Mets may be second-guessing Zito decision  —  Sorry, the Mets shouldn't be shocked that right-hander Pedro Martinez is out for the postseason.  If anything, they should be grateful that the fragile Martinez is their only rotation casualty.  —  Left-hander Tom Glavine is 40.  Right-hander Steve Trachsel is 35.

Marlins won't promote rookies  —  MIAMI GARDENS — Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla might be leading candidates for the National League Rookie of the Year award, but the Marlins don't plan to campaign on their behalf like the San Francisco Giants are doing with right-hander Matt Cain.

Playoff goal eludes Teixeira yet again  —  SEATTLE — The first-half numbers Mark Teixeira put up this season ranked as one of the biggest letdowns for Rangers fans, probably right behind the injury to Adam Eaton and the underwhelming year by Brad Wilkerson.

D.C. faithful entertained during delay  —  Fans who waited treated to music, other ballgames  —  WASHINGTON — The crowd cheered when Nationals starter Mike O'Connor threw a ball high and outside to Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins on the game's first pitch on Thursday night.

A Glove story — Gonzo eyes Gold nugget  —  In a season with enough twists and turns to dizzy Ricky Bobby, the Red Sox defense has been the steadiest working part of their disappointing season.  —  While a good debate could be held on who is the best defensive player on the Red Sox …

Does Size Matter (Part 5)  —  Over the past couple of months, we have looked in detail at how player size affects hitting performance.  Today, we move on to pitchers.  —  In a way, pitchers are more interesting to look at than hitters.  It seems intuitive that big hitters should do better than little ones.

School's In  —  For the past four years, Alan Matthews has traveled across the country covering amateur baseball, specifically draft eligible high school talent, for Baseball America.  This month, he enrolled in the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau's annual scout development program, which is being held in Phoenix.

Bring on Bad News Barry!  O's don't fear divas, controversy  —  What a relief!  The agent for Barry Bonds has reassured us that Bad News Barry will return to play at least one more season, barring - I suppose - jail time, which means that he probably will break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record.

EX-YANK GORDON: ROLLINS TOPS JETER  —  Former Yankee Tom Gordon claimed Wednesday that present teammate and Philadelphia star Jimmy Rollins is a better player than Derek Jeter.  And while the Bombers were tactful - a sign of respect for Rollins - they counter that Jeter's World Series wins end any comparison between the two.

Rays blast off against Beckett  —  Sox starter's exit is far from a hit  —  With all the questions that have flowed through Josh Beckett's initial season with the Red Sox — Why all the home runs?  When is he going to live up to his potential?  Why did Anibal Sanchez, and not Beckett …

Padilla has come a long way  —  Nicaraguan native survived through tough times as a child  —  ARLINGTON — Chinandega.  —  Cheeh - nahn - deh - gah  —  Those 10 letters, when said at the perfect tone and just the right tempo, are powerful enough to upend the grimace on the face of mysterious Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla.

Floyd has shot to play opener  —  ATLANTA - Cliff Floyd traveled to Manhattan yesterday to get a cortisone shot in his troublesome left ankle.  Willie Randolph indicated Floyd would be available for Game 1 of the division series.  Players generally need to wait 48 hours after receiving cortisone …

Facing free agency, Nixon reflects on his stay  —  Like Bill Haselman , then the catcher behind the plate, now the Red Sox first base coach, Trot Nixon was wearing a Red Sox uniform Sept. 18, 1996.  You might have missed him, on the end of the bench during that night's game in Detroit, as Roger Clemens pitched.

Twins' Owner Sounding More Like Steinbrenner  —  Carl Pohlad, the 91-year-old billionaire owner of the Minnesota Twins, is not an obvious candidate to engage in trash talking.  But Pohlad was apparently feeling feisty about Minnesota's chances in the postseason when he challenged the Yankees.