Top News:
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Mets' Santana faces major league competition … PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Thirteen still photographers lined up behind home plate as Johan Santana's familiar anthem “Smooth”, by the artist Carlos Santana, blared over the speakers at Digital Domain Park. Then, after taking the requisite warm-up pitches …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Issues abound in march toward Opening Day — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — One of the Mets' most pressing issues was easy to patch for Monday night's Grapefruit League opener, a 3-1 loss to the Nationals at Digital Domain Park. — Justin Turner started at third base for David Wright, who is nursing a sore left rib-cage muscle.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
NY Mets Ike Davis, who is fighting a lung infection that might be Valley Fever, goes 1-for-2 — First baseman plays four innings and phenom Matt Harvey pitches 2 innings — Mets honor former catcher Gary Carter with pregame video tribute before spring home opener against Nationals.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com:
Papi launches first spring homer in Sox's victory — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Clay Buchholz tossed two scoreless innings and David Ortiz homered to lead the Red Sox to a 10-2 win over the Twins on Monday night at Hammond Stadium. — Buchholz wasn't perfect — he walked two and hit a batter …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Yahoo! Sports and Bollinger Beat
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Final: Red Sox 10, Twins 2
Discussion:
Twinkie Town and Over the Monster
Rob Bradford / Full Count:
Dustin Pedroia on riding the batting order wave: 'Surf's up, dude'
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Crawford upbeat despite setback on wrist — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Instead of dwelling on the fact he's now highly unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, left fielder Carl Crawford is choosing to keep a positive outlook on his recovery from left wrist surgery. — “I'm not disappointed at all,” Crawford said.
Discussion:
Boston Globe
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Crawford will rest wrist for a week
Discussion:
Hardball Times, Full Count, the joy of sox and Yahoo! Sports
csnphilly.com:
Hamels negotiations starting to heat up — DUNEDIN, Fla. - Negotiations between the Phillies and pitcher Cole Hamels are heating up. — John Boggs, Hamels' San Diego-based representative, is spending the week in the Clearwater area. He has already spoken to Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
Larry Millson / The Chronicle Herald:
Snider follows the Zen of Green — DUNEDIN, Fla. — During a difficult 2011 season that included two trips to the minors, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider took up reading about Zen. — It started with a book by former Blue Jay outfielder Shawn Green, The Way of Baseball …
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Carlos Guillen Retires — Infielder Carlos Guillen announced his retirement today, according to the Mariners on Twitter. He'd returned to his old team this offseason on a minor league deal. — Guillen, 36, has spent an increasing amount of time on the disabled list in the last four seasons.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Lookout Landing and Bless You Boys
Vincent M. Mallozzi / New York Times:
Roundup: Agent Scott Boras Says New Owners Would Benefit Mets and Baseball — Scott Boras, considered baseball's most prominent player agent, strongly suggested Monday night that the sport and the Mets themselves would be better served if the team's current owners are replaced.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Baseball Nation and baseballmusings.com
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Associated Press:
Girardi Challenges Hughes to Step Up Work Ethic — TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Joe Girardi rarely goes public with criticism of one of his players, so it was unusual Tuesday when the New York Yankees manager detailed his unhappiness with the physical condition of Phil Hughes last year.
New York Post:
Glare on Mets GM about to intensify — Mets on Twitter — PORT ST. LUCIE — The first blessing for Buck Showalter upon being named Yankees manager was what was in the rearview mirror. — Showalter was organized and savvy, but he was going to get those points simply by not being Stump Merrill.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, NorthJersey.com, New York Times, Amazin' Avenue, Kranepool Society and MetsBlog.com
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Bryce Harper hits ‘Ichiro’ single, hustles, goes 2 for 2 against the Mets — When Bryce Harper dug into the batter's box Monday night in the sixth inning, he decided he would shelve his power for guile. On the mound stood Danny Herrera, one of the funkiest pitchers in baseball.
Discussion:
Nats Enquirer
Mike Kerwick / NorthJersey.com:
Dillon Gee finds his out pitch — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The helicopter flew over a wooded area in Texas. One of its passengers cradled a shotgun, waiting for the downwash from the vehicle's rotor to flush a collection of hogs out into the open. — The wind picked up, so after 90 minutes …
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Marquee additions Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson shine in Angels' opener — Pujols hits a run-scoring double in the first inning and a single in the second and Wilson throws two scoreless innings in a 9-1 Cactus League victory over Oakland. — Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is congratulated …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven and Yahoo! Sports
