Buehrle extension near  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ken Williams' cell phone got a bit quieter Tuesday.  —  That's usually what happens when a team decides to pull its biggest bargaining chip off the trade table.  —  That's usually what happens when a team decides to pull its biggest bargaining chip off the trade table.

Not easy, but M's hang tough in win over Red Sox  —  There were 15 runs on the scoreboard by the time one of the season's uglier slugfests was done.  —  The Mariners had seen the opposing starter throw 41 pitches in the first inning alone.  Their own starting pitcher had blown two leads …

Prospective Cubs owner vetoes trade with Marlins  —  MIAMI GARDENS — Jacque Jones apparently won't be coming to the Marlins after all.  —  For most of Tuesday the Marlins thought they had worked out a deal with the Chicago Cubs for the veteran outfielder.

Hillenbrand is looking to play or go elsewhere  —  Shea Hillenbrand wants out.  Not because of the organization, the manager, the city, the stadium, the fans, the weather, his teammates — all are top notch, the Angels' deposed designated hitter said.  —  It's the situation.

Schoeneweis a Trivia Answer for Cards' Ryan  —  Whenever the Mets are playing at home and the number of innings creeps into double digits, Billy Wagner is overcome by an almost mystical feeling that they are going to win.  Something about the crowd and the energy, he says.

Huizenga hoping UM will play at Dolphin Stadium  —  He won't say if he'll let Marlins stay beyond 2010  —  Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga said Tuesday he is hopeful but unsure an agreement can be reached for the University of Miami to play football at Dolphin Stadium.  —  "Our guys are working on it.

Best-of-9 Series?  Boras has Selig's ear  —  If you think Major League Baseball isn't sweating out the possibility of another Yankees-less World Series, you haven't been paying attention to the Fall Classic's TV ratings in the past two years.  Worse than bad, they're historically bad …

Hot Hand Felled By a Bum Thumb  —  If there is justice, the first man to bat for the Nationals in their new park on Opening Day in 2008 will be Cristian Guzman.  The leadoff man should get quite an ovation.  Finally, Nats fans know who the real Guzman is.  By next April, let's not forget …

Notes: Bourn using opportunities  —  Speedy outfielder taking advantage of playing time  —  PHILADELPHIA — Michael Bourn checks the lineup card posted on the wall each day to see if his name is there.  —  More often than not, it hasn't been.  But it was there Tuesday for the second consecutive game …

LIO Interviews ESPN's Keith Law  —  LIO had the pleasure of interviewing Keith Law, Senior Baseball Writer for ESPN's Scouts Inc. Keith is one of ESPN's baseball gurus, and spearheaded the coverage of the recent MLB draft.  Prior to coming to ESPN, Law spent 4 1/2 years as a Special Assistant …

Pirates Notebook: Snell says he is no 'hero' for remarks  —  MIAMI — Ian Snell sounded surprised when told yesterday at Dolphin Stadium that his animated remarks Saturday night had dominated Pittsburgh sports talk since then.  —  "Really?" he said.  "Well, I wasn't trying to be any hero.

DELGADO DESERVES BOOS  —  DON'T use up all your boos on cursed reliever Scott Schoeneweis.  —  Carlos Delgado heard his share last night in the Mets' ugly 5-3, 11-inning loss to the Cardinals at steamy Shea Stadium.  Delgado came into the game batting .167 over the last seven days.

Notes: Fick back after taking leave  —  Nationals veteran activated; Watson optioned to Triple-A  —  ATLANTA — Robert Fick returned to the Nationals on Tuesday, and was activated from the Bereavement List when outfielder Brandon Watson was optioned to Triple-A Columbus after Tuesday night's game against the Braves.

Ex-Pirate Kendall 'scuffling' in Oakland  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  Sporting a shaved head and a black beard, Oakland Athletics catcher Jason Kendall looks like a cast member on "Lost."  —  Apparently, this is what batting .189 for two months will do to a guy.

The Big Picture  —  Competitive Sharing  —  It's a basic fact of life that teams require opponents.  In my mind, that fact represents the great rationale behind revenue sharing—since no one pays unless two teams are on the field, home teams should share income with their visitors.