Johan, Mets done in by one pitch  —  Hernandez's grand slam proves to be all Mariners need  —  NEW YORK — The plan sometimes is flawed.  Other times, the execution is lacking.  Instances exist, though, when the plan is well-conceived, its execution is proper and the results are quite acceptable.

Raissman: Manuel can help defrost icy Shea  —  It remains to be seen if Jerry Manuel can lead the Mets to the promised land - or at least a trip to the playoffs.  But in the eight days since Omar (It Was My Decision) Minaya gave him the keys to his blue and orange jalopy …

Jeter showing low numbers  —  If there were ever a year when Derek Jeter could be called overrated, this has been it.  —  The Yankees' captain, the highest-paid shortstop in baseball, has a .279 batting average, a whopping 37 points below his career mark, while his 10 doubles and 39 runs scored put him well below his usual pace.

In 1960, a Series to Remember (or Forget)  —  PITTSBURGH — Typically, Herb Soltman and his legion of Pittsburgh Pirates fans have only one day a year to pay homage to the most dramatic ending in the 104 years of World Series play, when Bill Mazeroski blasted a game-ending …

PAVANO MAY RETURN BEFORE PHIL  —  Dropping him into the clubhouse might prove to be too much of a challenge, but there is a chance Carl “American Idle” Pavano could be ready to pitch for the Yankees before Phil Hughes.  —  “I haven't asked, but it's possible,” GM Brian Cashman said last night.

Rain ends homestand for Drillers  —  The Tulsa Drillers lost a game to the weather on Monday, but gained a major league veteran for their starting rotation.  —  Tulsa's scheduled afternoon home game against the Springfield Cardinals was postponed due to unplayable conditions …

A's Take Lead In Inoa Sweepstakes  —  Dominican could shatter bonus records  —  According to several international sources, Oakland has established itself as the clear frontrunner to sign 16-year-old Dominican righthander Michel Inoa when the international signing period begins on July 2.

Francis falters quickly  —  KANSAS CITY — Jeff Francis isn't a No. 1 starter.  He's a firestarter in the first.  —  That the Rockies are card-carrying members of the National League Worst provides hope.  But the cold reality is this: They can't call themselves contenders until they play much better for a much longer period of time.

A Defense of Red Sox Nation  —  Boston's team has an enormous number of bandwagon jumpers, but they'll disappear when the team goes sour.  Meanwhile, you can't blame people for filling other stadiums rather than paying scalpers enormous sums to get a seat at Fenway Park.

Santo's Hall of Fame bid gets a big boost  —  Enshrined Morgan calls ex-Cub's candidacy a ‘no-brainer’  —  They sat two booths apart during the Cubs-White Sox game Sunday night at Wrigley Field, the man who would be in the Hall of Fame and the man who would help him get there.

Yankees Should Trade Melky Cabrera  —  Two key tenets of successful team building in baseball: First, deal from strength, and second, take advantage when the market overvalues your assets.  Brian Cashman may find himself in the unusual position of meeting both conditions for making a trade …

Vindicating Derek Jeter's fielding at short (sorta)  —  Introducing OPA!  OPA! is my new (still in the works) fielding system for use with Retrosheet, one that I've been meaning to create for a while now.  Last week, I teased the beginnings of OPA!, at least the ground ball part.

Baseball's Other Racial Barrier  —  Latino Players Forge a Big-League Presence, but Are a Rarity on College Rosters  —  It's hard to watch the college-baseball World Series, under way now in Omaha, Neb., without noticing how different the college game is from the major-league version.

If Schilling's done, it won't be as much fun  —  A few leftover words about our guy Schill . . .  There are so many good things to say about the Big Lug.  Curt Schilling came to town and delivered like no performer in the history of Boston sports.  He signed with the Red Sox, said …

Fred Wilpon backs Minaya on Randolph firing  —  In his first expansive public comments since the Mets fired Willie Randolph a week ago, team CEO Fred Wilpon defended the team's actions and proclaimed happiness with the job performance of general manager Omar Minaya.

Do Phils have stuff to acquire pitching?  —  In a trade for a hurler like Greg Maddux, which Phillies, current or future, will have to go?  —  The Phillies are well into their annual midseason quest to land a starting pitcher.  —  C.C. Sabathia, Greg Maddux, Roy Oswalt and Erik Bedard are some of the names being tossed around.

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.