Top News:
Andy McCulloughthe / Kansas City Star:
Royals' James Shields passed kidney stone during ALCS but is ready for World Series — The back pain surfaced late at night two Sundays ago. Waves of nausea soon followed. As the Royals wrapped up their first berth in the World Series since 1985 last week, James Shields was grappling …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Fox Sports, San Francisco Chronicle, NESN.com, USA Today, CBSSports.com, Royals Review, HardballTalk and New York Times
RELATED:
John Perrotto / USA Today:
Royals put no stock into regular season sweep of Giants
Royals put no stock into regular season sweep of Giants
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, SBNation.com, Royals Review and Baseball Prospectus
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Royals and Giants Make It a Wild-Card World Series
Royals and Giants Make It a Wild-Card World Series
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, Bless You Boys, AZ Snake Pit, Purple Row, Lone Star Ball and Royals Review
Ryan Hood / MLB.com:
Pitch from Zito helped sell Hudson on Giants
Pitch from Zito helped sell Hudson on Giants
Discussion:
Fox Sports, FanGraphs Baseball and McCovey Chronicles
Teddy Cahill / MLB.com:
Astros prospect throws five shutout innings, now at 12 consecutive in Fall League play — 10/14/14: Mark Appel strikes out the side during the 1st inning of the Saguaros vs. Rafters AFL game — After a disappointing start to the season at Class A Advanced Lancaster, right-hander Mark Appel righted himself …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Alexis Brudnicki / Baseball America:
Pace-Of-Play Initiatives Get Mixed Reviews In AFL
Pace-Of-Play Initiatives Get Mixed Reviews In AFL
Discussion:
redsminorleagues.com and CBSSports.com
William Boor / MLB.com:
Baseball's top prospect hits RBI double, scores run in win for Salt River
Baseball's top prospect hits RBI double, scores run in win for Salt River
Discussion:
Minor League Ball, Metsblog, Viva El Birdos, Lookout Landing and twinsdaily.com
William Boor / MLB.com:
Twins prospect Rosario flashes speed as Peoria, Salt River play to 11-inning draw
Twins prospect Rosario flashes speed as Peoria, Salt River play to 11-inning draw
Discussion:
Twinkie Town, Purple Row, Minor League Ball and HardballTalk
Lee Enterprises / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Jay set for surgery — and for CF in 2015 — • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285 — ST. LOUIS • The Cardinals view returning center fielder Jon Jay as their starter at the position for 2015, and they expect him to be healthy and ready for spring training …
Discussion:
MLB.com, Viva El Birdos and HardballTalk
RELATED:
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Cards expect center fielder to resume offseason routine after 6-8 weeks — 10/20/14: Cardinals GM John Mozeliak discusses Jon Jay's injury to his left wrist, and his recovery time during the offseason — ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals intend to tender Jon Jay, a second-year arbitration-eligible player …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Viva El Birdos
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Young awarded Sporting News' AL Comeback Player — 8/17/14: Chris Young fires six scoreless innings vs. the Tigers, fanning four batters and allowing just four hits to push his record to 12-6 — SEATTLE — Believing he'd finally overcome a series of shoulder issues that had hindered much of his career …
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter and U-T San Diego stories
RELATED:
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Righty scratched from AFL start, team says he's completely healthy
Righty scratched from AFL start, team says he's completely healthy
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
After comeback campaign, veteran pitcher sure to draw interest this offseason
After comeback campaign, veteran pitcher sure to draw interest this offseason
Discussion:
Sporting News Feed RSS, Lookout Landing and MLB Trade Rumors
Nick Cafardo / The Boston Globe:
Hitting coaches blamed for lack of offense — Hitting coach jobs are available in Atlanta, Boston, New York (both teams), and Milwaukee, and the Cubs and Astros fired their hitting coaches then hired new ones (John Mallee in Chicago, Dave Hudgens in Houston).
Discussion:
Redleg Nation, Union-News, MLB Trade Rumors, Over the Monster, HardballTalk, Beisbol's Org, NESN.com, Metsblog, ESPN, CBSSports.com and Amazin' Avenue
Ryan Fagan / Sporting News Ryan Fagan Feed RSS:
Sporting News MLB awards 2014: Mets' Jacob deGrom voted top NL rookie — Sporting News has selected a Rookie of the Year since 1946, a year before MLB began its official award. This year's winners, as voted on by fellow players in their leagues, are Jacob deGrom of the Mets (National League) …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Amazin' Avenue, South Side Sox and Metsblog
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Is Buster Posey the next Derek Jeter? — San Francisco Giants catcher chasing his third World Series title in five seasons — So ... do you think Derek Jeter is starting to get jealous of Buster Posey? — He probably should be. Because if you just substitute wholesome family dude …
Discussion:
New York Post, Red Sox Monster, ESPN, Lookout Landing, NESN.com, McCovey Chronicles and HardballTalk
Full Count:
Source: Red Sox hire Chili Davis to become hitting coach — According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox have agreed to terms with Chili Davis to become their next hitting coach. — Davis, who worked as the hitting coach for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in 2011 …
Lee Enterprises / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
DeWitt expects ‘significant’ rise in payroll in coming years — • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285 — As the Cardinals over the past decade have turned increasingly to an internal funnel of talent, one built to develop cost-controlled youth and groom core players …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos and MLB Trade Rumors
ESPN:
HEY, WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO? … Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images
Discussion:
SBNation.com, ProBasketballTalk, Business Insider, Deadspin and Sporting News Feed RSS
Mark Polishuk / MLB Trade Rumors:
Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees — The Yankees will have to make additions while sorting through several high-priced injury question marks on their roster as they try to rebound from consecutive years outside the postseason. — Guaranteed Contracts — Masahiro Tanaka, SP: $133MM through 2020 (Tanaka can opt out after 2017)
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and River Avenue Blues