Identity crisis for newcomer O'Day  —  Rangers righty wears Gabbard jersey after joining team  —  TORONTO — To say Darren O'Day's Wednesday was a whirlwind of a day would be a massive understatement.  —  The right-handed reliever began the day looking for work, and by the end of it …

Figueroa plans to turn down trip to minors  —  ST. LOUIS - Nelson Figueroa plans to refuse an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo and declare free agency, ending the Brooklyn-born journeyman's tenure with the Mets, a source told the Daily News.  Figueroa, 34, had cleared waivers Wednesday …

Carter: Interest in Mets job was a ‘mistake’  —  Gary Carter received a lot of criticism for expressing his interest in the Mets managerial job last season when Willie Randolph still held the position.  Almost a year later, Carter realizes he made a mistake.

Baseball's Most Valuable Teams  —  New stadiums pushed up team values overall, but one-third of the league saw values drop over the past year.  —  The aggregate results of Forbes' 12th annual take on the finances of Major League Baseball show the National Pastime has never been stronger.

Dave Roberts stole his way into Red Sox history  —  Dave Roberts played in the Major Leagues for nine seasons but his “moment” came in 2004.  —  He stole the base in the ALCS against the Yankees' Mariano Rivera that led to Boston's come-from-behind win when they were down 3-0 in the series.

100-Year-Old Red Sox Bat Boy Says It's Go Time  —  Having learned from the Cubs that to reject a centenarian fan means certain doom, the Boston Red Sox are employing the spry Arthur Giddon as a bat boy for one batter on Saturday.  —  The 100-year-old retired lawyer will assume bat boy duties …

Too Little, Maybe Too Late  —  Capitals Fall Behind 3-1 to Rangers Despite Ovechkin's Third-Period Goal  —  The Washington Capitals haven't advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since their memorable run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998.  —  Now they find themselves on the verge of another first-round disappointment.

BLS poll: Which surprise team is off to the most legit start?  —  We're only a little over two weeks into the season and the measured warnings about sample size are still rightfully being sounded around the baseball community.  —  However, that doesn't mean we can't conduct a little [straw] …

Phillies Notebook: Phillies closer Lidge relieved to find flaw in delivery  —  Brad Lidge doesn't watch a lot of videotape.  But recently he has turned to the technology to get a better understanding of his early season struggles, which culminated in an 8-5 loss to the Padres Saturday …

Cabrera's HR ends first Yankee Stadium homestand  —  NEW YORK - Melky Cabrera ended a home run-filled opening homestand at the new Yankee Stadium with a two-run drive in the 14th inning Wednesday to give New York a 9-7 victory over the Oakland Athletics.  —  The Yankees overcame another shaky outing …

Rangers Claim Darren O'Day  —  According to Ken Davidoff of Newsday, the Rangers claimed reliever Darren O'Day off waivers from the Mets.  O'Day's Rule 5 situation remains - the Rangers have to keep him in the Majors or offer him back to the Angels.  —  O'Day, 26, posted fine numbers …