Madden: Willie had no chance  —  From the day Mets GM Omar Minaya hired him in November of 2004, Willie Randolph was set up to fail.  The Wilpons were leery about turning over the Mets to a manager with no experience and safeguards were put in immediately.  —  Melting pot stirs up Mets' roster

‘Mike and the Mad Dog’ radio show could be history  —  “Mike and the Mad Dog,” the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself.  —  Barring a change of heart, the partnership between Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” …

Jimenez outpitches Pedro  —  A duel of Dominicans goes to the Rockies starter who grew up idolizing “my hero.”  —  The Denver Post  —  When he was a gangly kid growing up in the Dominican Republic, Ubaldo Jimenez propped himself in front of the TV whenever national treasure Pedro Martinez pitched.

‘Z’ injury report puts Hendry on defensive  —  CUBS IN BRIEF  —  The ghost of Mark Prior's career with the Cubs swept an angry chill through the tunnels and recesses of Wrigley Field on Saturday, as Cubs general manager Jim Hendry bristled about comparisons between Carlos Zambrano's strained shoulder …

Johnson still feeling soreness in wrist  —  On DL since May 15, Nats first baseman suffers another setback  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals general manager Jim Bowden revealed Saturday that injured first baseman Nick Johnson will go to the Mayo Clinic on Monday because he's still feeling soreness in his injured right wrist.

Pirates Notebook: Marte might stay after all  —  For months, it seemed a lock that Damaso Marte was the most likely of the Pirates' veterans to be traded.  —  No more.  —  Management began entertaining offers for him in the offseason, and that never stopped.

Schneider day-to-day with injured hand  —  Ball fouled off catcher; X-rays negative on fifth left metacarpal  —  DENVER — Mets catcher Brian Schneider was hospitalized following Saturday night's game with an injury to his left hand.  Schneider was unavailable for comment following the game …

Something will have to give  —  Decision time looms for buyers and sellers  —  R. SEXSON On the way out?  —  Some teams (Mariners, Mets, Blue Jays) have already made their major decisions, while others are still formulating plans.  A glimpse at a few game plans you might see implemented:

Time of the season: Young, Texas Rangers batter Nationals  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  WASHINGTON - Mateo Young turns 3 years old today.  It seems his father is intent on giving him the same birthday gift he's gotten every year:  —  A smoking hot bat.  —  Just in time for his kid's birthday …

Pirates place Dumatrait on DL for shoulder injury  —  The Pirates today placed starter Phil Dumatrait on the 15-day disabled list, because of rotator cuff tendinitis in his left shoulder, and promoted reliever T.J. Beam from Class AAA Indianapolis.  —  Dumatrait had been the rotation's best until …

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti faces tough decisions  —  Trading some of the team's young talent this summer might bring a division title this fall, but it also might harm the team's long-term future.  —  Welcome back, Lakers fans.  We rejoin this Dodgers season, already in progress.

Mets hire Krivsky as Minaya's special assistant … DENVER (AP) — Longtime baseball executive Wayne Krivsky was hired by the New York Mets on Saturday as special assistant to general manager Omar Minaya.  —  Krivsky was fired as GM of the Cincinnati Reds in late April.