Girardi gets warm welcome  —  Hendry pleased with interview at Wrigley; Padres' Bochy could be dark-horse candidate  —  Less than a week after he was fired by the Florida Marlins, Joe Girardi was back home Monday, making the rounds at Wrigley Field during an extensive interview with the Cubs for their vacant managerial job.

ALCS Series Preview: Oakland A's vs. Detroit Tigers  —  So the A's were decided underdogs in the series against the Twins.  They will play that role once again against the Tigers, at least according to the MSM.  We know this because anyone who gives the Yankees the Zed from Pulp Fiction treatment …

Yankees' 'sad failure' is George's doing … The Boss?  George Steinbrenner is The Boss like Mariah Carey is Mrs. Derek Jeter.  Those days are long gone, like the last glow of a cigarette butt.  —  Only Steinbrenner, the imperialistic owner of the New York Yankees, can issue a statement chiding …

Ticket cost on the rise next season  —  Though the worst team in the National League West, the Rockies' improvement produced their first season-ticket price increase since 2000.  —  Season-ticket holders were informed of the raise through a letter written by team president Keli McGregor.

Cardinals-Mets: Position analysis  —  CATCHER EDGE: METS  —  Paul Lo Duca is reputed as a winner, and he finally won, defeating his old team, the Dodgers, in the first round.  Here's the chance for a grinder who handles a bat well and handles a pitching staff even better.

Mailbag: Who will lead off in 2007?  —  Beat reporter Mark Bowman answers Braves fans' questions  —  With the Braves needing a leadoff hitter who can play left field, what are the odds they could acquire Carl Crawford?  —  It certainly seems the Braves' biggest offseason need is to locate …

Twins hope Liriano can heal in Florida without surgery  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Francisco Liriano is off to Florida, and the Minnesota Twins are hoping his left elbow will heal there during the offseason.  —  The Twins will send Liriano to their spring training and minor league facility in Fort Myers …

Devil Rays announce '07 ticket prices  —  Average ticket price will increase by less than one dollar  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Devil Rays ticket prices for the 2007 season were released on Monday.  —  The average ticket price for individual game tickets will increase less than $1, from $22.35 in 2006 to $23.19 in 2007.

Breaking Down the 2006 Season by Marginal Payroll/Marginal Wins  —  There's something sweetly seductive about the stealthy nature of a Major League Baseball team that seems completely outgunned, yet at the end of the season, has overpowered teams that seemed stacked with more weapons than two, maybe three teams combined.

It's time for the Reds to trade Dunn  —  It was written in this space exactly a year ago that it was time for the Cincinnati Reds to trade Wily Mo Pena and Austin Kearns.  Somebody was listening, right?  —  Pena was traded during spring training for pitcher Bronson Arroyo.  How did that work?

Trade Jeter, not A-Rod  —  Enough is enough.  Just reaching the postseason might qualify as success in smaller markets such as Minnesota or Los Angeles, but not in New York.  The world's greatest team has such lofty standards that even winning the World Series is a disappointment if it takes more than five games.