Top News:
CBS Boston:
‘Oil Can’ Boyd Admits To Pitching Under Influence Of Cocaine — BOSTON (CBS) - Former Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd admitted on Wednesday that two-thirds of the time he was on the mound, he was under the influence of cocaine. — “Oh yeah, at every ballpark.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Yahoo! Sports, Over the Monster, baseballmusings.com and The Soxaholix
RELATED:
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Boyd says he used cocaine with Sox — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd's new tell-all book, “They Call Me Oil Can: My Life in Baseball,” which hits bookstores in June, should be a blockbuster if the stories are similar to what the former Red Sox pitcher told WBZ's Jon Miller yesterday at JetBlue Park.
Discussion:
The Boston Globe, The Big Lead, YFSF and NESN.com
Alex Speier / WEEI:
ORTIZ ARB HEARING SLATED FOR MONDAY
ORTIZ ARB HEARING SLATED FOR MONDAY
Discussion:
Over the Monster, HardballTalk and the joy of sox
Associated Press:
Alderson: ‘Big Fundraiser Tonight for Gas Money’ — NEW YORK (AP) — Even Mets general manager Sandy Alderson can't resist pointing out the team's financial difficulties. — The team tweeted Thursday afternoon that Alderson had started a Twitter account (at)MetsGM.
Discussion:
Tedquarters and Real Dirty Mets Blog
RELATED:
Dan Martin / New York Post:
Alderson says Mets are staying pat
Alderson says Mets are staying pat
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and MLB Rumors
Andrew Keh / New York Times:
Alderson Remakes Mets on the Cheap
Alderson Remakes Mets on the Cheap
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue and Kranepool Society
Keith Law / ESPN:
Ranking the top prospects (1-25) — Mike Trout and Bryce Harper come out on top for the second straight year — Welcome to ESPN Insider's 2012 ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball. — This is the fifth year I have done these rankings for Insider, and for the first time …
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and River Avenue Blues
english.yonhapnews.co.kr:
Local baseball governing body bans Baltimore's scouts after controversial signing — The South Korean governing body of baseball has banned scouts from the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball (MLB) from attending local games, after the Orioles signed a teenage pitcher in a controversial move.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, The Knobler Blog, School of Roch and NESN.com
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
11 bidders remain in running to buy Dodgers — The list includes the team of Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten, former owner Peter O'Malley, Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the pairing of Rick Caruso and Joe Torre. — Rams owner Stan Kroenke, a bidder for the Dodgers, addresses the media during …
Associated Press:
Yankees TV host Bob Lorenz charged with drunken driving; cops found YES anchor passed out in car — Police say his speech was slurred and he smelled o alcohol — Cops in Connecticut say they found 48-year-old Bob Lorenz slumped over his steering wheel early Wednesday morning.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Keith Law / ESPN.com:
Law: Top 100 MLB prospects of 2012 (1-25) — Mike Trout and Bryce Harper come out on top for the second straight year
Discussion:
ESPN, HardballTalk, It's About The Money and Red Reporter
Fox Sports:
Figgins could return to form at leadoff — When Eric Wedge said the idea of removing Ichiro from the leadoff spot has “as much to do with his teammates as it has to do with him,” the Seattle Mariners manager might as well have screamed Chone Figgins' name. — Wedge has yet to commit …
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
NY Mets' Mike Pelfrey is confident he will revive his sinker after subpar 2011 campaign — Regaining pitch could be the key to crucial season — Mike Pelfrey throws self into reviving sinker after rough 2011. — Mike Pelfrey estimates that he has already thrown 1,000 sinkers …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Mets Merized Online
Evan Grant / Rangers Blog:
Source: Rangers, Cruz close on 2-year deal for likely more than $15 mil — Update 10:43 a.m. Thursday: Last night, I speculated Nelson Cruz 2-year deal to be worth $14-15 million. When announced, post-physical, likely to be more than $15 mil. — SS Elvis Andrus may not be the only Ranger to get a multi-year contract this week.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Baseball Time in Arlington, Yahoo! Sports, baseballmusings.com, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk, Lone Star Ball and MLB.com
Mike Axisa / MLB Rumors:
Royals Avoid Arbitration With Alex Gordon — The Royals and Alex Gordon have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract, the team announced. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reports that the deal is worth $4.775MM while Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says he can earn another $25K in bonuses (Twitter links).
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Victorino to appear on ‘Hawaii Five-O’ — PHILADELPHIA — Shane Victorino likes to chat a lot in the clubhouse, and later this month, he should have even more to talk about, as he is appearing on the Feb. 20 episode of “Hawaii Five-O” on CBS. — According to CBS, Victorino appears as a business executive on a company retreat.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports