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.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and Phillies Nation
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Ben Walker / Associated Press:
MLB expands playoff format from 8 teams to 10 — NEW YORK, N.Y. - With less than a month to go before opening day, baseball at last decided who's in and who's out come October. — Now, even a third-place team can win the World Series. — Major League Baseball made it official Friday …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Associated Press
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012
Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012
Discussion:
South Side Sox, MetsBlog.com and Sliding Into Home
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
MLB Approves Expanded Playoffs For 2012, Sill Lowest of Big-4 Sports
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees are not too wild about proposed playoff format for MLB playoffs
Yankees are not too wild about proposed playoff format for MLB playoffs
Discussion:
Boston Globe and the joy of sox
Associated Press:
Mets Scratch 3B Wright With Left Side Soreness — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets third baseman David Wright was scratched from the lineup for the intrasquad game on Saturday because of soreness on his left side. — The Mets say he has stiffness near his ribcage and will be replaced by Zach Lutz in the lineup.
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets having fun as they try to improve ‘D’ — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — First comes the familiar slap of the fungo bat, followed closely by the voice of Ike Davis. — “Nice one, Rabbit.” “C'mon, Captain Ron.” And finally, “Let's go, Forrest.” — So what, or more precisely whom, is Davis talking about?
Discussion:
NY Daily News and MetsBlog.com
MLB.com:
SINGLE GAME TICKET ONSALE — 3 Ways to Purchase Single Game Tickets — MasterCard® First Chance Presale online at Cubs.com — 2. Friday, March 9, at 8 a.m. CST — In person at Wrigley Field (wristbands only — see wristbands details below) — 3. Friday, March 9, at 10 a.m. CST
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Replacing the Duncan trunks — JUPITER, Fla. • This vast traveling library lived in a red, wheeled trunk that was modeled after an equipment box that was once re-engineered to have a secret compartment for stashing booze during prohibition. — Hiding goodies goes with the job.
ESPN:
Cubs call Braun collector a pro … Several Chicago Cubs players spoke Friday in support of the man who collected Ryan Braun's urine sample, despite the fact his handling of the sample led to Braun's 50-game suspension being overturned by an arbitrator. — The legal team for the Milwaukee …
RELATED:
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Ryan Braun urine collector endorsed by Cubs
Ryan Braun urine collector endorsed by Cubs
Discussion:
Eye on Baseball
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Alex Rodriguez steps up to challenge Yankees — TAMPA, Fla. - On the morning of the first game they'd play since Game 5, the night the New York Yankees all went home for the winter, Alex Rodriguez stood before them and, according to witnesses, gave the sort of speech that wouldn't have been possible five years ago.
John Harper / NY Daily News:
Pitching prospects Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia have NY Mets armed for future — Mets can't wait for prospects to pitch in — Mets prospect Jeurys Familia impresses batters and Mets wth two scoreless innings. — PORT ST. LUCIE — An intrasquad game without a single projected starter in either lineup?
Discussion:
NorthJersey.com, MetsBlog.com and New Jersey Online
Rob Baum / Globe and Mail:
Manny quiet, Montero shaken up in spring training opener — Manny Ramirez had a quiet debut for Oakland and Jesus Montero had a painful start for Seattle on Friday as the Mariners beat the Athletics 8-5 in an exhibition opener. — Ramirez saw only three pitches in two at-bats in his first game …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Healing Trumbo more comfortable at third — TEMPE, Ariz. — Instead of lazily shagging balls in the outfield while his teammates are taking batting practice, Mark Trumbo has made it a point to position himself at third base at Tempe Diablo Stadium, hoping to field as many hard-hit ground balls off the bat as possible.
Philly.com:
Inside the Phillies: Who needs sabermetrics? — Phillies evaluate players the old-fashioned way.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Philliesflow.com and HardballTalk
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