MLB, union meet over maple bats  —  Next step is gathering information about remedies  —  The recent explosion — literally — of maple bats has forced representatives from Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to evaluate the threat of injury …

PITT-IFUL YANKS HEAR IT FROM JOE  —  GIRARDI TO TEAM: WE STUNK  —  PITTSBURGH - After watching the Yankees waste multiple scoring chances, the Pirates spank his pitchers and the fielders not make plays, manager Joe Girardi told his players what he thought of last night's debacle.

Crasnick: Starting 9 … It's late June in a presidential election year, and you know what that means: lots of campaign fundraising trips, sniping via surrogates and wall-to-wall vice-presidential speculation.  —  Will Barack Obama and John McCain opt for geographical balance …

Dunn denies phone call with Ricciardi  —  Outfielder says he never reached out to talk with Jays' GM  —  TORONTO — Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said his feud with Reds left fielder Adam Dunn was finally settled via a phone call between the two over the weekend.  —  Not so, says Dunn.

Brewers to try out pitching experiment  —  Class A Brevard County looks to switch up starters' mindsets  —  ATLANTA — Brewers ace Ben Sheets believes the extinction of the Major League complete game can be traced to the Minors, where strict pitch counts protect prospects from injuries …

Manuel, Beltran ejected in Mets' awful 11-0 loss to Mariners  —  Home plate umpire Brian Runge tosses Jerry Manuel for arguing a strike call on Carlos Beltran in the fourth inning.  (Newsday/David L. Pokress / June 24, 2008)  —  The Mets lost to Seattle again, 11-0, last night in the ugliest game of the Jerry Manuel era.

Lo Duca's start in left field cut short  —  Veteran pulled in second inning with light-headedness  —  WASHINGTON — Paul Lo Duca has made his reputation as a good catcher.  But the Nationals' mounting injury problems and their need for more offensive punch moved him to the outfield for the first time in four years on Tuesday.

Bad blood hits series  —  Rockies boiling after pitches buzz catcher  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even before the Royals' Ramon Ramirez suddenly couldn't find home plate with MapQuest in the ninth inning, there was something very different about Tuesday night's game.

Hoffman hears boos in Twin killing  —  Boos rained down on a Padres icon Tuesday night at Petco Park.  —  Not just scattered boos, but loud booing directed at a franchise hero whose excellence helped bring San Diego's downtown ballpark into existence.  —  Trevor Hoffman, head down …

Home streak over  —  Cubs try to rally in the ninth inning but leave the bases loaded  —  The best deal the Cubs never made?  Don't tell that to Brian Roberts or the Cubs after a monthlong home winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Cub Who Might Have Been and his Baltimore buddies.

Texas hold 'em?  Rangers shouldn't discard the notion  —  Buy or sell?  Sell or buy?  Go for broke or build for the future?  —  Geez, the only e-mails I've received more often lately detail the financial benefits coming my way if I can just help a guy move some money out of Nigeria.

They're not-so-artful Dodgers when it comes to a deal  —  From trades to free-agent signings, a look back is far from a good thing but one major front-office voice disagrees.  —  You might want to hold your nose.  —  Angel Berroa.  Mark Sweeney.  Scott Proctor.  Thomas Perez.  Brady Clark.

Only the third worst?  —  I'm honored to post this clip of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann nominating me as the third-worst person in the world for my Monday story (along with an uncredited David K. Li) on Jerry Manuel's fertilizer comment.  —  Pretty pompous stuff for somebody who ditches …