Top News:
Frank Pingue / Reuters:
Baseball: Blue Jays Rout Rangers in ALDS Opener — (The Sports Xchange) - Marco Estrada allowed four hits in 8 1/3 innings and the Toronto Blue Jays battered Cole Hamels for seven runs and took Game 1 of the American League Division Series 10-1 Thursday. — Toronto, which eliminated …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports and Lone Star Ball
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Diana Mehta / Globe and Mail:
Man alleged to have tossed beer during Jays game comes forward — The man alleged by police to have hurled a beer can at a Baltimore outfielder during Tuesday's dramatic playoff between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Orioles has come forward. — “I contacted Toronto police earlier this evening …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, baseballmusings.com and Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
Estrada, Blue Jays Romp in ALDS Opener at Texas, Bautista HR — ARLINGTON, Texas — Marco Estrada took a shutout into the ninth inning, Jose Bautista hit a long, punctuating three-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays opened their AL Division Series rematch with a 10-1 romp over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Hanley Ramirez / The Players' Tribune:
A Message to Red Sox Nation — PHOTOGRAPH BY BILLIE WEISS/BOSTON RED SOX/GETTY IMAGES — The playoffs start tonight. You ready? I know you're ready. — I know exactly how you feel right now. You wanna know something? Before I was a Red Sox player, I was a Red Sox fan. For real.
Discussion:
NESN.com, Surviving Grady and Full Count
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Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Mets expect infielder to be ready well before Spring Training — WASHINGTON — Mets infielder Wilmer Flores underwent surgery on Friday to remove part of the hamate bone in his right wrist. The Mets expect Flores, whose absence proved significant for the team down the stretch, to be ready well in advance of Spring Training.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Coaching Notes: Bonds, Wallace, McDowell, Mets — Barry Bonds, who learned this week that his contract as the Marlins' hitting coach won't be renewed for the 2017 season, issued a statement on his time with Miami on his personal web site yesterday. … A few more notes on some coaching situations throughout the league...
Discussion:
School of Roch, Tomahawk Take and Yahoo Sports
John Bazemore / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
LEADOFF: Braves' TV ratings plunge 35 percent to fourth lowest — Good morning. LEADOFF brings you today's early buzz in Atlanta sports: — The Braves' improvement on the field in the second half of the season didn't carry over to their TV ratings. — Historically one of baseball's …
Discussion:
Tomahawk Take, Talking Chop and MiLB News
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies Announce Six Outrights — The Phillies have outrighted six players, per a club announcement. Infielder Emmanuel Burriss, outfielder Jimmy Paredes, lefty Patrick Schuster, and righties Frank Herrmann, Dalier Hinojosa, and Colton Murray all lost their roster spots.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Sam Miller / ESPN:
Out-by-out examination: When Buck should have used Britton — If there's one thing to take away from how the Orioles' Buck Showalter managed the wild-card game Tuesday, it's that you should call your mom right now and tell her you love her — or your spouse, or your son or daughter, or your best friend.
Discussion:
Over the Monster and Associated Press
Associated Press:
At home in Wrigleyville, players embrace proximity to park — CHICAGO (AP) — It was a step back in time for Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist. — Before a recent game, he hopped on his bike in his uniform, with his glove in hand and wearing black P.F. Flyers, and rode to Wrigley Field.
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Ballpark Digest
Associated Press:
Giants Put INF Nunez on NLDS Roster Against Cubs — CHICAGO — The San Francisco Giants put Eduardo Nunez on their roster for the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs after the third baseman had been sidelined with a strained right hamstring. — Nunez, an AL All-Star this season with Minnesota, hasn't played since Sept. 25.
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
Richard Deitsch / SI.com:
Joe Buck reveals that hair plug addiction nearly cost him his career — Buck has said that a virus cost him his voice for part of 2011, but that was a lie. His loss of speech was a side effect of a hair transplant procedure. — an hour ago — Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck feared …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven, NESN.com, USA Today and Al's Ramblings