History suggests Tampa Bay Rays fans should temper their hopes  —  It begins quietly, just an inkling that all is not lost.  —  A few victories in a row, perhaps.  Maybe a key injury on another team, followed by a walkoff homer at a time when few people are paying attention.

MVP debate will have no clear winner  —  I understand why some sabermetricians freak out over the MVP voting every year, howling for the mainstream media to get a clue.  —  But you know what?  —  Those analysts need to get over it.  —  Ignoramuses in the MSM, including yours truly …

Frustrated Jim Crane ‘offended’ by speculation about delays in Astros sale process  —  After several months in the on-deck circle, the man who wants to buy the Astros is getting frustrated.  —  In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle on Thursday, Houston businessman Jim Crane …

Market for closers well-stocked  —  Jonathan Papelbon, Heath Bell and Ryan Madson are among the top-shelf items  —  Maybe once upon a time, in 1905 or something, there was a generation of general managers who never knew the unique joys of bullpen shopping.

Miguel Tejada wants to play in 2012  —  Former MVP shortstop Miguel Tejada, who was recently released by the San Francisco Giants, said he hopes to keep playing baseball in 2012.  —  “I will not retire,” Tejada told ESPNdeportes.com Friday.  “I didn't have a good time in San Francisco, but there are always highs and lows in life.”

SF Giants' roster - who won't be back in 2012?  — In modern baseball, the stability of the Giants' roster from 2010 to 2011 was unique.  Juan Uribe left for Los Angeles and Edgar Renteria for Cincinnati.  Aside from that, the bulk of the World Series championship team returned.

Umpires show ethnic bias in ball/strike calls—unless they're feeling watched  —  There's a lot of behavioral literature that indicates we tend to like people who we think belong to the same group as us, and behave favorably towards them—even though we're not aware of doing so.

Twins go all in on Mauer, Morneau  —  Buster Olney writes that the Twins' offseason will consist of waiting for Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau to get fully healthy, then provides offseason blueprints for five other teams in need of improvements this winter.

Frank McCourt's attorney calls bid for Dodgers a ‘publicity stunt’  —  The Dodgers owner has not responded publicly to a $1.2-billion offer from a group headed by Los Angeles Marathon founder Bill Burke, but a court filing cites McCourt's choice not to accept the bid.

Astros Claim Lance Pendleton  —  The Astros claimed right-hander Lance Pendleton off of waivers from the Yankees, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).  Pendleton, who was designated by the Yankees on Tuesday, spent Spring Training with Houston after they selected …

Robertson setting up for Yankees' postseason push  —  Ask about Yankees reliever David Robertson and you will hear terms like “natural cut” and “long, loose extension” and “fastballs that have late life,” and you realize these are words that have been used for more than a decade to describe Mariano Rivera.

Kennedy Gets 19th Win as D-Backs Beat Padres 4-1  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Ian Kennedy struck out a season-high 11 over seven-plus innings for his National League-leading 19th win as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 4-1 on Thursday night.  —  Kennedy (19-4) scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter over 7 2-3 innings.