Big 1st step for the Big Unit  —  Back is on right track  —  The real gauge of Randy Johnson's injured back comes today, when he will throw about 40 pitches off a mound to test the herniated disk that imperils his chances of pitching in next week's division series.

Clemens, Others Implicated in Banned Drug Case  —  The star pitcher and five other players used performance-enhancers, says the document, allegedly quoting a former teammate.  —  Roger Clemens, one of professional baseball's most durable and successful pitchers, is among six players allegedly linked …

Tale of two seasons  —  After a promising start, Rockies return to mediocrity … On May 8 in St. Louis, the Rockies, powered by two home runs from Matt Holliday and a sterling start from lefty Jeff Francis, beat the Cardinals 6-2, improved to 20-13 and climbed seven games above .500 for the first time since July 7, 2000.

Robinson's departure a hot topic  —  Hall of Famer will manage his final game with Nats on Sunday  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals bench coach Eddie Rodriguez was one person who had a tough time keeping his emotions in check on Saturday.  —  Early in the day, Rodriguez went into Robinson's office to give him a thank you card.

GM sees errors of his trades  —  Epstein mapping plans for '07 Sox  —  Of all the questions swirling around the Red Sox this offseason, from the future address of outfielder Manny Ramírez, to the role of pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, to the keep-him-or-not debate over shortstop Alex Gonzalez …

Mets' Martinez needs surgery on torn rotator cuff  —  WASHINGTON — New York Mets will be missing ace Pedro Martinez for more than just the postseason.  —  The Mets right-hander will have rotator cuff surgery next week and be out eight months.  The injury is expected to sideline him until at least June.

Howard taking MVP swings  —  Like a lot of people who have seen Ryan Howard swing, Clint Barmes remembers the terror that flashed though his mind the first time he saw him take a cut.  —  Howard was at Southwest Missouri State on his upward path to stardom.  Barmes was a budding star at Indiana State.

No need to fire Buck; he'll resign  —  In Seattle today, Buck Showalter will manage his final game with the Rangers.  —  That's not a scoop, nor is it an announcement.  —  Owner Tom Hicks, in fact, told the [Randy] Galloway and Co. radio audience on ESPN/103.3 FM on Friday that the manager's fate remains "open-ended."

LaRue wants out if he can't start  —  PITTSBURGH — Jason LaRue wants it known, "I'm no cancer in the clubhouse, not a complainer, and I never have been," and proves it by saying, "David Ross has had a great year."  —  But — there is always a but — if the Cincinnati Reds believe that Ross …

Marlins players not told about Girardi's status  —  If today is Joe Girardi's last day as manager of the Marlins, nobody has told his players.  —  ''We never hear anything,'' All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla said.  ``We're playing [today] as if everything is normal.  Nobody knows.''

The Brains Behind the Low-Budget Hits  —  In 1980, the Mets hired Terry Ryan as their Midwest scouting supervisor and selected Billy Beane in the first round of the amateur draft.  They had no way of knowing that Ryan and Beane would grow up to become two of the best, most aggressive …

Morneau, Howard rise to the top … So there it goes, another baseball year, shrinking into the rear-view mirror.  —  And what a year.  —  A year when 60 once again became a magic number.  A year when Detroit rediscovered a sport once known as baseball.

Baseball breaks attendance record  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball broke its season attendance record Saturday and was on track to finish with the second-highest per-game average in the sport's history.  —  The 30 major league teams drew 75,470,941 through Saturday, topping the 74,926,174 fans who attended games in 2005.