Top News:
Associated Press:
Hall of Famers glad Bonds, Clemens denied … NEW YORK — Nobody was happier about the Hall of Fame shutout than the Hall of Famers themselves. — Goose Gossage, Al Kaline, Dennis Eckersley and others are in no rush to open the door to Cooperstown for anyone linked to steroids.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, ESPN.com and ESPN
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Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Biggio tops vote but no one elected to Hall — Former Astros star finishes 39 votes shy, trailed by Morris, Bagwell, Piazza — NEW YORK — The most highly debated election for entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame ended Wednesday without a new inductee.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Viva El Birdos, Beyond the Box Score, Baseball Prospectus, Hit and Run, Gaslamp Ball and Metsblog
Richard Justice / MLB.com:
Time to consider changing Hall of Fame voting system — Are the most qualified people voting? After 80 years of doing things one way, is it time to consider another? Those are among the questions the National Baseball Hall of Fame ought to be asking itself.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, Beyond the Box Score, ESPN and Baseball Prospectus
Fox Sports:
2013 Hall of Fame vote an aberration — I'm sorry, it's not a calamity. Not even close. — Many fans were stunned Wednesday by the announcement that the voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America did not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame — not a single player from the most star-studded ballot in recent memory.
Discussion:
ESPN.com - null, Baseball Nation, Sports on Earth Writers, Getting Blanked and ESPN
ESPN:
No players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame by writers — NEW YORK — Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were denied entry to baseball's Hall of Fame, with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Hardball Times
Jayson Stark / MLB:
Stark: What should the Hall of Fame be?
Stark: What should the Hall of Fame be?
Discussion:
San Francisco Giants, Hit and Run, Baseball Analytics Blog, Over the Monster, Boston Globe and New York Times
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
No Players Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
No Players Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Discussion:
Athletics Nation and Baseball Nation
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Ken Burns on Bonds, Clemens, Piazza: “Those motherf***ers should suffer for a while”
Ken Burns on Bonds, Clemens, Piazza: “Those motherf***ers should suffer for a while”
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, Metsblog, Hollywood Reporter and Amazin' Avenue
Howard Bryant / MLB:
Drawing a blank on a HOF ballot
Drawing a blank on a HOF ballot
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fish Stripes, Full Count, AZ Snake Pit, ESPN.com, The Big Lead, ESPN, Baseball Nation and HardballTalk
Dan Shaughnessy / The Boston Globe:
A Hall of Fame ballot without a whiff of PED usage
A Hall of Fame ballot without a whiff of PED usage
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Baseball Prospectus, South Side Sox, The Good Phight, Hardball Times, Royals Review, AZ Snake Pit, Beyond the Box Score, Bluebird Banter, MLB Daily Dish, Talking Chop, The Crawfish Boxes, Comcast SportsNet, Baseball Crank, baseballmusings.com, Brew Crew Ball, Batter's Box Interactive …, Fire Brand, MLB.com, platoonadvantage.com and Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Jonathan Singleton banned 50 games — Houston Astros prospect Jonathan Singleton, a rising star in the organization and the team's first baseman of the future, has been suspended for the first 50 games of the 2013 season for his second violaton of minor league baseball's drug policy.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, The Crawfish Boxes and The Good Phight
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Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Top Astros prospect suspended 50 games — Singleton acknowledges testing positive for marijuana use — HOUSTON — Jonathan Singleton, ranked by MLB.com as the top prospect in the Astros' organization, has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball after violating the Minor League Drug Prevention …
Discussion:
Philly.com, Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Baseball to Expand Drug-Testing Program — WASHINGTON — Major League Baseball and its players union have reached a deal to expand their drug program, agreeing to in-season blood-testing for human growth hormone and to a new test designed to catch players using testosterone.
Discussion:
MLB, SI Tracking Blog, HardballTalk and Bleed Cubbie Blue
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Oliver not expected back; trade to Texas unlikely — ARLINGTON — The Rangers have spoken to the Blue Jays about left-handed reliever Darren Oliver, but industry sources said a trade is unlikely to happen. — Oliver may end up retiring rather than returning to Toronto.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Keith Law / ESPN:
MLB 25 Under 25 Rankings — Ranking the top players in baseball below the age of 25 — Welcome to the second edition of my rankings of the top MLB players under the age of 25. This year's list runs to 25 players, with my comments on each player broken down into two sections …
Discussion:
MLB, Over the Monster and Getting Blanked
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Rockies give Corpas invitation to Spring Training — DENVER — The Rockies have looked to an old friend to help with their new pitching plan. — Right-hander Manny Corpas, the closer on the 2007 Rockies club that went to the only World Series in team history, rejoined the Rockies on Wednesday …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors
csnphilly.com:
Hamels OK after offseason shoulder issue — Ruben Amaro Jr. insists that it's nothing to be concerned about, but any time someone hears that Cole Hamels experienced shoulder soreness, well, there's going to be concern. — That's just the way it is with pitching arms. Especially ones critical to a team's success.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, The Good Phight and MLB Daily Dish