Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Two years after scandal, A-Rod has unlikely admirer: Rob Manfred — NEW YORK - This time, he didn't grimace. There were no terse statements. — Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred didn't even have the slightest bit of apprehension talking about one of the game's most ignominious figures in recent years.
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The LoHud Yankees Blog
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Brendan Kuty / New Jersey Online:
Yankees will pay Alex Rodriguez's home run bonus if ....
Yankees will pay Alex Rodriguez's home run bonus if ....
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CBSSports.com
Ken Davidoff / New York Post:
MLB commissioner: Yankees in the right on A-Rod's $6M
MLB commissioner: Yankees in the right on A-Rod's $6M
Discussion:
Sporting News Feed RSS and Yahoo Sports
John Manuel / Baseball America:
MLB Mock Draft 2015: Version 3.0 — College conference tournaments dominate much of the draft world this week, with scouts descending on the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and other conferences for long looks at some of the nation's top college players.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
Inside Baseball: Blue Jays tried for Hamels, stick with Gibbons; plus notes — Both the Blues Jays front office personnel and players are wholly unsatisfied with their up-and-down start, and while there's little question they all expected much better play and rumors have been circulating …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball and MLB Daily Dish
Associated Press:
Hendricks' 5-Hitter, Bryant's 2-Run Homer Carry Cubs, 3-0 — SAN DIEGO — Kyle Hendricks pitched a five-hitter for his first career complete game and shutout, and Kris Bryant hit a two-run home run as the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 3-0 on Thursday night to take two of three games.
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Baseball Prospectus
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Associated Press:
Smith Regrets Oversight With Rosin, Sunscreen on Arm — ATLANTA — Milwaukee Brewers reliever Will Smith wanted to grip the ball better, so he followed a common practice of using rosin and sunscreen on his pitching hand. — Only problem is it's against the rules. — “It was chilly and kind of windy,” Smith said.
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball, baseballmusings.com, Talking Chop and Yahoo Sports
Associated Press:
Rangers' Rodriguez Keeps Red Sox Bats Quiet in 3-1 Win — BOSTON — Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer and drove in two runs, Wandy Rodriguez pitched 6 2-3 solid innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Red Sox and their listless offense 3-1 on Thursday night. — Moreland added two singles …
Discussion:
Over the Monster and Yahoo Sports
Molly Knight / Sports on Earth Writers:
WHAT MLB CAN LEARN FROM JAPAN — TOKYO — If you're a baseball fan with an Internet connection, you've undoubtedly read scary stories about how the sport's popularity in the U.S. is circling the drain. And while reports of Major League Baseball's imminent demise are greatly exaggerated …
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baseballmusings.com, ESPN and HardballTalk
Bill Plunkett / Orange County Register:
Dodgers place infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena on suspended list — Infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena has been suspended by the Dodgers — SAN FRANCISCO - While investing heavily in one Cuban infielder and welcoming him to the Dodgers this week, another Cuban infielder has all but disappeared from the organization.
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MLB Trade Rumors, Sporting News Feed RSS, Yahoo Sports, MLB Daily Dish, NBCSports.com and True Blue LA
Robert MacLeod / Globe and Mail:
Dickey goes the distance as Jays trounce Angels — It was kind of indicative of how things have transpired for the woebegone Toronto Blue Jays and R.A. Dickey, their confounding knuckleball pitcher. — Desperate for a win, it would figure that the Blue Jays had caught a bit of a break …
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter
Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago:
White Sox lose third in row — John Danks got roughed up for four runs in the first inning, and the White Sox' scuffling bats were no match for Danny Salazar Thursday in a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians. The loss was the Sox' third in a row. — A paid U.S. Cellular Field crowd of 18,321 …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Danny Abriano / Metsblog:
DeGrom dominates as Mets earn series split with Cardinals — Jacob deGrom was close to untouchable over eight scoreless innings and the Mets (24-18) got a pair of homers from Lucas Duda as they beat the Cardinals (27-14) by the score of 5-0 on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field.
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Yahoo Sports
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Associated Press:
Colome and DeJesus Key Rays' 3-0 Win Over A's — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Colome and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, David DeJesus drove in two runs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Thursday night to take sole possession of first place in the AL East.
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Once beaten down by years of losing, Cubs' Castro is a star reborn — FOX Sports — Starlin Castro is rejuvenated in 2015 after doing a lot of losing in his first five MLB seasons. — The Chicago Cubs' two new veteran catchers, Miguel Montero and David Ross, weren't impressed by shortstop Starlin Castro in spring training.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Baseball Prospectus, MLB Trade Rumors, ESPN and Chicago
Darren Rovell / ESPN:
Hershey's sends Nats 108 more bottles of chocolate sauce to mark wins — 1h - MLB MAX SCHERZER WASHINGTON NATIONALS + more — ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell discusses Hershey's shipment of chocolate syrup to the Nationals.
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Washington Post, HardballTalk and Sporting News Feed RSS
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Making the sublime routine, Espinosa has become the Nats' glue
Making the sublime routine, Espinosa has become the Nats' glue
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and MLB Trade Rumors