MacPhail resigns as Cubs president  —  John McDonough will serve as interim president  —  Andy MacPhail resigned as president of the Cubs on Sunday.  —  MacPhail will remain with the team to ensure a smooth transition to a new president and to complete his assignment representing Major League Baseball …

Clemens comes under steroid scrutiny  —  Somewhere, Barry Bonds is smirking.  —  Roger Clemens' late-career surge bears similarities to Bonds'.  But while Bonds' alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs has been well-documented, Clemens largely has escaped scrutiny …

Dodgers-Mets: Quick hits  —  Reasons the Dodgers will win:  —  1. Faith.  They believe in themselves after a season of comebacks, both in the standings and on some individual magical nights.  Just the right veteran core — Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal, Kenny Lofton — to show the way.

Cabrera falls just shy of batting title  —  · Miguel Cabrera can now appreciate why former Marlins leadoff hitter Juan Pierre was in the dugout 30 minutes before most games.  —  In a last-ditch effort to bolster Cabrera's bid for a batting title, manager Joe Girardi moved his No. 3 hitter into the top spot Sunday.

Gonzo, Counsell overwhelmed by fans  —  Departing D-Backs cheered at every point in season finale  —  PHOENIX — They came and cheered.  And then they did it some more.  And when they were done with that, they cheered again.  —  A regular-season record paid crowd of 48,946 shoehorned their way into Chase Field on Sunday.

Nats' Robinson Bids a Fond Farewell  —  Frank Robinson first donned a major league uniform on April 17, 1956, a skinny 20-year-old rookie outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds.  Among baseball men of a certain age and mien, the act of putting on that uniform is a cherished rite, never to be taken for granted.

Don't Be Surprised if 'Rocket' Escapes the Bonds Treatment  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The news that the drug hounds have finally been unleashed on Roger Clemens sent me to the guy who knows something about being chased.  —  So, I asked Barry Bonds, do you think Clemens will have his heels nipped …

Red Sox tab Papelbon as starter  —  BOSTON (AP) — Jonathan Papelbon will be a starter, Trot Nixon might be an opponent and Theo Epstein is a realist.  —  Injuries and poor play in the second half of the season kept the Boston Red Sox out of the playoffs for the first time in Epstein's four years as general manager.

Mauer wins AL batting title on final day  —  NEW YORK — Joe Mauer became the first catcher to win the American League batting title, going 2-for-4 for the Minnesota Twins on the final day of the regular season to hold off the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter.  —  Mauer doubled and singled …

Yankees-Tigers: Position analysis  —  Jorge Posada is one of the longtime foundations of the Yankees' success.  —  But Ivan Rodriguez still sets the standard defensively, and his offensive skills, though not what they were five years ago, are still formidable and worthy of a No. 3 hitter.

Tigers-Yankees: Rotation analysis  —  New York Yankees  —  The Game 1 starter has emerged as the Yankees' biggest winner.  He's a groundball machine when his heavy sinker is working.  With velocity in the mid-90s and an effective slider, he can be very pitch efficient when his command is on.

Does Clinching Early Help?  —  Drive a nail home and clinch it so faithfully that you can wake up in the night and think of your work with satisfaction, a work at which you would not be ashamed to invoke the Muse.  —Henry David "Clyde" Thoreau  —  New York is abuzz with the prospect …