Dascenzo on Fort Wayne hitting prospects

Doug Dascenzo guided his team to a Midwest League championship and has since been promoted to the San Diego Padres Double-A level. We caught up with the skipper to discuss prospects from the Fort Wayne TinCaps.   Full Story

The Oakland A’s announced their list of non-roster players who will be invited to major league spring training camp in 2010. Six of the names on the list are recent minor league free agent signings, which include two names familiar to those who have followed the A’s organization over the past few years. We give an overview of all 19 players inside...   Full Story

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Ryan Wheeler and Billy Buckner for their 2009 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year. It's particularly difficult to argue against Wheeler, but FutureBacks.com nevertheless selected a different pitcher and position player as the best D-backs of 2009.   Full Story

The Vikings rebounded nicely after a tough loss a week ago at Arizona by beating a very good Cincinnati Bengal team fairly convincingly. Here’s a closer look at some observations and notes.   Full Story

The Vikings were able to hold Cedric Benson under 100 yards … barely. But that didn’t stop Pat Williams from expressing his displeasure with the media in the week leading up to the game. Players were also talking about the return of Antoine Winfield, the starting debut of Jasper Brinkley, the pressure on Carson Palmer, overcoming penalties and more.   Full Story

Linebacker Jasper Brinkley will be getting his first extensive time on defense, and he’ll be squaring off against two hard-nosed runners that have found new life with the Bengals.   Full Story

Sidney Rice is having a break-out season for the Vikings. But do you know how he's performed in third-and-long situations, inside the red zone, or when he's likely to be at his best in a game? Scout.com's Ed Thompson has those answers and more after digging into the detailed info from STATS.   Full Story

Rookie Jasper Brinkley is expected to get an opportunity to show his skills on defense as the replacement for E.J. Henderson. Having a fifth-round rookie at middle linebacker might be considered a risky proposition, but teammates and coaches expressed confidence in his instincts.   Full Story

Rookie Jasper Brinkley could be getting a shot to start at middle linebacker after E.J. Henderson suffered a fractured femur Sunday night.   Full Story

Bob Cluck was a minor league pitching consultant with the San Diego Padres before retiring at the end of the year. His advice was touted as instrumental by the coaching staff in the development of many of the young prospects in the system. MadFriars.com caught up with Cluck to discuss many pitching prospects.   Full Story

Sidney Rice credits offseason workouts with Cris Carter and Larry Fitzgerald for helping improve his work ethic. Fitzgerald is happy to see Rice emerge as one of the better receivers in the league. Plus, get dozens of rankings and statistics stacking the Vikings against the Cardinals.   Full Story

Scout.com's Ed Thompson takes a look at the three cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers that NFL quarterbacks have gone after with no mercy this season. And he points out which players at each position are struggling the most when called upon to defend the pass.   Full Story

The Vikings have a number of young players that have emerged as important playmakers and cogs in the team’s success, and they could raise their profile among NFL types across the league with a good month of prime-time games in December.   Full Story

The Vikings are one of the best teams at converting third downs. Why? The players and Brad Childress explain why they’ve been so successful at that. Plus, more notes from Winter Park on Monday.   Full Story

Lake Elsinore Storm manager Carlos Lezcano is a stickler for discpline within the San Diego Padres farm system. He wants to see the progress of each player through the year. We caught up with him to discuss the hitting prospects.   Full Story

This week’s installment of news, notes, commentary and analysis.   Full Story

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema gives his thoughts on the Brad Childress contract extension and how the coach has changed. Plus, we get his take on the increasingly tense stadium situation, Sidney Rice and the Vikings’ linebackers.   Full Story

Sidney Rice is having his breakout season, just as his agent predicted. Why now and what happened? Rice pointed to a variety of factors that have converged to make him one of the hottest receivers in the NFL.   Full Story

The Vikings started the season with short passes for Brett Favre, but the difference in the Detroit games might indicate just how far the offense has come, with a big increase in explosive plays, especially to receiver Sidney Rice.    Full Story

The pitch-and-catch combination of Brett Favre to Sidney Rice has been heating up and the Seahawks will be the next team to try and stop it.    Full Story

Ranking prospects is always the highlight for anyone that covers a major league team’s minor league system, in this case the San Diego Padres, and while it is the most viewed and discussed, it is also the most misunderstood.   Full Story

Check out this week's photo gallery from the Vikings 27-10 win over Detroit.   Full Story

Sidney Rice and Adrian Peterson both had big days against the Lions and raised their profile in the team’s record books. Brett Favre and Jim Kleinsasser also climbed the charts.   Full Story

Scout.com's Ed Thompson digs into the detailed numbers and trends from STATS and shares some interesting facts you should know before settling in for Sunday's matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings.   Full Story

WR Sidney Rice is having a breakout year and he expects to continue the progress in the second half of the season. The receiving game has become more balanced, and Rice credits Brett Favre for that.   Full Story