1.   A red summer Cincinnati has lowered its payroll to the point where it can live with it.

2.   After she used a racial epithet to describe her ballplayers, did she raise or lower her payroll in any race-weighted way?

3.   The Astros could have done that after they lowered their payroll, but under Watson and manager Terry Collins, they have pounded the tent stake harder than ever.

4.   The trade of David Cone and Brian McRae lowered the payroll but turned the division into a two-team race.

5.   The Twins are loaded with rookies because their owner, Carl Pohlad, directed the front office to lower the payroll.

6.   Montreal, deciding it wanted to lower its payroll even more, has committed itself to getting rid of its high-priced veterans.

7.   That meant lowering their payroll while keeping the core of key players.

8.   The Rangers were able to keep Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez, Rusty Greer and other key players while still lowering their payroll.

9.   They also want to vastly increase revenue sharing, which would take away money from the high-revenue clubs, presumably forcing them to lower payrolls.