says he was among a group of eight men that subdued a man who threatened to blow up an airplane. — A Delta Air Lines flight …
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
It Seems as if Everybody Hates Alex Rodriguez — ANAHEIM, Calif. — According to some of his peers, Alex Rodriguez is a hypocrite and a “prima donna.” He is not the “Yankee type,” either, and he has “monopolized all the attention” since arriving in the Bronx in 2004.
RELATED:
John Marshall / Associated Press:
Royals release Cruz, make 3 other moves — KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Kansas City had one of the worst bullpens in baseball last year, a group that gave Royals fans an impending sense of doom with nearly every pitch. — When it started happening again this season, the Royals weren't going to put up with it for very long.
RELATED:
Dan Woike / Angels blog:
Hunter: ‘I guess he was on a mission’ — ANAHEIM — Torii Hunter isn't the kind of guy to just slide feet first if the catcher is blocking home plate. But something didn't sit well with Hunter late Friday night after seeing Angels catcher Bobby Wilson take a serious hit from Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira.
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home, Bronx Baseball Daily, New Jersey Online, 6-4-2 and Blogging the Bombers
Sky Andrecheck / Baseball Analysts:
The Science of Playoffs — What is the point of having playoffs? I mean this not as a snarky rhetorical, but as a real question. Playoffs are a given in every major sport today, but it wasn't always that way. Before 1969, there were no playoffs in baseball, just one seven-game series between …
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Mets win, but concern about Maine — The Mets' starting pitcher had to leave after 3 2/3, because of his non-throwing arm — NEW YORK — John Maine's mood after the Mets' 5-2 win against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night could be summarized like this: What next?
Kate Hedlin / Yahoo! Sports:
Cleveland (7-8) at Oakland (10-7) — are working their way back from injuries that kept them sidelined for all of 2009. — Each pitcher walked away from his last start with reason for optimism. — Westbrook and Duchscherer will square off Friday to open a three-game series between the Indians and Athletics.
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
Jenny Vrentas / New Jersey Online:
Mets statistical analyst has seen growth and evolution of sabermetrics in MLB … Ben Baumer says his gig as the Mets statistical analyst was a direct result of the popularity of “Moneyball” early last decade. And in his seven seasons in that position, he has seen the sabermetrics movement expand and deepen.
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Pregame notes: Park's injury persists — Chan Ho Park's hamstring injury is still bothering him, and the Yankees no longer believe he'll be ready to come off the disabled list when his 15 days are over. — “He says it's still somewhat tight,” manager Joe Girardi said.
