Surgery result optimistic for Curt Schilling  —  WILMINGTON, Del. - The door is still open.  —  After one hour and 45 minutes of surgery on Red Sox [team stats] pitcher Curt Schilling [stats], Dr. Craig Morgan and his associate, Dr. Augustus Mazzocca, looked at each other and smiled.

S#!t hits the Post  —  The Mets should not be as desperate as the local rag  —  C'mon. Seriously?  Jerry Manuel takes over as manager and does everything he can to provide smart, funny, candid and well-constructed quotes to the newspapermen desperate for them, and the New York Post has to go screw it up for everyone.

Jeter, A-Rod safe, sound on ballot  —  Other Yankees position players gaining in All-Star Game vote  —  NEW YORK — The left side of the Yankees' infield should have no trouble adjusting to its surroundings on July 15, as long as the current All-Star Game tallies hold up.

Manuel not knocking fans with comment  —  Apparently managers can't attempt to be intellectual without risk of someone trying to make a big deal about it.  Trust me, Jerry Manuel wasn't saying anything disparaging about fans when he used the word “fertilizer” before Sunday's game.

Source: Demand surges for Dominican Inoa, 16 … ORLANDO, Fla. — The Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds have joined the Oakland Athletics in a bidding feud for the services of Dominican pitching prospect Michael Inoa, the crown jewel of the pool of Latin American players who will be available …

Nats 1B Johnson may miss rest of season  —  WASHINGTON (AP)—Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson will undergo surgery Tuesday on his injured right wrist and may not return this season.  —  “We'll know more tomorrow when they operate, but there's a possibility he might be out for the year …

O's, Cubs content with Roberts deal that wasn't  —  Chicago owns best record in majors, O's have exceeded expectations after offseason trade talks for second baseman  —  CHICAGO - It consumed Dave Trembley's offseason.  When he walked the beach near his Florida home, ate lunch with his wife …

Lake Mary pitcher Matt Richardson picks Yankees over UCF  —  Lake Mary right-hander Matt Richardson, Central Florida's top draft pick among high school players in this year's amateur draft earlier this month, will forgo a scholarship to UCF to play professional baseball.

Gameday Live 75: Mariners at Mets  —  Hey everyone!  Marc Jimenez here again as the Mets (37-37) host a three-game series against the worst team in baseball, the Seattle Mariners (26-49).  Good pitching matchup tonight as Johan Santana (7-5, 3.04), who hasn't won since June 1, faces Felix Hernandez (6-5, 2.87).

The Screaming Man Shouldn't Make You Change The Way You Think About Yourself  —  We like The Big Lead.  Jason McIntyre's a perfectly nice fellow, and their infamous interview with Jason Whitlock remains one of our favorite sports blogging moments.  But we have to make this clear …

Inside Randolph's Firing (cont.)  —  Bernazard, VP of player development.  Never has a VP of player development been more vilified.  But it's difficult to say whether it's deserved.  In his role as Minaya's chief lieutenant, he is supposed to provide counsel, after all.  —  Bernazard's Mets bosses love him.

Aceves promoted to Scranton  —  Just confirmed this with Brian Cashman.  Alfredo “El Paton” Aceves has been promoted to Triple-A Scranton.  —  Signed out of the Mexican League, the 25-year-old Aceves started the season with Single-A Tampa.  His minor-league numbers so far: