Napoli homers, Rangers tie it 2-all in 5th  —  With a runner on third and two outs in the sixth, Albert Pujols made a sliding stop on Michael Young's grounder down the first base line and tossed to Chris Carpenter covering the bag.  —  The play saved a run and kept the score tied 2-all.

It's time for the World Series designated-hitter and ratings-talk drinking game  —  Please understand, I am not advocating alcohol abuse.  In my drinking game, you take shots of cranberry juice, which is very tasty and extremely good for you.  As for you kids, stay in school!

Six pressing Rangers-Cardinals questions … ST. LOUIS — It's not the Yankees, it's not the Phillies and it certainly isn't the Red Sox here in the World Series.  FOX will fret.  And MLB has to worry.  But of course, the Rangers and Cardinals know they deserve to be here, and they figure they're going to put on a pretty good show.

Yu Darvish to formally ask to be posted  —  It's been long suspected that Japan's best pitcher — Yu Darvish — would be posted by his NPB team this winter, thereby allowing Major League teams to bid on him.  Kyodo News in Japan has now confirmed through several sources that, yes …

Molina's late HR powers Cards into World Series  —  NEW YORK — The first long drive to left field wound up in the webbing of Endy Chavez's glove as he crashed against the wall.  —  The second one sailed clear over his head.  —  And that's what sent Yadier Molina and the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series.

2011 Draft Report Card Chat With Jim Callis and John Manuel  —  Moderator: Jim Callis and John Manuel will answer your draft questions as well as other baseball questions beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.  —  Jim Callis: Hi, everyone.  I wrote the NL Draft Report Cards (minus Houston) and also did Boston in the AL.

RSS Local Selig to retire to Madison to write memoirs on UW campus  —  IMAGE (8)  —  As the World Series begins, the most powerful man in baseball readies a nest in Madison for retirement.  It contains bubble gum, pretzels, a basket of baseballs and a cable connection to Major League Baseball's TV channel.

Gooden missed Mets' 1986 parade to do drugs  —  While his 1986 New York Mets teammates basked in the glory of millions during a ticker tape parade to celebrate their World Series title, Dwight Gooden sat in a drug dealer's apartment, too high and paranoid to join them.

Notes: Scouting meetings, Kuroda & Soriano  —  Here are a few notes that have come up in the phone calls we have made the past few days.  —  * The Yankees will begin their scouting meetings on Wednesday.  They are scheduled to go three days.  When asked what they are like …

An Interview with Ralph Branca  —  Every now and then, as co-proprietors of a blog that a few people sometimes deign to read, we get emails from publishers or publicists (most accurately, publicists for publishers, but there's no non-goofy way to say that) offering advance copies of baseball or other sports books.

Q&A: Kelly Johnson, Sabermetrically Savvy FA  —  Kelly Johnson may or may not be a Toronto Blue Jay next season, but wherever he ends up, he promises to have a better year with the bat — regardless of how many times he strikes out.  The free-agent-to-be second baseman hit a respectable .270/.364/.417 …