Costars may get equal billing

CHICAGO -- If Red Sox executive vice president Charles Steinberg and his marketing gurus wish to unveil a banner declaring the Red Sox 2005 cochampions of the American League East, it appears that will be the team's prerogative.

''If I were running the Red Sox," commissioner Bud Selig said last night, standing in the press box at US Cellular Field, ''I would declare myself cochamps."

Said Steinberg: ''It sounds like we agree with the commissioner."

The Red Sox and Yankees finished atop the AL East with 95-57 records but the Yankees were declared division champions, by way of head-to-head competition (10-9).

Selig's office, through a spokesperson, said the Yankees were declared champions of the East for postseason seeding purposes. Similarly, the Red Sox were declared wild-card winners for seeding purposes.

There is no established rule for whether a team is a cochampion.

''It's just a matter of common sense," Selig said.

So, are the Red Sox cochampions?

''That's an interesting question," Selig said. ''Certainly, one could make that case."

The Sox made that case moments after beating the Yankees in the final game of the season, moving ''BOSTON" ahead of ''NEW YORK" in the standings on Fenway Park's left-field scoreboard.

The Red Sox have not won the division since 1995, while the Yankees, you may have heard, have won eight consecutive division titles.

CHRIS SNOW