He said, he said  —  Sitting in limbo somewhere near the Bay Area, Tony La Russa emphasized Tuesday that he won't commit to another term as Cardinals manager until chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. can at least provide direction where the club's general manager search might end.

Rodriguez's Agent Votes to Opt Out  —  A clubhouse attendant packed the belongings from Alex Rodriguez's locker into cardboard boxes yesterday, in what may have been a sign that Rodriguez did not plan to visit Yankee Stadium anytime soon.  He may never return as a member of the Yankees …

Everybody loves Manny these days  —  BOSTON — Very slowly, Manny Ramirez is allowing civilization into his world.  —  It's been an obvious change ever since he returned to the lineup for the last few games of the regular season after he missed 24 due to a strained oblique.

Despite little fan-fare, Byrd leads Indians  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball.  —  Indians right-hander Paul Byrd gets no respect.  —  "I'm not tall.  I'm right-handed.  I'm balding.  I don't throw hard.  And my breaking ball isn't that great," Byrd jokes.

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians  —  Game Four: 6-4, Indians — Cleveland wins series: 3-1  —  The Cleveland Indians celebrate on the Yankees' home turf after winning game four of the ALDS on the road.  Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images.  —  Scott Raab: Derek Jeter is a no-doubt future member …

Giants part ways with hitting coach, first-base coach  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants fired hitting coach Joe Lefebvre and first-base coach Willie Upshaw on Tuesday.  —  Lefebvre just completed his sixth season on the Giants' staff, fifth as hitting coach, and worked closely with slugger Barry Bonds.

Chien-Ming Wang's needs are sinking in  —  The Yankees' latest first-round meltdown was a team-wide affair, and it's unfair to pin their demise on any one culprit.  —  But two-time 19-game winner Chien-Ming Wang certainly didn't distinguish himself at the front end of the rotation against the Indians …

Bell leaving Royals to become White Sox's minor-league field coordinator  —  Former Royals manager Buddy Bell sure didn't last long in his new job as a senior advisor to general manager Dayton Moore.  —  Bell plans to leave the Royals at the end of the month to become the minor-league field coordinator for the Chicago White Sox.

NL Teams Can't Touch the Talent of the AL  —  There is probably one baseball fan, hidden safely away in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado, who truly believes that everything — other than the right to play in an exhibition series — is at stake in the upcoming National League …

Suzyn Waldman Cries On-Air Following Yankees Defeat  —  I understand that Fans get upset when "their" team loses, and sometime cry.  But a broadcaster live on-air?  I think that's unprecedented.  Well that's exactly what Yankees radio announcer Suzyn Waldman did during the postgame show on WFAN last night.

Pirates Manager Search — Don't look for Pirates to raid Cleveland  —  There might not be as large an influx of Cleveland Indians personnel into the Pirates' organization as was originally thought.  —  In fact, that influx could begin — and end — with general manager Neal Huntington.

Jeters never prosper ...  Hype is a funny thing.  It can rattle your nervous system even when you KNOW the hype is wrong.  Take Derek Jeter.  I know, intellectually, that the whole "Derek Jeter is Captain Clutch, Conqueror of Pressure, Count of Men on Base, Knight of the Round Ball …

Playoff payoff: Phils give Manuel 2-year extension  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies and manager Charlie Manuel agreed to a two-year extension with a club option for 2010 on Tuesday night, keeping around the folksy manager who led the franchise to their first NL East title since 1993.