Willie pens the right moves  —  Willie Randolph always took offense to whispers that he had missed out on another managerial job because he had been unprepared in his interview - never more so than when he heard the Mets rejected him in favor of Art Howe four years ago for that reason.

ALDS: Twins vs. A's: Twins dive into big hole  —  The Oakland A's have absolutely played well in the first two games of their series against the Twins, and they certainly deserve to be ahead two games to none.  But there's also no question that the Twins have helped the A's …

Ripple effect could manage to reach Cubs  —  Changes on the field could stretch to changes off the field for the Cubs as baseball's managerial landscape continued to evolve Wednesday.  —  The latest firing took place in Texas, where the Rangers dismissed manager Buck Showalter after four years …

Showalter move shows GM is in charge  —  ARLINGTON - On one of his better days as a baseball owner Wednesday, Tom Hicks was nowhere in sight.  —  Hicks, whose success as a hockey owner has not been duplicated in his nine years with the Rangers, took a step toward respectability in baseball …

gnihctiP, gnihctiP, gnihctiP  —  In baseball, no element is as precious as the out.  When a pitcher records an out, he provides assistance to his team.  When a pitcher fails to record an out, he at best provides no assistance to his team.  At the risk of inspiring a dozen mitigating examples …

Nats looking at Girardi, Piniella  —  Search for Robinson's managerial successor begins  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals have a long list of managerial candidates, but Joe Girardi and Lou Piniella top the list, according to two sources, one of whom said that the interview process could start as early as next week.

Prospectus Today  —  Division Series, Day One  —  The big story was the continuing tear of Frank Thomas, who hit two homers to account for the early lead and the insurance run in the ninth inning.  What is most impressive about the two shots is how different the pitches were …

L.A.-N.Y. rivalry is for the ages  —  As the Dodgers and the New York Mets embark on a new episode in their far-reaching saga, what are the greatest moments in the history of the Los Angeles-New York sports rivalry?  —  It depends on which coast is your vantage point.

Randy Earns Wings For Detroit Flight  —  NEW YORK — Randy Johnson threw another session in the bullpen Wednesday, then left for Detroit.  His scheduled start for the Yankees in Game 3 of the Division Series Friday is still a go.  —  "He threw 30-35 pitches and he's on his way," manager Joe Torre said.

Padres a loose, confident bunch … SAN DIEGO — There are no crazy cowboys, Dominican midgets or Jack Daniels-slinging sessions before the first pitch.  But step into the San Diego Padres' clubhouse and you might need to rub your eyes twice for a reminder that you're on the West Coast, and not in Fenway Park's 2004 locker room.

JackHammers hire female GM  —  Kelly Sufka is almost in a league of her own.  —  The Joliet JackHammers on Wednesday promoted Sufka to executive vice president and general manager, becoming possibly the second baseball team in the nation to name a woman to that role.  —  ''I want to keep raising the bar,'' she said.

Yanks still feasting off sweep of Sox  —  NEW YORK - What transpired at Fenway Park Aug. 18-21 will go down as the low point of the Red Sox' season, if not the new century.  —  For the New York Yankees, however, their first five-game sweep in Boston since 1943 catapulted them past the Sox …

Bonds' trainer may get out of prison  —  SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has ordered Barry Bonds' personal trainer to be released from prison Thursday unless a lower court again holds him in contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating the Giants slugger for perjury.

Verlander: Tigers thrown curve  —  Says Yanks had more info  —  Detroit starter Justin Verlander heard about the first rain delay via ESPN.  Then, after he had completed stretching, playing catch and running in the Stadium outfield 20 minutes before 10 o'clock, a Yankee grounds crew member informed …