Hicks wants to keep Young around  —  But shortstop, signed till '08, in no hurry to negotiate extension  —  ARLINGTON — Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Thursday that signing shortstop Michael Young to a contract extension is a priority for the club in the offseason.

Manny Has It Made In The Fade  —  Seems To Laugh It Off As Sox Plummet  —  BALTIMORE — Even though the Red Sox have fallen out of playoff contention and he isn't playing, Manny Ramirez is having a blast.  He's laughing in the clubhouse before the game.  He's clowning around at the batting cage as the team stretches.

Report: Liriano's MRI shows no new structural damage  —  Minnesota Twins fans can relax a little bit for the moment.  Francisco Liriano's MRI shows no new structural damage to his left elbow, two sources told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  —  Liriano's MRI results were very similar …

Gonzalez unlikely to return to D-Backs  —  Veteran outfielder informed that team will not pick up option  —  PHOENIX — It appears Luis Gonzalez's time in a Diamondbacks uniform will come to an end Oct. 1, when the club closes out the 2006 season against the Padres at Chase Field.

Rusch out of danger, but clot keeps him in hospital  —  Serious injuries keep felling the Cubs, with pitcher Glendon Rusch the latest to face what could have been a life-threatening blood clot discovered Tuesday night.  —  The left-hander is out of danger after being taken …

Building the halls of justice  —  Editor's note: This article appears in the September 25 issue of ESPN The Magazine.  —  There are six elements in sports that simply don't work: sideline reporters, All-Star voting, MVP voting, Halls of Fame, WNBA players participating in NBA All-Star Weekend …

Mets to activate and start RHP Martinez on Friday  —  PITTSBURGH (Ticker) - The New York Mets are on the verge of clinching their first division title in 18 years.  They also can celebrate the return of ace righthander Pedro Martinez.  —  The Mets will activate Martinez from the 15 …

Pirates Notebook: Wilson vows to shed weight, improve defense  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  Jack Wilson spent the past winter — five days a week, three hours a day and buckets of sweat — bulking up by 20 pounds in an attempt to stay stronger over the course of the long, hot summer.

The Last Laugh: Q&A with Peter Angelos  —  Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who has always met controversy head-on, sits down with PressBox publisher Stan "the Fan" Charles to answer some of the questions his team's fans are asking after the ninth straight losing season.

50 Years in Game Is Enough for Kaat  —  Jim Kaat figures it is time to retire from calling Yankees games, to spend more time with his family, play more golf at home in Stuart, Fla., and tour the country in his recreational vehicle with his wife, Mary Ann, a pursuit inspired by the example of Bill White, a former Yankees announcer.

First pitch, September 14  —  STARTING UP  —  Left-handed pitcher Justin Hampson will make his first major-league start Monday against the Giants at Coors Field.  —  Hampson, who worked as a starter and reliever with Triple-A Colorado Springs, has allowed one run in five innings of two relief appearances.