A Change Of Heart For Fans, Tavarez  —  BOSTON — When the mere mention of his name drew a chorus of boos at Fenway Park earlier this season, Julian Tavarez would glance at the American League East standings posted on The Wall.  —  Tavarez saw the Red Sox sitting atop the list and wondered …

Top NL skipper is...  Dominating Mets' Randolph?  Or Girardi of overachieving Fish?  —  MIAMI — Call it sibling rivalry of the pinstriped variety.  Willie Randolph and Joe Girardi both won World Series rings playing for the Yankees, both coached under likely Hall of Famer Joe Torre …

Coins flipped in case of ties  —  Home-field advantage decided for one-game playoffs  —  Twenty-two coin flips later, the only ones flipping for joy were the Los Angeles Dodgers.  —  According to results of a series of coin flips conducted by conference call Tuesday to determine sites …

Gordon Wins Minor League Player Of The Year  —  WICHITA, Kan.—Kansas City Royals fans have salivated over the thought of watching Alex Gordon, the No. 2 overall pick in 2005, play at Kauffman Stadium.  They've dreamed of how he'll turn around the organization, become a mainstay at third base, lead the team to the playoffs.

A new home for Figgins?  —  ANAHEIM - Chone Figgins says he feels at home in center field, a residency that could be short-lived depending on offseason maneuverings that could wind up with the utility man getting traded.  —  "I'm starting to love center field a little bit because it's just fun to get out there and run," Figgins said.

Waiting for Rivera & Martinez to pitch in  —  For the first time in history, the Mets and Yankees have double-digit leads at the same time.  In the middle of September, the Mets are about to clinch the NL East and the Yankees have pulled so far away from the Red Sox that this weekend's Yankee-Red Sox series …

For Nats, Similar Themes Give Different Result  —  It could develop into a full-scale battle between the pitchers and the hitters if the Washington Nationals were to let it go that far.  In a four-game series over the weekend in Colorado, they hit and ran and sent balls all over the park …

Two Steps Back, NL  —  This is part four of a four-part series where we look at which players saw their stock rise and fall the most in each organization.  We finish off today with the National League, and the bad.  —  Arizona Diamondbacks  —  After winning the Double-A Southern League ERA title …

Beyond Moneyball  —  Why A's Beane succeeds where others have failed  —  It's the man, not the methodology.  —  Moneyball was a superbly written tale, and while the book got it right in that the stunning achievements of the Oakland A's should indeed be attributed to their great general manager Billy Beane …

KDKA out as Pirates flagship station  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — The first radio station to broadcast a major league baseball game is losing the rights to Pittsburgh Pirates games after 51 years.  —  KDKA will cease to be the Pirates' flagship station in 2007 as the team's radio rights shift …

Q&A: Philip Hughes  —  The top-rated prospect in the Yankees organization, Philip Hughes came into the season with high expectations and exceeded them.  The Yankees' first-round pick in the 2004 draft (23rd overall), the 20-year-old righthander began the year in high Class A Tampa but was promoted to Trenton after five starts.

Fan Value Index 2006  —  Readers rate which parks offer best value, experience  —  Last year SI.com writers analyzed each major league ballpark from a fan's vantage point in order to determine which venues offered the best value and experience.  But this time around we went to the best source: the fans.

Harold Reynolds Interview - First Since ESPN Firing  —  Today on Baseball Beat with Charley Steiner, Harold Reynolds made his first radio or TV appearance since being fired by ESPN.  He discussed the situation, his wife and family, getting his name back, and the upcoming mediation with ESPN.

Cabrera blossomed as Matsui's replacement  —  NEW YORK — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman repeated the question, slightly shocked, just to make sure his ears weren't lying to him.  —  "Do we need [Hideki] Matsui back?"  —  It was only a curiosity, not an indictment.

Offensive Production Masks Solid Defense  —  Alfonso Soriano's first — and perhaps only — season for the Washington Nationals will be long remembered for the sheer offensive numbers.  He entered Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks needing just one stolen base to become …