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," …

Subway Series no gravy train  —  While the Yankees clinched the American League East sitting on their backsides in Toronto Wednesday night, no one should dare downgrade this truly auspicious occasion.  —  The ninth straight division title officially opened the gate for a Yankees-Mets run through October.

Will his fastball be ready?  —  Pedro fools hitters through four, but gets roughed up in the fifth  —  With his pitches and emotions under better control, Pedro Martinez left his tune-up against the Marlins last night feeling "extremely happy."  Happy is better than weepy …

Notes: Fairly calling it quits  —  Announcer set to retire; Feierabend to start Sunday  —  CHICAGO — After being on the field or in the broadcast booth for what he estimates as 7,000 games, Ron Fairly has decided to walk away from baseball following this season.

Boss issues new order  —  Says Yanks will go 'all the way,' downplays health concerns  —  George Steinbrenner has stayed relatively quiet this season, but with October looming the once bombastic Boss is back.  —  "We're going to win (the World Series)," Steinbrenner told The Associated Press in a recent phone interview.

First pitch, September 22  —  TOUGH LUCK  —  7 blown saves for the Rockies bullpen in relief of Aaron Cook tied with Jarrod Washburn of Seattle for the most blown saves for a starting pitcher.  The Rockies bullpen has a 7.26 ERA in relief of Cook, the highest for any starting pitcher with at least 10 starts.

Notes: Raines' status unclear  —  Bench coach in wait-and-see mode regarding future  —  CHICAGO — The end of the 2006 season not only could mark the last vestige of the White Sox 2005 championship run, but it also could signal the final days of Tim Raines as a part of the White Sox coaching staff.

Bullpen Mechanics  —  The Complex Case of Oliver Perez  —  Oliver Perez, in a span of a few years, has gone from a guy who routinely pitched at 95 mph+ in '04 to a guy who rarely broke 90 mph early this year (watch the WBC if you have to) to a guy who is back at around the 93-96 mph range.

Robinson Getting the Silent Treatment  —  Unsure of His Future, Manager Says He'd Like to Return  —  It is getting on to the end of the baseball season, to autumn in the winter of Frank Robinson's career, and the manager of the Washington Nationals wants to know: Tonight …

Tribune Board Signals Big Changes Coming  —  Tribune Board Signals Potentially Transforming Changes by Year's End After 5-Hr.  Board Meeting  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Tribune Co., under pressure from shareholders to boost its stock price, is signaling it may sell, break up or take private …

BELTRAN FEELING 'STRAIN' IN QUAD  —  Carlos Beltran has not played the Mets' last three games, and the All-Star center fielder revealed after last night's 5-2 loss to the Marlins that he has a "little strain" in his left quad.  —  Beltran said he had an MRI on Wednesday.

Harden sharp as A's top Tribe  —  Right-hander strikes out seven over three innings  —  OAKLAND — When Mark Kotsay glanced up from the dugout to see Rich Harden walking around the mound, he noticed something he hadn't seen since the beginning of the season: a smile.

52 pickup  —  Record is in cards as Ortiz (2 HRs) blasts past Foxx  —  Do mythical creatures exist?  David Ortiz pondered as much yesterday afternoon as he sat in front of a laptop in the Red Sox clubhouse, reading an e-mail from a friend who had attached a photo taken in Boca Chica …

'Moneyball' equations retooled for this A's club  —  This just in: Billy Beane has misplaced his copy of Moneyball.  —  Mention this to the celebrated general manager of the Oakland Athletics and there's a long silence over the phone.  Of course, the loaded question of how this A's team …

To qualify for the NLCS drawing, you must register  —  Registration for postseason ticket opportunities will begin at noon Eastern Time (ET) Tuesday, September 5, 2006 and will close just prior to the drawing for World Series tickets, date to be announced (the "Registration Period").