Agent: Prior wants to pitch for Padres  —  Right-hander and native San Diegan hopes feeling mutual  —  SAN DIEGO — More than four months removed from shoulder surgery, Mark Prior is at the stage in his recovery when he's starting to play catch.  —  Soon enough, the 28-year-old right-handed pitcher hopes …

Joba jawed with Sox fan at nudie bar - then arrested  —  Yankees star Joba Chamberlain downed vodka-and-sodas and caroused at a Nebraska strip club in the hours before he was busted for drunken driving, the Daily News has learned.  —  The 23-year-old pitcher went drinking at a bar …

Young Rays enjoy being on big stage  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—The manager wears thick-rimmed glasses and listens to everything from the Rolling Stones to the Four Tops.  Mohawk is the haircut of the moment.  Inspirational quotes decorate walls of the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse — and we're not talking conventional baseball wisdom.

Derek Lowe interested in Red Sox, not Yankees, report says  —  Rumors of a Derek Lowe-to-Yankees move this offseason started before the Dodgers were even eliminated from the playoffs.  However, a recent article in The Boston Globe suggests Derek Lowe has the Boston Red Sox atop his list of places of interest.

Mailbag: How will the rotation change?  —  Beat reporter Mark Bowman answers Braves fans' questions  —  Let's say that the Braves are able to get Jake Peavy in a trade.  Do you think they would then go out and get another top-notch pitcher like Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets?

Van Wieren surprises with retirement  —  Braves broadcaster of 33 seasons decides to make exit  —  ATLANTA — Over the past 33 seasons the Braves have annually changed faces and maintained the same familiar sound provided by Pete Van Wieren and Skip Caray.

Bowden Treated For Skin Cancer  —  Nats GM Says He Was Wrong To Delay Action  —  In June, Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden went in for a routine checkup and asked his doctor about what looked like an ingrown hair on his forehead.  It sometimes bled, but Bowden didn't think much of it.

ESPN ISSUED INTERNAL “DO NOT REPORT” WARNING ON FAVRE STORY  —  When we asked for PFT Planet to chime in regarding the possible reasons for ESPN's decision to avoid the story of Brett Favre's coaching internship with the Lions, we never expected to hear from someone at ESPN.  —  But we did.

Cards decline Mulder's $11 million option for '09 … ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals intend to cut ties with often-injured left-hander Mark Mulder, paying a $1.5 million buyout rather than exercising an $11 million option on his contract.  —  General manager John Mozeliak …

TV Ratings  —  Earlier this morning I was chatting with a friend about how Fox probably wanted a Boston-Los Angeles World Series for high ratings.  I noted, however, that lots of people watch baseball in Florida on television.  You can tell because Rays broadcasts often just get back in time for the first pitch of an inning.

Brewers interview Randolph  —  St. Petersburg, Fla. - I just heard from a very reliable source that former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph was scheduled to be interviewed today for the Brewers' managerial opening.  —  That makes perfect sense because I've written from the beginning …

Mailbag: Can Brewers sign Sabathia?  —  Beat reporter Adam McCalvy answers fans' burning questions … I realize that CC Sabathia will be tough to sign, but is it really that out of the question?  Small market or not, three million fans is still three million fans.

Backstreet Boys, Los Lonely Boys to perform  —  Move over, B.K. Jackson.  Major League Baseball is bringing in some national acts for the first two games of the World Series here.  —  The Backstreet Boys will sing the national anthem at Game 1 on Wednesday night, according to team fan experience director Darcy Raymond.