RED SOX VERSUS ANGELS ALDS PREVIEW  —  The Angels host the Red Sox in the final American League Division Series starting Thursday.  The following table shows American League ranks for the teams in various offensive and pitching categories:  —  2009 Seasons (AL Ranks) Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Wait for Sabathia Starts to Bear Fruit  —  Before they tangled with the Minnesota Twins in this division series, the Yankees danced cautiously with them in trade talks after the 2007 season.  The series of events changed the course of the Yankees' franchise and led to an emphatic 7-2 victory …

Kemp, bullpen pull through for Dodgers  —  Relievers pick up Wolf with 5 1/3 solid innings vs. Cards  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers don't have leading candidates for Cy Young or MVP, but they do have something the Cardinals don't have.  —  A Game 1 victory in their National League Division Series.

Southern League Top 20 Prospects  —  To be eligible for a league's list, a pitcher must have thrown 1/3 inning for each team game or have made 20 appearances (10 in short-season and rookie-level leagues).  Hitters need one plate appearance for each team game.

Pitching on agenda for Brewers' offseason  —  GM Melvin not looking to part with Fielder, Braun  —  MILWAUKEE — Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he may need to sacrifice some of the team's offense this winter to improve the pitching staff, so he was asked the obvious follow-up.

‘Watching the fates unwind’  —  Theo Epstein was standing in the Red Sox clubhouse yesterday while the team he assembled finished up batting practice at Angels Stadium.  He is in a strange spot this time of year.  The work is done.  He has an incredible amount riding on what happens …

Padres Release Cha Seung Baek  —  MLBTR has learned that the Padres released righty Cha Seung Baek.  The Korean hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008, when he split time between the Mariners and Padres.  Baek, who turns 30 in May, allowed 118 hits and 30 walks in 111 innings of work last year, striking out 77.

Nationals cut ties with Cardenal  —  Spent five seasons teaching Minor League outfielders  —  WASHINGTON — Jose Cardenal, a special advisor to the general manager since the 2005 season, was dismissed by the Nationals on Thursday.  He was given the news by assistant general manager Bob Boone.

Varitek may not be an automatic out  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - His team is on the big stage, playing in the big games, and he is going to be on the bench.  —  This is new.  This has never happened before.  Not in the Little League World Series at Williamsport.  Not in the Cape Cod League with the Hyannis Mets.

Productive Base Stealing And The Mets  —  In the recent Athletics Nation interview with A's GM Billy Beane, interviewer Tyler Bleszinski asked about an often divisive topic in the realm of baseball discussion, the stolen base: … Emphasis mine.  It was Michael Lewis's book Moneyball …