Offerman charged with assault for bat attack  —  Offerman Arrested After Independent League Brawl  —  BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Former major league All-Star Jose Offerman was charged with two counts of second-degree assault after hitting the pitcher and catcher with his bat during an independent minor league game.

Different Rules.  Same Outcome. by Ran...  08-13  —  Jenks Blanks by Nate Silver  —  08-13  —  The Futures at Fenway by David Laurila  —  August 15, 2007, 10:33 AM ET  —  Different Rules.  Same Outcome.  —  by Rany Jazayerli  —  At this point, if Major League Baseball had enforced …

McGeary: Not done yet  —  Before we get to last night's game (Shawn Hill, Ryan Zimmerman), let me just make clear that this Jack McGeary situation is not over.  The Nationals are in this, and the kid - refresher course: sixth-round pick from Roxbury Latin in Boston, a native of Newton …

Yankees close to signing top pick  —  N.C. State righty to get $4.5M major-league deal  —  The Yankees are close to signing Andrew Brackman, the 6-foot-10, right-handed pitcher from North Carolina State they selected with the 30th pick in the first round this year, SI.com has learned.

No pain, no game for these hard-nosed players … Jason Hirsh didn't mean to make a statement.  It just worked out that way.  —  After taking a J.J. Hardy line drive off the leg last week, Hirsh stayed in the game to pitch five more innings in Colorado's 11-4 victory over Milwaukee.

Contreras in Friday showcase  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Midway through August, the White Sox already are looking ahead to September, when rosters can expand.  —  Does manager Ozzie Guillen have his eye on any particular players down on the farm?  —  ''Everyone is here,'' Guillen said with a laugh Tuesday.

PEDRO BETTER IN 2ND REHAB OUTING  —  With one rehab outing already done, the key issue is what was better about Pedro Martinez's second test yesterday afternoon.  —  "What we hear," Mets VP of development Tony Bernazard said, "is that his command was better."

Green adjusts as Willie gives Milledge shot  —  PITTSBURGH - Willie Randolph met with Shawn Green in the manager's office after the right fielder was left out of the lineup in favor of Lastings Milledge last night against the Pirates.  Green wasn't told he lost his job, but it's clear his playing time is diminishing.

Brewers' Fielder appealing three-game suspension  —  MILWAUKEE — Prince Fielder is appealing the three-game suspension that was handed down by the commissioner's office Wednesday, allowing him to remain in the Milwaukee Brewers' lineup until his appeal is heard.

Recap: Willie on WFAN  —  While appearing in his weekly radio interview with WFAN, Willie Randolph said he intends to give Lastings Milledge the 'bulk of the playing time' in right-field over Shawn Green, 'who's having a down year.'  —  According to Randolph, he likes Milledge, likes his 'fire …

Tigers Stick It to the Man, and New York Teams Benefit  —  Yesterday, baseball had some good news.  Yankees and Mets fans, especially, should be happy: They should even send flowers and gift baskets to Detroit.  —  The good news is that the Tigers signed New Jersey's Rick Porcello, their first-round pick in this year's draft.

Start Saving Now if You Want Daisuke Matsuzaka's Autograph  —  How much would you pay for ball autographed by Daisuke Matsuzaka?  Unless your answer was "at least four hundy," then you can forget about getting your cheap little hands on one.  As spotted on SPORTSbyBROOKS …