Guillen crosses line with latest slur  —  Ozzie Guillen was wearing a White Sox uniform.  He was talking to a bunch of reporters, maybe 20 of them taking notes or holding tape recorders.  He was sitting in the White Sox' dugout.  —  And these are the words that came from the face …

Red Sox acquire designated Johnson from Indians  —  BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox obtained pitcher Jason Johnson on Wednesday, a day after the right-hander was designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians.  —  The Red Sox, beset by injuries to starting pitchers, gave up a player …

From the top  —  From the top  —  OBP isn't the be-all and end-all for a leadoff hitter.  We need to think about total bases as well.  If only there were a stat that combined OBP plus slugging percentage ... — Jim, Chicago  —  Of course, OPS has been around a while and is rather mainstream by now.

When Cora's time comes, he makes most of it  —  It's a given that Alex Cora will do the little things every time he steps on the field.  But lately he's been doing the big things, too.  —  Last night that meant going 3-for-3 with a walk, steal, RBI and three runs scored in the Red Sox' 11-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

'It's like playing with fire' … Paxton Crawford was a top pitching prospect who went 5-1 in 15 games for the Red Sox in 2000 and 2001.  Then back problems — which he blames on steroid use — derailed the right-hander's career, which ended in the minors in 2005.

Teixeira says call by umpire not fair  —  ARLINGTON — Mark Teixeira already had his arms raised to celebrate his walkoff home run.  He had hit the pitch off Padres closer Trevor Hoffman so hard and so high and so far that the ball soared over the top of the right-field foul pole.

Yanks' eye on Jacque  —  PHILADELPHIA - It's no secret the Yankees have several glaring needs, but they are finding it increasingly difficult to fill them on the trade market.  —  One source said GM Brian Cashman is running into the same wall on almost every call he makes …

Zambrano takes on the Tribe  —  Chicago Cubs (27-43) at Cleveland (32-38), 6:05 p.m. CT  —  CLEVELAND — Manager Dusty Baker hopes to see the economical Carlos Zambrano against the Indians on Wednesday night.  —  Zambrano got a no-decision in his last start, on June 15 against Houston.

Prospectus Matchups  —  In a Pinch  —  Closest Matchup (opponents closest to one another in the Prospectus Hit List rankings): Minnesota Twins (20th) @ Houston Astros (23rd)  —  Back when interleague play was just a bad idea floating around the ether, the most popular argument in its favor went like this …

Daily Transactions  —  Placed LHP Terry Mulholland and RHP Russ Ortiz on unconditional waivers.  Placed OF Scott Hairston on the 15-day DL.  Recalled RHP Casey Daigle from Tucson of the PCL.  —  Boston Red Sox  —  Acquired RHP Jason Johnson and cash from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named or cash.

Baseball Smarts: The Best Percentage Players in the Game  —  Who do you think is the smartest player in baseball?  That's kind of a difficult question to answer, because it depends on what you mean by "smartest."  Miguel Batista writes poetry and reads books on Mahatma Gandhi and Josh Phelps …

Call to arms  —  Call to arms  —  Somewhere, among all the rumors circulating throughout baseball and in the myriad of general managers' telephone conversations, a pitcher's name is mentioned.  —  And then, almost as soon as it begins, the talk stalls and nothing worthwhile comes of it.

Wood could be done for the year  —  CLEVELAND — After running smack into another pitching wall Tuesday, Kerry Wood's future is more stalemated than ever.  No one is prepared to say when he will pitch again for the Cubs this season.  The possibility exists that he has pitched his final game in a Cubs uniform.

O's clubhouse wasn't alone in discussing amphetamines  —  While everybody waits for the remaining names in the Jason Grimsley affidavit to be revealed, the Orioles are trying to proceed as if they aren't all aware that the other shoe is going to land right in the middle of their clubhouse.

Charles likes Gnarls  —  CHARLES BARKLEY says he's "flattered and honored" to be the namesake of Gnarls Barkley, the hip-hop/rock duo comprising Danger Mouseand Cee-Lo.  —  The Round Mound of Rebound says he has their CD "St. Elsewhere," and "it's pretty good, an interesting mix of rock and rap."