Top News:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Crawford slides up to leadoff spot vs. Yankees — BOSTON — Carl Crawford has sure made his way around the batting order during his first week with the Red Sox. The left fielder moved up to the leadoff spot for Friday's home opener against the Yankees. — Jacoby Ellsbury …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Matt Pepin / Boston Globe:
Felix Doubront activated for game — Lefthanded pitcher Felix Doubront has been activated from the disabled list for today's game, the Globe's Peter Abraham reports from Fenway Park. — Lefthanded reliever Dennys Reyes was designated for assignment.
Discussion:
Over the Monster and SOX & Dawgs
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
One low point after another — And the hits just keep on coming. — In their latest move to make friends and endear themselves to local fans, Fenway Sports Management yesterday announced it has inked Ulf Samuelsson and Matt Cooke to work on business deals worldwide.
Discussion:
boston.stats.com, Associated Press, The Knobler Blog and Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Circumstance says stomp out pomp — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — Cancel the home opener. — Call it off. No patriotic flyover, no festive bunting, no oversized American flag covering the Green Monster. — This isn't to say that the Red Sox [team stats] …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Joe McDonald / ESPN:
Boston Red Sox add Felix Doubront, Alfredo Aceves in 'pen shuffle — BOSTON — It didn't take long for the struggling Boston Red Sox to make roster moves. — Manager Terry Francona announced Friday afternoon that the club has designated lefty reliever Dennys Reyes for assignment …
Discussion:
Boston Globe and Projo Sox Blog
Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Is It Time to Panic in Boston?
Discussion:
Replacement Level …, Pinstripe Alley, joy of sox, River Avenue Blues, Full Count, Boston Globe and YFSF
MLB:
MLB announces Manny Ramirez is retiring after drug issue — Tampa Bay Rays slugger Manny Ramirez has notified Major League Baseball that he is retiring after being notified of an issue under MLB's drug policy. — Ramirez — Ramirez tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during spring training …
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, True Blue LA, Lone Star Ball, Deadspin and Associated Press
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Manny Ramirez Retires — Manny Ramirez has retired, Major League Baseball announced. MLB says it notified Ramirez of “an issue” under its drug program and that the longtime slugger decided to retire instead of continuing with the process. — Ramirez would have faced a 100-game suspension …
Discussion:
Diamond Hoggers
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Manny retires due to “issue” with drug test — Rays DH Manny Ramirez has retired after “an issue” with an MLB drug test. — Bill Shaikan of the Los Angeles Times posted on Twitter from a source that “Manny tested positive for banned substance, would have been facing 100-game suspension had he not retired (or succeeded in appeal).”
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Bats
UC Berkeley NewsCenter:
Baseball program will continue at UC Berkeley — BERKELEY — The University of California, Berkeley, baseball program will continue to represent the campus as an Intercollegiate Athletics sport, now and into the future, as the result of a successful and ongoing fundraising effort on the part of alumni …
Discussion:
Hardball Times
RELATED:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Wang, Rodriguez ready to throw — MIAMI — Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang is expected to pitch in an extended spring training game in a week, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. — Wang hasn't pitched in the Major Leagues in almost two years because of shoulder problems.
RELATED:
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Nishioka breaks leg on Swisher's hard slide — Twins second baseman, Yanks outfielder exhibit professionalism — NEW YORK — The differences between the big league baseball played in this country and the professional ball in Japan are not always subtle. Some are merely pleasant nuances …
Discussion:
Toeing the RubberToeing …
RELATED:
AaronGleeman.com:
Tsuyoshi Nishioka fractures fibula in collision at second base
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Twinkie Town and Yahoo! Sports
Dan Graziano / New York Times:
Twins' Misery Against Yankees Is Compounded by Injury
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, The Yankee Analysts and Twinkie Town
Philly.com:
Phillies Notes: Phillies' Halladay will settle for a grounder over a strikeout — The situation called for a strikeout, but Roy Halladay said he doesn't think that way. Bases loaded, one out, David Wright at the plate in a third inning that was on the verge of turning ugly.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
Adam J. Morris / Lone Star Ball:
Jim Palmer — The Most Overrated Pitcher of All Time? — Everyone here knows who Jim Palmer is. One of the all-time greats, a legend. — Palmer spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles, where he won the Cy Young Award three times, finished second twice, third once, and fifth two more times.
Teri Thompson / NY Daily News:
Mets ownership group narrows investor search to eight as Wilpons try to sell piece of team: source — The Mets have narrowed their search for an investor to eight groups, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. — The team's owners, Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding and HardballTalk
