National League News

From Plato to Voltaire, the Republic has been the government of choice for intellectuals for millennia.

Pitcher John Grabow became the first of the 171 free agents to reach agreement on a new deal, getting a $7.5 million, two-year contract Friday from the Chicago Cubs.

GENE MAUCH used to say, "Close only counts in dancing and grenades, podnah." Marlins hitting machine Chris Coghlan edged J.A. Happ, Charlie Manuel's Musical Chairs lefthander, by less daylight than you can see in one of those steamy "Dancing With The Stars" tangos.

The National League Cy Young Award will be awarded on Thursday, and the leading candidates are Tim Lincecum, Chris Carpenter, and Adam Wainwright.

Ken Rosenthal ofA Fox Sports believes the Braves are among eight teams interested in Billy Wagner .

Sorry Jim Tracy . Apologies, Mike Scioscia . Don't take it personally, Ron Washington .

Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels also picked up the AL coach of the year award in 2002.

This time, there are no hidden gems in the smackdown for the National League Cy Young Award, which on Thursday afternoon will likely be bestowed upon someone who was still busy in mid-October. And that, oddly enough, will be a new twist.

Coghlan, a supplemental first round pick by the Florida Marlins in 2006 out of the University of Mississippi, became the third Marlin to win the honor, beating out Philadelphia pitcher J.A. Happ.

Topping the to-do list: With about $15 million to spend, and a lot of holes -- but if we're being specific, they need help hitting and pitching.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America will continue to hand out their postseason awards on Wednesday, as the American and National League Managers of the Year will be announced.

The former Mariners slugger has spent the past four seasons as the Florida Marlins hitting coach, helping transform a bunch of prospects and spare parts into one of the National League's most underrated offenses.

The Cardinals would love to keep Matt Holliday in St. Louis as support for Albert Pujols, but can they fend off the Yankees and Red Sox? AP Breaking down each team in the NL Central heading into the offseason.

"At least one member of the Disciplinary Committee shall be a sports editor of a daily newspaper, the selection of whom shall be the sole discretion of the AssociationA A A s Board of Directors." Oakland right-hander Andrew Bailey, who emerged as the AthleticsA A A closer in his first major league season, was voted the American League winner of the ...

Chris Coghlan, right, edged Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ in voting for the NL rookie prize.

It's that time of year when we announce the winners of the 18th annual Internet Baseball Awards.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America will hand out their first two postseason awards on Monday, as the American and National League Rookies of the Year will be announced.

Mark Bowman, in a post to his blog for MLB.com , feels that the Braves will end up trading eitherA Javier Vazquez or Derek Lowe .

J.A. Happ had a successful but sometimes stressful rookie season with the Phillies.

No player is untouchable, so the Padres might indeed trade first baseman Adrian Gonzalez if they receive a knockout offer.