Unpredictable Dodgers Find a Steady Rookie  —  Andre Ethier is comfortable being uncomfortable, so he is comfortable playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Ethier said he stayed motivated by not letting himself feel that he was in a firm position.  So these unpredictable Dodgers are the perfect team for the rookie outfielder.

Five Reasons ...  .... To Stop Whining About the Josh Beckett Trade:  —  Not to take anything away from Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez, clearly great young players who should contribute to the Florida Marlins for years to come, but a lot of this harping about the Josh Beckett trade in light …

Notes: Tigers move on without Young  —  Clubhouse issues may have triggered release  —  MINNEAPOLIS — For the second time this season, the Tigers moved on without Dmitri Young.  This time, it's for good.  —  Craig Monroe moved into perhaps the most prominent spot in the lineup …

Fans are booing a classy player in Izzy  —  A lot of you are not going to like this.  A lot of you would prefer to keep Jason Isringhausen right where he belongs, which is in that very dark and angry hole deep inside your Cardinal-lovin' heart and soul.  —  That's exactly where he belongs …

Bullet Point Wednesday  —  I have this neverending file of notes that haven't quite made themselves into full articles.  Most don't deserve a full treatment, anyway, so here's a dump of that file, clearing the decks for what should be a great stretch drive.  - The August 31 trade deadline was weird, with very little happening.

Conine helps Phils beat Marlins  —  MIAMI - For a moment there, it felt a little like 2003.  —  Back then, the Phillies couldn't hold a lead in Miami.  Remember Mike Williams?  —  Back then, the Florida Marlins owned the Phillies, punished them and eliminated them from the National League wild-card race.

Cash can see Bat-sui only  —  The Yankees may actually be at the point where they are expecting Hideki Matsui to be back in their lineup before the end of the season, but they do not expect his return to push Melky Cabrera out of the outfield.  —  Yanks GM Brian Cashman said last night …

In Lidle, Yanks Have Extra Pitcher and Backup Pilot  —  Cory Lidle earned his pilot's license last off-season and bought a four-seat Cirrus SR20.  He said he's spent about 95 solo hours in the air.  —  When the Yankees fly, the pilots are not only in the cockpit.

A Rotation Makeover?  —  Yankees Will Face Decisions On Mussina, Wright, Lidle  —  BALTIMORE — The Yankees did not make many moves with their starting pitching this season and, to this point, have made the right choices.  —  Their one addition, Cory Lidle, has worked …

Notes: Silva apologizes to teammates  —  Liriano's Minor League start up in the air; Garza earns honor  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Twins pitcher Carlos Silva felt like he was doing the best thing for his club when he pulled himself after the sixth inning of Wednesday's game due to a stomach ache.

Recent developments are not easy to deal with  —  As much as the Red Sox try to control the flow of information these days — Theo Epstein's contract status is a private matter, discussing a player's injury status is a violation of federal law, trade talks are off-limits …

Durham back to old form  —  Giant is tops among major league second basemen with 84 RBI  —  Ray Durham's transformation as a hitter extends from head to toe.  —  Start with Durham's mind, which has absorbed steady doses of advice from one Barry Bonds.  —  Proceed to Durham's eyes …

Q&A with Marty Brennaman  —  Broadcaster expounds on life after baseball and the '06 Reds  —  CINCINNATI — Any broadcaster in Cincinnati, and most in baseball, would love to have Marty Brennaman's career.  —  Since he joined Reds radio broadcasts in 1974, few have had more fun, or been more opinionated on the air, than Brennaman.

Can Farnsworth shake playoff blues?  —  Kyle Farnsworth suffered one of the worst postseason meltdowns in recent memory last year, blowing a five-run, eighth-inning lead in a game Atlanta needed to win to play another day.  —  But Farnsworth insists that bad memory doesn't haunt him to this day …

No-Hit Drought a Matter of Luck  —  Many have theories about the recent lack of no-hitters, but everyone seems to agree that there has to be a lot of luck involved  —  The day after Anibal Sanchez pitched baseball's first no-hitter in going on 2 1/2 years, ending the game's longest no-no drought …