There are some dysfunctional GM-manager relationships around baseball, led by the uneasy alliance in Boston, where Dan Duquette and Jimy Williams are like some estranged couple, communicating through others, and in Duquette's case, over the airwaves.

Duquette and Williams aren't the only odd couple in the game, just the most notorious. Steve Phillips and Bobby Valentine aren't exactly on the same page, and their division is mirrored in the owners suite(s), where Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday act out a sort of Upstairs, Downstairs, Flushing-style.

Center stage

Never mind that Tim Wakefield lost his no-hit bid in the ninth inning Tuesday night, or that he very nearly lost the game along the way. The fact is that Wakefield is now pitching as well as he has since his magical summer of 1995, when he went on an incredible 14-1 run that guided the Sox to the division title. The reason for Wakefield's success? A decision to become more of a pitcher than a knuckleballer. Whereas a typical Wakefield game used to be comprised of 90-95 percent knucklers, Wakefield has begun mixing in far more curveballs and fastballs to keep hitters off-balance. "I always felt I would live and die with my knuckleball," said Wakefield. "Now, I'm mixing it up more. It's another pitch or two to have (the hitters) think about." "Tim jumped straight into being a straight knuckleballer," noted injured catcher Jason Varitek, "but maybe now he's just learning how to be a pitcher. His best years might still be ahead of him." This year has been impressive enough. After Tuesday, Wakefield now sports a 2.25 ERA in his six starts. The Red Sox have won five of those six starts, further solidifying a rotation that underwent a transformation five weeks ago. -- Sean McAdam

Then, there's Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz, who typify what a manager-general manager partnership is all about.

Schuerholz lets Cox put together the lineup and the rotation; Cox allows Schuerholz room to make the personnel and budget decisions.

They don't always agree, but their disagreements are honest ones which can be discussed. Something must be working: the two have worked together well enough to produce a seemingly endless streak of NL East division titles, four National League pennants and one World Series championship.

"I'm extremely fortunate," said Schuerholz, "because Bobby did this job, so he knows the things I have to deal with. He's been in this seat."

Indeed, in a strange career path, Cox was Shuerholz's predecessor in the executive suite. That gave him an appreciation for what Schuerholz is up against.

For his part, Schuerholz has worked with other managers in Kansas City, and understands the issues Cox must deal with in the dugout.

The mutual respect is absolutely essential for the well-being of the organization.

"I think (the relationship) between the manager and the general manahger is the most important one in an organization," said Schuerholz. "The GM today has to deal with other issues from ownership, most of them financial, and the manager has to understand. Bobby does. He may like a player and want us to get him, but he understands why we sometimes can't.

"Bobby and I are a lot alike. We have the same set of values, we like the same kind of players, we place the same emphasis on character and other issues. But he also understands different positions, and I'd like to think I do, too. He has a great appreciation for what we're trying to do."

"I've always undestood who's in charge," said Cox. "We respect one another, and that's very important."

Cox, who had Williams on his coaching staff for six seasons, is aware that the Duquette-Williams situation is far from perfect.

"I know there's a little friction," he understated. "But they're in first place."

Adds Schuerholz: "I don't know that it's absolutely essential (to have a good working relationship). I do know that it's beneficial."

And productive. For as long as the two have been together in Atlanta, the Braves have been successful. There's something to be said for teamwork off the playing field, too, a lesson that hasn't been learned in Boston and other places.

From the scout's seat
One scout's view of the best defensive first basemen:

1. J.T. Snow: "In a class by himself. Does everything well -- good range, strong arm and athletic.

2. Rico Brogna: "He's not playing full-time, but he still can make all the plays. Particularly good at scooping low throws."

3. Doug Mientkiewicz: "He was very good before the Olympics. Now, he's better. Might be the best fielder (at his position) in the AL."

4. John Olerud: "Smooth and efficient. Ask the Mets how much they miss him."

5. Rafael Palmeiro: "Has lost a step, but still very good around the bag with terrific instincts."

Up and down
Up: Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers are hovering around the .500 mark and remain within shouting distance of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central.

But the real upsurge for the club is at the box office and the bottom line. In the first year of Miller Park, the Brewers are on pace to set a club attendance mark. This week, they sold the 2,400,000th ticket for this season, and find themselves in the Top 10 in major-league attendance, which would have been unthinkable a year ago.

To put the upsurge in contrast, the Brewers have been averaging nearly 34,000 fans in Miller Park (about 8,500 below capacity); last year, they had crowds of 33,964 just four times, and two of those came on the final homestand when fans came to say goodbye to County Stadium.

The Brewers' box office resurgence should ultimately help them climb out of small-market status and become bigger players. The Brewers aren't about to outbid the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers, but they at least stand a far better chance at retaining their own free agents.

Down: New York Mets

OK, Sunday's comeback win over the Yankees was inspired and dramatic. But it also rang a little hollow.

After the game, Mets catcher Mike Piazza said he was happiest for Mets' fans who didn't have to suffer the embarrassment of being swept in baseball's most contentious rivalry.

That seemed to suggest that even Piazza understood that the victory wasn't particularly meaningful in the big picture. The Mets are seven games unnder .500, in fourth place, and a return trip to the playoffs seems out of the question.

Let the second-guessing begin. Should the Mets have pursued Alex Rodriguez more? Should they have done more to retain Mike Hampton? Should they have dealt for Gary Sheffield when they had the chance?

Clearly, sitting still off a World Series appearance wasn't the answer. Worse for the Mets is that, with the exception of Alex Escobar, there isn't much help at the upper levels of the system. They're going to have to spend their way back into contention.

Question of the week
Now that the Ugueth Urbina trade has been nixed, where do the Yankees turn for bullpen help?

	The List
	Five players New York Yankees second baseman Alfonso Soriano has been rumored to be traded for over the last two years: 1. Jim Edmonds 2. Sammy Sosa 3. David Wells 4. David Justice 5. Juan Gonzalez

There's no denying that the champs need some relief reinforcements. Sunday's loss to the Mets could be seen as a microcosm of their late-inning woes -- when Mike Stanton and Mariano Rivera are unavailable because of overwork, there's no one to fall back on.

"They've got to do something," said an executive with another club. "You can't win with a two-man bullpen, no matter how good those two guys are."

There are any number of options for the Yankees. Detroit would be willing to move Todd Jones, last year's Fireman of the Year in the American League. Pittsburgh's Mike Williams is another possibility, though he doesn't have Jones' track record. Kansas City's Roberto Hernandez could be had, but there are questions about how much he has left.

In any event, the Yankees have to be re-thinking the wisdom of not retaining Jeff Nelson last winter. Nelson and the Yankees were about $1 million apart on salary before talks broke off. The Yanks then spent about that much to sign Henry Rodriguez, who gave them exactly eight hitless at-bats before being designated for assignment two weeks ago.

Stanton is on a pace to pitch 92 1/3 innings, quite a jump from last season's total of 68, making the decision to pass on Nelson particularly short-sighted.

When Ripken revealed earlier this week that this season would be his last, the old charges were heard again. Some recalled Ripken's decision to stay at separate hotels from those of his teammates during The Streak as evidence of his selfishness. Some complained that Ripken hung on too long, another purported of his me-first approach. Some even went so far as to suggest that the timing was designed to ensure that he got a last-minute boost in All-Star voting.

How ludicrous. Over his career, Ripken was the consummate professional -- prepared, dedicated, and competitive as they come. Is it really necessary to find fault with everything and everybody?

Over his career, Ripken was plenty giving of his time to both the media and fans. He routinely signed autographs before and after games. He was a peerless ambassador for a game which sorely needed one. His off-field good deeds are too lengthy to list here.

So, too, of course, are his on-field accomplishments. It's a terrible irony that Ripken's career runs the risk of being overshadowed by The Streak. The danger is that, in concentrating on his remarkable durability, we forget what kind of player he was for all those innings and all those games.

Ripken is one of just seven players to collect 3,000 hits and 400 homers in his career, and he did so playing most of his career at a demanding defensive position. Indeed, Ripken helped usher in the era of the great offensive shortstop, a mantle that continues to be upheld by Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, and Alex Rodriguez, among others.

While we're at it, wouldn't it be nice if Ripken became the first unanimous selection to Cooperstown? Beyond the usual (and illogical), "If Ruth (or Gehrig, or Cobb, or Mays) wasn't unanimous, no one should be," argument, what could possibly be the argument against him?

Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal writes a major-league notebook each week during the baseball season for ESPN.com.