Reyes earns weekly honor again  —  Shortstop hits .613 en route to National League award  —  Mets shortstop Jose Reyes won't have to share his Player of the Week honor with anybody this week.  —  The Bank of America award for the week of June 19-25 belongs solely to Reyes …

Dusty down but not ready to be out  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Asked once again about his increasingly tenuous job status, Cubs manager Dusty Baker gave a passionate defense of his position Sunday.  —  Baker emphasized that he has been put in a challenging spot with injuries stripping him of key players …

Hernandez Tries a New Routine, and It Works  —  BALTIMORE, June 25 — Livan Hernandez walked out of his house Sunday morning, nine hours away from having to be at the ballpark for his turn in the Washington Nationals' rotation.  He had decided, after a disaster in Boston, he needed a change.

Don't expect 'Manny being Manny' this year  —  It's that time of year, isn't it?  Time for Manny Ramirez to start grumbling.  Time for the trade rumors to begin circulating.  Time for . . .  Wait!  —  We interrupt "Manny being Manny" to bring you this news bulletin, courtesy of Ramirez's agent, Greg Genske.

Rios emerging in relative obscurity … For almost a half-season, a certain outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays has been a major offensive force in the American League, but few south of the U.S.-Canadian border have noticed.  —  "Who is Alex Rios?" has been one of the most-asked questions …

Wood may pitch this season  —  Shoulder exam shows a muscle imbalance, no structural damage  —  An examination of Kerry Wood's troubling right shoulder found a slight muscular imbalance that's causing the soreness, trainer Mark O'Neal said Monday.  —  Wood threw a bullpen session during …

Manager's tirade gives fans sideshow  —  EVEN PLAYER SAID IT SHOULD BE ON ESPN — AND IT WAS  —  Managerial mayhem overshadowed the Lexington Legends' 5-2 victory over the Asheville Tourists last night.  —  Tip Fairchild (9-3) threw seven innings of five-hit shutout ball …

Red Sox fans need to heartily boo Pedro  —  They did the same to Damon - it would be an insult to do otherwise  —  Red Sox fans should boo Pedro Martinez when he returns to Fenway Park and pitches for the Mets on Wednesday, writes MSNBC.com columnist Mike Celizic.  —  Mike Celizic  —  Mike Celizic

Game over?  —  Gagne's latest comeback bid clouded by uncertainty  —  LOS ANGELES — The memory of Eric Gagne entering a ballgame is one of the most profound ones that fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers have.  —  Right now, that's all Gagne is — a memory.  —  His entrances from the Dodger …

War Stories  —  On any given day now, you can walk into the Mets' clubhouse and find a friendly player ready to talk baseball with you.  It might not be like the good old days of the Eighties, when Kevin Elster would graphically discuss the previous night's sexual conquests, but in this PC-era …

Mailbag: Peavy injury conscious  —  Beat reporter Lyle Spencer answers Padres fans' questions  —  Do you think that Jake Peavy's bravado gets in the way of his better judgment when it comes to telling the coaching staff about his aches and pains?  If so, when will he learn that it's OK to be vulnerable?

Dodgers' Mueller gets grim news about knee  —  Imagine your reaction if one of the foremost orthopedic doctors in the country asked you to purposely break your chronically balky knee in a last-ditch attempt to generate cartilage growth.  And oh, by the way, it would take two years to recover.

Perspectives: So, how about those Pirates?  —  We got PNC Park built with the promise of a decent team.  The owners are doing well, but what about the fans?  —  Two related news stories struck home last week that caused me to feel a tinge of outrage and also some embarrassment.

Boxing Legend Roberto Duran to Throw Out Ceremonial First Pitch for Arizona Diamondbacks  —  Duran in Phoenix to promote Joel Casamayor vs Lamont Pearson Main Event at Celebrity Theatre July 7th 2006  —  PHOENIX, June 26 /PRNewswire/ — DRL Promotions announced today that former 5 …

Add on Cano to Yank woe  —  Hurt as Fish earn a split  —  A day that started with a great win ended badly at night for the Yankees.  Robinson Cano strained his left hamstring running out his sixth-inning double and had to come out of the nightcap of yesterday's split doubleheader against the Marlins at the Stadium.