Suzukis HR in 10th lifts As by ChiSox (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 11 April 2011 11:37:29 PM. © MLB News Blog

Kurt Suzuki hit a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning, and the Oakland Athletics capitalized on Juan Pierre’s dropped fly ball in the ninth to rally to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. The White Sox wasted a dominant pitching performance by Mark Buehrle with their second ninth-inning implosion [...]

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Rockies improve to franchise-best 7-2 (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 11 April 2011 11:05:35 PM. © MLB News Blog

Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs, Carlos Gonzalez also had three RBIs and the Colorado Rockies took advantage of a struggling New York Mets bullpen in a 7-6 victory Monday night. Tulowitzki made a terrific jump throw from shortstop to preserve a seventh-inning tie and Seth Smith reached base four times, including on [...]

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Giants, Dodgers speak against violence (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 11 April 2011 11:05:29 PM. © MLB News Blog

Giants players in their orange and black emerged from the third-base dugout and walked to the mound as the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in blue did the same from the first-base side. On a rare night when players from both teams addressed fans before first pitch, Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt and Dodgers second baseman Jamey [...]

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Jury still out on Bonds' fate

post from 22gigantes on 11 April 2011 11:04:12 PM. © 22gigantes

Barry Bonds is going to have a longer wait for his verdict.

The jury considering four felony counts against the home run king deliberated without a conclusion for the second day Monday. The eight women and four men, who started their discussions on Friday before a weekend break, will resume work Tuesday morning.

The gap between closing arguments and verdict has grown longer than the gap between Bonds? record-tying and record-breaking home runs in 2007. The former MVP broke Hank Aaron?s home run record on Aug. 7 when he hit No. 756, three days after matching Aaron.

Bonds, who also holds the single-season home run mark of 73, is charged with three counts of making false statements to a grand jury in 2003 and one count of obstruction of justice. He?s accused of lying when he denied receiving steroids and human growth hormone from personal trainer Greg Anderson, and for saying he allowed only doctors to give him an injection.

For those trying to get a peek into the jury?s thoughts, the panel has made requests to rehear two pieces of evidence that both center on the injection count.

On Friday, the jurors asked to hear a replay of the 2003 secret recording made by former Bonds business partner Steve Hoskins in which Anderson talks about injecting the slugger. Before the resumption of deliberations Monday, the panel spent 71 minutes hearing court reporter James Yeomans read back the March 31 testimony of Bonds? former personal shopper Kathy Hoskins?Steve?s sister. She testified that she saw Anderson inject Bonds near the navel in 2002, becoming the only one of 25 witnesses at the trial to claim firsthand knowledge of Bonds being injected.

?This was very damaging testimony that contrasted starkly with his denials of steroid use that are the heart of this perjury case,? said legal observer Joshua Berman, a former prosecutor who is now a criminal defense attorney in Washington D.C.

However, it?s impossible to discern how many of the 12 jurors are focusing on that testimony and whether they feel the injection answer was material, or in layman?s terms, important, to the grand jury?s investigation. To convict Bonds of making a false statement, the jury must find both that what Bonds said was a lie and one that had an effect on the grand jury.

Anderson was jailed during the trial because he refused to testify. No witnesses said they personally saw Bonds receive drugs?Kathy Hoskins said she did not ask what was in the syringe Anderson used on Bonds.

Now 46, Bonds testified before the grand jury that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs, and that Anderson told him he was using flaxseed oil and arthritic balm?not designer steroids that were undetectable at the time.

Most of the jurors scribbled notes when Hoskins? testimony about the injection was read back. Bonds, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie, kept an eye on the jurors during early portions of the reading, then focused on the clerk.

Just before the jury finished for the day at 3:45 p.m., lead Bonds lawyer Allen Ruby was in the hallway outside the courtroom, wondering when deliberations would be recessed.

--- Associated Press

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onds-fate.html

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Braves Flock Led by Pastor-nicky in Minor League
Hotsheet

post from Talking Chop on 11 April 2011 11:02:10 PM. © Talking Chop

Welcome back to the inaugural week of the Braves Minor League Hotsheet! There were a lot of solid performances this week from several of our top prospects. Let's see who was the best of the minor league bunch!

Who's Hot?

Tyler Pastornicky, Mississippi - 8-15, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, 3 SB - Lately Pastornicky has been the forgotten man in the future shortstop debate with guys like Matt Lipka and Edward Salcedo making waves. Tyler decided to forcefully put his name into the discussion by hitting .533 to start the season. Most impressive is he didn't record a strikeout or a caught stealing during the first week.
Randall Delgado, Mississippi - 5 IP, 3 H , 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K - Any number of pitchers could have been chosen with seemingly every important Braves pitching prospect having a good debut, but Delgado's start was just a notch above the rest. He didn't allow an earned run and struck out better than a batter an inning.
Caleb Brewer, Rome - 5.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K - Caleb Brewer is attempting to stay healthy for the first time in his career and and he couldn't have had a much better start to the year. They weren't the most impressive no-hit innings in history but he pitched 'effectively wild' collecting both strikeouts and walks. He is another guy with a great arm that adds to our already ridiculous pitching depth.
Ernesto Mejia, - 5-15, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 1K - Mejia isn't much of a prospect these days but the guy has always been able to hit. His two homers lead the organization at the moment and he is as good a bet as any to keep the lead through the end of the year. The fact that he walked more than he struck out is icing on the cake.

Honorable Mention: Julio Teheran, Gwinnett; J. J. Hoover, Mississippi; Brett Oberholtzer, Mississippi; Paul Clemens, Misssippi; Jordan Kreke, Mississippi; Arodys Vizcaino, Lyncburg; Edward Salcedo, Rome

Who's Not?

Dimaster Delgado - 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1K - After missing all of last season with a broken femur Dimaster Delgado's return to the mound wasn't successful. Nerves certainly played a part in his return and the Braves recognized this and hooked him after just five batters. Now that he has this out of the way hopefully he can return to his pre-injury form.
Chrisitan Bethancourt - 1-12, 0 RBI, 2 K, 0 BB, 1 SB - (This list is through Sunday!). Bethancourt had a rough start to the season collecting just one hit and allowing a slew of stolen bases. The Braves appear to have faith in his bat as he has batted third in every game thus far. Something tells me he will break out of it soon...
David Hale - 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 K - Hale took an apparent leap forward last season when the Braves finally gave in to popular opinion and moved him to the bullpen. That momentum didn't carry over to 2011. Maybe if they move him back to starting it will fix itself again?
Willie Cabrera - 2-14, 2B, RBI, 0 BB, 3 K - My boy Willie Cabrera didn't hit well in Gwinnett last season during his two brief promotions and he hasn't started 2011 off well either. So far he is pulling off the impressive task of having an OBP lower than his batting average (.143 AVG vs .133 OBP).

Dishonorable Mentions: Diory Hernnadez, Gwinnett; Wilkin Ramirez, Gwinnett; Cory Harrilchak, Mississippi; Todd Cunningham, Lynchburg; Elmer Reyes, Rome;

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-Braves

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Rockies 7 Mets 6 April 11, 2011

post from The Mets Report on 11 April 2011 10:55:34 PM. © The Mets Report

The Mets lost their third consecutive game to the Rockies tonight. Mike Pelfrey pitched poorly but not as poorly as his two prior starts. Pelf reduced his ERA to 10.80 by throwing 5.1 IP and allowing 4 runs (3 earned). He gave up 6 hits and 4 walks in the game. Way too many baserunners ... Continue Reading

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Fuld, Damon help Rays rout Red Sox 16-5 (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 11 April 2011 10:53:24 PM. © MLB News Blog

Sam Fuld went 4 for 6 with a two-run homer, drove in three runs and fell a single shy of the cycle to help the Tampa Bay Rays bust out of an early season slump with a 16-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. Johnny Damon had three hits, including a solo [...]

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The Royals and a Nashville Apartment Complex

post from Royals Review on 11 April 2011 10:02:12 PM. © Royals Review

The Royals and a Nashville Apartment Complex

There?s nothing spectacular about Stewart?s Ferry Apartments. Now more than a quarter-century old, it?s a mature, healthy development. It?s one of those places everybody lives in at one time or another, it seems.

But Stewart?s Ferry Apartments is a brick-and-mortar footnote to one of the strangest, saddest stories in baseball history. It played a key role in the decline and fall of the Kansas City Royals.

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Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros, Apr 11, 2011 7:05
PM CDT

post from The Crawfish Boxes on 11 April 2011 09:02:10 PM. © The Crawfish Boxes

Current Series

3 game series vs Cubs @ Minute Maid Park

Chicago Cubs Bleed Cubbie Blue
@ Houston Astros The Crawfish Boxes

Monday, Apr 11, 2011, 7:05 PM CDT
Minute Maid Park

Ryan Dempster vs Nelson Figueroa

Mostly clear. Winds blowing in from center field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 80.

Complete Coverage >

Tue 04/12 7:05 PM CDT Wed 04/13 7:05 PM CDT

Nelson Figueroa

#28 / Pitcher / Houston Astros

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 18, 1974

Ryan Dempster

#46 / Pitcher / Chicago Cubs

Height: 6-2

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 03, 1977

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-11-2011-7-05-pm-cdt

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Royals Bibliomancy - Lesson Two from "Fields of
Fire" by James Webb

For an explanation of what the heck this is, click here to read the first installment.

I was at a used bookstore in Cleveland back in November. If you spent a certain amount, I believe, they gave you a free book, wrapped up like a gift. The book I was given was Fields of Fire by James Webb, a fairly intense novel about the Vietnam War published in the late 1970s. Today, I was called by the Spirit to return to this text, because it is the vehicle through which we all can learn more about the Kansas City Royals.

Lesson for 4/11/2011 from Fields of Fire by James Webb:

Turning randomly to page 136-7.

He took his bug juice from his helmet band and soaked his face and arms. He felt the tingle of it and was almost nauseated by the airplane-glue aroma. Whew he mused. Bugs are almost better.

Lesson: Sometimes, run prevention doesn't seem worth it. The benefits don't always seem apparent. When Alcides Escobar reminds me of Tony Pena Jr. at the plate I think those thoughts. Bugs are almost better.

He took a canteen out of his low trouser pocket and drank thirstily to wash the fear out of his mouth. He couldn't quite get it all. It lingered like bile.

Lesson: You can get used to the Royals screwing things up, but you can't get rid of it.

Skipping to the next paragraph.

All stood the first watch together, lying side by side like moonbathers. They watched the treeline through the darkling sky, studying its outer edges when the flares creaked and dropped behind it, muttering to each other about mounds and points and dips.

Lesson: The anxiety we all feel when we know Dayton Moore is on the trade or free agent market... we are not alone. We have each other.

Skipping to the next page.

"Roger, this is Three Charlie. We got noises out here." Pause. Speedy's eyes had not moved. "Sounds like somebody's digging in. Right at the edge of the treeline. That's most affirm."

Lesson: Noises and rumors, usually don't work out well. There's usually something there. We all felt the Podsednik signing coming. We all felt the Bloomquist signing coming. We all felt the Francoeur deal coming. We could see it.

At the end of the page.