Yanks need an All-Star break  —  You had to be there to appreciate the sheer width of Johnny Damon's smile.  It was as if George Steinbrenner decided yesterday to eliminate all team regulations regarding hair.  —  Nothing so dramatic spurred the happiness.

Surprise, Surprise  —  There were many surprises and a few surprised people in the Mets clubhouse before last night's game with the Pirates.  —  The first surprise was the presence of John Maine, who was seated in front of a locker that once belonged to Jose Lima, among others.

9th-inning knockout  —  Pierzynski gets revenge with HR off Dempster  —  It was a tale of two seasons in one precious moment, played out in brilliant sunshine on a windy summer afternoon in a city where baseball is secondary only to breathing.  —  In one corner stood the Cubs …

Uggla, Cabrera named reserves  —  Two Marlins — rookie second baseman Dan Uggla and veteran third baseman Miguel Cabrera — were chosen as reserves for next week's All-Star Game.  —  kbaxter@MiamiHerald.com  —  When Marlins manager Joe Girardi called Dan Uggla into his office early Sunday afternoon …

Top sluggers to showcase power  —  Pool of candidates for CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby is deep  —  Boston slugger David Ortiz and Philadelphia's Ryan Howard — the Major League leader in home runs — are among the five players tentatively scheduled to compete in the Century 21 Home Run Derby on ESPN.

Division leaders net one All-Star in Zito  —  The A's are in first place in the American League West, but they'll have only one All-Star representative next week.  —  Not surprisingly, that player is Barry Zito, who started the A's 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and is 8-5 with a 3.28 ERA.

Top Latino prospects get major-league deals … The New York Yankees paid a $2 million signing bonus to Venezuelan catcher Jesus Montero on Sunday, a busy day for the best Latin American prospects.  —  Dominican shortstop Esmaily Gonzalez received $1.4 million from the Washington Nationals …

Scoop!  —  I'll write a few notes on today's highly entertaining 15-11 Cub win over the White Sox in a moment.  —  First, I want to tell you of a trade rumor I heard today, and you're going to dismiss it, but I heard this from a source I trust, and it makes sense on a number of different levels.

Barry Bonds, Giants Left Fielder  —  Many words have been written about Barry Bonds, his use (or "alleged use" if you prefer) of performance-enhancing drugs, the morality of his passing Babe Ruth, and his chase of Hank Aaron.  Meanwhile, baseball games were also being played.

Baseball's worst of the worst  —  I can't understand why people get so worked up about Major League Baseball's All-Star selections.  When home park attendance and how often a team appears on TV are the two most important selection criteria, you're bound to get plenty of horrendous snubs and shaky selections.

Weekend Buzz: Hometown Pirates get boost from ballot stuffers  —  The Weekend Buzz while you were aiming the fireworks AWAY from the children ...  1. Pittsburgh, city by the Bay: Every so often one of those cool stories comes along that makes you stand at attention and salute.

Eaton on target for late-July return  —  ARLINGTON - Adam Eaton has a calendar of his planned rehab starts for July sitting in his locker.  He's quick to point out July 21, the day planned for his final rehab start.  —  "That means five days later, I could be back in the rotation," Eaton said.

Jones to Replace Choo on All-Star Team  —  Outfielder Adam Jones will be replacing outfielder Shin-Soo Choo on the 2006 PCL All-Star Team.  Choo, who was originally selected to be the Rainiers representative, was recently called up to Seattle to replace the injured Jeremy Reed.

Cards Notebook: Ponson up Thursday  —  The perception is that pitcher Sidney Ponson toes a fine line as a Cardinals starter, having already been moved to the bullpen once this year, only to emerge with his finest performance of the season when pressed into action.

Moehler to have an MRI on foot  —  Right-hander Brian Moehler will undergo an MRI on his sore right foot today and is hoping he'll be able to come off the disabled list shortly after next week's All-Star break.  —  ''The X-rays were negative.  There's no stress fracture,'' said Moehler …