Cards sign Wilson, send Reyes to Memphis  —  Outfielder Preston Wilson, released by the Houston Astros earlier this week, signed with the Cardinals today.  —  To make room for Wilson on the 25-man roster, the Cards optioned starting pitcher Anthony Reyes to Triple-A Memphis.

TEXAS RANGERS  —  Placed RHP Kip Wells on the 15-day DL (sprained foot), retroactive to 8/12; recalled RHP Scott Feldman from Oklahoma (Triple-A).  [8/15]  —  Placed OF-L Brad Wilkerson on the 15-day DL (shoulder soreness); recalled CF-B Freddy Guzman from Oklahoma.  [8/16]

Yanks-Sox rivalry showcased on FOX  —  Game of the Week features pair of 13-game winners at Fenway  —  BOSTON — Josh Beckett, in his first year with the Red Sox, and Randy Johnson, in his second year as a Yankee, are pretty new to the 103-year rivalry between baseball's biggest foes.

White Sox's road to the top?  —  After odd homestand, visits to Twins, Tigers could define summer  —  'Win and survive" should be the White Sox's theme for the rest of the season.  —  On the eve of their seven-game trip to American League rivals Minnesota and Detroit, the Sox made the most of six hits …

Hey, Yankee fans, get yer warm beer!  —  If you want to "get your cold beer" at Yankee Stadium, you might want to bring your own ice pack.  —  Yankee fans who shell out as much as $8.75 for an allegedly "ice-cold beer" from vendors say that the brews are nowhere near frosty enough - and they're right.

Measuring up to a Met; Encarnacion stacks up well to New York star Wright  —  ST. LOUIS - David Wright, the New York Mets' 23-year-old third baseman, has become one of baseball's stars: Sports Illustrated cover boy, All-Star, MVP candidate.  —  And rightfully so - he's hitting .304 with 22 home runs and 86 RBI.

The Delicate Sound of Thunder  —  You know that feeling as a kid where you couldn't wait to run downstairs on Christmas morning because you were dying to see if Santa brought you that new red bike you'd been begging for?  But your eagerness was tempered with a bit of anxiety, as you really …

Zink refused to knuckle under  —  What are the chances of two knuckleballers being in a starting rotation?  The answer is remote, but if it's not in Boston, there might be a place for Charlie Zink somewhere else in the big leagues.  —  The Pawtucket righthander has finally shown consistency …

Really?  Is Baseball Less Popular?  —  A recent analysis of baseball's popularity by Gary Gillette concluded that the game is "not nearly as popular now as it once was."  Gary Gillette is the co-chair of SABR's Business of Baseball committee and editor of the 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, making this piece especially credible.

Edmonds improves  —  Center fielder Jim Edmonds didn't play again on Thursday as he battles with post-concussion syndrome.  He saw a neurologist and may play this weekend in Chicago.  —  "He actually was improved today,'' trainer Barry Weinberg said. "  He felt better.

The iPod Shuffle (One Year Later)  —  I spent much of this week discussing and planning for my future, which was both exciting and tedious.  I'm happy to announce that the contract negotiations I talked briefly about yesterday have ended, with me signing the first official employment contract of my life yesterday morning.

How much is too much for young arms?  —  When pitchers take the mound for the Little League Baseball World Series, starting today in Williamsport, Pa., something of greater value than a championship could be on the line: their arms.  —  Increasingly, ace 11- and 12-year-old hurlers …