Lidge is lights out in opener  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The fortunes of the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series have been dependent on their closers.  For better and worse.  —  The enduring memory of the only World Series title in the team's 125-year history is closer Tug McGraw flinging …

GM says Braves' prospects not up for Peavy trade  —  ATLANTA — General manager Frank Wren insists the Braves won't trade their most valued prospects, apparently not even to bring Jake Peavy to Atlanta.  —  Speculation about the Braves' interest in Peavy has grown since the San Diego Padres confirmed …

Could Grace replace Brenly in Cubs booth?  —  Criticism could hurt odds of returning in TV booth  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Mark Grace is likely to be on the short list of candidates to replace Bob Brenly in the Cubs broadcast booth if Brenly gets the managerial job in Milwaukee.

Boras states his case for keeping Varitek  —  The Red Sox and Jason Varitek have not initiated contract discussions, which is not unusual this soon after the season, said Scott Boras, the agent who represents the catcher.  —  Boras did not offer any specific figures Varitek is aiming for …

World Series: A couple of updates on our local clubs, and a couple of suggested stories  —  Checking in, before we begin pre-game news conferences and batting practice here at The Trop...  - At this point, it would be a shocker if Mike Mussina did not retire.

With stolen base, Jason Bartlett is America's new taco hero  —  Oh, sweet taco thievery!  For the second year in a row, everyone in America is eligible for a free taco at Taco Bell, thanks to a stolen base in the first game of the World Series.  —  So who can we thank for being a tortilla …

OK, but who's on first?  —  The Mets just announced that Razor Shines will replace Luis Aguayo as the third-base coach and Randy Niemann takes over for Guy Conti in the bullpen (bye Pedro).  Otherwise, Dan Warthen returns as pitching coach, Howard Johnson holds on as hitting coach and Sandy Alomar is back as bench coach.

Atlanta Braves Top 20 Prospects for 2009  —  Atlanta Braves Top 20 Prospects for 2009  —  All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change.  Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get out of the top 10.  Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you are looking for.

YANKS' PLANS MAY INCLUDE CAMERON  —  ST. PETERSBURG - General manager Brian Cashman refused to confirm or deny that Mike Cameron is high on the Yankees' list of free-agent signings if the veteran outfielder becomes a free agent.  —  According to an industry source, the Yankees are waiting …

Selig hopes to shorten postseason by 2-3 days … ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig hopes to shorten the postseason by two or three days next season by eliminating some off days.  —  MLB shifted the start of the World Series from Saturday to Wednesday beginning last year, adding four extra days off.

Breaking Down the Draft: More Requests (Part 3)  —  Chatwood likely would have gone much higher in last June's draft if he had been two or three inches taller.  However, the Angels were able to snag him at 74, their first pick of the draft.  —  Chatwood's arsenal consists to two potentially plus pitches:

How Bad It Was For Beckett  —  Josh Beckett wanted to keep it a mystery.  —  “It's the same thing I kept telling the coaching staff, the training staff,” said the Red Sox starter following his team's elimination from the American League Championship Series, “I just said, ‘Terrific.’ It was what it was.”