Top News:
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
The new MLB postseason — How expansion will affect September races, postseason schedule and much more — For 6½ decades, baseball invited only two teams to its postseason extravaganza. Those were the days. It's now 2012, and this sport has actually quintupled that number.
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Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
MLB Approves Expanded Playoffs For 2012, Sill Lowest of Big-4 Sports — It took an extra day, but as anticipated, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association today agreed to a 10-team format that includes two additional Wild Card Clubs and an elimination game in each League prior …
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees are not too wild about proposed playoff format for MLB playoffs — One-and-done is too severe for some — New Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda seems to be enjoying workout at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Thursday. — TAMPA — Major League Baseball's plan to add a second wild-card team …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, the joy of sox and ESPN
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012 — Lower-seeded teams will host first two games of Division Series — The expansion of Major League Baseball's playoffs with the addition of two Wild Card teams and a play-in game in each league will begin this year.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Sliding Into Home
ESPN.com:
MLB, union agree to expand playoffs — Major League Baseball and the union have agreed to expand the playoff field by two teams to 10, a change that will take effect in October.
Philly.com:
Inside the Phillies: Who needs sabermetrics? — Phillies evaluate players the old-fashioned way.
Discussion:
THE BOOK
RELATED:
Philly.com:
Inside the Phillies: Who needs sabermetrics? — Phillies evaluate players the old-fashioned way.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, HardballTalk and Philliesflow.com
Jkiesewetter / TV and Media Blog:
Dummy Hoy movie script ready — Ellsworth “Dummy” Hoy (right) and 1940s Reds pitcher Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell at Crosley Field. — If Robert Redford was “The Natural,” who would be “The Silent Natural?” — Steve Sandy of Columbus has a screenplay ready for a movie about Dummy Hoy …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
After two weeks of drills, Sox set for spring slate — Following college twin bill Saturday, Boston to host Minnesota — FORT MYERS, Fla. — After two weeks of constant drill work, the Red Sox are ready for the fun part of Spring Training — playing actual games. — “That part is fun,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Paul Hoynes / Plain Dealer:
Justin Masterson starts Opening Day: Cleveland Indians spring training briefing — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Indians have named Justin Masterson as their Opening Day starter for April 5 against Toronto at Progressive Field. — Manager Manny Acta announced the move Friday morning.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Eye on Baseball
Associated Press:
A.J. Burnett out 2-3 months — BRADENTON, Fla. — Newly acquired Pittsburgh pitcher A.J. Burnett is expected to miss two to three months while recovering from surgery for a facial fracture, forcing the Pirates to rearrange their plans for Opening Day. — The Pirates had hoped Burnett …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Ryan Braun urine collector endorsed by Cubs — Despite the Ryan Braun case, Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson says that, for the most part, players trust Major League Baseball's drug-testing process. Jonathan Daniel~Getty Images — MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs might be closer …
Discussion:
Eye on Baseball