Top News:
Fox Sports:
Francona expected to leave Red Sox — Terry Francona will meet with Red Sox management on Friday morning, and the expected resolution is that he no longer will be the team's manager, major league sources say. — While Francona's departure is not certain, it is the likely outcome …
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Francona, Red Sox meeting this morning; he will be out as manager — What seemed evident yesterday is expected to become final today with the Red Sox and Terry Francona parting ways after eight seasons. — The manager will meet with GM Theo Epstein and ownership at 10 a.m. today …
Discussion:
SawxBlog, Surviving Grady and ESPN
Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times:
Francona wants out of Boston; White Sox are logical landing spot — TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 5: Manager Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox looks on during batting practice prior to MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays September 5, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Discussion:
Baseball Nerd, Full Count, WEEI, Over the Monster, HardballTalk, NESN.com and Baseball Nation
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
As Francona departs, who is next? — Here at Fenway Park for the stakeout. — John Henry and Terry Francona are inside. DeMarlo Hale is here, too. — It's probably just a matter of how they word the press release at this point. — When Theo Epstein last hired a manager …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Baseball Nation
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Post-mortem leaves question of Francona's future unanswered — For nearly 33 minutes yesterday, Red Sox manager Terry Francona sat next to general manager Theo Epstein on a small stage in a crowded room at Fenway Park and took questions about how the 2011 team had so utterly failed.
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
Jackie MacMullan / ESPN:
Unlikable Red Sox flunked chemistry — Somehow the team became what it once abhorred — arrogant, complacent and entitled — You can wring your hands all you want over whether Jonathan Papelbon served up the wrong pitch to Robert Andino or why Marco Scutaro hesitated just long enough …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Dream year ends in tatters
Discussion:
Bats, Yahoo! Sports, NESN.com, The Big Lead, Deadspin, ESPN, Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and The Soxaholix
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
A's could hear soon on possible move to San Jose — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Athletics general manager Billy Beane expects to hear “very soon” from Commissioner Bud Selig about whether the club will be allowed to move south to San Jose and build a new ballpark.
RELATED:
Jennifer Mann / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards broadcaster McLaughlin cited for drunk driving — Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin has been cited for drunken driving for the second time after a stop by Chesterfield police on Sunday. Police said McLaughlin, 37, was stopped at 10:13 p.m. on Baxter Road and Isleview Drive after he crashed his vehicle.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and The Big Lead
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays pick rookie Matt Moore to start Game 1 of AL Division Series — ARLINGTON, Texas — Of course they are. — In picking among three potential starters for today's opening game of the best-of-five AL Division Series, the Rays made the most unconventional and boldest choice …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Sports Illustrated, Bats and Brew Crew Ball
Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers need to swing for the fences on new deal with Matt Kemp — The Dodgers will probably need to pay close to $200 million to keep the star center fielder in Los Angeles. And they'll need to move quickly. The question is, do they have the resources?
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Analysis: 2011 MLB Playoff Teams By Player Payroll — Baseball is broken. That's what they say. It's only teams with high payrolls that have a shot. Well... With heart-stopping excitement that the baseball gods gave us on the final day of the 2011 MLB season now in the books, the postseason is now set.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Berkman enjoys a return to form — To Lance Berkman, this season has been about meeting rather than exceeding expectations. — A player who came to the Cardinals as a well-worn free agent first baseman enters the postseason as one of the National League's most productive outfielders.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Lindbergh / Baseball Prospectus:
NLDS Preview: Phillies vs. Cardinals — Why the Phillies Will Win: The Phillies boast the best pitching staff in baseball and can throw three of the NL's top 10 starters in four of five possible games. Should they fail to sweep, they'll be forced to hold their nose, avert their eyes, and hand the ball to... Roy Oswalt.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Joe Posnanski / Joe Blogs:
Baseball Night in America — Baseball, like life, revolves around anticlimax. That in many ways is the beauty of it. I realize that's a hard thing to explain to someone who doesn't love baseball, no, more than hard, it's an impossible thing to explain because many people want sports to be more than life …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
RELATED:
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
Baseball Night in America
Discussion:
DRaysBay, Baseball Prospectus and Where Have You Gone …
