Top News:
Fox Sports:
Can Braves overcome sluggish start? — This can't be good for Fredi Gonzalez. — A week from now, if the Atlanta Braves win a few games, their 1-10 start in the Grapefruit League likely will be forgotten. — But at the moment, they're reprising the final weeks of last season, when they blew a 9½-game lead with 30 to play.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Drunk Jays Fans and Talking Chop
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Maury Brown / Baseball Prospectus:
For Moorad, Backing Off On Padres Ownership Transfer Shows Votes Aren't There — For Jeff Moorad, he has the option of looking at the glass half-empty or half-full. As the man that entered into an agreement with John Moores to purchase the San Diego Padres, getting the sale completed …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and 6-4-2
Fox Sports:
Will Cards' Beltran pay up on nose job? — JUPITER, FLA. — A casual conversation in the New York Mets clubhouse last year led to outfielder Carlos Beltran telling left-hander Jon Niese that he would pay for Niese's nose job. — Well, Niese had the surgery during the offseason and sent Beltran the bill — for around $10,000.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and HardballTalk
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Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
NY Mets' David Wright gets anti-inflammatory injection for sore rib cage, reliever Tim Byrdak needs knee surgery — All-Star third baseman expected back this week — Justin Turner may see a lot of time at third base if David Wright is still hurting. — LAKELAND, Fla. …
Discussion:
New York Post, MetsBlog.com, New York Times and New Jersey Online
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Source: Mets lefty Byrdak has torn meniscus
Source: Mets lefty Byrdak has torn meniscus
Discussion:
Bats, Faith and Fear in Flushing, Baseball Nation, Yahoo! Sports, MetsBlog.com and Amazin' Avenue
Fox Sports:
Pitcher strikes deal over false identity — Dominican Republic prosecutors say Cleveland Indians pitcher Roberto Hernandez has agreed to a deal to have false identity charges against him dropped in return for completing a work program in his Caribbean homeland.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
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Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Criminal charges against ‘Carmona’ dropped — Right-hander remains in Dominican Republic awaiting visa — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, has cleared one hurdle in his fight to return to the United States and pitch for the Indians.
Discussion:
Major League Bastian
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Reaction to Terry Collins rant about recent injuries — Terry Collins talked quickly with reporters today and expressed frustration with the team's recent spat of injuries, saying, “I'm just getting tired of going in the training room where I've got to sweat to see who can walk out of there,” according to MetsBlog's Amit Badlani.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Tedquarters
Dick Kaegel / MLB.com:
Hosmer, Moustakas dinged up vs. Giants — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Talk about a scare for Royals fans. On consecutive plays in the fifth inning, both first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas hit the dirt and left Monday's game against the Giants. — Uh-oh.
Discussion:
Royals Review
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Globe and Mail:
Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen ejected in loss to BoSox — Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was ejected for arguing a foul ball call and got a wave goodbye from Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine in Boston's 5-3 win in 10 innings Monday. — Guillen, known for his volatile nature, is in his first season with the Marlins.
Discussion:
Boston Globe and Yahoo! Sports
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Peter Gammons / MLB.com:
Cards aces, Nats phenom linked by drive — JUPITER, Fla. — Their names have long been linked in the same sentences, though as Adam Wainwright points out, he and Chris Carpenter “haven't had that many seasons when we were healthy and together.” — There was 2006, when Carpenter logged 223 innings …
David O'Brien / Atlanta Braves:
Chipper discusses uncertain future, difficult spring — JUPITER, Fla. - After Chipper Jones discussed encouraging signs he saw from the struggling Braves in a 5-4 loss to St. Louis Monday, the third baseman confided his most difficult spring training has him wondering how much more he can take.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Brew Crew Ball, Talking Chop, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Donald Trump rips Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, praises Derek Jeter on Celebrity Apprentice — The Donald says Debbie Gibson is team player, like Jeter and unlike A-Rod — Donald Trump is drinking it all in as he takes shot at A-Rod on “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Discussion:
HardballTalk and WasWatching.com
Adam Dorhauer / Baseball Prospectus:
On Runs, Wins, and Two Types of Leverage Index — Believe it or not, most of our writers didn't enter the world sporting an @baseballprospectus.com address; with a few exceptions, they started out somewhere else. In an effort to up your reading pleasure while tipping our caps …
Discussion:
THE BOOK
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
In field, Jeter's No. 2 — Stat guru: NY star falls short — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio — FORT MYERS — Here's how respected John Dewan is in the relatively nascent field of defensive statistical research — he can call his seminal work “The Fielding Bible” without a trace of pretentiousness.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Patrick Mooney / csnchicago.com:
Dusty to Sveum: Good luck, you'll need it — MESA, Ariz. - It will take years before Theo Epstein's “scouting and player development machine” is up and running. — The buzz the Cubs generated with this hire will eventually wear off and everyone will see just how patient the fans will be with a rebuilding project.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and baseballmusings.com
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Post-Game: Mets 7 Tigers 7 — The Mets (3-5-1) and Tigers (6-1-1) tied today, ending their game after 10 innings in Lakeland. — To read a full recap with boxscore, click here for SNY.TV. — The Least You Should Know... - Lucas Duda hit a grand slam, returning to the lineup after missing five days with lower back stiffness.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
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