I see Joel Skinner got the boot as Oakland's bench coach.

Did they have to wake him up to tell him ?

Watch the Division Series on TBS & TNT – Updated Schedule

ALDS

TB vs. TEX

Game 2 TB @ TEX, Sat., Oct. 1, 7:00PM (On TNT)
Game 3 TEX @ TB, Mon., Oct. 3, 5:00PM
Game 4 TEX @ TB, Tues., Oct. 4, TBD*
Game 5 TB @ TEX, Thu., Oct. 6, TBD*

DET vs. NYY

Game 1(resumes) DET @ NYY, Sat., Oct. 1 8:30PM
Game 2 DET @ NYY, Sun., Oct. 2, 3:00PM
Game 3 NYY @ DET, Mon., Oct. 3, 8:30PM
Game 4 NYY @ DET, Tue., Oct. 4, TBD*
Game 5 DET @ NYY, Thu., Oct. 6, TBD*

NLDS
STL vs. PHI

Game 1 STL @ PHI, Sat., Oct. 1, 5:00PM
Game 2 STL @ PHI, Sun., Oct. 2, 8:00PM
Game 3 PHI @ STL, Tues., Oct. 4, TBD
Game 4 PHI @ STL, Wed., Oct. 5, TBD*
Game 5 STL @ PHI, Fri., Oct. 7, TBD*


ARI vs. MIL

Game1 ARI @ MIL, Sat., Oct. 1, 2:00PM
Game 2 ARI @ MIL, Sun., Oct. 2, 4:30PM
Game 3 MIL @ ARI, Tues., Oct. 4, TBD
Game 4 MIL @ ARI, Wed., Oct. 5, TBD*
Game 5 ARI @ MIL, Fri., Oct. 7, TBD*

Tim Dierkes took a look at Josh Willingham's free agent stock and determined he could bring in something in the neighborhood of $16MM over two years.

Chicago Sun-Times

"Carlos Zambrano, the pending ex-Cub pitcher, and Ozzie Guillen, the freshly ex-White Sox manager, recently talked by phone about fulfilling widespread speculation about Zambrano pitching for the Miami Marlins and their new manager, according to a report in Venezuelan publication El Nacional. Guillen told the Sun-Times on the day he was named Marlins manager last week that he had talked with front-office officials about some potentially available players from Chicago, presumably including Zambrano, a longtime family friend of the Guillens."

ESPN.com

"Before the Boston Red Sox can advance too deeply in their managerial search, there is another order of business that the club must address with some urgency in the coming days. Namely, what they plan to do in the event another club comes calling for general manager Theo Epstein, especially since, according to one major league source close to Epstein, it's "50-50" the GM would leave for the right situation. "I wouldn't be shocked either way,'' the source said. "I know he's not dying in the Red Sox job, and if he went to the Cubs and they won, he'd be a Hall of Fame general manager.''"

Lots of press in New England were calling for Theo's head, rather than Francona's.

Tigers win! Up 2 games to one now!!

Sound like a true blue Red Sox fan.

My step dad is a huge BoSox fan but he hasn't taken that attitude at all. He is scared to death they will lose Theo, but he was giddy as hell they got rid of Francona. He went off on some tangent about pitchers drinking beer during the game, players playing video games, players out of shape, among other stuff.

Report: Red Sox pitchers drank beer during games on their off days

Aaron Gleeman Sep 30, 2011, 11:51 AM EDT


John Tomase of the Boston Herald has some details on how the Red Sox’s clubhouse atmosphere deteriorated this season, including a report that “more than one pitcher drank beer in the clubhouse during games on the days he didn’t pitch.”

Because relievers don’t really have off days that suggests “pitchers” are really “starting pitchers” and that narrows down the list of candidates considerably.

A total of 10 pitchers started for the Red Sox this season, but only Jon Lester (31), Josh Beckett (30), John Lackey (28), and Tim Wakefield (23) started at least 20 times. Other starters were Clay Buchholz (14), Andrew Miller (12), Erik Bedard (8), Daisuke Matsuzaka (7), Kyle Weiland (5), and Alfredo Aceves (4).

Of course, whether or not drinking beer in the clubhouse between starts is big news is debatable–Thomase notes that the Red Sox famously sipped Jack Daniels together before ALCS games in 2004–but either way it’s certainly not something the Red Sox would want made public amid Terry Francona’s departure and talk of various players not being in good shape and wearing down late in the season.

Rockies Removing Kouzmanoff From Roster

By Tim Dierkes [October 4 at 2:58pm CST]

The Rockies are in the process of outrighting third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff from the roster, MLBTR has learned. The 30-year-old third baseman is expected to reach free agency once he clears waivers.

The alternative for Colorado would have been to tender Kouzmanoff a contract and pay him at least $3.8MM for 2012. Since that's not in the cards, they've removed him from the 40-man roster now rather than wait until the December 12th non-tender deadline.

And another Tribe "future star" rides off into the sunset...

Dodgers Decline Options On Garland, Blake

By Tim Dierkes [October 4 at 2:03pm CST]

The Dodgers announced on Twitter today that they've declined club options on starter Jon Garland and third baseman Casey Blake, and also outrighted Eugenio Velez to Triple-A. Typically option decisions are announced after the World Series, but Garland and Blake were obvious choices.

For Garland, the Dodgers chose a $500K buyout over an $8MM club option. Garland had signed for a below-market guarantee of $5MM in November, but a vesting option in the contract became moot when the righty when down for an oblique injury in March and shoulder surgery in July. Garland, now 32, had previously been a lock for around 200 innings per season. If Garland is healthy, his agents at LSW Baseball should have no problem finding a one-year deal worth a few million plus incentives, along with a back-end rotation job.

The Dodgers chose a $1.25MM buyout over a $6MM club option on Blake, finishing a contract signed in December of '08. The 38-year-old Jim McDowell client hit .252/.342/.371 in 239 plate appearances. Blake's season was shortened by a ribcage, elbow, and neck injuries, culminating in September neck surgery. McDowell told MLBTR recently that his client should be "100% for 2012." Blake is also looking at a one-year deal, probably of the part-time variety. You can check out MLBTR's list of all the 2012 free agents here.

Velez, now the record-holder for a non-pitcher going hitless in a season with an 0-for-37 showing, was removed from the 40-man roster. Once free agents Aaron Miles, Jamey Carroll, Hiroki Kuroda, Rod Barajas, Juan Rivera, Vicente Padilla, Jonathan Broxton, and Mike MacDougal are subtracted, the Dodgers' tally will be down to 30.

Blake is now 38 years old. So it may be the end of the line for him, too.