York Yankees

At Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y. Day Time TV Starters Tonight 7:05 CSN Sidney Ponson (5-12, 5.93) vs. Jose Contreras (8-4, 5.36) Tomorrow 7:05 CSN Daniel Cabrera (8-4, 3.65) vs. Kevin Brown (7-1, 4.13) Saturday 1:20 45, 5 Erik Bedard (4-5, 4.42) vs. Javier Vazquez (11-6, 4.06) Sunday 1:05 54, 20 Rodrigo Lopez (8-6, 3.61) vs. Orlando Hernandez (2-0, 2.37) Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) Yankees update Only the St. Louis Cardinals have won more games than the Yankees, though New York is dealing with a few health issues.

Against anyone else, it would have seemed preposterous when the 12-year-old boy's hand reached into the field of play to change the course of the Orioles' 1996 playoff run. Against the New York Yankees? Jeffrey Maier was just another chapter in a long story. The Yankees have almost always been the measuring stick for their divisional rivals 200 miles down Interstate 95. And pardon Orioles fans if they've always felt the game was a little bit rigged, whether by baseball economics or by the dark magic of an adolescent fan. The Bronx Bombers of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were still the big boys on the block when the Orioles first got good in the early 1960s.

MANCHESTER, England -- Andy Mitten is living a fan's dream. He has traveled to 89 cities in 34 countries chronicling the rise of the world's most famous soccer team, Manchester United. If anyone has any idea of the team's successful recipe, what makes it popular from Brighton to Beijing, from Singapore to Sydney, it is 27-year-old Mitten, who has turned a fan's passion into a full-time job publishing the United We Stand fan magazine. "The thing about Manchester United is they get bigger and bigger slowly," he says.

Maryland named volunteer assistant Eric Milton as the Terps baseball team’s interim coach Thursday morning, according to a university news release. The announcement came less than 24 hours after former coach Erik Bakich accepted the same position at Michigan. An 11-year MLB veteran, Milton returned to his alma mater in September 2011. He spent last season mentoring the pitching staff, and occasionally served as first base coach.

NEW YORK -- The latest collapse by the Orioles' bullpen turned ugly last night.With closer Armando Benitez as the erratic centerpiece, the Orioles fumbled a 9-5 decision to the New York Yankees, lowlighted by a wild brawl that spilled dangerously into the visitors' dugout at Yankee Stadium.Protecting a 5-4 lead, Benitez allowed a game-winning three-run home run to Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams on his fourth pitch in the eighth inning. On his fifth pitch, Benitez hit first baseman Tino Martinez between the shoulder blades.

American League East Division champions this decade:Year, Club1990, Boston Red Sox1991, Toronto Blue Jays1992, Toronto Blue Jays1993, Toronto Blue Jays1994, Strike1995, Boston Red Sox1996, New York Yankees1997, Orioles1998, New York YankeesPub Date: 9/10/98

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officials detained Mel Hall of the New York Yankees yesterday because they thought he was a drug lord, the outfielder said.Hall, 31, went home to visit his family in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on his day off Thursday. When he arrived at Boston's Logan International Airport about 3:15 p.m., he was stopped by DEA agents.Hall said when he got of the plane, he "didn't have any luggage and was rushing" to get to his hotel before the game. Hall said the agents searched a carry-on bag and found his New York Yankees' identification.

BASEBALL American League New York Yankees -- Placed Andy Hawkins, pitcher, on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release. Purchased the contract of Steve Howe, pitcher, from Columbus of the International League.

Baseball Milwaukee Brewers -- Agreed to terms with 3B Gary Sheffield and P Juan Navarro on 1-year contracts.HNew York Yankees -- Named Ron Hansen major-league scout.

Baseball Cincinnati Reds -- Sent P Rodney Imes, P Luis Vasques, IF Freddy Benavides and OF Reggie Sanders their minor-league camp for reassignment.New York Yankees -- Optioned P Jeff Johnson to Class AAA Columbus of the International League.HockeyNew York Islanders -- Recalled G Mark Fitzpatrick from Capital District of the AHL.New York Rangers -- Called up C Corey Millen and D Jeff Bloemberg from Binghamton of the AHL.

He is Mr. November, and every other month in which Major League Baseball is played. He has more hits than Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, a higher career batting average than Mickey Mantle and a higher postseason average than Joe DiMaggio. And it won't be long before Derek Jeter is a new lord of New York Yankees lore. With six more hits, the shortstop will become the first player to collect 3,000 hits while playing exclusively with the most storied franchise in baseball. He resumed his pursuit Monday against the Cleveland Indians after spending the last three weeks on the disabled list with a strained right calf.

This offseason for the New York Yankees wasn't like the previous one, when they bought CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira (Mount St. Joseph). In fact, the bigger names left the Bronx as opposed to coming in. All the Yankees did was improve themselves for a run at their 28th World Series title. They shored up their outfield defense by adding Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson in a trade. The 29-year-old Granderson's star faded a bit in the Motor City last year, when he batted .249 with a .327 on-base percentage.

Javier Vazquez's return to New York brings with it a certain amount of intrigue. But it also underscores this point: The Yankees again will be the team to beat in 2010. Good teams start with good starting pitching. And after trading for Vazquez and re-signing Andy Pettitte , the Yankees have more of it than any American League team. The group of CC Sabathia , A.J. Burnett , Pettitte and Vazquez matches up with the Giants' top-heavy rotation led by Tim Lincecum , which last season held hitters to a .234 average and struck out 8.2 per nine innings.

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.

Cowboys' Phillips comes to Barber's defense nfl Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips yesterday denied that the team ever questioned the toughness of running back Marion Barber, which became an issue because owner Jerry Jones brought it up after Sunday's 20-13 loss at Pittsburgh. Asked about the fact Barber didn't make the trip to Pittsburgh because of a dislocated pinkie toe on his right foot, Jones said, "He can play with that injured toe. ... I see nothing that would have led us to believe that he couldn't."

Opponent: New York Yankees Site: Yankee Stadium, New York Time: 7:05 TV/Radio: Ch. 13/WBAL (1090 AM) Starters: Orioles' Sidney Ponson (0-1, 9.00) vs. Yankees' Roger Clemens (1-2, 7.56)

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.

The indicators have been in place for years now. The American League is 10-0-1 in the past 11 All-Star Games. The AL has won eight of the past 12 World Series and four straight interleague matchups, and had seven of the 10 highest payrolls heading into Opening Day 2007. But this season, perhaps more than ever, fans should clearly see the immense difference between the mediocre but evenly matched National League and the top-heavy but talent-laden AL. In fact, the logjam of quality AL teams might be the most interesting story to monitor as spring training begins.