Phils reach first World Series since '93  —  NLCS MVP Hamels guides Phillies over Dodgers in clincher  —  LOS ANGELES — Using a perfect Hollywood script without a surprise ending, the Phillies captured the National League pennant Wednesday night with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Yankees poised for offseason shopping spree  —  Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez is seeking a four-year deal worth $100 million, but if he keeps swinging like this, he says to go ahead and make it a six-year deal.  —  CC Sabathia carried the Milwaukee Brewers on his back and says he'd gladly return …

Yankees have created a monster in Rays  —  Congratulations, Dr. FrankenSteinbrenner.  Your monster is alive, and coming to kill you.  —  That monster, of course, is the Tampa Bay Rays, who not long ago were baseball's gift to the Yankees, 18 gimmes a year, but now have developed into the Yankees' worst nightmare.

BOWA COULD RETURN AS YANKS' THIRD BASE COACH  —  BOSTON - Larry Bowa is the leading candidate to replace Yankees third base coach Bobby Meacham.  —  The Yankees are willing to wait until after the Dodgers' season ends to see if Bowa, who was the Yankees' third base coach in 2006 and 2007 …

Sources: Agent says Pettitte wants to throw for Yanks in '09 … As the New York Yankees began a round of scouting meetings this week to discuss the future of the team, they know that veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte intends to pitch in 2009, and his intention is to pitch for them.

Tom Tresh dead at 71  —  Tom Tresh, who burst onto the big-league scene in 1962 and won Rookie of the Year honors as a fill-in shortstop for the Yankees after Tony Kubek was called into military service, died Wednesday at his home in Venice, Fla., of a heart attack.  He was 71.

Manny Ramirez made the Dodgers important again  —  He single-handedly made the team a force to be reckoned with.  —  T.J. Simers  —  MANNYWOOD — The Dodgers are finished two weeks ago, Jose Lima still standing as the team's postseason hero over the last 20 years, if it isn't for Manny Ramirez.

Phillies win first NL pennant since 1993  —  LOS ANGELES (AP)—The losingest team in pro sports history was soaked in champagne and whooping it up Wednesday night.  —  Next stop for these Philadelphia Phillies: the World Series.  —  Jimmy Rollins got them rollin' with a leadoff home run …

TBS exec: FrankTV ads ‘good at entertaining and engaging’  —  Why the heck would TBS run so many FrankTV ads during the postseason?  —  Jeff Gregor, the chief marketing officer for TBS and TNT, has obviously been asked the question more than once.  Before I could even spit it out of my mouth, he asked a question of his own.

Tribune may alter Cubs deal  —  In bid to advance sale, company could keep more than 5% stake  —  Tribune Co. is considering retaining a larger ownership stake in the Chicago Cubs, said sources involved in the deal, as the company explores options to sell the team amid the nation's worst financial conditions in decades.

No Place Like Home  —  Shuffle leads affiliates to land home-state teams  —  The minor league affiliation shuffle wound to a close in late September, and the big winners all seemed to have one thing in common: They affiliated with the hometown big league team.  —  Or the home-state team.

Expos All-Time 40-Man Roster Revealed  —  Posted in Random commentary with tags At least I got to see Tommy Greene throw a no-no in fro, Curt Schilling, Derrick Gould, I really wanted Andy McGaffigan to make the cut if only, Joe Posnanski, Montreal Expos, Seamheads.com on 15 October 2008 by Jonah

Obama ad to delay start of World Series Game 6  —  NEW YORK — Barack Obama will delay the World Series by a few minutes, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  —  Major League Baseball has agreed to move the World Series Game 6 start time by about 15 minutes to accommodate a half-hour Obama ad buy on Fox on Oct. 29.

Clemens content staying on sidelines  —  Right-hander not working with Astros, mum on legal woes  —  HOUSTON — Roger Clemens said Wednesday that reports claiming he was upset at not being included in the farewell ceremony at Yankee Stadium couldn't be further from the truth.