Mailbag: Will Samardzija start in '09?  —  Beat reporter Carrie Muskat answers Cubs fans' questions … Will Jeff Samardzija be given a chance to make the starting rotation in the spring, or will he just be put in the bullpen?  —  Samardzija needs to develop new pitches in addition …

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 …

Yankees, Cowboys form partnership  —  Received this press release today:  —  NEW YORK YANKEES, DALLAS COWBOYS, GOLDMAN SACHS AND CIC PARTNERS ANNOUNCE FORMATION OF LEGENDS HOSPITALITY  —  New Company to Become Premier Provider of Hospitality and Merchandising Services and Partner with Teams …

Vegas sports books favor Rays in Series  —  LAS VEGAS (AP)—Las Vegas sports books favor the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies and would owe huge payouts if the American League champions prevail.  —  Oddsmakers say enough bettors took the Rays early …

Theo ponders big offseason decisions  —  Whether to keep 'Tek or explore other options tops list  —  BOSTON — As the Red Sox closed the door on a highly successful 2008 season that ended one win shy of a return trip to the World Series, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein got ready for his busy season — the offseason.

Ellis, A's set for next 2 years  —  Teammates endorse deal  —  (10-19) 18:05 PDT — Second baseman Mark Ellis is set to sign a deal that will keep him in Oakland for at least two seasons, and that makes the left side of the A's infield happy.  —  “Mark is really pivotal for a young team …

Cards Not Likely To Acquire Peavy  —  By Tim Dierkes [October 20 at 4:14pm CST]  —  According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are not a serious player for Jake Peavy.  Miklasz's Cardinals sources downplayed the idea and noted that they've only had one conversation with the Padres.

Scouts, News agree: Tampa to rule world  —  One team has won it all once, the other hadn't had a winning season before this year.  The Phillies and Rays meeting in the World Series is a tale of franchises not used to victory.  After talking to two major-league scouts and crunching some numbers …

AL champ Rays mix vets, youngsters and personalities  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — David Price might be a rookie, but he was savvy enough to know what was going on.  —  Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon stopped to chat with Price during batting practice before Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

Berroa's option declined by Dodgers  —  Infielder remains under team control, may yet re-sign  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers declined the 2009 option on infielder Angel Berroa of $5.5 million on Monday, choosing instead to buy him out for $500,000.  —  Berroa, technically …

Big Game Garza and Other Thoughts  —  It has been a while since we've had a rambling, pozterisk-drunk post.  Well, not anymore.  —  Philosophers have long marveled at the mysteries and quirks of the human mind.  This began many years before they listened to Buck Martinez call a baseball game.