New York Times

Fred Wilpon Is Making Good on His Promise to Be More Engaged With the Team

March 30, 2015 — Word filtered through the Mets’ organization at the start of spring training that the owner Fred Wilpon would be around more and would be more engaged. With spring training winding down, Wilpon made good on that promise in an unusual way — at least by his standards.  Link

Bronx Son of Yankees Fans Rekindles Father’s Dream With the Mets

March 29, 2015 — It’s been a long road from the Bronx to Queens, measured not in miles, but in lifetimes. Johnny Monell Jr. thought about that, about the journey his father began 34 years ago, when he left the Bronx to become a catching prospect in the Mets organization — a baseball lifer who spent 17 years chasing a dream. Johnny Monell Sr. never made it to Queens, his career peaking instead in Virginia with the Class AAA Tidewater Tides. But now his son, with a week left in spring training, is clinging to the hope that he will be one of the 25 players who head north with the Mets.  Link

Mets See Much Potential in Steven Matz, a Tenacious Pitcher

March 22, 2015 — Just months after he signed with the Mets out of high school, Steven Matz felt pain in his elbow. He tried to shake it, to massage it, but the pain persisted. A doctor’s visit led to tests that led to the grimmest of diagnoses for a pitcher: a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Tommy John surgery was required, and on May 18, 2010, while still only 18, Matz joined a long line of Mets pitchers who have felt the same pain and endured, or will endure, the same surgery.  Link

Mets Demote Steven Matz, a Top Prospect, After a Solid Outing

March 21, 2015 — Everything about Steven Matz’s spring had an air of expectation. Manager Terry Collins and Dan Warthen, the pitching coach, said that Matz’s impressive pitching performance this March was exactly what they expected. And that no matter how well Matz pitched, he was expected to start the season at Class AAA Las Vegas. Matz, a left-hander, met both those expectations Saturday.  Link

Bartolo Colon, Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson Pace Mets

March 20, 2015 — Although their baseball odometer shows a lot of mileage, Bartolo Colon, Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson showed for at least one day that there was still a lot of life left in their game.  Link

Mets’ Dillon Gee Looks Solid in Start

March 20, 2015 — On a day when the Mets looked to plug one hole, moving Dillon Gee from the bullpen to the rotation, another leak emerged, albeit not one as major as losing starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to season-ending Tommy John surgery.  Link

C. C. Sabathia, Pitching for Yankees, Has Nerves but ‘No Complaints’

March 17, 2015 — C. C. Sabathia had not stood atop a mound in a major league game since last May, so there were manifold questions and concerns on Tuesday night: about his surgically repaired right knee, his arm strength, his control, his velocity, his stamina. And it was not surprising that Sabathia felt jittery.  Link

For the Yankees’ Other Rodriguez, Little Fanfare but Big Adventures

March 15, 2015 — On a balmy summer day, Aug. 31, 1993, Rodriguez, then age 7, gathered with his family in El Santo, a speck of land on the northern part of Cuba protected by several barrier keys. The family often went there to fish. What young Eddy did not realize was that his father, Edilio, had been burying drums of diesel fuel in the sand, planning his family’s daring escape.  Link

No Carmelo Anthony, No Hope as Knicks Fall to Another Lowly Team

February 11, 2015 — In a season slipping further into nothingness, the only drama surrounding the Knicks as they played the almost equally abysmal Magic here on Wednesday night was whether Carmelo Anthony’s sore left knee would allow him to play. It did not.  Link

Matt Harvey, in Camp Early, Says His Arm Feels Strong

February 9, 2015 — Beneath a benign blue sky that beckons frozen snowbirds to Florida was an even more tantalizing sight on the scoreboard at Tradition Field, where the Mets train each spring: a large picture of Matt Harvey in full windup.  Link

Matt Harvey Takes First Official Step in Comeback

August 5, 2014 — In Matt Harvey’s mind, it is a race to the end of the season. The Mets might not have any meaningful games to play come September, but that does not matter to Harvey.  Link

Yankees’ Bullpen Comes Undone Along With Their Lead

April 19, 2014 — Concerns surrounding the Yankees’ bullpen entering this season appeared to have been erased through the first 16 games. But on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, the relievers could not preserve a lead for starter Hiroki Kuroda.  Link

Kelly Johnson Focuses on Playing Third, Not Replacing Alex Rodriguez

March 20, 2014 — The perception is not that Kelly Johnson is replacing Alex Rodriguez. It is more that he is going to be the next Yankees third baseman. And Johnson is fine with that. “No, no,” Johnson said, shaking his head at the mere idea that he is replacing Rodriguez, who is serving a season-long suspension.  Link

After World Series Win, Red Sox’ Beards and Memories Are Short

March 20, 2014 — They are still a scruffy bunch, happily hirsute. A little more than a week from opening day, a good number of the Boston Red Sox still sport beards. Last year, that was the Red Sox’ collective game face. This year, it’s just something on their face.  Link

Ellsbury’s Replacement Is Struggling, but He’s Playing

March 18, 2014 — Jackie Bradley Jr.’s phone was insistent, chirping and buzzing, demanding his attention. Finally, he answered his father’s phone call and heard the words: “The Red Sox just traded Jacoby Ellsbury to the Yankees.”  Link

Beltran Fights Off Slumps With a Bat at His Bedside

March 17, 2014 — There are people who keep a baseball bat next to their beds to fend off potential intruders. Carlos Beltran does so to fend off bad thoughts that have invaded his mind. The thoughts that will follow him home from the ballpark, lying dormant while he is with his family.  Link

In Two Starts, Tanaka Has Made It Look Easy

March 16, 2014 — It is only two starts, and it is only spring training, but like a developing piece of film, a clearer image of Masahiro Tanaka is emerging, and it continues to dazzle.  Link

Teixeira Hopes Recovery Is All a Matter of Routine

March 15, 2014 — Mark Teixeira picked at the tape wrapped tightly around his right wrist. It was black, much like his mood most of last season. It is why he is working so hard this spring, before and after games, and receiving daily treatment on the wrist — everything he can do to make sure he is the player he has always been.  Link

To Learn How His Pitchers Tick, McCann Leans on Technology

March 14, 2014 — After giving catcher Brian McCann a five-year, $85 million contract, the Yankees gave him something else — an iPad. Included on it were videos of every pitcher on the Yankees’ staff, highlighting two good outings and two bad ones. It has become part of the tools of the trade for a catcher: mask, chest protector, shin guards, iPad.  Link

Yankees Head to Panama and a Reunion With Rivera

March 13, 2014 — Joe Girardi had barely heard a comment concerning the weather in Panama when he blurted: “Ninety-eight, every day. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Ninety-eight. The low is 75, and if you look during the middle of the day it’s not humid, but it gets humid at night. Believe me, I checked it out. It’s 98, 98, 98.” Spoken like a tourist and not so much like a baseball manager who was taking his team to another country.  Link

Pineda Makes Impression Against Orioles

March 13, 2014 — After another strong performance, the Yankees continued to be optimistic about Michael Pineda. The right-hander has posted the best numbers among the Yankees’ starting pitchers this spring.  Link

Top Yankee Hitter So Far? He’s Fighting for a Job

March 12, 2014 — Darkness blanketed the stadium as the ballplayer arrived at 6:30 a.m. He is usually the first Yankee in the clubhouse, where his locker sits across the aisle from Derek Jeter, maybe five feet away. It might as well be five light-years.  Link

It’s Only March, So Sabathia Is Encouraged

March 11, 2014 — It is not even half past March yet, which means pitching lines are written in disappearing ink. That is how starting pitcher C. C. Sabathia viewed his numbers. His poor showing was notable for the moment, quickly to fade from memory.  Link

Home, at the Other House That Ruth Built

March 10, 2014 — The woman pressed her eyes shut to see what only she can see. Macular degeneration has left her legally blind. Still, her vision of baseball’s most famous figure remains focused. “Daddy loved it here,” she said. She is 97, yet she still calls that famous sports figure Daddy. Daddy is Babe Ruth.  Link

6-Foot-8 Pitcher Finds New Role in Comeback

March 9, 2014 — Headlines do not come looking for Dellin Betances anymore. Not as they did two years ago, when there was so much to like and so much to write about. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has always said he favors big pitchers with power. If anyone ever met those specifications, it was Betances; he is 6 feet 8 inches with a high-90s fastball.  Link

Once Heir Apparent at Shortstop, Nunez Joins Crowd at Second and Third

March 8, 2014 — The line forms to the right, and also to the left, of the Yankees’ infield. Eduardo Nunez is somewhere in that line. Second, third and shortstop are open or about to be open, and halfway through spring training, the Yankees are still sifting through a long list of candidates.  Link

Tough Outing for Banuelos, but Good Sign for Yankees

March 8, 2014 — It had been 659 days since Manny Banuelos last pitched in a game, so just seeing him on a mound, throwing against an opponent, was enough for the Yankees. “I’m very happy,” said Banuelos, who had Tommy John surgery on October 4, 2012.  Link

Yankees Like What They See From Pineda, So Far

March 7, 2014 — All the attention on whether Masahiro Tanaka can find the same success in the majors as he did in Japan has taken some of the focus off the former coveted pitcher Michael Pineda.  Link

Tanaka Is Praised by Phillies, Even One Who Homered Off Him

March 6, 2014 — As rain pounded and smartphones buzzed with tornado warnings, fans fretted that there would be no game. Everyone seemed antsy except for the guy everyone wanted to see: Masahiro Tanaka.  Link

Yankees Will Access Tanaka And Teixeira (and Technology)

March 5, 2014 — Spring training usually signals several firsts for clubs, and for the Yankees it will be no different Thursday. Masahiro Tanaka will start, Mark Teixeira will play first base for the first time in almost nine months, and the team may get its first taste of the new instant replay rule.  Link

Jeter Breaks Retirement News As Fans Await Glimpse Of Tanaka

February 13, 2014 — With all the focus at the Yankees’ spring training complex on Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, and whether he would arrive for a workout, iconic shortstop Derek Jeter announced that he would be leaving … following the 2014 season.  Link

Familiar Silhouette Is Quick To Dispel Shadow Of Doubt

January 20, 2014 — On the back fields of the Yankees’ minor league complex Monday, the familiar silhouette of Derek Jeter was suddenly apparent, a sign that spring training could not be far away.  Link

Knicks Owner Is Singing the Blues, And So Is His Team

November 26, 2013 — Knicks owner James Dolan knows how to sing the blues. Unfortunately, the same goes for Knick fans.  Link

Rodriguez Is Said To Be a No-Show After Meeting With Investigators

July 13, 2013 — After meeting with Major League Baseball investigators for several hours Friday in Tampa, Fla., to discuss allegations that he was involved with a clinic dispensing performance-enhancing drugs, Alex Rodriguez did not show up for his scheduled rehabilitation game that night for the Class A Tampa Yankees, according to two baseball officials who were briefed on the matter.  Link

Yankees’ Michael Pineda Sharp In First Rehab Start

June 10, 2013 — Michael Pineda, a former All Star pitcher, focuses on control in first step back to Yankees.  Link

Rain Delays Pineda’s Debut With Tampa Yankees

June 9, 2013 — Michael Pineda missed all of last season because of an injury, and his scheduled start for the Class A Tampa Yankees was rained out.  Link

Ike Davis Stands Taller In The Batter’s Box

June 4, 2013 — Since adjusting his batting stance last week, Ike Davis of the Mets is 5 for 15.  Link

As Harvey Struggles, Mets Are Swept

June 3, 2013 — Matt Harvey was not the Matt Harvey the Mets have grown accustomed to seeing this year.  Link

Three Days Old Subway Series Seems So Long Ago

June 2, 2013 — The good feelings from the Subway Series sweep of the Yankees have dissipated in Miami.  Link

Mets Stumble Against Marlins After Sweeping Yankees

June 1, 2013 — After sweeping the Yankees, the Mets return to their usual selves.  Link

One Year Later, Collins Has Mixed Feelings About Santana’s No-Hitter

June 1, 2013 — High pitch count had Mets manager nervous, despite no-hitter.  Link

Rodriguez Returns To The Field, But Nowhere Near The Yankees

May 7, 2013 — Alex Rodriguez joins the list of superstars rehabbing in Tampa.  Link

No Wade, No Problem As Heat Extend Streak to 27

March 25, 2013 — The Heat, without Dwyane Wade, have no problem against the Magic.  Link

Demoted Last Season, Cervelli Emerges As Yankees Starting Catcher

March 24, 2013 — Francisco Cervelli, 27, is expected to replace the departed Russell Martin.  Link

Jeter Returns To Practice Determined To Play

March 22, 2013 — Derek Jeter doesn’t agree with Yankees plans to hold him out of more spring training games.  Link

Robinson Cano Back In Yankees Camp

March 21, 2013 — The Yankees welcome one of their few healthy stars to spring camp.  Link

Jeter Grapefruit League Season Over, For Technical Reasons

March 21, 2013 — Still hoping he’s ready for Opening Day, Yankees shut down Derek Jeter for spring training games.  Link

Now In Pinstripes, Youkilis Greets His Former Team

March 20, 2013 — Playing against the Red Sox for the first time as a Yankee, Youkilis goes 0 for 4 and strikes out twice.  Link

Yankees’ Aces Under Watchful Eyes

March 20, 2013 — The Yankees are considering signing former pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, while their current pitcher, C. C. Sabathia, recovers from surgery.  Link

Yankees Say Jeter May Not Be Ready For Opener

March 20, 2013 — Derek Jeter receives a cortisone shot, but it may not be enough to have him ready for Opening Day.  Link

Jeter, His Ankle Stiff, Is Scratched From Lineup

March 19, 2013 — Derek Jeter is scratched from the lineup at the last minute due to a stiff ankle.  Link

Hughes Is Hit By Grounder In Return, Says He’s Fine

March 18, 2013 — Despite being hit in the back in a simulated game, Phil Hughes felt fine in his first step back from a bulging disc.  Link

Teixeira Expected To Be Out Longer With Partially Torn Tendon Sheath

March 17, 2013 — Mark Teixeira said his wrist injury was not a sprain but rather a partially torn tendon sheath, which might keep him out until June, and maybe longer.  Link

Brennan Boesch Makes His Yankees Debut

March 16, 2013 — Brennan Boesch, who seems destined for a platoon role, played his first spring training game for the Yankees.  Link

Derek Jeter Starts His Second Straight Game At Shortstop

March 16, 2013 — For the first time since his ankle was injured last October, Derek Jeter plays back-to-back games at shortstop.  Link

Howard Draws Boos, And Many Fouls

March 12, 2013 — Kobe Bryant had a simple message for Dwight Howard before Howard’s first game back in Orlando.  Link

Bowl Game Mirrors Season as Rutgers’ Hope Peters Out

December 28, 2012 — A lackluster second half punctuates a lackluster Rutgers loss in the Russell Athletic Bowl.  Link

Mistakes Finally Catch Up to Florida, to Its Rival’s Delight

October 27, 2012 — Florida’s flaws finally surface in their season’s first loss, and it comes against rival Georgia.  Link

For a Game, Spurrier Will Oppose His Gators

October 18, 2012 — For Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp, emotions will have to take a back seat.  Link

Florida Validates Standing in the SEC, Toppling LSU

October 6, 2012 — Florida’s victory against LSU has the Gators bobbing to the top of the SEC standings.  Link

Israel Falls in Qualifier Final, but Team Plays for Much More

September 23, 2012 — Israel’s first WBC team draws passionate and patriotic fans, filling them with pride.  Link

Surging Rays Find Themselves in a Familiar Position

September 6, 2012 — Once again, the under-funded Tampa Bay Rays are gunning for a playoff berth.  Link

Two Swings, Two Hits to Celebrate for Pena

April 6, 2012 — With two swings, Carlos Pena took down both CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera.  Link

As His Numbers Go Up, Cano Moves Up in the Batting Order

March 28, 2012 — Yankees look to Robinson Cano for a bigger role this season.  Link

In Memoir, Dickey Details Sexual Abuse

March 27, 2012 — In his compelling memoir, Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey reveals harrowing details of sexual abuse inflicted on him as a minor.  Link

Wright and Santana Progress by Playing Without Pain

March 27, 2012 — David Wright and Johan Santana, two keys for the Mets, continue to progress from injuries.  Link

With a Strong Spring, Hughes Makes His Case

March 21, 2012 — Phil Hughes’ solid spring makes a strong statement for a spot in the starting rotation with the Yankees.  Link

Pettitte Looks Sharp in His Official Return – Link

March 20, 2012 — Instead of looking old, Yankees lefthanded pitcher Andy Pettitte looks like his old self.  Link

Ibanez Is Fighting to Show Yankees They Made the Right Choice

March 20, 2012 — A slow spring hasn’t slowed Raul Ibanez’s efforts to show the Yankees that he’s their man.  Link

In Swisher’s View, His New Physique Pales Next to His New Mind-Set

March 18, 2012 — Nick Swisher has a new body, mind and attitude, just in time for a new contract.  Link

With Pettitte in Mix, Rotation Is Rattled

March 17, 2012 — Not every Yankee starting pitcher is excited about Andy Pettitte’s return from his season in retirement. Pettitte’s arrival in spring training camp means that it also will be someone else’s departure.  Link

Yanks’ Pettitte, 39, Signs On for Comeback

March 16, 2012 — After enjoying a year in retirement, Andy Pettitte decides that he wants to play baseball again, but only for the Yankees.  Link

Wang Injured in Game Against Yankees

March 15, 2012 — Once their Opening Day starting pitcher and twice a 19-game winner, an injured Chien-Ming Wang is now a sadly familiar sight for the Yankees.  Link

For Better or Worse, Cabrera Takes Over at Third

March 12, 2012 — Miguel Cabrera willingly agrees to move to third base for the Detroit Tigers. In doing so, he makes room for fellow slugger Prince Fielder to play first base.  Link

Kentucky Wins, Looking Like a Champion

March 5, 2012 — With yet another impressive victory, this one against the Florida Gators, the No.1 Kentucky Wildcats continue to look like college basketball’s team to beat, poised now to march into the NCAA Tournament.  Link

Houston Fires Away, for One Night Only

February 25, 2012 — Although Allan Houston still has the skills, he quickly squelches any notion of an NBA return.  Link

Stoudemire Mourns ‘Guardian Angel’

February 11, 2012 — The Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire returns to Florida to mourn the tragic death of his troubled brother, Hazell Stoudemire.  Link

Magic Owner Holds On to Hope and Howard, for Now

February 9, 2012 — Magic owner Rich DeVos’ toughest sales job will be convincing Dwight Howard to stay with the franchise, despite his superstar center’s looming free agency and on-and-off requests to be traded.  Link

It’s Almost Time for Spring Training, and Jeter Is Already There

February 7, 2012 — Behind the scenes, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is ahead of schedule.  Link

Holmes Ends His Season on Sideline

January 1, 2012 — Simmering frustrations boil to the surface for the underachieving Jets and brooding wide receiver Santonio Holmes.  Link

Howard Shows Nets Just How Much They Could Use Him

December 29, 2011 — The New Jersey Nets get up close to the player they covet, and who covets them in return – Dwight Howard.  Link

For Miami Heat, High Hopes but Lower Volume

December 25, 2011 — Version 2.0 of the Miami Heat hope their improvements are good enough for an NBA title.  Link