Top News:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox Notes: Bard, Lester, Padilla — The last time the Red Sox played a regular season game, they lost to the Orioles and the 2011 season ended in heart-breaking fashion. They'll look to start the 2012 season off with a win when they take on the defending AL Central champions in Detroit this afternoon.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, Over the Monster and baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Peter Schworm / Boston Globe:
Sox fans hope for a team they can love — Walking by Fenway Park on a sublime spring day, Susie Adams could feel the anticipation in the air, the promise of a new season. Opening Day, baseball's blessed return, was nearly here. — But like many Red Sox fans who still wince at the memory …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, DRaysBay, Bless You Boys, Over the Monster and Surviving Grady
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Choice words — Valentine settles on Aceves as closer in Bailey's absence
Choice words — Valentine settles on Aceves as closer in Bailey's absence
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
Will Graves / Associated Press:
Halladay cruises, Phillies beat Pirates 1-0 — PITTSBURGH—If only Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies had gotten this 1-0 win last October. — Halladay was nearly flawless for eight innings Thursday and the Phillies showed off their pitching from the start, opening a new season by edging the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Discussion:
Blogging Baseball
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Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Host of Pirates experience first Opening Day — PITTSBURGH — Every Opening Day stirs everyone's butterflies and emotions, because the first game of a season comes only once. But if it is your first Opening Day — one can only imagine the buzz. — Nearly one-third of the Pirates …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Globe and Mail:
Blue Jays triumph in longest opening day game in baseball history — J.P. Arencibia's three-run homer in the 16th inning sent the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday in the longest opening-day game in major league history. — Arencibia was for 6 …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and baseballmusings.com
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Indians hope Sizemore can return in June — CLEVELAND — The Indians are holding out hope that Grady Sizemore will be able to help them at some point this summer. If the sidelined center fielder does return to the lineup, it will not be until the first week of June at the earliest.
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …, HardballTalk and SI Tracking Blog
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Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Rest of baseball catching up with big spenders — NEW YORK—The rest of baseball is starting to catch up with the big spenders. — The Miami Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels all had hefty boosts in payroll during the offseason along with the Tampa Bay Rays …
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays place Farnsworth on disabled list — ST. PETERSBURG — As expected, the Rays placed right-hander Kyle Farnsworth on the disabled list Thursday with a strained right elbow. — To take Farnsworth's place, Tampa Bay recalled right-hander Josh Lueke from Triple-A Durham.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Friday lineup, with a few surprises — The Rays set their lineup for Friday's opener against Yankees LHP CC Sabathia, and it has a few surprises: — Jennings cf — Zobrist rf — Longoria 3b — Keppinger DH — Rodriguez ss — Johnson 2b — Pena 1b — Molina c — Joyce lf
Discussion:
DRaysBay
Mike Kerwick / NorthJersey.com:
Mets hoping new Citi Field dimensions help team's hitters, appease fans — It is one line of type, six telling words. Ordinary and eloquent, it offers a portrait of an at-bat in minimalist detail. — J. Bay flied out to left. — Burrow inside those six words and you will learn so much more …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New Jersey Online and MetsBlog.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Rays Claim John Gaub — The Rays have claimed left-hander John Gaub off of waivers, the Cubs announced. The Cubs also announced that they placed right-hander Marcos Mateo on the 60-day disabled list to create 40-man roster space. — Gaub, 26, appeared in four games for the 2011 Cubs …
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Wainwright impressed by Cain's deal — Image — MIAMI • Adam Wainwright was preparing to hit a drive Monday afternoon when he paused to scan a text message from his brother, Trey. — The text was rather matter of fact: The San Francisco Giants had just signed righthanded starting …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
MLB.com's digital guide to the new season — As Opening Week got under way in Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig said: “This sport has never been this popular. It has never been like this.” That is very apparent at MLB.com, where fans are diving into technology and baseball with passion.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Steven Wine / Globe and Mail:
Lohse, Cardinals spoil Marlins' debut in new ballpark — The sellout crowd in the Miami Marlins' new ballpark cheered the introduction of their starters, who were accompanied by women dressed as Latin showgirls. There was another roar for Muhammad Ali, who delivered the first pitch.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos, Fish Stripes, MLB Daily Dish and Associated Press
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Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Monster deal gives Albert Pujols ‘extra chip on my shoulder’
Monster deal gives Albert Pujols ‘extra chip on my shoulder’
Discussion:
HardballTalk