Top News:
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
EARLY HOMERS GIVE CARDS BIG CUSHION — Dexter Fowler, one for his past 26, set a career high Sunday with his 19th homer, a 430-foot blast to center field, in the second inning at Busch Stadium. — That gave the Cardinals a four-run edge over the Chicago Cubs and the Cardinals continued to pile on.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Over the Monster, Viva El Birdos and MLB Baseball News …
RELATED:
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
From savior to scapegoat: Why the Cubs are moving on from Joe Maddon — From savior to saying goodbye, the Joe Maddon story in Chicago has had all the elements of a good drama — but it doesn't have the happiest of endings for the manager who was in the dugout for the most successful stretch …
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals notebook: Wong, still sore, not sure when he'll return — The knot of soreness embedded in his left hamstring has not relented for Kolten Wong, putting him in the uncomfortable bind of choosing what game and when it's worth the risk of further injury to get his ability back in the Cardinals' lineup.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and MLB Trade Rumors
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Cubs, Maddon parting ways after 5 big seasons — The Chicago Cubs are moving on from Joe Maddon, the manager who led them to their first World Series title in 108 years, team president Theo Epstein and Maddon announced Sunday. — Maddon, 65, is officially a free agent after the Cubs missed …
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score and baseballmusings.com
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
As stint with Cubs comes to an end, Joe Maddon has no regrets: 'It's been fabulous' — ST. LOUIS — It wasn't a deeply emotional press conference Sunday, rather more of a celebration. Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein thanked manager Joe Maddon for the past five years, but made it clear change was drastically needed.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and WGN-TV
Mark Townsend / Yahoo! Sports:
Cubs and manager Joe Maddon part ways after five seasons — The Chicago Cubs announced they are parting ways with manager Joe Maddon after five seasons. — Maddon and team president Theo Epstein held a closed door meeting after Saturday's 8-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, MLB Daily Dish and Lone Star Ball
Jordan Bastian / Cubs News:
Maddon, Cubs part ways after five seasons — ST. LOUIS — Every managerial tenure, no matter the prestige of the man in the chair nor the height of success experienced, reaches an inevitable expiration date. — That moment has arrived for Joe Maddon and the Cubs.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and UPI
Janie McCauley / scores.nbcsportsbayarea.com:
Bochy loses to Dodgers 9-0 in final game as Giants manager — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Bruce Bochy spoke to a ballpark filled with thousands of lives he touched in some way and thanked them all straight from the heart, no notes necessary. — Bochy bid an emotional farewell following 2 1/2 decades …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, MLB Baseball News …, CBS San Francisco and McCovey Chronicles
RELATED:
Jorge Castillo / Los Angeles Times:
Hyun-Jin Ryu clinches ERA title in Dodgers' record-tying 105th win — The Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants on Saturday 2-0 for their 105th victory behind a superb performance from Hyun-Jin Ryu. In Sunday's regular-season finale, they have the opportunity to surpass the franchise record set by the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Discussion:
The Ringer, Talking Chop, NBCSports.com, MLB Baseball News …, True Blue LA, KTLA and Baseball Think Factory
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Post-Dispatch's Goold helps save man's life at Busch Stadium — Before he chronicled the Cardinals' first division title clinching since 2015, Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold helped save a man's life Sunday at Busch Stadium. — St. Louis-based videographer Mike Flanary, 64 …
Discussion:
UPI, MLB Baseball News … and MLB Trade Rumors
ESPN:
Houston Astros' Justin Verlander reaches 3,000 career strikeouts, 300 in '19 — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander reached a pair of milestones Saturday night, becoming the 18th major league pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts and the 19th in the modern era (since 1900) to record 300 strikeouts in a season.
RELATED:
Joe Reedy / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Verlander gets 3,000th K, Astros clinch home field
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Orioles Notes: Anderson, Mancini, Hays — Brady Anderson, who formerly served as the Orioles' vice president of baseball operations, is “stepping aside” and leaving the organization, MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko reports (via Twitter). Anderson, Gary Rajsich and Brian Graham were entrusted …
Discussion:
Baltimore Sun and Camden Chat
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
Source: Red Sox plan on offering Rafael Devers contract extension — Rafael Devers has earned a conversation reserved for a select few in Major League Baseball. — According to a source, the Red Sox are planning on offering Devers a contract extension in the offseason.
Discussion:
providencejournal.com, NBCSports.com, Union-News, MLB Baseball News …, MLB Trade Rumors and Over the Monster
RELATED:
Christopher Smith / Union-News:
Boston Red Sox trading Mookie Betts seems like realistic possibility; Ownership has 'right …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, MLB Trade Rumors and NESN.com
ESPN:
Mets' Pete Alonso breaks Aaron Judge's rookie HR record — NEW YORK — Mets slugger Pete Alonso hit his 53rd home run of the season Saturday night, breaking the MLB rookie record that Yankees star Aaron Judge set in 2017. — Alonso launched a 93 mph fastball on a 1-2 count …
RELATED:
Justin Toscano / NorthJersey.com:
Pete Alonso ties Aaron Judge's MLB rookie home run record in Mets' 4-2 win
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Talking Chop and New York Times
Associated Press:
Average time of 9-inning MLB game a record 3:05:35 — NEW YORK — The average time of a nine-inning game reached a record length in the major leagues this season. — Major League Baseball said Sunday the final figure for the 2019 regular season was 3 hours, 5 minutes, 35 seconds.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
