Archives › Bob Harkins
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The Baltimore Orioles grew tired of waiting on Adam LaRoche, and so they agreed to a deal on Friday with Derek Lee. The Washington Nationals, who lost Adam Dunn to free agency, were interested in signing Lee as well. So after losing out to the Orioles, the Nats naturally have turned their attention to LaRoche.…
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Octavio Dotel is close to reaching agreement on a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com. Rojas reports that the deal would be similar to last year’s contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which Dotel received $3.2 million plus another potential $500,000 in incentives. Dotel was 3-4 with a…
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The New York Yankees have been crowing about how frugal they are lately. Seriously. First, general manager Brian Cashman talked about how his team’s luxury tax tab was reduced to $18 million this season. “Atta baby. And right now we’re in the $170s,” he said, referring to a 2011 salary number that could actually fall…
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Earl Weaver is not dead. We know this because he says so. This is contrary to a political column in the New York Times on Saturday, which referred to Weaver in the past tense. “Texas Democrats have become the Baltimore Orioles of politics,” wrote Ross Ramsey. “Somewhere in heaven, Earl Weaver and Ann Richards are…
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Not that he would say anything different during the Giants championship victory parade, but free agent first baseman Aubrey Huff was pretty emphatic in saying that he wants to return to San Francisco next season. From the Associated Press: “Oh, absolutely, without question,” Huff said. “I won a World Series here. I’ve been in last…
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Just after midnight Eastern on Saturday night it will be open season on free agents. But the madness is already starting. According to ‘Duk over at BLS, Cliff Lee has been spotted buying cowboy boots! Hold the presses! This clearly means Cliff Lee is staying with the Texas Rangers right? Or maybe he’s interested in…
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The Giants might still be spraying champagne all over the visiting clubhouse, but it’s never too early to look ahead. Do you think the San Francisco Giants have the look of a dynasty? Or are they just a flash in the pan. Let the debate begin …
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Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said on Thursday that he is willing to consider expanding the playoffs as early as next season, and said a larger postseason might not have to wait for collective bargaining with the players, according to the Associated Press. “Obviously, we have to talk to the union,” Selig said. “These are all…
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Juan Uribe made a lot of people happy in San Francisco on Wednesday night. Not only did his three-run home run in the fifth inning give the Giants an 8-2 lead over the Rangers on the way to an 11-7 Game 1 victory, it also provided some free “medicine” for some ailing San Franciscans. According…
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Few people, let alone the Texas Rangers, could have expected the San Francisco Giants to rough up Cliff Lee the way they did in Game 1 on Wednesday night. A shocking development like that can send a team into a tailspin, yet the Rangers still have plenty of pitching and offense to throw at the…
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Bob Uecker, the beloved broadcaster of the Milwaukee Brewers, has returned home from the hospital eight days after undergoing his second heart surgery this year, according to the Associated Press. The surgery was to repair a tear from the valve replacement performed in April. A staph infection may have caused the complication. Uecker, 75, popular…
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If New York Yankees starter Phil Hughes needs any help getting through Game 6 against the Texas Rangers on Friday night, CC Sabathia will be there to back him up. Sabathia, who threw 112 pitches in six innings to help the Yankees to a 7-2 victory on Wednesday in Game 5, says he will be…
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The New York Yankees are sick and tired of Cliff Lee. They’re sick of listening to everyone talk about him. They’re tired of answering questions about how awesome he is. And they’ve certainly had enough of watching him in their nightmares as he bounds off the mound after yet another strikeout, cackling madly to himself…
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The players have spoken, and according to them, Josh Hamilton is the best among them. The Texas Rangers center fielder, who has tormented the New York Yankees with four home runs in the ALCS, has been named Sporting News’ player of the year, as selected by a panel of 326 Major League Baseball players. Hamilton…
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We already know that Tony La Russa will return to managing the St. Louis Cardinals next season. But the future of hitting coach Mark McGwire is far less certain, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. La Russa on Monday referred to McGwire as “really torn” about whether to return for a second…
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They say that pitching wins championships, and while the adage is up for debate, one thing seems clear: no matter how good your pitching is, you have to figure out how to scratch out a few runs at some point. The vaunted New York Yankees offense hasn’t been able to do it against the Texas…
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After watching Cliff Lee spend Game 3 of the ALCS toying with the New York Yankees with great amusement (how cute of you to try to score runs off me!), Nolan Ryan must have been feeling smug. He certainly sounded like it when asked how much it would cost to keep the pending free agent…
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With Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels leading the way, it is easy to label the Philadelphia Phillies favorites to reach – and even win — the World Series. Our viewpoint is particularly colored by having just watched them make the hard-hitting Cincinnati Reds look as helpless as Craig Sager at a postgame celebration.…
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It got lost a bit in all the playoff excitement the last couple of days, but I spotted an interesting story in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, which pointed out the amazing baseball pipeline at Long Beach State. According to the story, Long Beach State had 17 players compete in the major leagues this season, more…
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You hate to base anything on one game. Especially in a sport like baseball, where David Eckstein can be a World Series MVP. Where Craig Counsell can be the guy at the bottom of the dogpile after scoring the title-clinching run. Where Don Larsen, a journeyman pitcher with a career record of 81-91, can become…
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It might seem like a no-brainer to say that Roy Halladay just turned in the best outing by a pitcher this season, and in most seasons it would be. But since it was the sixth no-hitter of the year, and two of them – including one by Halladay himself – were perfect games, I figure…
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Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon has a plea to Rays fans out there (from the St. Petersburg Times): “Real men wear plaid,” Maddon said. “Come on out in your plaids — that would be awesome. To have this ballpark plaided out would be very cool.” Maddon invented the “Brayser,” a blue and white plaid…
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It’s poll time, people. What better place to start the discussion than here? So submit your vote, then have at it in the comments section. Just try to be cordial. I guess. If you feel like it. Who will win the World Series?online surveys
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Wait, what? Yeah that’s right, the big, bad, New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins to the punch on Tuesday, swiping the underdog role right out from under their noses. Not surprisingly, Alex Rodriguez was the culprit, telling the New York Times: “I mean, for us to be David in this situation, I think, is…
