The Red Sox landed Mark Teixeira when they drafted him in the ninth round of the 1998 draft, but he chose to attend Georgia Tech when his family and he learned how Boston landed him. The Sox put out a false report that Teixeira wanted to go to college, which kept teams from drafting him. The strategy worked in one sense, but it backfired badly when Teixeira's adviser Scott Boras and his father John were so upset with what the Sox had done that they walked away from a take-it-or-leave it $1.5 million bonus. Teixeira ended up going to Georgia Tech. "That was the greatest decision of my life, both professionally and personally," said Teixeira recently. "It was made very clear to me that I wasn't ready for pro baseball. The business of it is something I completely understand now, but as an 18-year-old kid it was completely unfair." "I got to go to college and have the three best years of my life. And I can't complain on how my career has turned out. I was upset about it for a couple of weeks, but then I started getting into college, and once I stepped on the campus of Georgia Tech, I knew it was meant to be."

Even without the Yankees in the postseason, television executives would be happy with ratings if the Cubs advance deep in October. "If we can get the Cubs to the World Series, it?s going to be huge," said Neil Mulcahy, Fox Sports executive vice president of sales. "It?s all about the Cubs right now."

The Mets are rumored to want Carlos Delgado back next season, and the first baseman would like to return to the team in 2009 as well. "I'd like to be back," Delgado said Monday. "I like this group of guys. I think we've got a great team. It's a good opportunity, so we'll see what happens." He would like get rid of the bad taste in his mouth following consecutive last-season collapses. "I feel like we've got some unfinished business," he said. The Mets have a team option on Delgado's contract for the 2009 season.

Bars and restaurants surrounding Wrigley Field have reluctantly agreed to stop serving alcohol after the seventh inning of potential series-clinching Cubs playoff games. However, the prohibition will end if the games go into extra innings. "Nobody wants to see restrictions, but this is an experiment. These are special circumstances, special times. We are all concerned about safety for the neighborhood," said Local Ald. Tom Tunney. The temporary ban could get its first test on Oct. 7. That would be the fifth and final game of the Cubs and Dodgers series, if needed.

The Padres will bring Manager Bud Black back next season. "I'm happy there is going to be some consistency, some continuity," Padres' pitcher Chris Young said. "Bud knows the players and his personnel, so there is not going to be a learning curve with anybody new coming in." Bench Coach Craig Colbert will not be brought back for his third season. Black's two base coaches and two pitching coaches will return. "We have the confidence and trust in Buddy to lead the club back to our winning ways," GM Kevin Towers said in a statement released by the club. "When we hired him before the 2007 season, the most important element to us was to bring in a manager who would continue to grow with the Padres' organization."

Rays' outfielder Carl Crawford has declared himself ready to play in the ALDS later this week. Tampa Bay will play either Minnesota or Chicago depending on who wins the tiebreaker game on Tuesday afternoon. "I think I did enough today [Monday]," Crawford said. "I mean, I didn't get hits, but I showed that the bat speed is fine, and today, I'll probably do the same thing. So if it's a tough decision after that, then I don't really know what to say. I'm trying to make it as easy as possible for them." Crawford underwent surgery Aug. 14 for a partial dislocation of his right middle finger tendon. "I think that's the one good thing that's happened out of this whole thing," Crawford said. "I got a chance to rest my legs. I felt good running today. Hopefully, I'll be able to run in the playoffs."

As expected, Paul Godfrey resigned Monday as president and CEO of the Blue Jays after eight seasons with the club. Godfrey, 69, will officially step down at the end of the year. "There's never a right time to do this sort of thing," Godfrey said. "I do these things by what my gut tells me to do." "It's better to leave a year too early than a minute too late," he once said.

Chipper Jones won the NL batting title on Sunday and reiterated that he wants to retire as a member of the Atlanta Braves. "Yeah, definitely," Jones said of his hope to stay with the Braves beyond next season. "I was born and bred into this organization. It?s the only organization I?ve ever known. Bobby Cox is the only manager I?ve ever played for." "I can?t imagine the grass being any greener on the other side. I don?t want that to happen, but every dog has his day." Jones edged Albert Pujols for the batting crown with a .364 average, making him the oldest switch-hitting batting champion in major league history. "It?s sweet vindication, after a bunch of people said I was done," said Jones. "The last couple of years have been awesome, from a numbers standpoint."

The Mets appear likely to bring manager Jerry Manuel back next season even after the team missed the playoffs on the final day of the regular season for the second-straight year. Manuel took over for Willie Randolph in mid-June, and led New York back into contention after struggling in the early part of the season. "Jerry did a very good job coming into a very difficult situation," general manager Omar Minaya said. "I was very pleased. ... As far as the manager situation, my preference is to get this done sooner than later." A person familiar with team management said there's a very good chance Manuel will be brought back next season. "I hope so," center fielder Carlos Beltran said. "I believe he should be back. He's a great man and he did everything possible."

Cole Hamels will start Game One of the NLDS for the Phillies on Wednesday against the Brewers. Hamels went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA this season and struck out 196 batters in 221 1/3 innings. Philadelphia Manager Charlie Manuel doesn't know who will start Game Two yet.