Umpire on Brian Fuentes' ninth-inning pitch: ‘Could have been a strike’  —  Rick Reed, who made the call in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox, puts part of the blame on Angels catcher Mike Napoli and rebukes Angels coaches for their reaction.  —  Before the ninth-inning pitch controversy …

Manuel doubts Myers can be Phillies closer  —  Phillies manager Charlie Manuel made it clear he has serious doubts that Brett Myers will be able to help the club as a closer because the righthander is feeling the effects of his long layoff following hip surgery in early June.

So, here's a little news for you  —  I was hoping to keep this quiet another day or two so I could compose my thoughts.  But that's not possible these days.  —  So here it is: I'm leaving The Journal News after nearly 10 years and going to work for The Boston Globe.

September 17: Postgame notes  —  First things first, Juan Miranda (right) is going to New York.  —  I guess there could be more moves in the next few days, but for now, he's the only call-up from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees clubhouse.  Austin Jackson said he hadn't heard anything definitive …

Reassessing three underachievers and notes around the majors … For most teams, it is time to turn the page on this season.  In a few cases, it has been that way for months.  But one major advantage to being eliminated early is that there is plenty of extra time to assess one's needs …

Chicago Cubs clubhouse bizarre after 7-4 loss to Milwaukee Brewers  —  Players, manager contribute to peculiar scene  —  Cubs starter Randy Wells reacts after giving up a grand slam to Milwaukee's Jody Gerut in the fourth inning.  (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune / September 17, 2009)

Win streak has Atlanta thinking big  —  Braves sweep Mets, welcome Phils for crucial weekend set  —  ATLANTA — While there might be some pessimists and realists who are simply looking at what might have been, the Braves have put their past behind them and provided hope for the immediate future …

Homer No. 20 a special one for Gomes  —  Cincinnati (68-79) vs. Florida (78-69), 7:10 p.m. ET  —  CINCINNATI — Home run No. 20 of the season was rife with meaning for Reds left fielder Jonny Gomes, and someone else, too.  —  Gomes went deep in the second inning of the Reds' win over the Astros on Wednesday.

Can We Let the David Ortiz Injustice Die?  —  Michael Schmidt of The New York Times recounted how he set out to obtain names sealed by court order of 100-plus Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.  He wrote a story on David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

Already great, Hanley is getting better  —  Marlins star has a chance to be best shortstop of all time  —  MIAMI — He has started back-to-back All-Star Games, put up early numbers comparable to some of the best ever at his position, is a popular No.1 pick in fantasy leagues and is having the season of his life.

Texas Rangers can take a last thrill ride, if they stand tall  —  When you've scored one more run than a dead man in 37 innings and were nearly no-hit by a last-place team, in effect, playing the most lifeless baseball of an inspiring, improbable season at the worst possible time, it's safe to assume you must be dead men walking.

Will MLB's Latest Tech Disserve Game?  —  As the end of the 2009 Major League Baseball (MLB) season approaches, technological advances, still in their infancy, were instituted in 2009, intended for the game's future progress; that according to MLB.  —  Most fans, however …

Offseason Outlook: New York Mets  —  Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Mets.  Their commitments for 2010:  —  C - Omir Santos - $400K  —  C - Josh Thole - $400K  —  1B - Daniel Murphy - $401K  —  2B - Luis Castillo - $6MM  —  SS - Jose Reyes - $9MM  —  3B - David Wright - $10MM

BLS poll: Can the Twins catch the Tigers in the AL Central?  —  We first pinned our hopes for down-to-the-wire baseball on the Red Sox, Rangers and the AL wild card.  —  But when Texas showed no signs of mounting a serious challenge, we moved onto the Rockies, Giants and the NL's extra bid.

Pirates' Kerrigan undecided on returning  —  Pitching coach popular with players but has yet to sign extension  —  LOS ANGELES — Joe Kerrigan has not made up his mind whether to come back next season as the coach of a young Pirates pitching staff where he sees progress, particularly by the starters.

Dodgers-Giants rivalry not what it used to be  —  Many who witnessed the outright disdain between the teams in the 1950s and '60s say the climate of the current rivalry falls disappointingly short of the old days.  —  Arnold Hano grew up across the street from the Polo Grounds …