Sox to retire Pesky's number Friday  —  Red Sox spokesman John Blake confirmed to the Globe that the team will retire Johnny Pesky's No. 6 Friday, when they begin a three-game series with the New York Yankees.  —  Also, the Sox have scheduled a 5:30 p.m. news conference tonight regarding …

Hal says Yankees want Cashman back as GM  —  Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner says he has informed general manager Brian Cashman that the team wants him back next year.  (Newsday / Paul J. Bereswill)  —  The Yankees want Brian Cashman back as their general manager next year …

Yankee fans steal pieces of Stadium  —  New York City police say they arrested more than a dozen people for stealing pieces of Yankee Stadium during the 85-year-old ballpark's final game.  Police say 18 fans were charged with possessing stolen property.  Officers were out in force …

ROCKET'S SAD STARE  —  ACE CLEMENS ‘HEARTBROKEN’ BY VIDEO SNUB  —  By F. CARTER SMITH in Piney Point Village, Texas, and ERIC LENKOWITZ in NY  —  Estranged former Yankee Roger Clemens was “heartbroken” when his former team left him out of Sunday night's Stadium-farewell festivities …

Sox-Indians pregame: Tito's takes  —  Sox manager Terry Francona met with the media before tonight's game against the Indians and held fourth on a number of subjects.  Some excerpts:  — On the retirement of Johnny Pesky's number [scheduled to take place Friday, not Saturday]: “As far as the honor, it's terrific.

Lane Kiffin just called...  Just got a call from a Raiders source... err... actually, it was the Raiders head coach.  Not speaking off-the-record.  Not yelling.  —  Yep, Lane Kiffin got in touch with me just now to offer his personal apologies for the incident John Herrera initiated with me yesterday.

Latino Sox fans lost in lineup shuffle  —  Felipe Gomez, a Jamaica Plain barber, still wears his Red Sox cap, the bill crisp across his brow.  He still roots for his adopted hometown team, and he always looks forward to visits from such players as David Ortiz when they are in need of a haircut.

Homestretch at Shea Starts With Loss  —  There is angst, apprehension and despair filling Shea Stadium.  The Mets have tried not to look back at last September, because it was so excruciating.  But do they think they can look ahead without feeling the same uneasiness that enveloped them a year ago?

MLB, union work toward Alvarez settlement  —  Ending grievance will clear way for Pirates, top pick to sign  —  Major League Baseball and its players' union were negotiating last night to settle a grievance that would clear the way for the Pirates and first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez to sign a revised contract.

Psychologists put Mets fans on the couch  —  As the Mets teeter toward another September disaster, mental health pros have a message for the bumbling players and their white-knuckled fans: Have fun and enjoy the ride.  —  That may be tough to do, given last season's debacle, but dwelling on the past makes things worse, experts agree.

Hitting coach revolving door continues to spin for Padres  —  Wally Joyner, a member of two Padres teams that reached the playoffs, has stepped down as the club's hitting coach.  Joyner gave his resignation letter to General Manager Kevin Towers on Monday.  —  “It bothers me a lot …

Nationals ‘miserable’ on, off field  —  Team in crisis  —  It began with genuine optimism.  The Washington Nationals entered the 2008 season with a new ballpark, a new crop of young talent and a feeling that this once-downtrodden franchise was moving swiftly on a rebuilding path.

A Faustian bargain  —  Interesting question posed by the WFAN mid-morning crew of Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno.  Coming off last night's brutal 9-5 loss to the Cubs, would you sign on for a one-game wild-card playoff with the Brewers right now?  For fear of another September letdown …

Interview - Tracy Ringolsby - Writer, Rocky Mountain News  —  Ask about Tracy Ringolsby, and you're liable to get different answers from different people.  —  To those that simply skim the Rocky Mountain News, he may be, “The guy in the cowboy hat.”  Ask another and you might get …

Prospectus Today  —  Fixing It  —  Barring an apocalyptic turn of events—winning the rest of their games, the last four against the Red Sox, who would have to lose out all the way through a one-game playoff—the Yankees will miss the 2008 playoffs.  It will be the first time in the Division Series era …

Bartlett (equals) Skippy  —  Jason Bartlett has an 83 OPS+.  —  Jason Bartlett has a .328 on-base percentage and has struck out three times more than he has walked.  —  Jason Bartlett has a .358 slugging percentage and has hit 1.00 home runs this season.