Maine Joins Mets, but Departs Too Quickly  —  John Maine was told to fly to Queens from Norfolk, Va., yesterday morning because of Alay Soler's impending demotion and Pedro Martínez's sore hip.  Those are not the ideal circumstances for a promotion, but Maine can deal …

Oogie and Miggy to the All-Star Game  —  As Dr F pointed out in his diary post, Uggla and Cabrera will be the Marlins representatives in the All-Star Game. … I can't wait to hear how the National media will butcher Uggla's name.  —  I'm glad Cabrera made the team.

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.

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 …

Rangers really are boys of summer  —  Been thinking.  Head hurts.  —  I know.  I know.  I should do that less often.  But inside the old cranium, the voices are arguing:  —  Talk about something significant," the one little man says. "  This team is going nowhere.''

Notes: Little shakes up the lineup  —  Lofton moved to leadoff spot; slumping Furcal bumped to No. 7  —  LOS ANGELES — After watching the Dodgers lose their fifth in the last six games Sunday, manager Grady Little held a meeting and told his team he wasn't waiting until the All-Star break to shake things up.

The life of Brien  —  Bricks, back roads & broken dreams of a former phenom  —  BEAUFORT, N.C. - A few times a week, often on his way home from work, the greatest pitching prospect the New York Yankees ever had pulls into a little roadside convenience store called In & Out Food Mart.

Canseco: Major League Baseball is the 'mafia'  —  Canseco: Major League Baseball is the 'mafia'  —  CHICO, Calif. (AP) — Jose Canseco wrote the book that helped persuade baseball to toughen its steroids policy, and he insists there's much more damaging information to come.

Cards notebook: Dream weaving  —  Dream weaving  —  The Cardinals are having internal discussions about Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jeff Weaver, who was designated for assignment Friday and must either be traded or released by the All-Star break.  —  Weaver apparently …

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.

What's going on in San Diego's front office?  —  At present, the San Diego Padres hold a slim lead in the NL West and are on pace to post a third consecutive winning season for the first time in franchise history.  —  The architect of the Padres since late 1995 has been general manager Kevin Towers.

Ex-nemesis Wallace accelerates Bulls' rebound  —  For years, Ben Wallace has made life tough on the Bulls in the Eastern Conference.  —  He's about to make it better.  —  Wallace agreed Monday night to a four-year deal worth $60 million with the Bulls, sources said.

Interleague games draw record crowds  —  NEW YORK — More than 8.5 million fans attended interleague games this season, the most in the 10 years of play between the American and National leagues.  —  The average crowd for 252 interleague dates this year was 34,097, topping the previous record of 33,703 in 2001.