A-ROD'S A YANKEE DOODLE RANDY  —  HITS A STRIP JOINT WITH TORONTO BABE  —  Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate with a mysterious, busty blonde in Toronto, as these intimate, exclusive photos reveal.  —  The cozy duo dined with two pals at a pricey steakhouse late Sunday night …

What About Bob?  —  Let's get this out of the way first, because I know someone will ask.  The Mets have never won a game on a walk-off balk.  And they still haven't, though I suppose that the balk(s) were more significant than anything else that happened in the 12th inning on Tuesday.

Clemens won't restart it here  —  The Yankees made it official last night: Roger Clemens will not make his return to the majors this weekend against the Red Sox.  And the Sox are skipping Julian Tavarez's turn to realign their rotation against the Bombers.  —  The matchups are …

Bryant asks for trade, says Buss masterminded trading O'Neal  —  The story lines that have engulfed the Los Angeles Lakers in the last week hit a crescendo Wednesday when Kobe Bryant said he would welcome a trade.  —  "I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York.

Speed on the Bases  —  Does Jason Giambi's blabbing mean he wants to be one for the Angels?  —  Trying to dope out—if you'll pardon the expression—what's going in the Jason Giambi drug opera is like trying to figure out the plot of Pirates of the Caribbean, particularly since each season seems to bring a new sequel.

Under The Knife  —  Fast and Furious  —  There's an interesting chart waiting to be created out of my inbox.  I think I could chart the mood of baseball fans, especially fantasy players, by both the volume and tone of emails.  They come in fast and furious (literally) when there's a major injury …

Mets eager to welcome back suspended Mota  —  NEW YORK — The Mets are ready to welcome back relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, who was suspended by Major League Baseball last fall for 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.  —  Mota is expected to be available …

MR. MET WILL STEAL YOUR DRINK AND TAKE YOUR GIRL  —  When It's Time For Mr. Met To Party, It's Time To Party Hard  —  You thought A-Rod was the only New York baseball personality out partying with attractive ladies all weekend?  You clearly forgot about Mr. Met.

Notes: Abercrombie bringing 'A' game  —  Results not there for Tankersley; Miller thrown right into fray  —  CHICAGO — Gradually, Reggie Abercrombie is showing glimpses of what he is capable of doing.  —  In the Marlins' 5-3 win over the Cubs on Monday, the speedy center fielder reached on a bunt attempt for a hit.

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First and Long — Very Long  —  Bill Hambrecht is a rich old Wall Street guy who has made his money tilting at windmills and disrupting the establishment.  "That's what I do," he says.  "It's fun."  Almost a decade ago, at 62, he founded WR Hambrecht + Company, whose fundamental premise …

Santana has another fine homecoming  —  Angels right-hander, who has struggled on the road, works seven solid innings; Hillenbrand homers.  —  Home must be where Ervin Santana's heart is, because the right-hander sure seems to pitch with more courage and confidence and aggressiveness in Angel Stadium than he does on the road.

Just Another Day at the Office.  The Office of Totally F—king Awesome!  —  And this is how it is these days, people.  Our boys have it down like flipping a switch.  Beckett steps off the DL and back into our hearts, striking out seven over seven like he never missed a beat.

Hopper admits putting baseball in Freel's glove  —  HOUSTON — Ryan Freel is on the disabled list, and the truth is out.  —  Why wasn't Freel's catch of Humberto Cota's long drive one of ESPN's Web gems?  Because Freel didn't catch it.  —  With evidence mounting, Norris Hopper confessed …

CUT-BLOAT BIZ  —  START INVESTING IN TOMORROW INSTEAD OF BUYING FOR TODAY  —  STOP talking about Todd Helton and Richie Sexson now.  Those are not solutions for the Yankees.  That is the cancer.  —  That is the reason why they are in this horrible state: Their unquenchable habit …

Pirates Notebook: Young not restless about lost no-no  —  Jason Bay is greeted by his teammates as he enters the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Padres in the sixth inning last night at PNC Park.  —  Who says the Pirates received zero return for their $10.7 million investment …