Harper: Phils only clutch own throats after loss in Game 2 of World Series  —  ST. PETERSBURG - If the Phillies had hit like this in September, the Mets might be playing in this World Series.  —  Has any World Series team ever come out of a split of Games 1 and 2 feeling worse about itself than these Phillies?

How to Take American Health Care From Worst to First  —  IN the past decade, baseball has experienced a data-driven information revolution.  Numbers-crunchers now routinely use statistics to put better teams on the field for less money.  Our overpriced, underperforming health care system needs a similar revolution.

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.

METS TARGET LOWE, FUENTES  —  ST. PETERSBURG - The Mets plan on targeting Derek Lowe and Brian Fuentes in the free agent market, an NL executive who has talked to team officials told the Post.  —  The Mets are promising to be creative and explore many avenues.

Manny not a priority for Jays — Burnett is  —  Manny Ramirez?  —  Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi uttered that name to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports on Wednesday night saying that the feared slugger with heavy baggage was on the club's radar — the wishful thinking list.  —  Okay, we'll bite.

Phillies manager Manuel says Moyer has earned right to start  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It is really simple, Charlie Manuel was saying.  You get the impression there was no extended debate, nor should there have been.  In an enormous spot, following a maddening loss, he is giving the ball to Jamie Moyer, and that is that.

Friars in no rush to deal ace Peavy  —  GM Towers will listen to offers, but won't trade righty hastily  —  SAN DIEGO — There won't be any movement on the Jake Peavy front in the next week or so, though that has nothing to do with the moratorium by the league office on teams making major announcements during the World Series.

The Yanks on Trial: Liveblogging the Kucinich Hearings  —  The story so far: Back in July, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich demanded documents from the Bloomberg administration and the New York Yankees explaining how exactly they managed to tell the IRS that the land under the Yanks' new stadium …

Batted ball scouting reports  —  Editor's Note: This article is part of the statistical introduction to the Hardball Times Annual 2009.  It is just a glimpse into many of the articles and stats included in this year's volume.  More details about the Annual will be published in the next few weeks …

In Cape Cod League, It's Tradition vs. Trademark  —  The Chatham Athletics have always taken pride in their ties to Major League Baseball, while preserving their identity as a small-town team.  —  The franchise, one of 10 in the nonprofit Cape Cod League, has an annual budget of about $300,000.

The Second-Guess: Should Fox TV dump Buck & McCarver now?  —  When appropriate, we review key decisions to see if the right one was made.  This is the Second-Guess.  —  The Turning Point: In 1996, Fox bought broadcast rights to Major League Baseball games, including the World Series, and tapped Joe Buck and Tim McCarver to announce.

Bombers bank on cash cow for Hank Steinbrenner's little piggy  —  It is 11:15 in the morning in a part of the city that is so busy with workers these days that it is as if they are building the sixth borough of New York and not the new Yankee Stadium.  It is busy and it is loud …

Things You See at a Venezuelan Baseball Game  —  Random things that you see at a Venezuelan Baseball Game that you never see at an American Game:  — Those same beers being thrown high into the air by fans when the wave comes around to their section.  — Those same beers being thrown …