Torre deserves apology from Yankees brass  —  Last October, the Yankees made Joe Torre an offer he couldn't accept, the chance to be a lame duck in the shooting gallery known as Yankee Stadium.  —  They came with 6 million bucks in one hand and brass knuckles in the other.

Matsui's return to Yankees could rattle lineup  —  Many questions will come into play for the Yankees once Hideki Matsui comes back, such as “Who's going to sit?”  The Yankees probably will prefer to see those questions as options for a lineup that was staggering before a 15-6 rout of the Royals on Sunday.

Sox make themselves at home in Baltimore  —  BALTIMORE - It should have been a bit confusing to Jason Bay.  Not that the Pirates don't get their share of fans on the road - OK, they don't - but it should have been somewhat odd to hear the ovation from the crowd of 40,429 last night at Camden Yards …

Baseball Hall of Famer Yastrzemski is hospitalized  —  BOSTON—Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was hospitalized for tests Tuesday after experiencing chest pains.  —  The Boston Red Sox confirmed he was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital and was undergoing evaluation and testing.

Veteran lefty Rhodes takes Pinto under wing  —  Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez last week paid July 31 acquisition Arthur Rhodes a nice compliment.  Gonzalez said it felt like Rhodes had been with the club since day one.  —  If that was the case, it might not be unreasonable …

That's Debatable: Who should be NL MVP?  —  Welcome to The Show!  On Tuesday, ESPN.com MLB Insider Rob Neyer will drop by at 12:30 p.m. ET for another installment of “That's Debatable,” a weekly feature in which we break down a hot topic you have suggested.  —  Tuesday's topic: Who is your pick to win the NL MVP award?

Texas Rangers' Kinsler could be out for season  —  Second baseman might have to undergo surgery for sports hernia  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  ARLINGTON - Another day, another catastrophe for the Rangers.  Ian Kinsler has very possibly played his last game of the season.

Ben Folds and the Big Blog News  —  I've written this before, but let me say it again: The following post is personal and, I imagine, of absolutely no interest to anyone except immediate family — and even a couple of them probably don't have interest.  I'm just warning you in advance.

For Braves' Jones, a Personal Link to Shea Stadium  —  ATLANTA — Chipper Jones was the Braves' young, brash third baseman, and he seemed so compatible with the more combustible of the Mets' fans.  He fired at them, they fired back.  —  The feud started in 1999, when the Braves won …

3 UP: Zambrano, Met Pitching and Church  —  1. Right now, the Yankees are saying that either Phil Hughes or Carl Pavano will start Saturday in Camden Yards.  But let me throw a surprise name into the mix: Victor Zambrano.  Now no Yankee official has uttered his name...

Saturday starter?  Pavano, possibly  —  For all those who believe the Yankees would never let oft-injured starter Carl Pavano pitch for them this season, Yanks' GM Brian Cashman has a message:  —  “That's ridiculous.  We're paying him money to pitch.  If he can pitch and help us, he'll pitch.”

Fowler Busts Out As U.S. Beats Taiwan  —  Knight, two relievers combine on five-hitter  —  Tuesday the U.S. wrapped up a spot in the medal round with a 4-2 win over Taiwan.  Along the way, one of Team USA's top prospects emerged from a long slump.  —  Rockies prospect Dexter Fowler …

Grounds crew always busy for Marlins  —  Rain threats, multipurpose events keep workers on toes  —  MIAMI — This may sound like an opinionated statement, but it's pretty close to being a hard fact: The grounds crew at Dolphin Stadium is the hardest-working team in the Major Leagues.

What Does Xavier Nady's Fluke Season Tell Us?  —  The Yankees still have a long hill to climb if they're going to be in the playoffs this season, but that's not Xavier Nady's fault.  Since being acquired from Pittsburgh on July 25, Nady has been killing the ball, with a line of .312/.391/649 as a Yank, with 7 HRs in only 77 AB.