Agent says Bonds will file for free agency quickly  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds plans to file for free agency the first day he can, and no negotiations have taken place with the Giants about keeping the slugger in San Francisco.  —  With the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series on Friday …

Cardinals Paint Crown Red  —  The fans here are patient.  They are adoring and savvy and upbeat, too, but mostly patient.  They waited nearly a quarter-century for Friday night, through steamy summers and frustrating autumns.  They waited until a wind-whipped, frigid night in the heartland …

Sheff suitors just tune out Sheff  —  ST. LOUIS - Gary Sheffield's harsh comments about a potential trade apparently haven't dissuaded teams from inquiring about the Yankees slugger.  The Astros and Indians, according to sources, recently have made it known they would be interested …

With this title, La Russa changes his legacy  —  ST. LOUIS - It's about the players.  It's always about the players, except when it's about the manager, too.  —  The Cardinals' Tony La Russa, who is as controversial as he is successful, rarely avoids scrutiny.  But this time, he is the focus for all the right reasons.

Mookie's at home in sea of red  —  ST. LOUIS — That was a very familiar figure in the Cardinals' dugout before Game 4 in some very unfamiliar gear.  Mookie Wilson was wearing a Cardinals sweatshirt and ski cap, nearly 20 years to the day since he established himself as a Met forever.

World Series Prospectus  —  Game Five  —  Statistical analysts like my colleagues at Baseball Prospectus tend to downplay the nature of streakiness in baseball.  A 95-win team on Tuesday is a 95-win team on Wednesday, and a .300 hitter today is a .300 hitter tomorrow.  Sure, any result is possible in a short series.

Cano wants to play  —  Robinson Cano caught Game 4 of the World Series on television the other night, but he wasn't exactly fascinated.  —  "I'm not interested," he said Friday.  "I'd rather spend time with my family than watch the games.  We should be playing in the World Series right now."

Give Eckstein credit where credit's due  —  St. Louis - David Eckstein is great for the Cardinals, but bad for baseball.  —  Because of Eckstein, too many teams believe every player like him - read "undersized" - will be the exception to the rule.  —  The Rockies felt that way about Aaron Miles …

Joe Niekro passes away at 61  —  Brother of Hall of Famer Phil won 221 games in 22 seasons  —  Joe Niekro recognized the pitch as soon as it left his brother's hand.  After all, it was the pitch that their dad taught them when they were just kids growing up together in Ohio.

Tigers lose big on 'the little things' … ST. LOUIS — The optimist in Jim Leyland sees one positive in the embarrassment his pitchers endured in the World Series: Come February, when he gathers the Detroit staff to work on bunt plays, pickoffs and comebackers, he won't hear any griping about what drudgery it is.

One of these teams doesn't belong here — that'd be you, Tigers  —  ST. LOUIS — This is what dominance looks like.  Albert Pujols, sprawled on the ground, whizzing a ball toward first base while on his back, throwing out Placido Polanco, with assistance from pitcher Jeff Weaver's size 13 cleats.