Mets claim Dodgers OF Ledee on waivers  —  LOS ANGELES — Ricky Ledee is headed back to the Big Apple, this time with the New York Mets.  —  The backup outfielder was placed on waivers Monday night by the Los Angeles Dodgers and quickly claimed by New York.

Pitcher kept health secret  —  Majewski goes on DL, reveals previous, current arm woes  —  Gary Majewski was definitely hurt when the Washington Nationals traded him to the Reds July 13.  —  He knew it.  It sounds like people in the Washington organization knew it.

Cabrera, Benson back in rotation  —  TORONTO // As expected, Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo announced yesterday that Daniel Cabrera will start today's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.  —  It will be the 25-year-old's first start since July 13 against Texas, a game in which he gave up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Papi may be a 21st-century Foxx  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If you haven't already, now would be a great time to start your David Ortiz home run pool.  —  Anyone can join, and all kinds of twists are involved.  —  A good one to start: Pick the date Ortiz passes Jimmie Foxx for most single-season home runs by a Red Sox player.

He deserves his share of praise  —  His locker sits vacant, although not as a shrine.  Now, the cubicle once occupied by Mike Piazza serves as a dumping ground for the overflow from Tom Glavine, who dresses next door.  —  There is no evidence in the Mets' clubhouse that for seven years …

Yankees' pitcher establishes himself  —  The Yankees signed Chien-Ming Wang on May 5, 2000 and sent him to pitch for their Class A team on Staten Island five weeks later.  The right-hander from Taiwan spoke no English and had never been to the United States before.

Fans at Fenway Face Test of Faith  —  THE Boston Red Sox are a poor excuse for a good baseball team.  For the second year in a row, they have squandered an advantage they had over the Yankees, this year even more grievously than last.  Like last year, they will very likely pay for their profligacy.

Owner, manager boil, but don't overheat  —  A bizarre clash of egos ended with a truce, but not before the Marlins almost lost the best young manager in baseball.  —  Heated words on a super-heated summer Sunday took owner Jeffrey Loria and manager Joe Girardi to the brink, but they found a way to calm down and shake hands.

1. Adam Miller, rhp, Indians (Double-A Akron) … IN THE TEAM PHOTO … THE NOT-SO-HOT SHEET … BLAST FROM THE PAST … HELIUM WATCH

Meltdown just plain Kay-razy  —  Thinking before one speaks has never been a prerequisite for gaining employment as a sports radio talkie.  In fact, some mouths are encouraged - in the name of ratings or buzz - to flap their yaps with no regard for truth, accuracy, or rationale.

Digging Beyond Statistics in Order to Figure Abreu  —  Bobby Abreu was 18 years old, four levels from the majors, in the summer of 1992.  He was the right fielder for the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League, just another prospect in the Houston Astros' farm system.

Rangers forced to shuffle rotation  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Rangers left-hander John Koronka admitted he was surprised at being optioned to Triple A Oklahoma.  —  The rookie, who was traded to the Rangers by the Chicago Cubs days before Opening Day, had been in the Rangers' starting rotation since the start of the season.

Indians sign Lee to three-year, $14M extension  —  CLEVELAND — Cliff Lee signed a three-year, $14 million contract extension with the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, another long-term commitment for a young player the club considers key to winning in the future.

Beltrán No Longer Just a Shadow of Himself  —  The children sitting in a classroom at Harlem RBI headquarters yesterday afternoon knew the basics about their special guest, Carlos Beltrán.  They all professed to like the Mets more than the Yankees, and they said that center field was their favorite position.