Commentary: For Griffey, Mariners, end is near  —  If life were as simple as fiction, the book on Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners would have closed late last summer, with him being carried around Safeco Field on the shoulders of his teammates.  Junior wanted one more year, the Mariners thought it might work and gave it to him.

Nova gets the call  —  Thanks to my pal Tim Bontemps of the New York Post for the heads up on this, but it appears the Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher again tonight.  —  Ivan Nova, whose regular turn in the rotation would have been yesterday, has been called to New York …

Hillman's Last Stand.  —  I know I owe you some vaguely optimistic words about the callups of Mike Aviles and Kila Ka'aihue.  But that will have to wait.  There are times for childish fantasies like gingerbread houses and sugar plums and young Royals with upside, but this is not one of them.

10 guys who could wind up on trade block  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  Follow him on Twitter.  —  A few days ago, I spoke with an executive who did not expect the trade market to offer attractive solutions to teams in need.

Tigers pay tribute to Harwell … DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers honored late broadcaster Ernie Harwell by raising a flag with his initials at Comerica Park.  —  The team paid tribute to Harwell on Monday night before playing the New York Yankees, its first home game since Harwell died last Tuesday from cancer.

Torre denies report he's leaving LA after '10  —  PHOENIX — Joe Torre seemed partly amused and partly annoyed when told FOX Sports reported that “unnamed friends” claim he wouldn't return for a fourth season as manager unless the Dodgers' ownership situation improves.

Sounders FC to pay back fans for poor outing  —  Team announces it will give its season-ticket holders a one-game credit toward next season  —  TUKWILA — After a disgraceful 4- loss at home to the Los Angeles Galaxy, Sounders FC forward/midfielder Steve Zakuani said the fans deserve …

Which Pitcher is King?  —  OK, class.  While finals are still a week or two away for many colleges, we're going to hit you up with a pop quiz.  —  The stat lines for two active starting pitchers are presented below.  Which pitcher would you take?  Hint: One pitcher is an “innings eater” and the other is a “franchise player.”

Rangers performing despite ownership fiasco  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  Follow him on Twitter.  —  The Angels should be embarrassed if the A's or Rangers win the AL West.  Frankly, the Mariners should be, too.

Sox shift rotation, Wakefield gets start  —  Terry Francona just dropped some news on us.  Josh Beckett's next start will be on Friday in Detroit of instead of Wednesday against the Blue Jays.  —  Tim Wakefield will be inserted into the rotation to face the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

TIGERS SWEET ON JACKSON  —  A story was circulating last week that the Yankees traded Austin Jackson to the Tigers for Curtis Granderson because they had soured on the minor league outfielder.  Mike Francessa, the WFAN all-everything expert, probably gave the story its widest circulation.

Red Sox salvage the finale  —  When David Ortiz stepped to the plate in the third inning last night, something was missing.  Ortiz had ditched his pink bat, used to promote breast cancer awareness on Mother's Day, picking up his usual lumber.  It seemed an interesting choice.