Top News:
Richard Sandomir / Bats:
ESPN Breaks Up ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Team — ESPN ended its 20-year association with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as the voices of “Sunday Night Baseball” on Monday. They declined to renew Morgan's contract and have asked Miller if he wants to stay on as the radio voice of the Sunday night games.
RELATED:
MLB:
Jon Miller, Joe Morgan not returning — Jon Miller and Joe Morgan's 21-year run on ESPN's “Sunday Night Baseball” is over. — Morgan's contract is expiring and he will not be renewed. Miller's contract is also expiring though he may remain at ESPN working the “Sunday Night Baseball” series and postseason baseball for ESPN Radio.
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
They're out! Joe Morgan and Jon Miller nixed from ESPN Sundays — The imperative that Ken Tremendous and Co. jokingly turned into Internet legend has now actually been realized. Starting in 2011, ESPN's “Sunday Night Baseball” will be Joe Morgan free. — Celebrate, lovers of broadcasts free of ego-driven inanity, celebrate!
Discussion:
Toeing the Rubber, HardballTalk and The Good Phight
Henry Schulman / SFGate:
Jon Miller, Joe Morgan out as ESPN Sunday broadcasters
Jon Miller, Joe Morgan out as ESPN Sunday broadcasters
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and The Soxaholix
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Source: Yanks will overpay Derek Jeter — Derek Jeter is going to be paid Ryan Howard money for putting up Marco Scutaro numbers. — “The Yankees are going to overpay him,” said a source with intimate knowledge of the discussions between the team and Casey Close, Jeter's agent.
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Mets Hire Paul DePodesta as VP — The Mets have hired Paul DePodesta as Special Assistant to the General Manager, and he will serve as Vice President of player development and amateur scouting. — DePodesta had been serving as a special assistant to the baseball operations department for the San Diego Padres.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Kranepool Society
RELATED:
Joe Posnanski / Joe Blogs:
History Lessons With Bud — Look, I like Bud Selig. Veteran readers of this blog will know that when I start that way — with “I like Person X” — that usually follows with me attempting to then skewer Person X. Well, I can't help it. I do like Bud. I like him for two main reasons, I think.
Discussion:
Red Reporter and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
RELATED:
Tommy Craggs / Deadspin:
Bud Selig Thinks Abner Doubleday Invented Baseball. Of Course He Does.
Discussion:
The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Tim Kurkjian / MLB:
Source: Tsuyoshi Nishioka to be posted — Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a 26-year-old middle infielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Japan, will be posted for MLB teams this week, a source close to the situation said Monday. — Nishioka won the Pacific League batting title this year with a .346 average.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Fanhouse MLB Blog, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Britt's Bird Watch
MLB.com:
Blue Jays complete coaching staff for 2011 — The Toronto Blue Jays announce the following additions to the coaching staff of manager John Farrell for the 2011 season. Joining Brian Butterfield, Third Base Coach, & Bruce Walton, Pitching Coach, will be Don Wakamatsu, Bench Coach …
Discussion:
Britt's Bird Watch
RELATED:
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Cliff Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker, says decision won't come quickly as Yankees chase lefty ace — Cliff Lee is the marquee free agent on the market this winter, and according to his agent, that isn't going to change anytime soon. — Two days into Lee's first free-agent experience …
Discussion:
Zell's Pinstripe Blog and baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees touch base with Cliff Lee, face competition from Brewers …
Yankees touch base with Cliff Lee, face competition from Brewers …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and NESN.com
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Washburn interested in comeback with Crew — Veteran lefty played under new manager Roenicke with Angels — MILWAUKEE — It sounds like left-hander Jarrod Washburn is interested in a comeback with his home-state Brewers. — Washburn, who hails from western Wisconsin …
Discussion:
Mariners Insider and MLB Daily Dish
RELATED:
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Washburn considering MLB comeback
Washburn considering MLB comeback
Discussion:
JSOnline, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
A's win bidding for Japan's Iwakuma — The Oakland A's have taken another step in filling out one of the game's most intriguing starting rotations in winning the bidding for Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, SI.com has confirmed. — Agent Don Nonura tweeted Monday that the A's had won …
Discussion:
Athletics Nation, Kranepool Society, Baseball-Reference Blog and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Jane Lee / MLB.com:
A's win bidding for Japan's Iwakuma
Discussion:
Marinerds, etc., Mariners blog and Lone Star Ball
Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com:
A's win exclusive rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma
A's win exclusive rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma
Discussion:
SFGate, HardballTalk, Mets Merized Online and NESN.com
Jeff Sullivan / Lookout Landing:
A's Win Rights To Hisashi Iwakuma?
A's Win Rights To Hisashi Iwakuma?
Discussion:
Seattle Times, U.S.S. Mariner and Athletics Nation
Baseball Hall of Fame:
Expansion Era Committee to Consider 12 Candidates for Hall of Fame Election at December's Winter Meetings — Ballot Features Eight Long-Retired Players, Three Executives and One Manager for Consideration of Careers Whose Greatest Impact Felt from 1973-present
Discussion:
Mike Silva's … and The Captain's Blog
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: Red Sox eye Jayson Werth — BOSTON — The Red Sox, as expected, have contacted agent Scott Boras regarding their interest in free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth, according to a baseball source. — There was no word yet on whether the team was pursuing outfielder Carl Crawford, although that would appear to be a no-brainer.
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs, FenwayNationWorld, Phillies Nation, MLB Daily Dish, Over the Monster, Pirates Prospects, NESN.com and Fox Sports
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
2011 Top 50 Free Agents
2011 Top 50 Free Agents
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, MLB Daily Dish, Bucs Dugout and Pirates Prospects
Sports Illustrated:
Potential free-agent busts (Pavano, Wood) and bargains (Garland, Lee) … No teams want to make a mistake in free agency, as a bad contract can hamper a franchise for years (although the world champion Giants overcame bad deals for Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand). Nobody wants to add the wrong person to their clubhouse, either.
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home and MetsBlog.com
