...Phoenix or Tucson.  The Arizona Fall League season got underway on Tuesday.  This year, the Jays have sent players to the Phoenix Desert Dogs, including Dustin McGowan, Curtis Thigpen, Chip Cannon and Ryan Klosterman. McGowan got the start yesterday and threw 3 pretty good innings but took the loss as the Dogs were shut out.  Cannon is 3-7 with a walk to start the season, and Klosterman reached base 3 of his first 4 plate trips. 

In early returns, scoring seems to be down in Arizona.  We will see if this continues.

In a mournful nod to yesterday's sad events, here's a Hall of Names team featuring the men of Major League Baseball named "Cory" -- or since there have only been six (seven if you count the middle-named Christopher Cory Gomez), also "Corey" or in one case "Kory."

Partially in recognition of Cory Lidle's career bookend teams (Mets and Yankees), we can't help but name this squad ...

Jim Leyland's decision to bat Neifi Perez second in the lineup last night caused more than a few eyebrows to be raised. So, for today, pretend that you are Jim Leyland and you're going home with a 2-0 lead to face Rich Harden. What is your batting order for Game 3?

And, for bonus points and the Schizophrenic Manager (is there any other kind?) Award, pretend that you are Ken Macha and tell me your batting order to face Kenny Rogers in Game 3?

Sorry it's late, folks -- I just got in from the New Pornographers concert (which was fantastic, thanks for asking). Without further ado, heeeerrrrrrrrrre's Pudge:

According to reports I've been hearing on the FAN, the plane that hit an apartment building today in New York City was registered to ex-Jay and current Yankee Cory Lidle.

There has been a report that Lidle was the pilot of the plane. I'm going to look for links now, and will add them to the body of the article as I find them. Please contribute links to anything you can find out about this breaking story.

Maybe the game will still be going when this goes live -- did MLB extend the commercial breaks in the post-season last year?  Because they sure as hell have this year, and it's making the games unpleasantly long.

Anyways, on to today's featured playoff ballplayer, Eric Chavez:

Julio Lugo is interested in joining the Blue Jays according to a Blair article in the Globe.

For the next week or so, we'll alternate Athletics and Tigers for the PotD:PE.  Today's Tiger is Carlos Guillen -- make sure to keep track of his performance and continue to measure the Photo of the Day mojo.  I think the biggest indicatior of the sheer power of Photo of the Day is that I had no Yankees photographs, and the Yankees were unceremoniously ejected from the playoffs in the first round, despite having possibly the scariest lineup of bats in the history of scariness.

Today on ESPN.com, Jim Caple -- one of the top five baseball writers alive today -- has a story on "Page 2" that encourages the Yankees to trade, not Alex Rodriguez, but Derek Jeter. Of course, this will never happen, but as always, Caple makes good sense.

Anyway, here's the question ... don't be the manager, be the General Manager, of any team -- your choice! -- except the Yankees. Make an offer for Jeter, your (likely) 2006 American League MVP. And be for real -- who needs a shortstop, can afford Jeter's contract, and has enough to offer?

The Little League World Series (LLWS) was held this summer, as usual, in Williamsport Pennsylvania.  The LLWS gets full coverage on ESPN and ended happily for the network with a team from Georgia winning the title.  Charles Euchner’s new book  “Little League, Big Dreams, the Hope, the Hype and the Glory of the greatest World Series ever played” examines the LLWS from the perspective of the teams in the 2005 series, and provides an in depth look behind the scenes of the biggest show in kids baseball.

The A's beat the Twins in three quick games.  Here's gigantic A's slugger Frank Thomas, getting out of the path of an inside pitch:

According to the occasionally-reputable New York Daily News, Joe Torre is about to be removed, by his choice of resigning or being fired, as manager of the Yankees. This would not be the first in a series of off-season managerial changes, but would certainly be the most noteworthy so far. Reportedly, Lou Piniella would return for another go-round as manager in the Bronx.

So, if this is in fact what happens, what does that mean ...

Yeah, I said I was going to post a Twin today... but then Joel Zumaya had such a kickass game against the Yankees that I had to put him up.  Here he is:

A's 5 - Twins 2 (A's lead series 2 - 0)

Mets 6 - Dodgers 5 (Mets lead series 1 - 0)