Baseball

The Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday afternoon that Chicago Cubs Manager Lou Piniella has formally chosen Kevin Gregg as his closer to start the 2009 season.

This leaves Carlos Marmol as the setup man, a role in which he earned a trip to the All-Star Game last season.

Gregg was acquired in a trade for pitching prospect Jose Ceda earlier this winter, and has had a dominating spring camp in Arizona. In nine games, Gregg has 8.1 innings pitched, one win, ten strikeouts and zero earned runs allowed added to no losses and just two walks.

When I think of the perfect baseball player, I envision a guy who goes out there every day, plays his best, and most of all, does it just for the love of the game. Names like Willie Mays and Cal Ripken, Jr. come to mind.

These were guys who were icons for the sport during their career. They led their respective teams to World Championships, became a fixture on All-Star teams, and were among the best in the game in both their offense and defense.

by Derek of The Sportmeisters

The Sportmeisters Fantasy Guru, Derek, updates his top third basemen for 2009, including auction values and new projections.

Three years ago, the Yankees announced their plans to build a new stadium across the street from the current one. Now, with the new stadium getting ready for its debut, the old one is going to be torn down.

For most teams, a new stadium is no big deal. It's a new place to play that's probably filled with more amenities and conveniences than the old one.

According to reporters, former Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams is mulling over a return to the game he once could not live without.

Apparently, he is finding it harder and harder to stay separated from baseball still to this day.

They are instructed that "voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

This has been the charge of the baseball writers who determine which players are worthy for inclusion in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

There are several players now in the Hall of Fame who make for an uneasy fit if we take the Hall of Fame prescription seriously.

Ty Cobb

Game 31: Yankees win over the Braves 6-4

Today was an important day for some Yankee players. Some made a good impression and some didn’t. Some will remain on the team and some might get released. Let's look at the players battling for spots.

Melky Cabrera

Today is "Earth Hour", where people are encouraged to shut off their lights for one hour in a symbolic act to conserve energy. But in Arizona, there is nothing symbolic about the decisions Lou Piniella, Larry Rothschild and the gang have to make.

In the bullpen, only four spots are set. The closer will either be Carlos Marmol or Kevin Gregg, with the slight edge going to Marmol at this point. However, Gregg has pitched very well this spring. Either way, one will pitch in the eighth and one in the ninth.

In March of 2006, while the New York Mets' players were preparing for what would be one of the team’s best seasons to date, the Mets' higher ups were busy working on a new home for the team.

The team had not seen a new ball park in over four decades and with the creation of SNY, the Wilpons felt it would be an opportune time to modernize the team’s home.

Whether you have 2009 Yankee tickets in hand already, or you plan on receiving them soon, this post contains very important information about protecting your assets.

Stubhub has quietly introduced a new feature for selling 2009 Major League Baseball tickets that allows people to sell their tickets by simply entering the bar code on the site.

So what does this mean for you, the casual ticket-holder, who doesn't plan to sell your tickets? It means that your tickets are no longer just physical assets that are safe as long as they are within your possession.