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.

Schilling surgery may have him throwing by winter  —  BOSTON — Curt Schilling's shoulder operation has gone well and his surgeon says he could be throwing off a mound again by January.  —  Monday's surgery on the 41-year-old Boston Red Sox right-hander lasted just under two hours and involved repairs to his tendon and labrum.

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.

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 …

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 …

Mailbag: Potential trades in the works?  —  Beat reporter Mark Bowman answers Braves fans' questions  —  It appears that the Braves might be sellers for the first time since 1990 at this year's trade deadline.  Can you give us an idea of who might be traded and what to expect in return?

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.

Mulder may start vs. Royals  —  BOSTON — The Cardinals are projecting lefthander Mark Mulder for a start in next weekend's series against the Kansas City Royals, pending a successful “light” outing tonight with Class AAA Memphis.  —  Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan insisted Sunday …

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:

MONDESI FIELD TRIP: THE PIRATES' ALL YOU CAN EAT SECTION  —  MONDESI FIELD TRIP: THE PIRATES ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT SECTION  —  I don't get to many Pirate games anymore, for a variety of reasons.  In fact, I hadn't been to PNC Park since last July (which was beautifully recapped here).