The Record, Bergen County, NJ

Phillies, No. 1 in Losing, Are Closing in On 10,000

The Philadelphia Phillies weren't given the title of baseball's losingest losers. They earned it.

O'neill a Rookie Again ; 'Warrior' Enjoys His First Old-Timers' Game

NEW YORK - Paul O'Neill strode through the Yankee Stadium clubhouse on his way to the field Saturday, pushed through the blue metal door and stopped for a moment as he checked the posted lineup. Batting second he expected. But playing left field? That one took him by surprise. Once he realized who had moved him out of his familiar right field spot, however, O'Neill laughed with acceptance. When you're a rookie Old-Timer, giving up your position to Reggie Jackson is no insult.

Busch's Risky Move Pays Big Dividends

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Kyle Busch saw several cars clustered around the inside lane and another one crawling along in the outside lane. He felt he had no choice but to swerve right, driving through the grass, passing several cars and taking the lead coming off pit road.

Yellow Card: Ticket Shortages, Stadium Woes

BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela When President Hugo Chavez brought the Copa America to Venezuela for the first time, his government sought to showcase the oldest international soccer tournament as a smoothly organized success. But as the South American championship enters its final week, complaints are surfacing of ticket shortages, unfinished stadiums and other organizational headaches.

Trade Talk for Buehrle ; Lefty Gets Win in Chicago

Mark Buehrle showed why so many teams want to trade for him, cooling off Minnesota's offense as the White Sox beat the Twins, 3- 1, Saturday in Chicago. The victory came a day after the White Sox were pummeled in a doubleheader by the Twins, losing, 20-14 and 12-0 the most runs they'd given up in back-to-back games since 1930.

Wagner's Heart Still in Houston

HOUSTON This road trip began in Philadelphia, which for Billy Wagner means death threats, taunts and a constant din of boos. But here, in the place where his career began, the reception is far different. Wagner came on in the ninth inning Thursday night and was greeted with a smattering of applause. The reception is fitting because Wagner never really wanted to leave Houston. Dealt away after the 2003 season, Wagner was a hero here, openly questioning Houston ownership's commitment to winning.

Mcmurray Snaps Long Winless Streak

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Jamie McMurray ended a 166-race winless streak in dramatic fashion, beating Kyle Busch by a bumper to the finish line of the Pepsi 400 on Saturday night. McMurray earned the victory by drag racing with Busch for much of the final two laps at Daytona International Speedway. The cars appeared to touch several times on their final trip around the famed track, and McMurray nosed across the finish line 0.005 seconds ahead of Busch.

This Just In: Knicks' G Had Surgery

The Knicks announced Saturday that Mardy Collins had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his left knee six weeks ago, putting his status for summer league play in question. The second-year guard's immediate future will be determined today when Collins is reevaluated by the team doctor. The Knicks will begin summer league games Monday in Las Vegas against Kevin Durant and the Sonics.

Klitschko Gets to Keep Titles

COLOGNE, Germany Wladimir Klitschko beat Lamon Brewster via a technical knockout after six rounds Saturday to successfully defend his IBF and IBO heavyweight titles and make up for one of the most painful losses of his career. The Ukrainian clearly dominated the first five rounds, making repeated contact with his strong left jab that largely went unanswered.

Host Needs Helping Hand ; Tiger 7 Strokes Behind Leader Entering Finale

BETHESDA, Md. Tiger Woods displayed his full repertoire of near- miss reactions: the putter flip, the 360-degree spin with head to the sky, the drop to his knees and head bowed with hands on knees. His mammoth gallery settled on just one way to react: the very loud moan.

Gandolfo Enjoying Home Cooking ; but He's Not Giving Up On a Big League Meal Ticket

Rob Gandolfo finally has come home. The Dumont native has spent the last seven years chasing his baseball dreams, but never had played for a team that was even within 1,500 miles of home. Now, he's an hour ride away, playing for the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League.

Mets Notes

Williams to start The official word finally came down before Saturday's game that Dave Williams would be the starting pitcher today an announcement that was hardly surprising.

Yankees Notes

Reggie blasts Bombers Reggie Jackson has never been shy about offering an opinion on just about anything.

Pudge Keys Win in 13th ; Beats Bosox' Papelbon

Ivan Rodriguez's two-out RBI single in the 13th inning gave the Tigers a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox in Detroit on Saturday night. David Ortiz homered, doubled and walked four times three intentional for Boston, but the Red Sox left 12 runners on base and didn't score after two first-inning runs.

Wells Tossed As Padres Win ; Loses Cool Against Braves

The Padres beat the Braves, 8-5, Saturday at San Diego behind home runs by Mike Cameron and Khalil Greene and some nice contributions from new left fielder Milton Bradley. But it was San Diego starter David Wells who provided a good deal of the excitement. "Boomer" was tossed for arguing with plate umpire Ed Hickox after allowing Jeff Francoeur's two-run homer in the fourth.

Federer Hoping to Take the Fifth

WIMBLEDON, England Roger Federer sneaked a peek at Bjorn Borg in the Centre Court stands, then carried on with the business at hand. One eye on the past, one on the present.

Wfan Needs to Open Its Eyes to Duo

Foot-long hot dogs, hot stove baseball, intelligent conversation. If you've been listening to WFAN in the mornings this past week, you can make the connection. The enjoyment quotient at the ubiquitous all-sports talk radio station increased considerably thanks to the morning fill-in duo of Chris Carlin and Kimberly Jones. Together, the two area veterans have brought insight, knowledge and above all, laughter to an arena that is too often filled with unabashed fandom or undeserved seriousness.

Passaic Valley in Need of Help in the Trenches

Most of the pieces to the offensive puzzle have remained in place at Passaic Valley. The Hornets return their quarterback, Jim Niland, who threw six touchdowns in a playoff victory against Wayne Valley last fall.

Memories Live After 40 Years

Some of the clippings have yellowed with age. Many still look as pristine as the day they were published.

English Channel Rules U.N. Again

OCEANPORT English Channel took command in the stretch and captured the $750,000 United Nations Stakes for the second straight year, winning by a length Saturday and breaking his Monmouth Park course record. The favorite in the field of five for the Grade I race, English Channel held off a late rush by Honey Ryder and covered the 1 miles on the firm turf in 2:12:89, besting the 2:13.24 mark he set in last year's race. Ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old son o...