Check out Mini-Ballbug for simple mobiles or Ballbug Mobile for modern smartphones.
6:40 PM ET, February 28, 2012

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Jon KrawczYnski / Globe and Mail:
Red Sox manager Valentine already tweaking rival Yankees  —  Bobby Valentine has only been wearing a Boston Red Sox uniform for about two weeks and he's already taking a few jabs at the archrival New York Yankees.  —  Many thought that the outspoken manager's arrival in Boston could add …
Discussion: Associated Press
RELATED:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Valentine lauds Varitek for going after A-Rod … FORT MYERS, Fla. — New Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine got the 2012 rivalry with the Yankees going early Tuesday.  —  He took a little shot at captain Derek Jeter and then took a poke at another Yankee when asked to assess Jason Varitek, the catcher who will retire Thursday.
Discussion: Boston Globe
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
'Tek supported: Teammates will miss captain
Discussion: Boston Globe
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Jason Varitek to announce retirement from baseball on Thursday
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Beckett angry about ‘snitches’ with Red Sox
Discussion: Red Sox Monster, ESPN and Full Count
ESPN:
Report: Red Sox's Varitek will retire Thursday
Discussion: Boston Globe
George A. King III / New York Post:
Joba throws off full mound at Yankees camp  —  TAMPA — It's only 5 inches higher than the half-mound Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain had been throwing off, but it represented a much larger step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.  —  Tuesday morning in a George M. Steinbrenner Field bullpen …
RELATED:
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Tuesday morning notes: Chamberlain on a full mound  —  For the first time since last season's Tommy John surgery, Joba Chamberlain pitched off a full mound this morning.  He threw just 16 pitches, a typically light workload for a player getting on a mound for the first time.
Discussion: Bronx Baseball Daily
Associated Press:
Chamberlain throws off full mound, tests elbow
Discussion: HardballTalk
Tony Jackson / ESPN:
Mattingly: Dodgers are Yanks of LA, not Angels  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who spent his entire 14-year career as a major league player with the New York Yankees, said Tuesday that despite the major offseason moves and high expectations …
Discussion: Yahoo! Sports and True Blue LA
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Source: Cards near extension for Molina
Discussion: Viva El Birdos
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Cards, Molina soon to finalize extension
Discussion: MLB Daily Dish
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Molina, Cards closing on deal
Discussion: MLB Rumors
Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Astros turn to Myers to be their closer  —  Veteran right-hander saved 21 games for Phillies in 2007  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Astros' search for a closer ended with a surprise announcement Tuesday morning.  —  Veteran right-hander Brett Myers, a starter in all but one of his 10 Major League seasons …
RELATED:
Brian McTaggart / Tag's Lines:
Astros move Myers to closer  —  The Astros' search for a closer ended with a surprise announcement Tuesday morning.  —  Astros manager Brad Mills told reporters veteran starting pitcher Brett Myers would be moved into the closer role, a position he held with the Phillies in 2007.
ESPN.com:
Collector in Braun case says he followed rules  —  A man identifying himself as the collector who took Ryan Braun's urine samples last fall said he followed the same protocol with the Milwaukee Brewers slugger as he had with hundreds of previous samples.  —  In an email sent Tuesday to ESPN …
Discussion: NESN.com
RELATED:
New York Times:
Drug Test Collector in Braun Case Says He Followed Protocol
Discussion: Yahoo! Sports and Deadspin
Charles P. Pierce / Grantland:
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Discussion: HardballTalk and Dodger Thoughts
New York Post:
Hughes chosen one in Yankees rotation battle  —  TAMPA — We can pretend there is a competition going on for the Yankees' No. 5 starter spot, but that is what it is.  Pretend.  The WWE stages more realistic battles.  —  The Yankees are saying it is Freddy Garcia vs. Phil Hughes.
RELATED:
Bryan Hoch / Bombers Beat:
Pettitte: I could still do this (but I won't) — plus camp photos
Discussion: HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Carson Cistulli / FanGraphs Baseball:
Broadcaster Rankings (TV): #30 - #21  —  Beginning in late November, we've spent much of the offseason asking readers to rate the television broadcast teams (on a scale of 1-5 for charisma, analysis, and then overall) for all 30 major-league clubs — with the intention, ultimately …
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
NY Mets' David Wright is unimpressed with Jeff Wilpon's ‘Underdog’ T-Shirt motivational tactics  —  Cartoon shirt gets under third baseman's skin  —  David Wright isn't thrilled with the “Underdog” T-shirt motivational ploy from ownership.  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Can even Underdog save the Mets?
Discussion: HardballTalk and MetsBlog.com
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen: Don't be bleeping late for the National Anthem  —  Manager Ozzie Guillen says he doesn't have many rules for his players, but he was adamant about one: Be on time for the singing of the National Anthem.  —  “Stand up for National Anthem and don't be late,” …
Discussion: HardballTalk and NESN.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Service Time Considerations For Top Prospects  —  Timing the debuts of top prospects is essential for MLB teams.  No club wants to expose a player to top competition before he's ready, but keeping a player in the minors when he could be contributing at the big league level is hardly appealing either.
Discussion: Red Reporter
D.J. Short / HardballTalk:
Scott Sizemore out for season with torn ACL in left knee  —  Scott Sizemore injured his left knee during a fielding drill on Saturday and the Athletics just announced that he'll miss the entire 2012 season due to a torn ACL.  Jane Lee of MLB.com reports that the 27-year-old will be reevaluated in two weeks before surgery is scheduled.
RELATED:
Jane Lee / MLB.com:   Ka'aihue relishes new opportunity with A's
 
 Archived Page Info: 
This is a snapshot of Ballbug at 6:40 PM ET, February 28, 2012.

View the current page or another snapshot:


 
 See Also: 
Ballbug: site main
Ballbug River: reverse chronological Ballbug
Ballbug Mobile: for phones
Ballbug Leaderboard: Ballbug's top sources
 
 Subscribe: 
Ballbug RSS feed
 
 
 More News: 
Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Sternberg: “Pretty certain” Tampa Bay area can be viable long term
Discussion: Rays Index
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Freeman may miss two weeks with achy knee
Discussion: Talking Chop
Patrick Saunders / On the Rox:
Jamie Moyer's 49-year-old arm passes first test with Rockies
Discussion: HardballTalk
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays: Luke Scott displays pig-hunting spears; coach Tom Foley pays tribute to prospect Hak-Ju Lee
Discussion: DRaysBay and HardballTalk
Mike Kerwick / NorthJersey.com:
Mets' Fred Wilpon says payroll cut was GM's decision
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
‘Quiet’ is one word that says a lot about Gonzalez
 Earlier Picks: 
Kevin Goldstein / ESPN:
Free-agent fantasy  —  Would Trout, Harper and Moore …
Discussion: MLB, Baseball Nation and ESPN
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Magic Johnson leads one of seven Dodgers bidding groups to advance
Discussion: Chad Moriyama and HardballTalk
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Pestano is backup plan as Tribe's closer
 

 
From WeSmirch:

Tamantha Ryan / Page Six:
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy accuses him of rape, physical abuse amid Diddy lawsuit drama — but he denies it

People:
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Announces Separation from Husband 3 Months After Prison Release

Jeff Conway / Forbes:
Olivia Colman Reflects On Her Beloved Career: ‘I Have Been Very Lucky’

 
Sister Sites:

Techmeme
 Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web
Mediagazer
 Top news and commentary for media professionals from all around the web
memeorandum
 What US political commentators are discussing online right now
WeSmirch
 The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page