Cashman aims to win with dysfunctional Yankees  —  Hank Steinbrenner is a part of the Yankees' muddled organizational structure.  (Newsday / Audrey C. Tiernan)  —  Amid the disappointment of 2008, Brian Cashman insisted yesterday, a kinder, gentler Steinbrenner family emerged.

Quentin has his eye on ALCS  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - With his right wrist heavily taped, slugger Carlos Quentin wasn't added to the White Sox's roster for the American League Division Series.  —  But the subsiding pain has raised Quentin's confidence to the point where he thinks …

White Sox versus Rays  —  Each year, the White Sox graciously host a University of Chicago alumni event, where Christina Kahrl and I speak to 150 or more nerds in the U.S. Cellular Conference & Learning Center.  The group gets tickets to the game too—which usually means a contest …

Cubs fan arrested for throwing ball at Dodgers player  —  FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS  —  A Lincoln Park man was arrested for attempting to strike Los Angeles Dodgers' left fielder Manny Ramirez with a baseball during the Cubs Wednesday night playoff loss at Wrigley Field.

Mets' Manuel's contract negotiations hit a snag  —  PHILADELPHIA - The Mets' plan to bring back Jerry Manuel as manager is not going as smoothly as anticipated.  A person familiar with the situation told Newsday Wednesday night that the team has offered Manuel a two-year contract to return, but he has yet to accept the deal.

Live: Omar Minaya Conference Call  —  SNY will televise this morning's conference call with Omar Minaya, which is set to begin around 11 am EDT.  —  I will also live blog the call, since I know many of you are unable to be in front of a television or computer speakers.  —  ...Update...11:03 am...

All Things Joe: Springsteen, ‘Godfather,’ Convertibles  —  The day he was hired, this was written about Joe Maddon:  —  “The fourth manager in Devil Rays history is a book you can't put down.  A concert you rock to, a story that begins in a mining town and ends in a baseball dugout …

The invisible villain  —  I thought of that story when Manny began acting up again this summer.  Boston's brain trust had decided to dump him.  Again.  We were doing this dance for the fourth time in six years.  There were two crucial differences this time, the first being Manny had canned …

Ramírez's remarks are sad  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - Those air sickness bags come in handy sometimes.  Flying coast to coast, you cram into your coach seat (like John Glenn in Mercury 1), open the paper to read Manny Ramírez's latest remarks, and you need the barf bag before you're over Kansas.

How to Suck-Proof the 2009 Mets: Massive Expenditure on Relief  —  So what are the poor, pathetic, sidelined Mets to do as they approach roster decisions this winter?  —  At first glance, their options for building a team that can play consistently good baseball for an entire season are grim …

Mets pitcher Burgos allegedly involved in fatal hit-and-run  —  PHILADELPHIA - The troubled career of Ambiorix Burgos took a tragic turn on Tuesday when the Mets reliever allegedly killed two women in a hit-and-run accident in the Dominican Republic.  —  Burgos, 24, reportedly struck Josefina …