Dodgers manager Joe Torre knows that Jason Schmidt’s days of lighting up the radar gun are behind him. No longer will the righty blow hitters away with his fastball or be known as a power pitcher.

But that’s fine with Torre, who will give Schmidt the ball for a third time on Friday night in Atlanta as he tries to find his form after missing almost two full seasons with arm injuries. Schmidt, who went 17-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 2003 for the Giants, has made only eight starts for the Dodgers since signing with them as a free agent before the 2007 season. He has battled a series of arm and shoulder injuries and has never been the pitcher that the Dodgers signed him to be.

Click here to read the full article – By B.J. Rains of MLB.com

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Oh, the difference a month makes. One month ago, Howard Kendrick was down in Triple-A Salt Lake, correcting the problems to his swing that plagued his average in May and June.

Now, Kendrick is swinging a hot bat, capped off by a career-high five RBIs on Wednesday, allowing the Angels to rough up on the Cleveland Indians, 9-3, in front of 39,196 at Angel Stadium. In his first go-round this year with the Angels, Kendrick struggled mightily, batting .193 in May with 16 hits in 24 games and .269 in June with seven hits in eight games before he was optioned to Salt Lake on June 13.

Click here to read the full article – By Quinn Roberts of MLB.com

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With the A’s one out away from falling 17 games under .500 for the first time since 1997, things looked awfully bleak late Tuesday night.

Boston’s All-Star closer, Jonathan Papelbon, was on the mound with a runner at third and the Red Sox ahead by three runs. Due up: rookie first baseman Tommy Everidge, 0-for-4 to that point in his big league debut. Three batters later, the Fenway Faithful had gone from full-throated froth to flat-out flummoxed.

Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of MLB.com

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Rickey Henderson was brilliant. Oh, his acceptance speech during Sunday’s National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies was far from an oratorical masterpiece. In fact, it might not even be in the top 10 of the 38 inductions I’ve covered. But for Henderson, it was brilliant.

The world’s greatest leadoff hitter and stolen-base champ wowed the Cooperstown crowd — estimated at 21,000 — during a sometimes rainy afternoon when Jim Rice and the late Joe Gordon were also enshrined. For weeks leading up to the ceremony, the buzz around baseball was predicting what to expect from Henderson.

Click here to read the full article – By Hal Bodley of MLB.com

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Below are links to memorabilia available for Rickey Henderson.

Orlando Cepeda HOF 1999 Upcoming Signing – 8/14/2009 Here are the details: Where: Westchester County Center When: 8/14/2009 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 8/10/2009 Prices: Flats & Balls: $35 Caps, Eqpt: $35 Bats, Jerseys: $55 Inscriptions: $5
Place a presale order for the Orlando Cepeda Signing or check out a full list of Upcoming Memorabilia Signings.

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The fork in the road that Barry Zito frequently encounters during a ballgame rose to meet him relatively early Thursday afternoon.

Yunel Escobar led off the second inning with an improbable home run off the southpaw that grazed the right-field foul pole. It tied the score at 1 and, given the Braves’ dominance in this series, seemed to portend another Giants meltdown and a Zito defeat. Yet an entirely different scenario unfolded. Zito no-hit Atlanta from the third through sixth innings in a strong seven-inning effort and San Francisco scored four unearned eighth-inning runs to break the tie and vault to a much-needed 5-1 victory.

Click here to read the full article – By Chris Haft of MLB.com

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Juan Marichal HOF 1983 Upcoming Signing – 8/14/2009 Here are the details: Where: Westchester County Center When: 8/14/2009 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 8/10/2009 Prices: Flats up to 11×14 & Balls: $30 O/S Flats, Caps, Equipment: $30 Bats, Jerseys: $45
Place a presale order for the Juan Marichal Signing or check out a full list of Upcoming Memorabilia Signings.

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Below are links to memorabilia available for Juan Marichal.

Frank Howard Former Dodgers Star Upcoming Signing – 8/14/2009 Here are the details: Where: Westchester County Center When: 8/14/2009 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 8/10/2009 Prices: Any Item: $15 Inscriptions: $5
Place a presale order for the Frank Howard Signing or check out a full list of Upcoming Memorabilia Signings.

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Manny Ramirez unleashed his pent-up power in one electrifying swing that landed, fittingly, in “Mannywood.”

Ramirez’s tie-breaking pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning on his bobblehead night Wednesday sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over Cincinnati, their 12th consecutive at home against the Reds. He was kept out of the starting lineup for precautionary reasons with a sore left hand after being hit by a pitch a night earlier.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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All-time stolen base king known for flair, colorful persona

Considered by many the greatest leadoff hitter in the game today, Ichiro Suzuki was in a playful mood earlier this month while holding court at the 80th All-Star Game in St. Louis. Asked for his thoughts on the impending Hall of Fame induction of Rickey Henderson, widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, Ichiro thought about it for a second or two and smiled.

Click here to read the full article – By Mychael Urban of MLB.com

Oakland Athletics Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Rickey Henderson.