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MLB & MiLB Baseball Winter Meetings 2008
The aftermath of BIRCO is the 400lb gorilla at the minor league side of the MLB & MiLB Baseball Winter meetings in Las Vegas. Complete coverage of the meetings and commentary
[MAJOR BLOGS]
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Arizona Fall League 2008
Each year, the AFL showcases the top talents accelerating to the fast track of minor league baseball. Who were the top prospects in this year's fall tuner? MLN's Jason Blasco and Christopher Hadorn take you to metro Phoenix for a look at the best of the best in the AFL.
[Feature Section]
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J.P. Arencibia
The Blue Jays first-round catching prospect with the big bat looks for his shot to start the turnstiles spinning at Rogers Centre in 2009. His stint with the Arizona Fall League's Desert Dogs should speed up his track to Toronto.
[Article]
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and the
Bronx Gods
Smiled
The Trenton Thunder win their second Eastern League Championship series over the Akron Aeros. Did the Bronx Gods tinker with the roster, or did the best club win?
[Article]
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Dynasty
The Sacramento River Cats of the Pacific Coast League wrapped their second Triple-A Championship in a row, defeating the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees of the International League at the Bricktown Showdown in Oklahoma City. Could there be a dynasty in the making?
[Article]
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Paper Ain't Grass
The Frisco RoughRiders, on paper, were the team expected to take the Texas League Championship for 2008. The Arkansas Travelers proved to them why what's on paper isn't necessarily what turns out on grass.
[Article]
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Breaking the Gender Line
Norine Rathbone is the Joan of Arc of women trying to break the gender line in MLB baseball. She may be mad, but she ain't crazy.
[Article]
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Vive Baseball Canadien!
Long-live Canadian baseball. MLB abandoned Montreal, then the PCL and the IL began their long-pull out. Toronto remains, as does Vancouver. Should Canada have its own dedicated Triple-A, just like Mexico? MLN senior editor Brian Ross weighs in with his shiny two.
[Opinion]
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Twinkle, Twinkle
Which burns brightest for all-star talent, the MLB Futures Game, or the MiLB All-Star games?
A look at what the annual talent love-fests mean, plus game highlights from both the MLB Futures Game and the Triple-A All-Star Game.
[Article]
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House of Cards
The St. Louis Cardinals are the MLN FAB50 Farm of the Year 2008 for putting their house back in order, and producing the best crop of farm talent in MiLB in 2008.
[Article]
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MLN Ones2Watch 2008 (O2W)
Who will be on the 2009 edition of the MLN FAB50 Baseball rankings? Here are 25 players who have the potential to make it to the fast track, rising up from the lower ranks of MiLB.
[Feature]
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MLN FAB50
Baseball 2008
The fifth anniversary of the most on-target mid-season movement and talent ranking will introduce you to the top fifty baseball players making their way to the major leagues.
[54 Page Feature Section]
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MISSION: ImPAWssible
Good morning, Mr Bailey. Your mission, should you decide to accept it: Ignite the PawSox starting lineup. This webpage will self destruct in eight seconds. Good luck, Jeff..
[Article]
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Is the Hall Too Crowded?
The International League revived its Hall of Fame. Is the Hall a tribute to the greats of this side of the Triple-A, or a back-slapping love-fest of IL executives? Jim Mandelaro, who wrote this month's feature story on the IL Hall in SZ, weighs in at the Writer's Bullpen.
[MAJOR BLOGS]
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International League
Hall of Fame 2007
Announced during the off-season, SZ pays special tribute to the revival of the International League Hall of Fame as part of the celebration of its 125th year.
[Feature Section]
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No Free Refills
Brian Bocock's great defensive skills landed him a cup of coffee with the San Francisco Giants for the first 32 games of the major league season. Can the Fresno Grizzlies star get another cup without making a major change to his game?
[Article]
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Retooling the Ancient Draft (As Seen on TV)
Draft month coverage continues with MLN Sports senior editor Brian Ross' take on the draft, an old institution that is wrestling with being relevent for TV in its second year of live coverage. How can the ESPN and MLB.com guys keep it real, even when they can't explain why the draft is 50 rounds long?
[Opinion]
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MAJOR ATTITUDE Girls June, 2008
After the Great White Shark attack in San Diego last month, SoCals need a reason to go back into the water. Meet Alyssa, the June 2008 MAJOR ATTITUDE Girl™ who makes us shout "Surf's up!"
[Special Section]
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MLB Draft 2008 on MLN
MLN's draft coverage continues today with fresh takes and more round-by-round and club-by-club breakdowns.
[Feature]
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MLN Vote4TheBest:
Decision 2008
Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas was named by you,
the sports fans as the
No.1 place in minor or independent professional sports to catch a game.
What are the other top
ballparks and arenas?
Who has the best food?
The most fun?
[Feature]
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Three Vial Monte
MLB & the Players Association release their fix for drug use in baseball. MLN Sports Sr. Editor Brian Ross tells us why, without the minors' inclusion, the announcement may be more misdirection than meaning.
[MAJOR BLOGS]
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MLN Sports Spring Report 2008
It was a rough winter. In the wake of the Mitchell Report, was Spring Training a hit?
Complete coverage of both spring leagues, and team by team breakdowns of the top players on each major league farm system roll out daily through April!
[Feature Section]
Reports now available:
[Cactus League]
[Grapefruit League]
[Houston Astros]
[Oakland Athletics]
[Cleveland Indians]
[Cincinnati Reds]
[Boston Red Sox]
[Detroit Tigers]
[Minnesota Twins]
[New York Yankees]
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MAJOR MOMENTS Debuts
Our first MAJOR MOMENTS for 2008 in baseball debuts with a day at the Dodgers' final season in Vero Beach, Florida.
[MAJOR MOMENTS]
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The Last Witness
The Mitchell Report at the House Hindsight Committee
The following is a transcript of the testimony of the most important witness to date on performance-enhancing drug use and the Mitchell Report at the House Hindsight Committee.
[MAJOR BLOGS]
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MAJOR ATTITUDE Girls™
The debut of our new monthly series featuring some of the most beautiful women from around the minor league sports world.
[Photo Feature]
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Beyond Ivy-Covered Walls
John Wollff and his father Rick shared two dreams across two generations that set them in search of a top college education and then a career in professional baseball. A great life story, but it is a great book? MLN's Todd Mishler tells all in his review.
[Book Review]
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Vince McMahon, the Next Commissioner of Baseball? AWWEsome!
Say it ain't so! If baseball doesn't rid itself of the hundreds of players cheating the game, is it a sport any more, or just another entertainment like the WWE? Brian Ross gives you his shiny two...
[Opinion]
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MAJOR ATTITUDE™
Dance Team 2008
Who are the twenty most beautiful women in minor league and indy sports? MLN Sports brings you the hottest cheerleaders and dancers from dance teams for basketball, hockey, and football. Baseball fans: Eat your hearts out.
[Photo Feature]
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Pound of Cure
Richard Pound, the former Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, examines the ounce of prevention in the Mitchell Report and MLB's handling of performance enhancing substances. A 1-on-1 interview with MLN's Christopher Hadorn. [Article]
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The Perfect Test
The 'model' testing system established by Commissioner Selig for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in 2001 was shown up by the Mitchell Report. How did so many substance abusers escape detection and prosecution? What are the root causes of substance abuse, and what will end it once and for all?
[Article]
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