Top News:
Associated Press:
Dempster Dominates Again, Cubs Beat Red Sox 3-0 — CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Dempster pitched four-hit ball over seven shutout innings, and the Chicago Cubs hung on to beat team president Theo Epstein's former club, topping the struggling Boston Red Sox 3-0 on Friday.
Discussion:
ESPN
RELATED:
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs' Ryan Dempster could be gone soon — Tony Campana of the Cubs makes an unsuccessful bunt attempt in the sixth inning at Wrigley Field Thursday, June 14, 2012, in Chicago. John J. Kim~Sun-Times — Searching for ways to avoid looking directly into the blinding baseball being played by the Cubs?
Discussion:
Fox Sports, MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues and HardballTalk
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Final: Cubs 3, Red Sox 0 — Game over: Cubs 3, Red Sox 0: The Sox had a chance. Sweeney singled with one out before Aviles reached on an errod by Valbuena at third base. — Nava pinch hit and struck out looking. Podsednik was next and he walked to load the bases for Pedroia.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Alex Speier / WEEI:
HOW SUCCESS BRED A MONSTER: THEO EPSTEIN CONSIDERS HIS RED SOX LEGACY — CHICAGO — It was not the final note that Theo Epstein wanted in Boston. — The former Red Sox general manager has plenty that is keeping him energized in what he calls the “next chapter” of his baseball life …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Baseball Nation, Fire Brand, Full Count, Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk and ESPN
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Source: Cubs' Dempster, Theo discuss trades
Discussion:
Over the Monster, Red Sox Monster, baseballmusings.com, MLB Daily Dish, Boston Globe, Getting Blanked, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Greinke admits he was bad guy in Royals saga — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Nobody does honest like Zack Greinke. Because modern athletes have conditioned us to expect canned analysis, hollow words and cadaverous personalities, there is something so satisfying in somebody unburdened by what others might think.
Discussion:
Getting Blanked and baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Bob Dutton / Boston Herald:
Royals edge Brewers with walk-off win — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Suddenly, walk-off victories are common occurrences at Kauffman Stadium. — The Kansas City Royals snatched another victory from defeat Thursday night by scoring two runs in the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that completed a three-game sweep.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Jim Callis / Baseball America:
Indians Grab Naquin For $1.75 Million — The Indians have agreed on a $1.75 million bonus with first-rounder Tyler Naquin, pending a physical. — A Texas A&M product, Naquin was one of the best pure hitters and had one of the strongest outfield arms in this year's draft.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Associated Press:
Volquez Pitches Padres Past Mariners 6-2 for Sweep — SEATTLE (AP) — Edinson Volquez pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres beat the skidding Seattle Mariners 6-2 Thursday night for their first series sweep of the season. — Volquez (3-6) was in command all night …
Discussion:
Lookout Landing, baseballmusings.com and Associated Press
RELATED:
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Gary Jabara, O.C. communications magnate, in running for Padres
Discussion:
CBSSports.com, Gaslamp Ball, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Update On Timeline For Calling Up Prospects — In all likelihood, the wait is over. Teams can now call prospects up to the MLB level with the expectation that the players will not obtain super two status three winters from now. While there's no way of predicting where the super two cutoff …
Alex Speier / Full Count:
Red Sox sign third overall pick Pat Light, second-rounder Jamie Callahan — The Red Sox officially have signed supplemental first rounder Pat Light, a hard-throwing right-hander out of Monmouth University, to a bonus of $1 million. Light routinely would work in the mid-90s for Monmouth …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Over the Monster
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Not on All-Star ballot? Harper, Trout all write — Both rookies trying to become first write-in pick to start since '74 — This is a highly unusual season for the All-Star Game selection process. With the Midsummer Classic in Kansas City a month away, a case can be made that the most exciting …
Discussion:
Federal Baseball
John Harper / NY Daily News:
For NY Mets ace Johan Santana, Terry Collins' concern over no-hitter did more harm than good — Well-rested hurler still looking to rein in over-aggressiveness — Johan Santana puts up another stinker - his second bad outing since throwing the first no-hitter in Mets history.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, New Jersey Online, New York Times, MetsBlog.com and Associated Press
Joe Kay / Associated Press:
Reds hit 3 HRs in 12-5 win for sweep of Indians — CINCINNATI—Brandon Phillips hit one of Cincinnati's three homers and drove in four more runs on Thursday afternoon, leading the ailing Reds to a 12-5 victory and their first three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians since 2008.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Paul Casella / MLB.com:
Hurlers return to glory after being written off — Santana, Peavy, Zito, Capuano have rediscovered winning forms — These guys were supposed to be done. Whether because of injuries, age or simple ineffectiveness over the past few seasons, they were not only considered to be past their primes …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
