Kenji Johjima opts out of final two years  —  One of the thorniest issues the Seattle Mariners faced - what to do with catcher Kenji Johjima - has been resolved: The 33-year-old catcher has decided to return to Japan with two years left on his contract.  —  “After lots of very deep thought …

Phillies back Lee's gem in Game 3 rout  —  Given big lead, lefty fans 10 over eight; Phils take NLCS lead  —  PHILADELPHIA — It seemed everybody but the Phillies wondered how they might recover from Friday's eighth-inning letdown in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.

In CC they trust: Sabathia to start Game 4  —  Big left-hander will take the hill on three days' rest  —  ANAHEIM — CC Sabathia was breaking a sweat at Angel Stadium on Sunday, getting re-acclimated to the West Coast after flying across the country.  He had an assignment to prepare for …

Saturday's AFL roundup  —  Simmons, Snyder lead Dogs to fourth straight win  —  Desert Dogs 11, Rafters 2  —  Athletics prospect James Simmons tossed three scoreless innings and Phoenix used a pair of five-run outbursts to post its fourth straight win.  The former first-round pick yielded …

Are these Yanks as good as '98 team?  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — The date was Oct. 10, 1998, noted by Yankee historians as the sea-change moment in what we now recognize as a historic season.  At that point, a great team was gasping for air, down 2-1 against the Indians in the AL Championship Series.

Veteran manager Bobby Valentine a finalist for Cleveland Indians' vacancy  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio — Bobby Valentine, whose New York Mets reached the World Series in 2000, is one of the finalists for the vacant Indians manager's job.  —  Valentine, 59, it has been learned, will come to Cleveland this week for a second interview.

Harper: It's all about A-Rod  —  ANAHEIM - Never mind that Angels closer Brian Fuentes threw one of the worst 0-2 pitches in baseball history, right in Alex Rodriguez's danger zone, practically inviting the Bombers' slugger to pop one into Yankee Stadium's short right-field porch.

Hawpe Not On Market  —  Brad Hawpe found himself watching more than playing in the post-season for the Rockies.  He, however, rmeans a key part in the Rockies long-range planning.  —  Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd has been surprised by media reports that the Rockies wll look to trade Hawpe …

In the clutch, why does Jeter rise and Guerrero fall in the postseason?  —  Yankees slugger excels time and again in October; admirers say it's because he has ability to relax in pressure-filled situations.  Guerrero leads Angels in postseason hits but has taken ugly swings.

The Biggest Secret of Baseball's Unwritten Rules: They Don't Exist  —  Say this about Erick Aybar's feet: they were a lot closer to second base than the Angels have been to playing crisp baseball.  —  Yes, his feet were in the so-called neighborhood of the bag in the 10th inning of Game 2 …

Non-Tender Candidate: Jeff Francoeur  —  When Jeff Francoeur was traded to the Mets, I figured he would play out the season and be non-tendered.  A massive disappointment for his hometown Braves, this is a player who was one of the top 5 least valuable players in all of baseball in 2008.

Anthopoulos keeping tabs on Scutaro and Barajas  —  ANAHEIM — Whither goest free agents Marco Scutaro and Rod Barajas?  —  Well, nowhere yet.  Not until 15 days after the final pitch of the World Series.  —  “We like both players,” said Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

Lupica: Best fans in the world  —  I am on a Metro-North train the other night, on my way to the new station and new platform right next to the old Yankee Stadium.  But it could just as easily have been the 4 train coming up and out of the city and taking you to the Yankees …