Top News:
Fox Sports:
Right now Red Sox are a lousy team — CLEVELAND — Yes, it's early. Yes, the game-time temperature was 39 degrees. Yes, Reggie Dunlop and the Charlestown Chiefs played before larger crowds than the one that gathered at the former Jacobs Field on Wednesday night.
RELATED:
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Horror in full force — How scared are you, Nation? — CLEVELAND — There's a scene in pretty much every horror movie when a hot chick alone in the woods yells it's not funny anymore and says she's scared. Her boyfriend doesn't answer. Things will not end well for her.
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Sports Illustrated:
Should winless BoSox, Rays be worried? … For many teams, the major league season is just five games old, yet three of those teams — the Red Sox, Rays and Astros — are still searching for their first victory. To suggest that any team has reason to worry after such a small dry spell …
Discussion:
Sox #1 Fan dot com, Pinstriped Bible …, Pinstripe Alley, YFSF, Red Sox Monster and Nationals Baseball
Robert Macleod / Globe and Mail:
Jays: Escobar feeling fine, but won't play in series finale — Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar is feeling fine after being kneed in the head during Wednesday night's game against the Oakland A's but it still unclear if he suffered a concussion. — Escobar will held …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and USA Today
RELATED:
National Post:
Escobar diagnosed with ‘mild’ concussion — Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has been diagnosed with a “ very mild” concussion but could be back in the lineup early next week, a club spokesman said Thursday. — Escobar underwent neurological tests Thursday morning after leaving Wednesday's game with dizziness.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Bluebird Banter
Nelson Wyatt / Global Toronto:
Blue Jays could play a game in Montreal
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter and HardballTalk
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Joey Looseleafs wound tight ... in April? — Girardi's agitation level in late-season form after his Soriano decision is questioned … It's only April 6, and already, the veins in Joe Girardi's neck are bulging like Alex Rodriguez's biceps. — The teeth are already gritted, the eyes flashing, the answers short.
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Pinstriped Bible …, Subway Squawkers, Baseball Nation and Baseball Prospectus
RELATED:
Brian Heyman / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Soriano says sorry — Brian Heyman here again today at Yankee Stadium.
Discussion:
Confessions of a She-Fan, BronxBanterBlog.com and Respect Jeter's Gangster
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
So he's your eighth-inning guy, Joe?
Discussion:
HardballTalk, rlyw.net, It's About The Money, LADY AT THE BAT and New York Post
Joe Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays: quote of day Manny on what he needs to prove; quote of day 2 Maddon on road trip; turn back the clock — The dish — When/where: 2:10 today; U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago — TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish) — Starting pitchers — WHITE SOX: RHP Edwin Jackson (1-0, 3.00)
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, DRaysBay, South Side Sox and HardballTalk
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Desmond remains Riggleman's leading man — MIAMI — On Wednesday, a day after saying that shortstop Ian Desmond would move down in the batting order and that second baseman Danny Espinosa would be the new leadoff hitter, manager Jim Riggleman had a change of heart.
RELATED:
Dan Steinberg / Washington Post:
Rob Dibble says e-mail from Strasburg's dad ended his MASN tenure — (Jonathan Newton - WASHINGTON POST) Late last August, MASN color analyst Rob Dibble told Stephen Strasburg to “suck it up,” before the extent of Strasburg's elbow injury had become public.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, USA Today and MissChatter
Jane Lee / MLB.com:
Harden has successful bullpen session — TORONTO — Rehabbing hurler Rich Harden, nursing a sore lat muscle, had a successful bullpen session with hitters standing in on Thursday morning and is now geared to throw live batting practice on Monday. — “I feel good,” Harden said. “I'm ready to go.”
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Rob Maaddi / Associated Press:
Howard, Polanco lead Phillies past Mets — PHILADELPHIA—Ryan Howard tied a career high with four hits and fell a triple short of the cycle, Ben Francisco also homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 10-7 Wednesday night after wasting a 7-0 lead.
RELATED:
Brian Costa / Wall Street Journal:
Mets' Pelfrey Tries to Stick to Mental ABCs of Pitching
Discussion:
New York Times, MetsBlog.com, Tedquarters and Kranepool Society
Jeremy Greenhouse / Baseball Prospectus:
Trading Places — In an offseason packed with turmoil and turnover but bereft of big-money acquisitions, the Mets made one high-profile on-field move by swapping Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan in the outfield. Even though Beltran still feels that he could play center …
Brian Kotloff / Philly.com:
Manuel understands Phillies fans booing Hamels — Charlie Manuel said he understood why fans at Citizens Bank Park chose to boo Cole Hamels after one of the worst starts of his career Tuesday night. “It's part of baseball,” the manager said in the dugout before Wednesday's game.
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
The Brandon Phillips Trade Five Years Later — Today, Brandon Phillips may be the Reds' most recognizable player. Five years ago? He was anything but. When then-GM Wayne Krivsky acquired Phillips from the Indians on this date in 2006, he was a 24-year-old unknown who had yet to convert …
Discussion:
Diamond Hoggers
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Infielders' work wraps up Rangers' sixth win — ARLINGTON — Mitch Moreland might have a nice dinner headed his way sometime soon, perhaps this weekend at the Capital Grille a block away from the team hotel in Baltimore. — The man picking up the check will be Adrian Beltre …
Discussion:
ESPN and Lone Star Ball
