Rickey Henderson hired as Mets hitting coach  —  Newsday has learned that Rick Down has been relieved of his duties and that the future Hall of Famer will take over immediately.  —  The Mets will begin the season's second half with a dramatic change in their coaching staff, Newsday has learned.

Hafner gets 4-year, $57M extension  —  FOXSports.com, Updated 8 minutes ago  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  The Indians have signed designated hitter Travis Hafner to a four-year, $57 million contract extension, FOXSports.com has learned.  —  Hafner, 30, was eligible for free agency after the 2008 season.

Yanks want to talk deal with A-Rod during season  —  The New York Yankees are willing to bend their own rules to keep Alex Rodriguez in pinstripes beyond this season.  —  The Yankees have changed their traditional stance and are now willing to negotiate during the season with their star third baseman …

Selig: System working  —  Commissioner against changing playoff format; no decision on following Bonds  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Commissioner Bud Selig continues to weigh a decision on whether to attend games when Barry Bonds has put himself on the threshold of breaking Hank Aaron's career home-run record.

Angels quietly dominating AL West  —  Despite potential weaknesses, Halos manage to click  —  Major League Baseball, like life, is defined by checks and balances and decisions to live with.  Teams are forever juggling strengths and deficiencies, especially in this big-ticket era.

Glass-full in Red Sox Nation  —  Even with sluggers off pace, club is cruising along in '07  —  BOSTON — The Red Sox enter the second half with a 10-game lead in the American League East despite the fact that their fearsome duo of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are both well below their normal production pace.

2007 ALL-STAR GAME  —  GIANTS: Magowan wants Sabean to stay  —  Contrary to rumors that the Giants are preparing to fire Brian Sabean, ownership has decided it wants Sabean back next year for a 12th season as general manager, and the two sides have begun discussions about a contract extension, The Chronicle has learned.

Ichiro's worth not measured by long ball  —  Just one more reason baseball deserves all the angst it's getting right now: All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Ichiro Suzuki.  —  Nobody in Tuesday's game in San Francisco was more fun to watch play than Ichiro.

Mariners at midseason: Starting pitching only glaring need  —  It's been four years since the Mariners could look forward to the second half of the season with anything but trepidation.  —  How things have changed.  —  Seattle, the last-place team in the AL West three years running …

Fog forces cancellation of tied Eastern League All-Star Game  —  NORWICH, Conn. (AP) -Dense fog that rolled into eastern Connecticut late Wednesday forced the cancellation of the Eastern League All-Star Game in the top of the third inning.  —  The Southern and Northern divisions were tied …

Hummel's take: La Russa was right ... and wrong  —  Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel covered the All-Star Game for the Post-Dispatch.  Here's his take on the ninth-inning situation in which NL manager Tony La Russa left Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols on the bench with the bases loaded, two out and the NL trailing 5-4:

Will Twins go after Johnson?  —  The Twins' four-game series against Oakland beginning Thursday evening in the Metrodome could be an audition for A's first baseman Dan Johnson, a Blaine High School graduate.  —  Insiders say the A's are intent on trading Johnson to make room for top …