[AP photo] Lou Piniella says he'll either take the Rays job or sit out the coming baseball season.

Bucs
For quick fix, offense gives others a shot
Bucs hope Aaron Stecker, Karl Williams and Reggie Barlow will add speed, explosiveness, TDs.

Lightning
Lightning recovers to earn tie
LIGHTNING 2, JACKETS 2: Down 2-0 8:22 in, Nikolai Khabibulin helps keep Tampa Bay unbeaten.

Khabibulin to keep starting
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Goalie Kevin Hodson has had the best (or worst) seat in the house for the Lightning's first six games, at the end of the bench watching Nikolai Khabibulin protecting the net.

John Romano
Supporting players come through
SAN FRANCISCO -- As strategies go, this one is pretty simple. As challenges go, it is not terribly subtle.

Baseball
Giants get the bounces
San Francisco rallies, ties series and guarantees there will be at least a Game 6.

California Dreamin'
READ ALL ABOUT IT: Whereas the Orange County Register took the oversimplified approach for the first World Series in Anaheim, the San Francisco Chronicle has been sophisticated.

Rose gets rousing welcome
SAN FRANCISCO -- Pete Rose got the biggest cheers -- and chants of "Hall of Fame" -- when he was introduced before Game 4 of the World Series as part of a promotion of baseball's most memorable moments.

Kile included on Hall of Fame ballot
ST. LOUIS -- Darryl Kile, the Cardinals pitcher who died of heart disease this summer, will be on the 2003 Hall of Fame ballot.

College football
Gators finally get time to heal
GAINESVILLE -- After playing eight games in eight weeks, the football team finally has an open date.

Taking his chances
Backup QB Ingle Martin, who thought he'd watch Rex Grossman all season, has become the ultimate role player.

Miami's Sikes will not start after missing team meeting
CORAL GABLES -- Strong safety Maurice Sikes will not start for top-ranked Miami on Saturday at West Virginia because he missed a team meeting, coach Larry Coker said Wednesday.

State practice reports
Bowden rewards leaders

Golf
Sutton is perfect as Cup captain
Hal Sutton is no surprise as the next U.S. Ryder Cup team captain. He fits the PGA of America's mold perfectly.

A season of firsts for PGA
Talent, opportunities help PGA Tour boast a record 16 first-time winners this season.

Motorsports
Earnhardt Jr. on a late roll
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't have anything as cute as a Rally Monkey working for him, but his No. 8 Chevrolet team has scored more Winston Cup points than any other in the past 10 races.

NFL
Browns' billionaire owner dies
CLEVELAND -- Billionaire Al Lerner, who used his wealth from banking, real estate and credit-card giant MBNA Corp. to buy the Browns, died Wednesday night. He was 69.

NHL
Rested Senators defeat busy 'Canes
OTTAWA -- Petr Schastlivy scored twice and Patrick Lalime made 20 saves to lead the Senators past the Hurricanes 4-1 on Wednesday.

Horse racing
Breeders' Cup provides many intriguing stories
It's like a one-day Olympics, the World Series, the Stanley Cup and everything else that matters in sports put in a single-file line and paraded before an eager audience. It's a collection of the world's greatest thoroughbreds in one place at one time.

Preps
Tonight's game
Pinellas Park (3-4) at Daytona Beach Seabreeze (6-1)

Game to bring best to Florida
A recruiting service organizes a December All-Star game to give top prep players college exposure.

Durant turns tables on Tampa Prep
DURANT -- It was the second meeting between state champions Durant (Class 5A) and Tampa Prep (Class 3A) this season, and Tampa Prep was threatening to sweep the series in the first moments of Wednesday's match. Durant mistakes and a pair of Jess Thomas kills quickly put the Terrapins ahead 6-2.

Soccer for Souls returns inspired from Honduras
The organization outfitted 25 teams in the poverty-stricken country.

Volleyball extra
The Super Seven

Outdoors
Daily fishing report
Snook fishing at night during the full moon is best on a strong outgoing tide.