The Final 9

By RONALD BLUM

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees reeled in another prime free agent, reaching a preliminary agreement Tuesday with first baseman Mark Teixeira for $180 million over eight years.

Two people familiar with the negotiations disclosed the agreement, which is subject to a physical. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet final.

Teixeira's deal, which includes a signing bonus of about $5 million and a complete no-trade provision, raises the Yankees' offseason spending spree to $423.5 million. Just last Thursday, the Yankees completed agreements with two highly prized pitchers, giving CC Sabathia a $161 million, seven-year contract and A.J. Burnett an $82.5 million, five-year deal.

Preparing to move into their pricey new ballpark, the Yankees will hold the four largest contracts in the sport as they try to win the World Series for the first time since 2000. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez has baseball's highest deal at $275 million over 10 years, and shortstop Derek Jeter is second at $189 million over 10 years.

AP Sources: Teixeira agrees to $180M Yankees deal....

By RONALD BLUM

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees not only failed to make the playoffs, they were hit with their highest luxury tax in three years.

The Yankees were assessed a $26.9 million tax by the commissioner's office on Monday, up from $23.9 million last year and their biggest bill since paying nearly $34 million for 2005.

The Detroit Tigers, who also failed to qualify for the postseason, are the only other team that must pay tax and owe $1.3 million to the commissioner's office.
Checks are due by Jan. 31.

Yanks have $26.9 million luxury tax....

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens' former personal trainer filed paperwork preserving the right to sue the seven-time Cy Young Award winner in New York.

Brian McNamee, who told federal investigators that Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs, contends the pitcher defamed him after McNamee spoke to investigators for former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. The summons, filed in Queens Supreme Court last week, preserves McNamee's right to sue, Richard Emery, a lawyer for McNamee, said Tuesday.

McNamee preserves right to sue Clemens in New York....

By JEFF CARLTON

Roger Clemens' former personal trainer cooperated with investigators looking into steroids in baseball under threat of prosecution, an assistant U.S. attorney said in a court filing Thursday.

In a declaration filed in federal court in Houston as part of Clemens' defamation lawsuit against Brian McNamee, assistant U.S. attorney Matthew Parrella said he told McNamee he was not a target of the investigation but could become one if he failed to cooperate.

If McNamee made any false statements to federal investigators or to the group investigating doping in baseball, Parrella said, he could face prosecution.

McNamee told former Sen. George Mitchell's investigators that Clemens had used steroids and human growth hormone before they were banned by baseball.

Also filed Thursday were declarations from attorney Charles Scheeler, who worked with Mitchell, and Earl Ward, an attorney for McNamee. Both supported McNamee's claim that he faced prosecution if he did not help investigators.

Official: Clemens' trainer cooperated under threat....

CC Sabathia and the Yankees agreed Wednesday on the framework for a 161-million dollar, seven-year contract.

By Barry M. Bloom

LAS VEGAS -- Joe Gordon, a nine-time All-Star second baseman for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians and an American League MVP, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday by one of the two Veterans Committees charged with the assignment.
Gordon was the only one of 20 potential candidates elected by separate committees analyzing the careers of players whose careers began prior to 1943 and 1943 or after. Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski was the last player voted into the Hall by a different formation of the current Veterans Committee in 2001.

Gordon, whose career began in 1938, was picked by the 12-person committee surveying candidates from his era. He received 10 votes. The announcement came on Monday at the annual Winter Meetings.

"We are thrilled and proud to welcome Joe Gordon to the Hall of Fame family," said Hall of Fame chairman of the board Jane Forbes Clark. "The Veterans Committee for this ballot had the challenge of considering players who retired long ago, but the Hall of Famers and historians on the Committee did their homework with diligence and effort, and we thank them."

Gordon will be inducted posthumously along with anyone selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America next July 26 during the annual ceremonies behind the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. On the BBWAA ballot, the most likely candidates are Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice.

No one from the post-1942 committee was elected. That group included such fan favorites as Ron Santo, Joe Torre, Gil Hodges, Dick Allen, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Al Oliver, Vada Pinson, Luis Tiant and Maury Wills. That 10-player ballot was handled by a Veterans Committee made up of the 64 living Hall of Famers.

Veterans elect '40s star Gordon to Hall....

By BEN WALKER

Greg Maddux has thrown his last pitch.

The four-time Cy Young winner will announce his retirement Monday at the baseball winter meetings in Las Vegas.

Maddux, who turns 43 in April, ranks eighth on the career wins list with 355. He went 8-13 with a 4.22 ERA last season with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Maddux made three relief appearances in the playoffs for the Dodgers this year — he had an 0.00 ERA over four innings — and then filed for free agency amid speculation he would retire.

On Friday, confirmation came from the office of Maddux's agent, Scott Boras. Maddux, his family and Boras will hold a news conference at the hotel where the meetings are being held to announce one of baseball's greatest pitchers is finished.

Last month, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti left open the possibility that Maddux would return for a 24th season in the majors.

"I told Scott we'd love to have him back, and we're not going to be closing the door on Greg Maddux anytime soon," Colletti said at the time. "I've known him for a long, long time. I respect who he is and admire him for what he's done. I know the impact he has on a club and on a franchise."

Greg Maddux to announce retirement Monday....

NEW YORK — Citi Field will remain the name of the New York Mets' new ballpark following a government bailout the team believes will help the struggling bank survive its economic crisis.

Citigroup agreed in 2006 to pay the Mets US$400 million over 20 years for naming rights to the stadium, scheduled to open next year. Two New York City councilmen said last week that the $800 million ballpark's name should be changed to Citi/Taxpayer Field.

"The company is still an ongoing company and a vital company that is doing business around the globe," Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said Tuesday. "The taxpayers are backstopping what's going on in the global economy. It's not really Citi's fault that they're in this problem. There are a lot of other banks in the same situation - with naming-rights deals, also."

After Citigroup's shares lost 60 per cent of their value within a week and dropped as low as $3.05, the government agreed last month to give the company a $20 billion cash injection - following an earlier $25 billion infusion. As part of the plan, the government agreed to assume possible losses on risky loans in exchange for $7 billion in preferred shares.

"We have a deal with Citi that is good for them, good for us. It's good business for us to have the partnership and the relationship," Wilpon said. "We think we can bring the right people to help them market their product so they can be a going concern, and that over time, the fans that we bring here will become Citi customers and that Citi will thrive and be able to pay the money back to the government."

Signage for Citi already is visible at the ballpark, which is adjacent to Shea Stadium, and more is to come.

New York Mets say Citi Field will remain name of new ballpark....

NEW YORK (AP) — Career steals leader Rickey Henderson heads 10 first-time candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire and Jim Rice — eligible for the final time.

Other newcomers are Jay Bell, David Cone, Ron Gant, Mark Grace, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac, Greg Vaughn, Mo Vaughn and Matt Williams.

Just 23 players are on the ballot, the smallest group ever. Holdovers include Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson. Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

Henderson on Hall of Fame ballot for the first time....

Early next year, Major League Baseball will release the number of players who had first-time positive tests for amphetamines in 2008, according to The New York Times. The move is in line with one of the recommendations from the 2007 Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drugs, which advocated the need to make more data and test results public, according to The Times.

The test result numbers, along with other data and information related to the testing program, will be included in a public report to come out sometime in January.
"We believed that adding the yearly reports would allow us to get a better idea of how the program is functioning," Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, told The Times.

Major League Baseball started testing for amphetamines in 2006, but according to The Times, the number of first-time positive results for 2006 and 2007 will not be revealed.

Report: MLB to show more amphetamine test data....

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - The planned 2011 target date for the new Florida Marlins stadium has been pushed back one year due to the extensive lawsuit filed by auto dealer Norman Braman, according to Marlins president David Samson on Tuesday.

Though Braman lost all seven counts in the lawsuit, which challenged the public funding of the project and was concluded last week, the time spent in court has delayed the construction of the estimated $515 million retractable- roof ballpark to be plotted on the grounds of the Orange Bowl in the Little Havana section of Miami.

In order to make the new 2012 deadline, the Marlins must break ground on construction in May 2009.

New Marlins stadium slated for 2012 opening....

By Jim Molony / MLB.com

Brian McNamee, the former trainer for Roger Clemens, has submitted samples of his DNA to federal investigators trying to ascertain whether Clemens committed perjury before Congress, two newspapers reported Tuesday.

According to the New York Daily News and The New York Times, the request for a DNA sample from McNamee suggests that investigators found readable DNA on the syringes, needles and gauze pads the trainer turned over to federal prosecutors in January and now are seeking to determine to whom it belongs.

McNamee's lawyers claim their client used those needles and gauze pads while injecting Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone.

McNamee submits DNA samples....

After 18 major-league seasons, Mike Mussina announced his retirement Thursday. A 270-game winner with the Yankees and Orioles, the 40-year old right hander ranks 32nd on baseball's career win list.

By Ian Browne / MLB.com

BOSTON -- Just call him Mr. November. Or better yet, refer to Dustin Pedroia as the Most Valuable Player of the American League.
The second baseman of the Boston Red Sox continued his rapid burst into the national spotlight on Tuesday, when he was recognized with that impressive honor.

Though most pundits expected the race for MVP to be agonizingly close, Pedroia won in comfortable fashion, outdistancing a solid field that included, among others, Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis, Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton and Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Following a 2007 season in which Pedroia helped fuel the Red Sox to a World Series championship and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award, the right-handed hitting machine staged quite an encore.

Pedroia joins Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in consecutive years.

Pedroia named AL MVP....

New York, NY (Sports Network) - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has been named the National League's Most Valuable Player, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Pujols, who won this award in 2005 and is a four-time runner-up, garnered 369 points to outdistance Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard by 61 points. Pujols placed first on 18 of the 32 ballots cast by two writers from each NL city, second on 10 others, third on two, fourth on one and seventh on another.

The 28-year-old Pujols, who was named the Sporting News Player of the Year and the NL's Most Outstanding Player earlier this offseason, finished second to Atlanta's Chipper Jones in the NL batting race, hitting .357 with 37 home runs and 116 runs batted in during the 2008 season, and did so while playing with a torn ligament in his right elbow.

Pujols' 104 walks, .462 on-base percentage and 1.115 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) were all career-highs. He is also the only major leaguer to hit at least 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs in each of his first eight seasons.

This marks the 16th time a Cardinals player has been honored. Their total of MVP winners is the most in the NL and second only to the New York Yankees' 20 MVPs in the American League.

Pujols named NL MVP....

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

The constant quest for perfection drove Cliff Lee to great feats throughout 2008.
"Even if I had won every start, I don't know if I'd be satisfied," he said near the season's end. "There's always something you can do better. I don't know how to explain it other than that. It's just the way I am, I guess."

But even Lee has to be satisfied with what took place Thursday, when the Baseball Writers' Association of America named him the American League Cy Young Award winner.

The honor was well-deserved. Lee led the AL in wins with a 22-3 record and in ERA with a 2.54 mark, posted the third-highest winning percentage (.880) for a 20-game winner in baseball history and became the Tribe's first 20-game winner since Gaylord Perry in 1974. The voters took notice. Lee received 24 of 28 first-place votes and finished with 132 points in balloting. He beat out the Jays' Roy Halladay, who finished second with 74 votes.

Lee wins 2008 AL Cy Young Award....

BOSTON (AP) — For the first time in more than a decade, the Boston Red Sox aren't increasing their ticket prices at Fenway Park for the 2009 season.

The team said Wednesday that it had increased prices in each of the last 14 years.

Prices range from $12 to $125 for tickets bought after Dec. 17. There is a discount for earlier purchases once tickets go on sale Dec. 13.

Fans with contracts for premium seats can keep their ticket prices the same if they agree to extend those contracts for one year.

The team plans to add about 350 seats at Fenway Park before next season.

The Red Sox said prices also would remain the same for tickets available to the public at spring training games.

Boston Red Sox hold line on ticket prices....

By Tom Singer

Joe Maddon and the man he succeeded as Tampa Bay manager, Lou Piniella, were named Managers of the Year in the American League and National League, respectively, by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, announced Wednesday afternoon.
Both were recognized for leading their teams to 2008 glory, with Maddon's Rays reaching a destination that remained out of the reach of Piniella's Cubs for a 63rd straight year -- the World Series.

Maddon's selection had been long anticipated, ever since he put the Tampa Bay Rays on track for their first playoff appearance following a 10-year existence of losing.

The honor is the first for the 54-year-old Maddon, who assumed his first managerial job when he was hired by Tampa Bay in November 2005, taking over after Piniella had guided his hometown team to 200 wins in three seasons.

And, typical of the blithe spirit that is often associated with the manager, Wednesday's announcement caught Maddon on a European honeymoon with his bride of a few days, Jaye.

Piniella, a two-time winner of AL honors in 1995 and 2001 with the Seattle Mariners, prevailed in a more competitive NL race after guiding the Cubs to the Central Division title with a 97-64 record.

Maddon, Piniella named top skippers....

By Chris Haft / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum has been called "The Freak," "The Franchise" and "Seabiscuit."
Now he can be called something else: The National League's Cy Young Award winner.

The Giants right-hander earned the prestigious honor, emblematic of the league's best pitcher, in voting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and announced Tuesday.

Lincecum received 23 of 32 first-place votes, seven second-place votes and one third-place vote for 137 points, which were assigned on a 5-3-1 basis. He outdistanced Arizona's Brandon Webb (73 points), the New York Mets' Johan Santana (55), Philadelphia's Brad Lidge (10), Milwaukee's CC Sabathia (9) and the Chicago Cubs' Ryan Dempster (4).

NL Cy Young Award goes to Lincecum....

By Tom Singer / MLB.com

Evan Longoria, the third baseman whose powerful bat keyed the Rays' remarkable turnaround season, and Cubs catcher Geovany Soto were named winners of their respective leagues' 2008 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards.
Longoria, the unanimous American League selection of Baseball Writers Association of America voters, was honored for the 27 homers and 85 RBIs that followed his delayed addition to the Rays' lineup on April 12.

Soto was nearly as popular in the NL, after minding the critical defensive position for the Central division champs while putting up 23 homers and 86 RBIs.

Longoria, Soto are Rookies of the Year....

Hundreds of thousands of fans showered the World Series champion Phillies with brotherly love and confetti Friday, hanging out of windows and packing sidewalks to honor the team that made Philadelphia a winner after 25 years.

By Tyler Kepner

PHILADELPHIA: For a quarter of a century, it was an agonizing cycle for Philadelphia sports fans. Hope, despair, bitterness. For 9,282 days, other places had earned the right to raise banners and hoist trophies. No U.S. city with so many teams had failed for so long.

Now it is over. Now it is Philadelphia's turn. A game that began with a deluge has washed away an epic drought. The Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series.

They did it in Game 5 on Wednesday, edging the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, in the completion of the first suspended game in postseason history.

It began on Monday, and rain and snow delayed it another day. For the chronically heartbroken, it was a catharsis worth the wait.

There is company now for Bednarik, Clarke, Dr. J and Tug in the pantheon of Philadelphia champions. Make room for the 2008 Phillies, who clinched the first major professional championship for the city since the 76ers won the NBA title on May 31, 1983.

Phillies win World Series....

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays will complete Game 5 of the World Series this evening at Citizens Bank Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:37 p.m. (et). The game will resume from the point where it left off on Monday, with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth in the 2-2 game.

Cole Hamels, who came into the game with a 4-0 record this postseason, was on the mound through the sixth inning, and he will lead off the bottom of the sixth. The Phillies, however, are expected to pinch-hit for him. The Rays last had reliever Grant Balfour on the mound.

Philadelphia holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and is hoping to wrap up a title, while the Rays aim to send the series back to Florida.

Rays, Phils to resume Game 5....

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - After rain caused the first suspended game in World Series history on Monday night, a wintry mix of snow and rain on Tuesday caused the remainder of the game, scheduled to resume on Tuesday night, to be postponed until Wednesday night at 8:37 (et).

"Snow go" for Game 5: Bad weather puts World Series on hold....

By TYLER KEPNER

PHILADELPHIA — A city that has waited a quarter-century for a major professional sports championship will have to wait even longer. The fifth game of the World Series was suspended in the middle of the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays tied, 2-2.

The Phillies, who lead the series by three games to one, were 10 outs from clinching a title in a driving rain. But the Rays tied the score in the top of the sixth, and before the bottom of the inning, the tarp was finally pulled over the infield.

The game was suspended at 11:10 p.m., after a 30-minute delay, making it the first World Series game to start and not last at least nine innings. The game is scheduled to be resumed Tuesday at 8 p.m., picking up where it left off on Monday.

Rain Halts Game 5; Will Resume Tuesday, Maybe....

By RICHARD JUSTICE

PHILADELPHIA — Dallas Green is here, smiling and relaxed, looking younger than his 74 years. Steve Carlton and Robin Roberts are around, too, still part of the family.

Bill Giles and Harry Kalas almost never miss a game. Ed Wade isn’t here, but it’s his dream — and years of his work — these Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of completing. His legacy is about to be rewritten.

They’re all part of this franchise of such rich, tortured history, this franchise of Mike Schmidt and Richie Allen and Jim Bunning, this franchise known more for its failures than its success.

Phillies thump Rays 10-2 in Game 4 of World Series....

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced on Sunday that Aramis Ramirez of the Chicago Cubs and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox are the winners of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award, as voted on by the fans.

The award, introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record, recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each league.

Aramis Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis win 2008 Aaron award....

Ryan Howard ended his home run drought and the Phillies clubbed three solo homers in a 5-4, game three win over Tampa Bay. Philadelphia leads the World Series two games to one.

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jason Bartlett could practically hear the rumbling coming down the third-base line as he tried to focus -- a fastball coming at him from the mound, and Cliff Floyd charging toward his left eye.

A thing of beauty, this was not. With Floyd asked to participate in what he said was the first squeeze play of any kind in his long Major League career, there was contact, but Bartlett's first attempt at executing the fourth-inning safety squeeze went foul.

Then, unsatisfied, Rays manager Joe Maddon flashed it down to third-base coach Tom Foley again -- a move that surprised many, but not the Rays. This time, Bartlett found grass between the white lines, and Floyd crossed the plate with Tampa Bay's final run in a 4-2 victory over Philadelphia in Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night.

"The way Joe teaches it, anybody that's on third base should score, if it's done correctly," Bartlett said. "Cliff's not that slow. He may be big and middle-aged, but he can run pretty good."

Small ball pays dividends for Rays....

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Following last night's 3-2 win in the opening game of the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to wrap up the first leg of the best-of-seven series with another win tonight. Following this evening's game at Tropicana Field, the two clubs will move to Philadelphia for Game 3 Saturday.

The pitching matchup for tonight's game has Brett Myers getting the start for the Phillies against Tampa Bay's James Shields.

Myers vs. Shields in World Series game 2 tonight....

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

Chase Utley waited through a one-week layoff, the lineup introductions and the Backstreet Boys' take on the National Anthem.

And then, just 14 pitches into the 2008 World Series between Utley's Phillies and the Rays, he used one swing of the bat to prove rust would not be a factor in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Utley's two-run homer off Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir in the first inning set the tone for the Phillies' eventual 3-2 victory at Tropicana Field.

Not bad for an at-bat that began with a bunt attempt.

"I guess it turned out pretty well," Utley said.

Utley's homer sets tone for Phillies....

The Rays have completed a stunning run to their first pennant, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox 3-1 Sunday night behind Matt Garza's masterful pitching in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

There's going to be a seventh game to decide which American League team goes to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-2 to even the American League Championship Series at three games apiece.

The Red Sox pulled off the major leagues' biggest postseason comeback in 79 years, beating the Rays 8-7 Thursday night to stave off elimination in the AL championship series.

Sporting News staff reports


If the World Series goes to a Game 6 this year, then presidential nominee Barack Obama will be the reason for the game's delayed start.

Major League Baseball agreed Wednesday to push back the start of Game 6 by about 15 minutes to allow a television commercial Obama plans to run on Oct. 29 — the Wednesday before the Nov. 4 election, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Obama's campaign purchased the same half-hour of prime time — from 8-8:30 p.m. ET on CBS and NBC (a deal with ABC is still in negotiations). FOX, which has broadcast rights to Game 6, planned to air a pre-game show, and the first pitch is usually thrown at 8:22 p.m.

Obama ad would delay start of World Series Game 6....

Defending champions the Red Sox have Wednesday off to ponder the past and prepare for Thursday night's fifth game after their second consecutive blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays tied the ALCS with Boston at a game apiece, after B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly ended a contest in which the two teams combined for a postseason record 7 homers.

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched out of trouble all game long and led the Red Sox to a 2-0 win over the Rays in game one of the ALCS.

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

ESPN and the new MLB Network will televise the entire slate of 39 World Baseball Classic games next year from March 5-23, it was announced on Tuesday.

ESPN will televise 23 games of the tournament in the U.S., including the semifinal and final games, across ESPN and ESPN2, and on its Spanish-language platform ESPN Deportes.

The MLB Network, which will launch on basic cable to a record potential audience of 50 million homes this Jan. 1, is slated to broadcast 16 of the Classic games.

MLB Network, ESPN to televise Classic....

For the first time since 1993, the Phillies are in the National League Championship Series. The Eastern Division champs advanced with a 6-2 win over Milwaukee in Game Four of the divisional playoff.

The LA Dodgers are on to the next round of baseball's playoffs, after beating the Cubs 3-1 to sweep the series. Milwaukee kept its' hopes alive, defeating Philadelphia 4-1. But the Brewers still trail two games to one.

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Jerry Manuel is getting another chance to right the New York Mets.

After replacing Willie Randolph in June and falling just short of a playoff berth, Manuel was given a two-year contract Friday that includes a club option for 2011.

"Jerry did a very good job taking over the club midseason, and we believe that he is the right person to manage our team and lead us to the postseason," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said in a statement.

Manuel gets two-year deal to continue to manage Mets....

J.D. Drew belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning, leading Boston to a 7-5 win over the Angels. The Red Sox lead the best of five series two games to none. The Rays beat the White Sox for a 2-0 in their playoff series.

Japan's Akinori Iwamura hit a go-ahead home run for Tampa Bay to help the Rays beat the White Sox 6-2 and take a 2-0 lead in their opening round playoff series.

By Marty Noble / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- With a sense that their offseason renovations are likely to be involved, time-consuming and challenging, the Mets have embraced the concept of first things first and addressed the contract status of the person charged with making the numerous repairs. They have extended the contract of general manager Omar Minaya.
Before the term "lame duck" was heard, the club opted to add three years to the agreement Minaya signed Sept. 30, 2004, even though the Mets' three most recent seasons have ended in bitter disappointment. Minaya, who turns 50 next month, now is contracted through the 2012 season, and the club has options for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

In a conference call with members of the media Thursday morning, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon succinctly explained the impetus for the contract extension and the reason for the timing, saying "Omar's our guy," and "We felt he was the right person to run our baseball operations." He was quoted as having said "This contract extension reinforces our confidence in Omar's leadership in the short and longer term" in a statement the club released.

Wilpon added, "We obviously were not a very good team when Omar came aboard, and he's turned this thing around, and we think he deserves another chance to get us to where we want to be. ... We failed this year, and we want to get the redemption that we need and move forward."

Mets reward Minaya with extension....

By Jim Molony / MLB.com

Cliff Lee, who was the American League leader in wins and ERA, and Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge, who converted 41 of 41 save opportunities to help the Phillies win a second consecutive National League East crown, are MLB.com's Comeback Player of the Year Award winners for their respective leagues.
Lee, Cleveland's first 20-game winner since 1974, landed on 26 of the 30 ballots -- one for each MLB.com team reporter -- with 24 first-place votes and two seconds for 76 points. He easily outdistanced runner-up Mike Mussina of the Yankees and third-place finisher Milton Bradley of the Rangers.

Lidge finished with 53 points and was followed by Kerry Wood of the Cubs (34), Ryan Ludwick of the Cardinals (27) and Jorge Cantu of the Marlins (23).

Lee, Lidge earn Comeback Awards....

The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Wild Card Sunday when they won and the Mets lost; Dodgers, Cubs and Phillies are in the playoffs, as are the Red Sox, Angels and Rays in the AL, where the Central Division champ has yet to be decided.

By Mel Antonen, USA TODAY

Seven of baseball's eight postseason teams are set.
The other might not be determined until Tuesday.

It depends on what happens this afternoon when the Chicago White Sox host the Detroit Tigers when they make up a game that was rained out earlier this season.

The White Sox, after beating the Cleveland Indians 5-1 Sunday, are a half-game behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. If the White Sox beat Detroit, they'll force a one-game playoff vs. the Twins Tuesday in Chicago.

Extra innings for baseball's regular season....

By Barry M. Bloom

The days are dwindling to a precious few at Shea Stadium, and looming just beyond the center-field fence is the 2009 home of the Mets with its red-brick façade and Ebbets Field-like rotunda, nearing completion.
The Citi Field sign has been hung above the great Jackie Robinson Rotunda, along with other similar signage throughout the new ballpark.

"There's one that crowns the big scoreboard that looms over center field," said Richard Browne, the project manager of the ballpark construction site, during a telephone conversation on Thursday. "And when it's illuminated at night, you can see it for miles all over the place."

The new ballpark is about 85 percent complete with 80 percent of the dark green seats already installed. The rotunda may be an homage to the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the green seats pay tribute to the Polo Grounds, the home of the New York Giants until 1957 and where the Mets played their first two seasons in 1962 and 1963.

Citi Field nearing completion....

By RICHARD SANDOMIR

Shea Stadium was never a beautiful place. It lacked signature features like the Yankee Stadium frieze, the Green Monster of Fenway Park, the overhanging upper deck of Tiger Stadium or the ivy of Wrigley Field.

But it was part of the 1964 World’s Fair and it was home: the circular design; blue and orange exterior panels; movable seats that rotated on an underground track and that could turn it into a home for the Jets; and an outfield without bleachers that let home runs land in bullpens, slam off the scoreboard or surge into the flight pattern beyond its boundaries.

“What struck me as a kid was it was so colorful and so enormous,” the Mets announcer Gary Cohen said. “The height and the size of it; nobody had seen anything like it. When you came up through the tunnels and into your seats, you saw into infinity.”

Stadium’s Appeal Lay in Futuristic Functionality....

With one day left in the Major League Baseball season, two playoff spots are still up for grabs. But the Phillies booked their ticket to thepostseason, clinching the NL East.

By Ed Sherman

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Fred Merkle was born in Watertown, Wis. in 1888, but he spent only one year there before his family moved to Toledo.


Still, that didn't prevent Watertown resident David Stalker from claiming Merkle as the town's very own. He spearheaded an effort to erect a monument in Merkle's honor.

Set in black marble with a baseball perched on top, the monument notes that Merkle was a "potent line-drive hitter and agile first-baseman." It says he was a member of six World Series teams.

However, there is no mention on the monument of the play that earned Merkle a spot in baseball infamy. The inscription boasts of Merkle's "intelligence" on the field, seemingly a contradiction for a player whose nickname was "Bonehead."

"We want the average person to see Fred Merkle for who he really was," Stalker said. "There was much more to his career than just one play."

Yet as Bill Buckner discovered in the cruelest way possible, one play can define a career. Prior to Buckner and the ball-between-the-legs grounder that ended Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, there was Merkle, the goat of goats.

Sadly, one play defined Merkle's career, life....

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays are going to the playoffs.
Saturday's emotionally-driven 7-2 win over the Twins in front of a home sellout crowd of 36,048, clinched the Rays' franchise-first postseason appearance. Additionally, the win -- coupled with Boston's loss to Toronto -- extends Tampa Bay's lead atop the American League East to 2 1/2 games.

The Rays' Division Series playoff destination will shake out in the final week of the season. Assuming the Rays win the AL East and Boston wins the Wild Card, the Rays will open at home against the Central winner, either the White Sox or Twins, while the Red Sox would open at the Angels, who have the AL's best record. Should Boston win the East and the Rays get the Wild Card, the Rays would open at Anaheim, while the Red Sox would host the Central Division champion. The Division Series is a best-of-five set.

Carlos Pena's two-out double in the third inning wasn't just clutch -- it had some luck involved, as well. Initially, it appeared the Tampa Bay first baseman popped up to Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer, but the ball hit Tropicana Field's catwalk in foul territory and per the dome's ground rules, was a dead ball. After working the count full, Pena laced a double hit into center field to plate the Rays' first pair of runs.

The offense padded starter Scott Kazmir's cushion with three runs in the fifth inning and a pair of solo homers from Fernando Perez and Cliff Floyd in the sixth and seventh frames, respectively.

Rays clinch club's first playoff spot....

CHICAGO -- The Cubs can't make up for 100 years without a world championship just by winning the National League Central, but it's a start.

Alfonso Soriano drove in two runs and Ted Lilly executed a perfect suicide squeeze to lead the Cubs to a 5-4 victory Saturday over the St. Louis Cardinals and clinch the division for the second consecutive year. It was time to party in Wrigleyville.

Saturday's sunshine-splashed crowd of 41,597 pushed the season home total to a club record 3,259,649. And that's just a fraction of the championship-starved Cubs fans Lou Piniella has encountered in his second season in Chicago. He's tried to harness the expectations. Yes, this is the longest drought in professional sports, but Piniella wants the 2008 Cubs to be judged on what they've done this year, not carry the burden of what they haven't done in the last century.

Lilly (16-9) set a personal high for wins, giving up four runs, six hits, and two walks over seven innings. Carlos Marmol pitched the eighth, and Wood handled the ninth for his 32nd save.

The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the second, ignited by Jim Edmonds' leadoff double, and one out later, Soriano hit a single off Joel Pineiro (6-7) that left fielder Brian Barton overran for an error, allowing all three runs to score.

Geovany Soto reached on an error by third baseman Troy Glaus in the fourth and scored on Mark DeRosa's double off the left-field wall to make it 4-0. DeRosa advanced on a groundout and scored on a suicide squeeze by Lilly.

But the Cardinals rallied with a four-run sixth, highlighted by Glaus' three-run homer, his 25th.

By Christian Wiessner

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Say it ain't so. An era ends on Sunday when the curtain comes down on baseball in storied Yankee Stadium, scene of more moments that will live in sporting history than any other place in America.

Strangely, in Sunday night's final contest between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, nothing more than pride is at stake. The Yankees have had a rare down season and will not be adding to their championship record this year.

Wrecking balls and sledgehammers, not baseballs and bats, will soon be the equipment of choice as the stadium is demolished in coming months, although there may yet be a "closing ceremony" featuring big name rock stars before the wrecking crews move in.

Next season, the Yankees will take their bats, balls and fabled pinstriped uniforms to a brand new Yankee Stadium nearing completion across the street from the current one.

Americans have always been wistful about their National Pastime. Many cherish memories of playing catch with their fathers and of their first childhood visits to ballparks.

"This field, this game. It's a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again," James Earl Jones's character said in the film "Field of Dreams."

Through baseball history, no venue came closer to capturing that mystical quality than Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Stadium to host last game before demolition....

The 2009 Major League Baseball season: A late start and the probability of November baseball; two grand openings in New York, one grand re-opening in Kansas City and one farewell season in Minnesota; the Rays and Red Sox picking up where they left off as an Opening Day matchup; sellouts and ballpark dogs galore; the first All-Star Game for St. Louis in 44 years; and a master schedule that is now available for your perusal earlier than ever.

MLB has just released the tentative 2009 regular-season schedule, for those already looking ahead -- and those engrossed in the 2008 finish but wanting to be ahead of the game for another blockbuster year. Individual clubs are handling season-ticket opportunities in their own ways, with some now accepting deposits.

The next-year schedule traditionally was released in bits and pieces, a club schedule here and a club schedule there. Then in January, the master schedule typically was released. Times have changed in Major League Baseball, though. Baseball is headed for yet another overall season attendance record, and fans schedule their desired ballpark dates earlier than ever due to so many large crowds, competitive balance and collective zeal.

The annual Sunday night opener will be announced later pending a matchup for the ESPN audience, but everything else is pretty much set. The Monday openers will be on April 6, highlighted by the traditional opener that day in Cincinnati vs. the Mets, and that will be one week later than usual. Because the season starts a week into April, there exists the possibility for a World Series Game 7 on Nov. 5, 2009 -- if the postseason schedule follows the 2007-08 procedures.

MLB reveals 2009 schedule....

By Thor Nystrom / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins' new home has a name: Target Field.
The club announced on Monday morning that they have reached an agreement in principle on a 25-year deal that includes the naming rights for Target Field. The ballpark is scheduled to open in 2010.

Financial terms of the pact were not released.

"We took what we think is a non-traditional approach -- a lot of teams would have had an auction; that was never what it was about for the Twins," Twins president Dave St. Peter said. "When we considered corporate names, it was clear that one, it needed to be a Minnesota-based brand, and two, it had to be involved in the community and consistent with our brand, which is very family focused. There was a small list of companies that we felt fit those criteria. Target was at the top of that list."

The Twins and Target will also collaborate on the design of Target Plaza, a pedestrian bridge and public gathering space connecting Target Field to downtown Minneapolis

Twins name new ballpark Target Field....

Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers have fired manager Ned Yost and named Dale Sveum interim manager for the final two weeks of the season.

The Brewers are 83-67 and tied for the top spot in the National League wild card race with Philadelphia. The Phillies, though, just completed a four-game sweep of the Brewers.

Milwaukee, just 3-11 in September, is also 7 1/2 games behind Chicago in the NL Central race.

Brewers fire manager Ned Yost....

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Robb Quinlan's two-run single in the fifth inning proved to be the difference as the LA Angels of Anaheim downed the New York Yankees, 4-2, and cliched the American League West title.

The Angels' earned a share of the crown with the win and then wrapped up their fourth division title in five years outright when second-place Texas fell in Seattle, 8-7.

Garret Anderson finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Angels, who have won three of their past four contests. Vladimir Guerrero was also 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Angels top Yankees, clinch AL West crown....

By BRUCE WEBER

Getting it right is a necessity in genetic testing, a plus in a spelling bee and a paramount virtue in journalism. But in sports it might just be overrated.

This week, Major League Baseball introduced instant replay as a tool to adjudicate troublesome home run calls, making it the last of the major American sports to use technology to help officials get it right.

Tennis has the electric eye to monitor selected line calls. Basketball lets the referees check the videotape to see if a player released a shot before the buzzer at the end of a period and also to review fights and flagrant fouls. In hockey, they’ll look again to see if the puck did or didn’t sneak entirely across the goal line. And in football it seems they’ll review just about anything.

The chief argument in favor of instant replay is that it preserves the integrity of the game, that athletes work too hard and are too good at what they do to have their skills and the nature of their competition marginalized by the human frailties of ostensibly lesser mortals who sit in judgment of them. Of course, the games existed perfectly well with their integrity perfectly intact before anyone ever uttered the phrase, “Let’s go to the videotape.” And if it was integrity that the replay was preserving, we wouldn’t limit its use, would we?

Instant Replay May Be Moving Into Foul Territory....

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

Major League Baseball will institute the use of instant replay on Thursday to determine disputed home run calls -- fair or foul, in or out of the ballpark, fan interference -- Commissioner Bud Selig announced on Tuesday.
The system, which has been under study since this past November when the general managers voted 25-5 to explore its use, will launch on Thursday when Minnesota opens a four-game series at Oakland, Texas is in Anaheim to play the Angels, and the Phillies are at Wrigley Field to play the Cubs.

Since it was determined that the use of replay should start when a series opens, it will be in use for all games beginning with Friday's action. Musing that implementing replay was really not like dealing with "Einstein's 'Theory of Relativity,'" the Commissioner said the apropos time to move ahead with it was now.

"I believe this is right," Selig said during a late afternoon conference call unveiling the new system. "I think the umpires believe it. I think the players believe it. The evidence [for using it] became overwhelming the more I looked at ballparks. You've got an umpire running out and he's 300-400 feet away, and it became impossible [for him to make the right call]. I'm delighted we're able to make this adjustment.

"As you well know, anytime you try to change things in baseball, it's both emotional and difficult, but this [decision] everyone really thought was in the sport's best interest. And that's why I made it."

Limited instant replay debuts Thursday....

By Alyson Footer / MLB.com

HOUSTON -- Instant replay will serve as a valuable tool to umpires while making home run calls, but that doesn't mean the proverbial "human element" will no longer be a factor.
Instant replay will be used as somewhat of a last resort. According to 24-year umpiring veteran and crew chief Dana DeMuth, the "old rules" of making calls on disputed home run balls will still be very much in effect.

But if after steps one (umpire makes the call), two (manager argues the call) and three (crew convenes to discuss the call) the umpires cannot conclude whether a home run is indeed a home run, they'll turn to the newest step -- instant replay -- to help make the correct determination.

In the past, when an umpiring crew would gather to discuss -- and sometimes, overturn -- a call, they would use a democratic system of sorts. If they were split 2-2, they'd stick with the original call.

Now, if they're split, they'll turn to instant replay to serve as the tie-breaker.

Umpires see replay as an aid....

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Major League Baseball and ESPN signed a new digital rights agreement that will allow the sports network to put baseball content on multiple platforms, including video game consoles and portable players such as iPods.

The deal announced Thursday extends and expands the agreement through 2013. The previous agreement could have expired as early as this year. Terms were not disclosed.

ESPN said the deal will allow for live game streaming and highlights packages on the Internet and mobile platforms. It also will allow ESPN to develop interactive television programming around baseball content.

ESPN will be able to put MLB content on download services like Apple's iTunes Store and console game systems such as Microsoft Xbox Live.

"Our goal is always to deliver sports to fans across any platform, and this is yet another agreement that fulfills that strategy," George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, said in a statement.

ESPN signs digital rights deal with baseball....

by FOXSports.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired veteran right-hander Greg Maddux from the Padres to bolster their rotation for the stretch run, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Associated Press confirmed the trade, citing a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity Monday night because no announcement had been made. However, sources with both teams are saying no deal has been finalized.

Maddux, who is 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA this season, is expected to join the team in time for their series opener against the Rockies on Tuesday. The Dodgers are currently tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL West lead.

Report: Maddux off to L.A. to bolster Dodger staff....

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- Commissioner Bud Selig said after the closing of Thursday's joint meeting of the 30 club executives that he could implement instant replay for disputed home run calls before the end of the season.
"I'm hoping we can get the bugs out sometime before the postseason," Selig said. "Whether we can make that timetable or not really hasn't been determined."

The owners, eight of whom sit on the executive council along with Selig, were briefed about the replay plan on Wednesday and the full body of executives heard the details on Thursday morning.

Selig: Work continues on instant replay....

By Mark Newman / MLB.com

BEIJING -- Baseball at the Summer Olympics begins Wednesday at the Wukesong Sports Complex with Chinese Taipei facing Netherlands at 10:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET) on Field 2, followed by China vs. Canada at 11:30 (Field 1), Korea vs. United States at 6 p.m. (Field 2) and Cuba vs. Japan at 7 p.m. (Field 1).

There is a lot to know about how the baseball competition works. There are three fields at Wukesong, and two of them will be host to all of the games through the gold medal contest on Aug. 23. Here are the details:

Olympic game similar, but not identical....