PAPI DISSES DEREK  —  ORTIZ RAPS JETER'S MVP CREDENTIALS  —  BALTIMORE - Derek Jeter's answer to David Ortiz' suggestion that Jeter wouldn't be as good a hitter or an MVP winner in the Red Sox lineup sounded like a Jeter single through the middle - crisp.  —  "I don't have to do it in his lineup …

Mets Crisis of the Week: They Can't Hit Lefties  —  One of the more entertaining things about a highly entertaining Mets season has been the constant manufacture of crises.  Be it the rotation, the bullpen, the outfield, David Wright's power stroke, or the gravitational pull of Mr. Met's enormous head …

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 …

Padres begin key series with Reds  —  San Diego (74-68) at Cincinnati (71-72), 4:10 p.m. PT  —  In the middle of two races, for the National League West title and NL Wild Card berth, the Padres venture into Great American Ball Park for a three-game shootout with the Reds starting Tuesday night.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Prospectus Today  —  Dueling Righties  —  Is anyone else following this "IT" thing on XM Radio?  I picked it up when they reached the early 80s, and I haven't been able to let it go since.  I was pretty aggravated last week when I had to do ridiculous things like sleep or go to the opening of a friend's new business last Thursday.