JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Major League Baseball announced today that NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield will adorn his race car with a special paint scheme to coincide with baseball's League Championship Series and World Series.

Mayfield's car will run in NASCAR Winston Cup races on October 15 in Talladega, Alabama and October 22 in Rockingham, North Carolina.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Major League Baseball to translate the tradition and excitement of the World Series onto the race track and onto Jeremy Mayfield's No. 12 car," said Major League Baseball executive vice president Tim Brosnan. "With NASCAR's immense popularity, this initiative will further enforce Major League Baseball's October presence to a large segment of avid sports fans across the country." ...

The St. Louis Cardinals, who arrived in New York at 5 a.m. EDT on Friday, have failed to record many timely hits. The Cardinals are 3-for-27 with runners in scoring position in the National League Championship Series and among the chief culprits is Jim Edmonds, who is 0-5 with men in scoring position in the series. ...

Mike Hargrove, no stranger to managing in the postseason, today was rewarded by the Baltimore Orioles, who picked up his option for 2003. Despite leading the high-salaried Orioles to another disappointing season in his first year at the helm, Hargrove did manage to keep Baltimore from completely crumbling when management began to gut the club of some veterans at the trade deadline.

Hargrove guided the Cleveland Indians to five straight American League Central Division titles, but often was at odds with general manager John Hart and was fired after the Indians blew a 2-0 lead to the Boston Red Sox in the Division Series last year. ...

The Seattle Mariners were actually playing a postseason game on Friday the 13th for the second time in six years. The last time the Mariners played on the mythical bewitching day was 1995, when they defeated the Indians in Game Three of the ALCS. ...

Despite rumors that they plan to make a huge pitch for Seattle superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez, the Colorado Rockies announced that they will not raise ticket prices in 2001.

"Each year we evaluate our ticket price structure vs. our long-term business plan," Rockies vice president Keli McGregor said. "We are very pleased to announce that we are able to stay on track with our business plan and not raise season ticket prices for existing season seating for the 2001 season." ...

On this date in ALCS history nine years ago, Kirby Puckett homered and drove in two runs as the Minnesota Twins closed out the Toronto Blue Jays in five games. Puckett was named Most Valuable Player of the series. ...