Insider Intel: 2009 World Series  —  Joe Girardi's decision-making could be the ultimate key in the Fall Classic  —  STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME Become an Insider Today  —  It's geographically unbalanced, but otherwise, Philadelphia Phillies versus New York Yankees is about as good a World Series matchup …

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt accuses wife of affair  —  LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on Wednesday filed papers opposing his wife's demand to be reinstated as the team's chief executive, citing insubordination and an affair she allegedly had with her bodyguard.

Bruney, Hinske added; Guzman, Cervelli off  —  The Yankees just released their World Series roster and RHP Brian Bruney has been added, along with pinch-hitter Eric Hinske.  Pinch-runner Freddy Guzman and third catcher Francisco Cervelli were removed.  —  Dropping Cervelli indicates …

Things to know about the Series, more notes (cont.)  —  Manny not leaving Mannywood  —  Manny Ramirez is planning to exercise the $20 million player option that returns him to the Dodgers for 2010.  His original plan was to shop around, but after a year in which he was suspended for 50 games …

Red Sox bench coach was skipper in Minors for 11 years  —  HOUSTON — Astros general manager Ed Wade's respect for Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona runs deep, so it wasn't surprising that the club leaned on Francona heavily for advice and wound up tabbing someone from his staff to lead the Astros into the future.

Gary Matthews Jr. wants out of Anaheim  —  While three Angels headed for free agency — Vladimir Guerrero, Bobby Abreu and Chone Figgins — have expressed publicly a desire to return to Anaheim, one player who has two years remaining on his contract has no desire to return to the Angels in 2010.

From Sarasota to Lynchburg (sort of)  —  The Reds are selling the their Florida State League affiliate to the Pirates.  The Sarasota Reds will become the Bradenton Reds.  —  To replace the high Single-A team, the Reds will take over the Pirates' Lynchburg team in the Carolina League.

Mark McGwire's Five-Step Approach To Hitting  —  The Mac is back!  Big Mac, Mark McGwire is back with the Cardinals to be their hitting coach.  McGwire has always been a fan favorite in St. Louis, but it's almost a written fact that he took steroids throughout most of his career.

Comparing Phillies, Yankees lineups the right way  —  IN A WORLD SERIES comparison, a Tale of the Tape tradition dating to 1903 has matched the combatants by position.  —  While that gives a picture of relative strengths on an individual basis - third basemen Mike Schmidt and George Brett …

Stars and Stats Align for the Yankees  —  As the World Series gets under way in New York, we asked an astrologer, a statistician, a Las Vegas oddsmaker, a computer, a former major-league manager and a baseball analyst to predict the outcome of the series.  The Yankees are favored from Las Vegas to Mars, but not in Philadelphia.

Old Yankee Stadium a sad sight (and site) during World Series  —  NEW YORK — It still stands across the street.  Looking like a boarded-up carnival or a resort town whose next summer will never come, old Yankee Stadium finds itself in the unfamiliar position of being an afterthought …

Robert MacLeod  —  It was an arduous hunt for sure - more than a year in the making - but Paul Beeston has finally found the best man to head up the Toronto Blue Jays.  —  Himself.  —  The 64-year-old confirmed yesterday what many had been anticipating for months - that he has decided …