Top News:
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Ortiz and Ramirez Said to Be on '03 Doping List — Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the sluggers who propelled the Boston Red Sox to end an 86-year World Series championship drought and to capture another title three years later, were among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players …
Discussion:
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MLB:
Report: Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 … Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were among the 104 major league players listed as having tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003, lawyers with knowledge of the results told The New York Times.
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Ortiz tested positive in '03; Manny named — Papi ‘surprised’ by test results; Ramirez deflects Times report — Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz confirmed on Thursday that he tested positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs, during Major League Baseball's 2003 survey testing season …
Discussion:
Bombers Beat
Associated Press:
Ortiz knocks go-ahead homer, carries Red Sox past A's — BOSTON (AP) — Hours after he was linked to a positive drug test, David Ortiz (FSY) hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the Oakland Athletics 8-5 on Thursday.
Trade Talk:
Dodgers Acquire Sherrill — The Dodgers shored up their bullpen Thursday by acquiring Baltimore closer George Sherrill in exchange for two prospects, slugging third baseman Josh Bell and riht-handed pitcher Steve Johnson, according to baseball sources. — The left-handed Sherrill can serve …
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Fox Sports:
MLB trade deadline buzz: Thursday's edition — With the July 31 MLB non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching, FOXSports.com baseball reporters Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi have all the latest buzz. All times below are ET. — Rockies prepping for another move?
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, YFSF, Philly.com, Plain Dealer, Federal Baseball, True Blue LA, MLB, MLB Daily Dish, Boston Globe, MetsBlog.com, Drunk Jays Fans and Texas Rangers
Bob Elliott / Toronto Sun:
Looking less likely Jays will trade Doc — So if Roy Halladay isn't going to the Philadelphia Phillies, where is he headed? — “How about the Boston Red Sox?” said a disgruntled ex-Blue Jays scout yesterday afternoon. “Toronto could get Clay Buchholz, some prospects and ...
Discussion:
Twins Insider, Phillies Nation, Drunk Jays Fans, Providence Journal, MLB Rumors and Hardball
Jon Weisman / Dodger Thoughts:
Dodgers said to have acquired reliever George Sherrill — I'm not sure I get the fascination with George Friederich Sherrill. He's a reliever with a typical reliever's checkered history who happens to be having one of his better seasons this year: 2.40 ERA, 39 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings against 49 base-runners.
Gordon Edes / Yahoo! Sports:
Dodgers on verge of acquiring Sherrill — Buzz up! — The Baltimore Orioles are on the verge of trading George Sherrill — to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday for Double-A third baseman Josh Bell and a minor league pitcher, two baseball sources said.
Projo Sox Blog:
Updated: Dodgers now front runners for Halladay
Updated: Dodgers now front runners for Halladay
Discussion:
The Knobler Blog, Bats, Detroit News, Bluebird Banter, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors, Drunk Jays Fans and Redleg Nation
Ed Price / MLB FanHouse:
Dodgers Add to Bullpen, Trade for Orioles Closer George Sherrill
Dodgers Add to Bullpen, Trade for Orioles Closer George Sherrill
Discussion:
PE.com
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Grabow/Gorzelanny to Cubs ‘just about done’ — The Pirates are discussing a trade that would send pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to the Chicago Cubs, according to a team source. — No deal is in place, and other teams are interested in Grabow, so this might not happen at all.
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Mets blank Rockies in first game of doubleheader — NEW YORK — A worrisome series has spawned full-blown concern. — The Rockies can't win in New York, suffocated 7-0 in the first game of a doubleheader today at Citi Field. They are 2-21 in their last 23 road games against the Mets.
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
3 UP: WANG, JOBA AND PATTERSON — Yes, I am on Twitter. — 1. There were a lot of things that Chien-Ming Wang was not such as effective in the postseason or the kind of strikeout artist who engenders awe or healthy for the past year. Because of that his loss for the rest of the year has not caused much of a stir.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, The Fowl Balls, MLB Rumors, The Yankee Universe and Sliding Into Home
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Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Buzz: What are the Mets doing? — From what I can gather out of Cleveland, the Mets and Indians have been in contact. — The Mets are interested in Martinez, but I do not believe any hard offer was ever on the table - though this, again, may just be a matter of semantics.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
THE YANKS AND WASHBURN — Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik sounds like an executive stuck in the middle. His brain tells him that his club is just not good enough to make the playoffs this year while his heart keeps creating scenarios in which somehow they sneak in.
Pedro Gomez / ESPN:
Canseco says MLB facing bigger issue — Jose Canseco, whose 2005 book arguably started the cascade of revelations and an investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, barely raised an eyebrow when he was told David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are reportedly on the list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003.
Associated Press:
Dodgers end losing streak with 10-inning win over Cards — ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Kemp (FSY) hit a two-run single in the 10th inning for his third hit, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers end a season-worst four-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Atlanta Braves' Jeff Bennett cut after requesting release from team — MIAMI — The Atlanta Braves have released right-hander Jeff Bennett. — A team spokesman said Bennett asked for and was granted his released from the team Thursday, making him a free agent.
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Analysis: How Halladay, Gonzalez, and Martinez would help the Red Sox — As they move deeper into the shadow of the annual trading deadline, the Red Sox now may be leveraging against expectation. The whispers from Fenway Park last night suggested that tomorrow's trading deadline may come and go quietly.
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