Top News:
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joe Maddon is about to become the new manager of the Cubs, sources tell CBSSports.com. — Maddon and the Cubs are on the verge of agreeing to a mega deal, according to people familair with the situation. — The Cubs denied that a deal was done in response.
Discussion:
New York Times, Voices, Baseball America, CBS Chicago, Bleacher Report, DRaysBay and Sports Mockery
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Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs in talks with Joe Maddon, could have answer by Friday — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the ball in his hands and his team leading the World Series three games to two, Jake Peavy had the starting assignment every pitcher dreams of — a chance to win the series.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, NESN.com, Bleed Cubbie Blue, MLB Daily Dish, Red Reporter, Royals Review, CBS Chicago and Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
Giants, Royals Tied 2-All in Game 7 of Series — Kansas City responds right away in the bottom of the second behind Alex Gordon, scoring twice to tie it 2-all. That immediately gets the crowd back into it, too. — Billy Butler hits a leadoff single and lumbers all the way around on Gordon's RBI double to the right-center wall.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Cubs To Hire Joe Maddon As Manager — The Cubs will hire Joe Maddon as their new manager, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Earlier today, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Maddon and the Cubs had been negotiating. Rick Renteria, who had been serving as manager …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Rays Index, Deadspin and Bucs Dugout
ESPN:
Sources: Maddon, Cubs on verge of contract … The Chicago Cubs are on the verge of hiring Joe Maddon as manager, as first reported by CBSSports.com. — Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed the agreement to ESPN's Jim Bowden. However, three team sources told ESPN's Buster Olney …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Oddities Abound in Even World Series — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The historical oddity of this World Series can be measured in the pitch count of Santiago Casilla. He is the closer for the San Francisco Giants — and a very good one, at that — yet for six games he has hardly been needed.
Discussion:
Camden Chat, Athletics Nation and Pinstripe Alley
Dave Cameron / Fox Sports:
ROAD MAPS TO PITCHING SUCCESS IN GAME 7 — For the Royals, Game 6 could not have gone any better. Not only did they claim the necessary victory to setup a winner-take-all contest tonight, but by blowing the Giants out early, they were able to acquire an extra day of rest for their vaunted bullpen trio …
Discussion:
Royals Review, FanGraphs Baseball, Minor League Ball and McCovey Chronicles
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Rob Neyer / Fox Sports:
GAME 7? NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING. — The confounding thing about Major League Baseball's Biggest Possible Game? It makes all of us so small, for at least these next few hours. Afterward, we can all go back to pretending we know everything. — Now, though?
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus and USA Today
Alex Speier / Baseball America:
2015 Boston Red Sox Top 10 Prospects With Scouting Reports [VIDEO] — Want More? Complete 2015 Top 10 Prospects Rankings — Get it all: Subscribe to Baseball America — Go 30 deep: Order the 2015 Prospect Handbook! — The Red Sox entered 2014 as defending champions and concluded …
Discussion:
NESN.com, Dan Shaughnessy Watch and Over the Monster
David Pinto / baseballmusings.com:
Even Giants — The first and third innings saw the Giants go down in order, and now the fourth inning starts like the second. Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence both reach, Sandoval on an infield single rather than a HBP. We'll see if the Giants end up as successful.
Discussion:
Royals Review
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks 2014: sparse crowds, by big TV numbers — The rule of thumb for the fiscally responsible baseball team is for the payroll to equal roughly half a club's revenues. So with the Diamondbacks coming off a 98-loss campaign — a year in which their attendance was …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and AZ Snake Pit
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Reds To Exercise Club Option On Cueto, Buy Out Hannahan And Ludwick — 2:21pm: The Reds have also declined Ludwick's $9MM option, instead paying him a $4.5MM buyout, Cotillo tweets. The 36-year-old's down 2014 season made that salary excessive, though the steep buyout tag and Cincinnati's outfield needs …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish and Red Reporter