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9d. Orkney and Skye anew cursed the nine of diamonds? Answer is New York Yankees, anagram of Orkney Skye anew, but can't parse it, apart from linking diamond with baseball. Help please.

I think you're right with the Diamond/Baseball link.

Here's a bit more though not sure it helps with the parse at all.

http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_curse.htm

Probably doesn't help, but the nine of diamonds is known as "the curse of Scotland"

baseball field is a diamond and 9 members in the team ?

Thanks everyone. I didn't know there were 9 players in a baseball team.

I'm pretty sure these are correct but would appreciate help with the parsing......

16d Monster heading off priest after prophet (9) - LEVIATHAN (Monster)

I thought the priest was LEVI followed by (n)ATHAN, who was a prophet, but the clue says the 'Heading' or first letter should come off the priest, so I've got mixed up somewhere.

17d Hand tossing good husband in channel (8) - STRAIGHT (Hand)

It looks like 'Channel' = STRAIT + G(ood) H(usband), but 'Tossing' means getting rid of so I think I've got it wrong.

24d Hopeless case in passing, one released (5) - GONER (Hopeless case)

I think it's a word meaning '(In) passing' with the letter I (one) released. But if that word is IGNORE, then the letters need to be rearranged after the 'I' deletion and I can't see any anagram indicator.

Brendan,
24, goner is in clue.17,
"Tossing" and "in" are separated in the clue, but toss in good husband to strait gives the desired result.
There is something not quite right about 16!

LEVI and (n)ATHAN?

Sorry - didn't read your post properly. "before" works better than "after"?

Thanks Chris, thanks Rusty.