With the 2010 baseball season upon us, fans are eagerly anticipating the crack of ball against bat. While big-league stadiums offer baseball-as-spectacle, the nation's 200-odd minor-league ballparks provide a purer form of the game in a more intimate setting. Baseball devotee Graham Knight, who runs the website baseballpilgrimages.com, offers up 10 distinctive minor-league venues. He spoke with Tim Smight for USA TODAY.

Roy Oswalt found a way to win without dominant stuff. Oswalt pitched seven effective innings, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Florida Marlins 7-4 Monday to split their day-night doubleheader. Placido Polanco had a double, triple and two RBIs and Chase Utley also drove in a pair as the Phillies moved within a half-game of NL East-leading Atlanta.

The staggering San Diego Padres scratched ace Mat Latos from Monday night's start against rival Los Angeles due to stomach flu. Latos said he lobbied manager Bud Black, but the skipper was concerned that the right-hander was dehydrated and weakened by the illness. Latos said he's feeling better and that'll he'll likely start Tuesday night.

「７日には２軍で防御率１・３０の４年目左腕・上野が１軍初昇格。」 上野兄初age

桧山現役続行キター！

There hasn't been much feel-good to the Dodgers' story lately, which probably explains the interest in the promotion of 33-year-old John Lindsey, who spent his first day as a Major Leaguer on Monday after 15 years in the Minors.

LLI has banned composite bats in its Junior, Senior, and Big Leagues.

It didn't come easy, but Ubaldo Jimenez finally earned win No. 18 in a 10-5 victory over the Reds with the help of an explosive Rockies lineup on Monday afternoon.

Ubaldo Jimenez stuck around long enough to turn a clunker into a classic. Another bloop single or broken-bat flare from getting pulled in the third inning, Jimenez buckled down to win his club-record 18th game despite a wild outing as the surging Colorado Rockies rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 Monday.

Backed up by some quality defense, Brett Anderson shackled the Mariners to pace the A's to a 6-2 win on Monday, as Oakland moved seven games back of the suddenly reeling Rangers for first place in the American League West.

Reds lefty sensation Aroldis Chapman might have seemed invincible, but what happened Monday against the Rockies was inevitable.

Just hours after Jason Varitek went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter for Triple-A Pawtucket, he was placed back on Boston's active roster for the first time since breaking his right foot on a foul ball June 30.

Kevin Slowey lasted just four innings in his return to the rotation, but backed by a pair of home runs from Jason Kubel and Jim Thome, the Twins picked up a 5-4 victory over the Royals on Monday afternoon at Target Field.

The Nationals overcame a three-run deficit and pounded the Mets, 13-3, behind Danny Espinosa's two home runs at Nationals Park on Monday afternoon.

When asked if this season's pennant race has been more challenging than 2008's, Rays manager Joe Maddon answered, "Yes." Then he explained why.

Brian Burres, who was summoned to start after Jeff Karstens was scratched on Sunday due to shoulder soreness, allowed one run on five hits -- all singles -- over six innings in a spot start to lift the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the Braves on Monday afternoon.