New skipper?  Look to rivals' farm system  —  White Sox Triple-A manager Shines razor-sharp, could be answer to Cubs' woes, writes Phil Rogers  —  Evaluating?  —  Jim Hendry has seen this, and he's still evaluating?  That's what the Cubs' general manager said on Tuesday in Houston …

Break point  —  School may be out for Baker and many on his staff during All-Star recess  —  HOUSTON — Dusty Baker and some of his coaching staff may have a restless All-Star break after general manager Jim Hendry announced Tuesday he will use the four-day break to decide whether an overhaul is in order.

Baker may be lost cause  —  HOUSTON — "Day-to-day'' is no longer a boring cliche with the Cubs.  It's the tense reality of manager Dusty Baker's increasingly precarious position.  —  Baker could be in his final days as the disheveled Cubs dived to 4-17 in their last 21 games with a 7-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday.

If Trade Is Made, Torre Will Take Hitter Over Pitcher  —  CLEVELAND, July 4 — Joe Torre continues to insist that the Yankees' fortunes depend on starting pitching.  But a team has to score runs to win, of course, and the Yankees have not done enough of that lately.

Notes: Torre says offense is bigger need  —  Manager sees outfield help as more important than pitching  —  CLEVELAND — With the trade deadline less than four weeks away, Joe Torre knows that a move or two could be made to bolster the Yankees for the second half.

Endypendence Day for Mets  —  Prevail on fireworks in eighth  —  Willie Randolph implored his team to keep playing hard until the All-Star break during a rare pregame address yesterday, to not let a 10-1/2-game lead spawn a letup this final week before the Mets temporarily disband.