Yanks' Boss Says That His Health Isn't Failing  —  A day after the Yankees clinched their ninth consecutive American League East title, the principal owner George Steinbrenner followed yesterday with his usual statement praising the team and its fans.  —  More surprising was the release …

Marlins' Girardi not coming back, source says  —  Joe Girardi, who guided the surprising Marlins into playoff contention despite baseball's lowest payroll, will soon be out as manager after just one season.  —  On a scale of 1 to 10, Girardi's chances of returning next year are "zero," …

Orioles protesters walk out on team  —  BALTIMORE — Nearly a thousand disgruntled Orioles fans walked out of Baltimore's game against Detroit en masse on Thursday, culminating a demonstration aimed at team owner Peter Angelos.  —  A majority of the protesters wore black T-shirts that read …

Tavarez: Manny's All Done  —  BOSTON — If you believe one of his closest friends on the team, Manny Ramirez will not play another game this season.  —  "He's done.  Take my word, I know," pitcher Julian Tavarez said Wednesday.  "If he has one more at-bat, I'll give you one thousand dollars."

Consider This the Beginning of What Will Be a Grind to Finish  —  Now that was a miracle.  —  The Dodgers finally beat the mighty Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, maintaining both their tenuous playoff spot and their slipping sanity.  —  OK, so their starting pitcher barely lasted half the game.

A broken record? … The "natural" home run king.  That's what some would call Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard should he pass Roger Maris' pre-1998 record for home runs in a single season.  —  The title implies that Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were fueled …

Pads tab Williams to work rubber game  —  Arizona (72-79) at San Diego (79-72), 7:05 p.m. PT  —  The rubber match between the Padres and Diamondbacks takes place Thursday night, when San Diego will try to hold its ground in a tight division race and take the three-game set from Arizona.

Guillen to finish with his 1st string  —  Manager wants to get 90-plus wins but may rest Crede, Thome  —  Despite the likelihood of elimination from postseason play, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen plans to stick with his regular lineup the rest of the season.

A Change Has Done Him Good  —  "I can see now the benefits of change," Thomas said of his move to Oakland.  "It's like a shot of adrenaline.  It made me hungry to be the player I want to be."  —  The television in the Oakland Athletics' clubhouse was tuned to a mini-drama that Frank Thomas had seen many times before.

Mets' new Triple-A team: New Orleans Zephyrs  —  NEW YORK — The New York Mets are making the New Orleans Zephyrs their Triple-A farm team next season, ending an association with Norfolk that began in 1969.  —  By switching their top affiliate from the International League to the Pacific Coast League …

Freel out for season with broken thumb  —  Milton also done, will undergo season-ending surgery  —  CINCINNATI — Another Reds player is done for the remainder of the season.  —  Tests performed on Thursday revealed that outfielder Ryan Freel suffered a hairline fracture of his left thumb.

Jays, Adams approach crossroads  —  Infielder's future with club is uncertain after this season  —  TORONTO — When a team drafts a position player in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, it hopes that player will one day become "the guy."  —  This doesn't mean that the player …

Raiders audition Maddox  —  Former Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox worked out for the Raiders on Wednesday, but the free agent has not been signed.  —  Maddox was flown to the Bay Area for a brief visit to Raiders headquarters in Alameda, one day after he tried out with the Patriots, according to his agent, Vann McElroy.

Rebuilding, the Marlin Way  —  Short of a miraculous final two weeks, the Marlins will miss the playoffs this year.  To be writing that sentence in September is a bit of miracle in itself: aside from the Royals and the Devil Rays, the Marlins entered the 2006 season with the lowest expectations in baseball.

Notes: Radke feels good in 'pen session  —  Punto likely to remain third baseman; no rest for regulars  —  BOSTON — The news on Brad Radke's possible return to the mound changes by the day.  But judging by Thursday's news, things appear to be on the right path.