This ball is history: A Guest Post by Bob Carpenter  —  Midnight Tuesday/Wednesday after Barry Bonds' record-setting HR ...  We witnessed history in SF tonight, but the night became perfect for me when the Nats came back and won the game, so everyone went home happy.

Way is cleared for Peña trade  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Wily Mo Peña has cleared trade waivers, according to a major league source, meaning the Red Sox can negotiate a deal for him with any team.  —  "I want to be traded," Peña said yesterday.  "I want to play.  They know I want to play.

Career over?  'Boomer' Wells, Pads set to cut ties  —  SAN DIEGO — David Wells is finished with his hometown San Diego Padres, and it's possible that the career of one of baseball's most boisterous characters could be over.  —  General manager Kevin Towers said Wednesday that the Padres …

Here comes Felix; Pagan to DL  —  HOUSTON— Will the third time be the charm for Felix Pie?  —  The Cubs have decided to recall Pie back from Triple-A Iowa once again, and he'll be available for Wednesday night's game against Houston ace Roy Oswalt.  —  UPDATE: The Cubs placed Angel Pagan …

Mets can't recover as Perez hits bump  —  New York sees lead reduced as Atlanta strikes early off lefty  —  NEW YORK — The non-waiver trading deadline is now one week in the past, but its effects are only beginning to surface.  —  For all the talk surrounding Atlanta's revamped lineup …

Rockies' Hirsh pitched five innings with broken leg  —  DENVER — X-rays taken Wednesday show Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh suffered a broken leg when he was hit by a line drive in the first inning the night before, even though he stayed in for five more innings and got the victory.

JOBA SECURITY  —  TORRE MUST AVOID OVERUSE OF PHENOM  —  THE Yankees are going to have rules for how to use Joba Chamberlain, and let's all just pause a second to catch our breath after laughing.  —  Joe Torre has the same chances of following restrictive rules on relievers …

SHOWING FIGHT  —  BENCHES CLEAR AS YANKS RIDE THE ROCKET TO VICTORY  —  It's not enough for the Yankees to pound opponents into submission.  Now, they have to add flair to the beatings they administer.  —  Last night at Rogers Centre, Alex Rodriguez and the Blue Jays resumed their feud …

Vasgersian's prattle ignites ire in Ozarks  —  Matt Vasgersian was in his hotel room at midday yesterday in St. Louis, preparing for last night's Channel 4 San Diego broadcast in an unusual way.  —  "I'm mail-ordering a bulletproof vest so I can go to the ballpark," Vasgersian said.

Dale Murphy: Bonds 'terrible example for our kids'  —  Salt Lake City — Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy thinks Barry Bonds is a "terrible example for our kids" and that the San Francisco Giants used performance-enhancing drugs "without a doubt."  —  "Barry's a great player, there's no question about it …

Miller says he's pondering comeback with Celtics  —  Reggie Miller says he is contemplating a return to the NBA, this time with the Boston Celtics.  —  Miller, who turns 42 on Aug. 24, played his entire 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers before retiring in 2005.

Evolving the Save Rule  —  Back in 1973, in the days when Sparky Lyle and Tug McGraw toiled in the late innings for the New York teams, Bruce Stark of the New York Daily News drew a series of caricatures of the Yankees and Mets.  (Here's the Tom Seaver drawing from the series.)

Player Profile  —  Kelly Johnson  —  After missing essentially all of 2006 following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his elbow, Kelly Johnson has come back strong at a new position this season, helping the Braves once again fight for a division title with his .297/.393/.491 season line.