First of Yanks' many goals crossed off  —  Truest test of club's superiority will come in postseason  —  NEW YORK — The Yankees have been confident for weeks that they will eventually arrive at the postseason, so there was no boisterous celebration in the visitors' clubhouse at Angel Stadium …

Bobby Valentine close to making return to TV, nears deal with ESPN  —  It appears that BOBBY Valentine won't be unemployed for long.  —  Television industry and baseball sources say Valentine, completing his final season as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League …

Mets' top official for Latin American talent canned  —  Fred Wilpon may have offered a vote of confidence to Omar Minaya, but the GM's inner circle quietly is being dismantled.  —  The Mets have fired Ramon Pena, the organization's top official in charge of signing Latin American talent, the Daily News has learned.

Next season could determine Aramis Ramirez's future with Chicago Cubs  —  He can opt out of last year of contract if he doesn't think club on right track  —  Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez throws out the Brewers' Alcides Escobar during the sixth inning of Tuesday's night's 7-2 victory.

GCL Top 20 Prospects  —  Braves' Bethancourt tops the list  —  As usual, the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League was filled with young, raw prospects who flashed impressive tools but still needed plenty of seasoning.  International position players dominated our GCL Top 20 list …

DIVIDED LOYALTIES: WHY ONE SOX OFFICIAL WILL FIND IT HARD TO ROOT AGAINST ZACK GREINKE … digit from 88 to 96 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.  —  But in 2005, Greinke took his lumps.  He went 5-17 with a 5.80 ERA, marks that were puzzling based on his stuff and his feel for the game.

Safe at Second, but No Stolen Base to Show for It  —  A player takes an unchallenged lead off first base, dashes to second and makes it safely without a throw.  The runner has advanced but because there was no attempt to thwart him, he does not receive a stolen base.

Hernandez, Nationals Are Throttled at Home By Dodgers  —  Livan Hernandez was young once, like his current Washington Nationals rotation-mates, except when he was young, he was on magazine covers.  He was hoisting hardware.  At 22, Hernandez was most valuable player of both the Nationals …

Padres Team Report  —  Because Kevin Kouzmanoff has been the Padres' third baseman as long as Chase Headley has been in the major leagues, Headley has been playing out of position in left field.  —  But with Kouzmanoff out of the lineup since Sept. 8 because of a strained left calf muscle …

Webb not interested in taking pay cut  —  Right-hander Brandon Webb said if Diamondbacks executives are preparing to approach him about restructuring his $8.5 million contract option for 2010, they ought to save their breath.  —  He's not interested.  —  Webb, who hasn't pitched since Opening …

Game 152: Yankees at Angels  —  YANKEES (95-56)  —  Pitching: RHP Chad Gaudin (1-0 3.68).  —  ANGELS (90-60)  —  Figgins 3B  —  Izturis 2B  —  Abreu RF  —  Guerrero DH  —  Hunter CF  —  Morales 1B  —  Rivera LF  —  Aybar SS  —  Mathis C  —  Pitching: vs. RHP Ervin Santana (7-8, 5.43).

Rivera apologizes to Scioscia for swagger  —  Slugger shows remorse after gawking at Monday's double  —  ANAHEIM — Angels left fielder Juan Rivera apologized to manager Mike Scioscia for breaking out into a home run trot a little too early during his RBI double in the eighth inning of Monday's 5-2 win over the Yankees.

(Excerpts) Interview with Mariners Broadcaster, Dave Sims  —  The following are excerpts from the Dave Sims interview that can be seen here in its entirety on The Biz of Football  —  UPDATE: It was announced Tuesday that Sims will lead the broadcast team for the first season of the United Football League …

Barmes, Hawpe homer as Rockies win wild one over Padres  —  DENVER (AP) — Brad Hawpe (FSY) homered for the first time since Aug. 29 and the Colorado Rockies beat San Diego 11-10 on Tuesday night despite a rare rough outing from lefty Jorge De La Rosa (FSY) and a four-run ninth-inning rally by the Padres.

Jays buzz  —  Looking toward next season, manager Cito Gaston's wish-list includes “some help in the starting rotation.”  That would be especially acute if Roy Halladay is traded in the off-season in advance of his free agent year.  —  “A lot depends on free agency,” Gaston said.

Bobby Cox: “Everything is fine.  [Wren] has been outstanding”  —  Bobby Cox says all's well between him and Braves GM Frank Wren.  (AP photo)  —  Bobby Cox responded this morning to a Yahoo! Sports report of discord between him and Braves GM Frank Wren.  Said Cox, speaking via iPhone from New York: “Everything is fine.

Texas Rangers veteran closer Guardado considering retirement  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — A ho-hum ninth-inning appearance Monday night in a blowout victory put Texas Rangers left-hander Eddie Guardado in the same company as Cy Young.  —  But another day gone by in Guardado's 17-season career has possibly moved him closer to retirement.

Rockies' Cook to start Friday vs. Cardinals  —  Aaron Cook will be rewarded for a month of tireless rehab, starting Friday at Coors Field against the St. Louis Cardinals.  —  Cook has been out with a strained right shoulder, but has been making steady progress.