The Final 9

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....