Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees have scheduled a news conference for today to announce that Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180 million contract has been finalized. The deal was agreed to Dec. 23, but the sides had to complete contract language, and the switch-hitting first baseman and Maryland native had to pass a physical. Teixeira (Mount St. Joseph) grew up in Severna Park as an Orioles fans, and the Orioles were among a handful of teams, including the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals, to go after the free agent this offseason, initially offering a seven-year deal between $140 million and $150 million.

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees have wanted Roger Clemens back for more than a year. Their desire for him to wear pinstripes again only increased as injuries ravaged their starting rotation early this season. The Yankees got their wish yesterday, with Clemens agreeing to a $28 million salary, prorated to when he joins the team. They even managed to keep Clemens' decision to return to the Bronx a secret for two days - until the seventh-inning stretch during the Yankees-Seattle Mariners game at Yankee Stadium, when public address announcer Bob Sheppard told the crowd to look to the owner's box and the center-field video screen for a special announcement.

NEW YORK -- The Texas Rangers stepped out of character and tried to do it with pitching last night, but the New York Yankees seem destined for an American League Championship Series showdown with the Cleveland Indians.Despite a superb performance by Rangers starter Rick Helling, the Yankees stretched their Division Series winning streak against Texas to a record eight games with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.Promising left fielder Ricky Ledee's seventh-inning double brought home the go-ahead run, propelling left-hander Andy Pettitte to his fifth career postseason victory and pushing the punchless Rangers to the threshold of another quick October exit.

At Yankee Stadium, New YorkDay, Time, TV, StartersTonight, 7: 35, 13, Juan Guzman (0-1, 16.20) vs. Ramiro Mendoza (1-0, 0.00)Tomorrow, 7: 35, HTS, Scott Erickson (0-1, 6.43) vs. David Cone (1-0, 1.69)Thursday, 7: 35, 13, 50, Mike Mussina (2-0, 3.00) vs. Roger Clemens (1-0, 1.93)Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) and WTOP (1500 AM)Yankees updateThe Yankees have won five straight after losing on Opening Day, including a three-game sweep of Detroit at home. The Tigers were outscored 28-5, and manager Larry Parrish said after Sunday's game: "Well, I want to see somebody else play them right now. I'm ready to get out of town."

NEW YORK -- Everywhere, there are ghosts. The Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920, and some say they have lived under a curse ever since.Who's to argue?The Yankees have won 24 World Series championships in the past 80 years. The Red Sox have not won the Series since Ruth was their star pitcher. The closest they came was in 1986, when that ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs and the trophy ended up on the other side of New York City.If you're a diehard Red Sox fan, it's hard not to look at the swings and errors of outrageous fortune that have beset the Sox over the years and wonder if some higher power has it in for them.

Quote: "As a fan, I can watch and second-guess like the best of them. I get a kick out of it. It keeps the players interested, and they had a little fun. In a 162-game season, it's nice to be able to enjoy the last day."-- Joe Torre, who turned over his managerial duties to outfielder Paul O'Neill yesterday during the Yankees' regular-season finale, against Tampa Bay.It's a fact: With Saturday night's 3-2 victory at Tampa Bay, Torre became the first Yankees manager to win 400 games in his first four seasons.

NEW YORK -- A strong effort by a starting pitcher, plenty of early scoring opportunities and two uncharacteristic defensive gaffes by their opponent weren't enough to prevent the Orioles from adding another ignominious loss to a depressing start last night at Yankee Stadium.A four-run eighth inning against Arthur Rhodes pushed the New York Yankees to a 6-3 win and a six-game winning streak. In dropping to 2-5, the Orioles failed to hold a lead and squandered numerous early chances to break out against starter Ramiro Mendoza.

Joe DiMaggio, who died at 84 yesterday, was a mythical figure, a living legend whose impact on American culture was noted by artists from Ernest Hemingway to Paul Simon.But his impact could be seen just as clearly in the experiences of everyday people, from those who played with him, to those who shared his name, to those who will never forget just passing him in a crowd.Catching greatnessDel Wilber remembers being nervous behind the plate, playing catcher, when Joe DiMaggio stepped silently into the batter's box.DiMaggio never spoke, never jaw-jabbed with the catcher.

NEW YORK -- On Opening Day Ray Miller insisted he doesn't manage while looking in the rear-view mirror. Good thing. What's ahead is scary enough.Six games into a new season and the Orioles already confront a huge obstacle tonight when they meet the New York Yankees in their little house of horrors to begin a nine-game road trip. If Cal Ripken isn't falling into a photographer's pit, then the Dominican Strongman is serving chin music or Miller is getting thumbed for arguing against injustice.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Yes, Cal Ripken had a conversation with New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine. And yes, the topic was former Orioles closer Armando Benitez, who was traded to the Mets in December in a three-way deal that brought catcher Charles Johnson. But Ripken's version of what was said differs greatly from Valentine's account.Is anyone surprised?Valentine has been quoted in Newsday as saying that Ripken referred to Benitez's act of hitting New York Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez in the back with a fastball last season, which incited an ugly brawl, as one of the "manliest" things he had ever seen.

NEW YORK - - When the gates opened Tuesday to Yankee Stadium's Great Hall where Philadelphia Phillies players and coaches sat at tables waiting to be interviewed, hundreds of media members ran to Pedro Martinez's station. It had all the makings of a stampede. Reporters and photographers couldn't get to Martinez fast enough. Everyone wanted his reaction to getting the ball in Game 2 on Thursday for the Phillies. "This might be my last game on the big stage," said Martinez, who is pitching in his second World Series.

Kendry Morales, above, drives in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the seventh inning, and the Angels respond to the Yankees' six-run comeback moments earlier for a 7-6 win Thursday night that trims New York's lead in the ALCS to 3-2. The Game 5 theatrics continued up to the final pitch, when Los Angeles closer Brian Fuentes retired Nick Swisher on a full-count pop-up with the bases loaded. Game 6 is set for Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. PG 4

NEW YORK - -If there were any ambiguity about the extent the Orioles were dominated over three grueling nights at new Yankee Stadium - and there certainly shouldn't be - consider the following: In the 27 innings played in the series against the New York Yankees, the Orioles trailed after all of them. The battered club mercifully headed out of town late Thursday after they were beaten, 7-4, in a game that they fell behind by six runs in the second inning before an announced 43,342 at Yankee Stadium.

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees have scheduled a news conference for today to announce that Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180 million contract has been finalized. The deal was agreed to Dec. 23, but the sides had to complete contract language, and the switch-hitting first baseman and Maryland native had to pass a physical. Teixeira (Mount St. Joseph) grew up in Severna Park as an Orioles fans, and the Orioles were among a handful of teams, including the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals, to go after the free agent this offseason, initially offering a seven-year deal between $140 million and $150 million.

NEW YORK - They came to the 85-year-old stadium one more time, arriving early and in droves, not only to cheer their favorite team, but also to pay their respects to a place that for so long has felt like a second home. Of course, the end result was important. It always is for New Yorkers, who have celebrated 26 world championships in this very place. But the night was more about saying goodbye to Yankee Stadium, which will never again host a regular-season baseball game. The last-place Orioles were a captive audience to the pomp and circumstance and unable to spoil the mood of 54,610 people, who celebrated a 7-3 New York Yankees victory that avoided playoff elimination, and the end of an era in baseball.

News item: The New York Yankees will allow fans onto the field for a three-hour period today before ceremonies begin to celebrate the final game ever played at Yankee Stadium. My take: Nice touch. Fans can file past the monuments and walk around the warning track, but there will still be that one drunk guy who has to be subdued in center field in the seventh inning. I just hope it's not Reggie Jackson. News item: Chris Waters will start for the Orioles tonight. Andy Pettitte will be the starter for the Yankees.

NEW YORK - With little else to look forward to before putting the baseball gear away for a while and beginning the process of erasing a last-place season from their memories, the Orioles were thrilled they were the opposition the weekend Yankee Stadium closes. So many of the Orioles had experienced so much pain and suffering here over the years, and what better way to bid their goodbyes? Manager Dave Trembley went as far to say the Orioles, who are used to being irrelevant at this point of the year, could salvage what is left of their season by taking the series against the New York Yankees and delivering the final blow to their already faint playoff hopes.

It might be a little late to learn this, but I thought you should know. Jeffrey Maier supports instant replay. Major League Baseball began using it last week to determine whether potential home runs were fair or foul or whether they cleared the wall. And the boy turned man who was involved in one of the most controversial "boundary" calls in the sport's history, certainly the most painful one in the Orioles' 55 years, believes baseball should do whatever it can to get those calls right.

Baseball Orioles@Yankees 1 p.m. [MASN]: In the finale of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles send Dennis Sarfate to the mound for his first career start, against the Yankees' Joba Chamberlain. Sarfate has been in 45 games this year, all in relief. He had his longest outing of the season, 3 1/3 innings, Friday against the Angels.

NEW YORK - Mike Mussina's reincarnation as a soft-tossing right-hander has produced impressive results. He entered last night with 13 wins, one off the American League lead, and had allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his previous 17 outings. It seems that everyone is impressed by the transformation - except his former team. The Orioles knocked around Mussina for the second time this season en route to their best offensive game in nearly two years. They pounded out 17 hits and belted four home runs in a 13-4 rout of the New York Yankees before an announced 54,120 at Yankee Stadium.