BLUE JAYS RELEASE DESIGNATED HITTER FRANK THOMAS  —  The Frank Thomas era in Toronto has come to an end.  —  TSN has learned that the 39-year old designed hitter has been released by the Blue Jays, one day after being benched as the teams' starting designated hitter.

METS PLAN ON EDDIE TO BE THERE IN END  —  RELIEVER COULD GO FROM AA TO SHEA  —  THE Mets' top pick in last June's draft was for more than a re liever.  With their selection of Eddie Kunz, the Mets envisioned him eventually becoming Billy Wagner's successor.

Another Growing Pain in Yanks' Young Arms  —  BALTIMORE — Brian Cashman did not count on the injuries, the suspensions or the offensive struggles of the Yankees' powerful lineup.  But Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, said he expected all along that the team's young starters would wobble early on.

METS TAKE SHOTS AT PHIL FANS  —  A day later, the Mets were still furious with the fans at Citizens Bank Park for celebrating Jose Reyes' apparent head injury.  —  Much to the dismay of Willie Randolph and Mets closer Billy Wagner, among others, the fans loudly cheered when Reyes collided …

Bannister digs into stats to pile up pitching feats  —  It had to happen sooner or later.  —  All those new-wave statistics that are taking baseball far beyond earned-run average, runs batted in and batting average.  All the cutting-edge research into what really is meaningful — and what isn't — in judging player performances.

Madden: Payback is a pitch  —  When Kyle Farnsworth fired that “I was only trying to throw inside” haymaker pitch that actually almost conked Manny Ramirez on the back side of his head Thursday night, you could almost hear the collective “it's about time!” chorus from Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez & Co.

Brewers send Dillon down  —  The Brewers just announced they are sending infielder/outfielder Joe Dillon to Nashville to make room on their roster for right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who is coming off the DL to start vs. Cincinnati today.  —  This is a somewhat stunning announcement …