Joe Girardi first to interview  —  Just got back from spending the day outside Legends Field.  Joe Girardi was in as the first candidate to interview for the managerial job.  He met with 10-12 people from the baseball side of the Yankees organization, then met for about an hour with George …

La Russa back for at least two more years  —  The Cardinals this afternoon announced that Tony La Russa has agreed to a two-year contract to remain as the club's manager.  —  La Russa traveled from Oakland to St. Louis on Sunday and spoke at today's 1 p.m. press conference at Busch Stadium.

Rockies Fans Overwhelm System, Ticket Sales Suspended  —  Rockies Spokesman Booed By Fans Outside Coors Field  —  DENVER — Like DIA in a huge snowstorm, Colorado's sales of World Series tickets were shut down Monday after fans overwhelmed the computer system with a blizzard of requests.

Red Sox roar into World Series  —  The game was played on the 32d anniversary of Carlton Fisk's World Series walkoff homer and though the score indicated little drama, the final play was no less spectacular.  —  At 11:56 last night, Casey Blake hit a towering shot toward the 420 (foot) …

Three years later, Backman still trying to get to the bigs  —  "It seems like everywhere Wally goes, good things happen."  —  PRINEVILLE, Ore. — In this blue-collar town of 9,090 residents, two pizzerias, Boss Hogg's Smokes and the Dixon Saddle Shop ("Saddle Repairs While You Wait!") …

Memo from me to Kevbo: GET OFF MY PLANE  —  Traitor.  —  The game's not over, but really I don't know how much I actually care who wins.  Boston's up 3-2 going into the 7th.  —  Kevin Millar threw out the first pitch.  Baltimore Oriole Kevin Millar went to Fenway Park to give the Red Sox mojo because he was a 2004 hero.

M's name Stottlemyre pitching coach  —  Mel Stottlemyre, a fixture on the New York Yankees' coaching staff for a decade, came out of retirement on Monday to join the Seattle Mariners as their pitching coach.  —  The hiring of Stottlemyre, a former pitching coach with both the Yankees and New York Mets …

Mitchell denies leaking HGH info on Tribe's Byrd  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Baseball investigator George Mitchell, also a director for the AL champion Boston Red Sox, denied Monday providing information for a story that Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd used human growth hormone.

Rox and Sox 2007 World Series, it's on....  Congratulations to Josh Beckett, 2007 ALCS MVP.  I don't doubt for a second that we don't get here if he doesn't clutch up with arguably the most dominating post season start in my lifetime.  So many guys came up huge but the awesome part …

It's a miracle ... '04 Red Sox, Joe D. top the list  —  What constitutes a miracle?  Leaving theology aside for the moment — or rather, forever, at least in this space — a baseball miracle is anything that would, if depicted in a movie, require a serious suspension of belief.

Rob Neyer Interview  —  Can you tell us a little about yourself?  —  I was born in 1966.  I grew up in the Midwest, mostly near Kansas City.  Today I live in Portland, Oregon, with my wife and stepson, who's almost 16.  —  Growing up, were you always a baseball fan?  Who was your favorite player as a kid?

We stuck together  —  It's unbelievable.  It's a great feeling to come out here in Game 7 and play so well.  I'll tell you what, it was unbelievable for us to win here at home, and a lot of people doubted us, but we didn't doubt ourselves.  That's the biggest thing.