MLB Columns: Pro Sports Daily

Adding Mike Lowell would be smart move by Florida Marlins

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March 17

Miami Herald

columnist Greg Cote

"Some things make sense all sorts of ways, weighing in as pragmatic to the rational mind and feeling gut-instinct right to the sentimental heart all at once. The Marlins have one of those situations this spring and should jump on it. Bring back Mike Lowell. For sure, it has to make sense for the Marlins first -- has to be a business decision that enhances the team's playoff chances in 2010 -- and it passes that essential test. The rest of it wouldn't be enough if it didn't make Florida a bigger, better team, but the rest of it is a nice bonus that bears noting. Lowell is one of us. Raised in Miami, of Cuban heritage, right off the campus of FIU and, of course, a popular player with the ..."

Hamels will be fine if he keeps following Verlander's pattern

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March 17

Philadelphia Daily News

columnist Paul Hagen

"The kid pitcher zoomed through the system. Got to the major leagues in a hurry. His reputation preceded him, not surprising since he was a first-round draft choice. Wowed everybody from the beginning. Made it look easy those first two full seasons in the bigs. Even made an All-Star team. Then, at age 25, it happened. A losing record. An ERA that jumped more than a full run. All sorts of wonder and worry, conspiracy theories, distress flares, conjecture about what had gone wrong and whether he could ever get it back. This is your life, Justin Verlander. This is your life, Cole Hamels. Verlander started for the Tigers yesterday at Bright House Field. Hamels was on the mound for the Phillies. ..."

Things are looking up for Rangers first baseman Chris Davis

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March 17

Dallas Morning News

columnist Tim Cowlishaw

"There is a downside to having a farm system that is ranked No. 1 in baseball one season and No. 2 the next. It is that even the good young players can be victimized by looking over their shoulders. Chris Davis couldn't help but do exactly that last summer when every at-bat seemed to lead to a slow walk back to the dugout while every Rangers fan seemed to be counting the days until the arrival of Justin Smoak. "There were days where I started to think, 'Am I just going to be pushed to the side of the road here?' " Davis said. But mostly Davis focused on the holes in his swing that had created the slump. They were, in his mind, the same holes he had in his swing in 2008 that major league ..."

Yankees keep eye on Minnesota's contract talks with catcher Joe Mauer

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March 17

New York Daily News

columnist Bill Madden

"Like everyone else in baseball, the Yankee high command is watching with keen interest how the Joe Mauer negotiations with the Minnesota Twins play out this spring. Unlike most other teams, however, the Yankees have both the financial resources to afford the MVP catcher as well as the surplus of talent it would take to acquire him should the contract talks reach an impasse and the Twins elect to put him on the trade market. Indeed, if there is one area where the Yankees are rich in prospects it is catching where Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are rated by most scouts as can't-miss major leaguers. The question is, which of them - if either - will be the one to succeed Jorge Posada. A bunch ..."

Wright must prove he's over '09 beaning

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March 17

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"Watch closely this spring and you'll see that David Wright has changed. I'm not talking about the bulked-up Wright -- that's obvious. I'm talking about the more emotional Wright. He's no longer trying to play Mr. Perfect all the time, which is a good thing. He's not afraid to let his emotions show, like when he struck out Monday afternoon in the seventh inning against the Cardinals. He threw down his bat in anger, a few minutes later storming into the clubhouse. Wright knew that at-bat was coming. Not the strikeout, but this: He knew at some point this spring an opposing pitcher would fire a pitch around his head to see how he reacted. The Cardinals' Eduardo Sanchez did just that, and ..."

Twins fans want Joe Mauer to sign anytime, as long as it's now

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March 17

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"Hey, Joe, when are you going to sign? Hey, Joe, we want you to stay in Minnesota. Hey, Mauer, ya bum, what the heck are you waiting for? Joe Mauer has heard it all during his contract negotiations with the Twins. Frankly, he's embarrassed that personal business is out there in front of the public, but there's no getting around it. "I try to be private," Mauer said. "Only three people on our side know what's going on: my agents and me. We want to keep it as private as possible." Fat chance. In Minnesota, there would be a better possibility of keeping the start of World War III a secret. Yeah, it's Twins territory. More specifically, it's Mauer territory. Minnesotans like nothing better than ..."

Guerrier's got the closer's fire

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March 17

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Patrick Reusse

"Eddie Guardado was warming up in the right-field bullpen inside Oakland's Coliseum. A.J. Pierzynski blasted a two-run homer to give the underdog Twins a 4-1 lead in the ninth inning over the A's in a decisive Game 5 of a 2002 division series. Joe Mays stretched and started throwing on the adjoining mound. Guardado glared and then said to bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek: "Sit him down." Stelmaszek offered this explanation: "We need a starter for Tuesday. Joe has to get in his throwing." Everyday Eddie was not impressed. "I don't care," he said. "Sit him down. This is my game." Stelmaszek was recalling the scene Tuesday morning, as the Twins worked out on various fields before an exhibition ..."

Millwood's intrasquad performance lets Orioles breathe easier

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March 17

Baltimore Sun

columnist Peter Schmuck

"It's going to take a while longer to unravel the mystery of Kevin Millwood, but his workmanlike performance in Tuesday's intrasquad game at Ed Smith Stadium probably generated a huge organizational sigh of relief. Why probably? Because no one in the organization was willing to acknowledge that there had been any angst associated with Millwood's first two exhibition appearances, which resulted in a 29.70 ERA and plenty of eyebrow-raising outside the Orioles' spring complex. Millwood insisted that he was just working on stuff. Team officials insisted that he knew what he was doing and that there was no real concern about his fitness to start the regular season three weeks from now. Everybody ..."

Capuano tries to elbow his way in

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March 17

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

columnist Michael Hunt

"More than six years after it became the first big move that nudged the Milwaukee Brewers back toward respectability, the Richie Sexson blockbuster still resonates to one degree or another. Lyle Overbay, traded to make room for Prince Fielder, yielded Dave Bush, Gabe Gross and Zach Jackson. Jackson was included in the trade that made the '08 playoffs possible, the CC Sabathia stunner. Gross was moved for pitching prospect Josh Butler. Junior Spivey, traded for Tomo Ohka, and Chad Moeller led to dead ends. The Brewers gave up on Jorge de la Rosa too soon. Three years after control problems caused management to send him to Kansas City for Tony Graffanino, de la Rosa became a 16-game winner in ..."

Tigers in 2003 a good role model for Blue Jays

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March 17

Toronto Star

columnist Richard Griffin

"Growing up in Montreal with dreams of being a major-league general manager, a young Alex Anthopoulos idolized then-Expos GM Dave Dombrowski. The 32-year-old rookie Blue Jays GM now finds himself in a situation similar to what his role model had with the Detroit Tigers in 2003. The mandate is to bottom out, stay the course, then bounce back strong over a three-year stretch. In 2003, two years into his Tigers' tenure but with a solid resume already, including a '97 World Series with the small-budget Marlins, Dombrowski decided the Tigers hitting rock-bottom was what they needed to do before they could hope to contend."

Get used to seeing this order

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March 17

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"Yankees manager Joe Girardi insists he didn't spend his winter obsessing over the chore, didn't fold his brain inside-out trying to figure out the best way to craft the central object of his professional life. But he did think about it enough. "Your batting order," he said with a laugh, "is pretty important, you know." So it was that yesterday, early, before any of his players were anywhere near Steinbrenner Field, before the media arrived in its daily onslaught, before the usual 10,000 or so fans would come to watch the Yankees and the Astros X another day off the spring calendar by playing each other in an exhibition game, Girardi sat in front of his computer and printed out his lineup."

Will Hechavarria be a Griffin? Or, a Zosky?

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March 16

Toronto Sun

columnist Bob Elliott

"Where will Adeinis Hechavarria wind up on the all-time list of Blue Jays shortstops? Will he grow up to be the next Tony Fernandez? Or, the next Eddie Zosky or Tommy Goffena? Hechavarria, the Cuban defector about to sign a $10-million US contract with the Jays, will fit somewhere in between when all is said and done. "Hechavarria is a much better fielder than he is a hitter. I'd compare him a lot to Alfredo Griffin at the same age," said one Latin America, talent evaluator. Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos would take that. Pat Gillick dealt closer Victor Cruz to the Cleveland Indians at the 1978 winter meetings to get Griffin, who the next season shared American League of ..."

In the beginning, a look at the end game for Angels and Dodgers

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March 16

Los Angeles Times

columnist T.J. Simers

"The Angels are the better team, no, the Dodgers. They played each other Monday just for fun and exercise in front of a sellout crowd at Diablo Stadium, blue prevailing over red, but which team has the best chance to be the last standing in October? Take it position by position, and it's not only close, but how do you answer these questions? Who has the better season, Brandon Wood or Blake DeWitt? Which team has the better center fielder? One playoff game, one more save to get a team to the World Series, and they hand the ball to Brian Fuentes or Jonathan Broxton? Do you watch? So who really is better? First base: Kendry Morales' power is Mark Teixeira-like, and comes so much cheaper. The ..."

Jeter's upcoming deal is all about the time

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March 16

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"There is no question Derek Jeter is going to remain a Yankee beyond this year. Four years? Five years? $100 million? $130 million? More? Those are details that will arrive later, when time and necessity dictate. The Yankees know what Jeter means to them, and to their fans. Jeter knows what the Yankees mean to him, to his legacy, to his place in history. It is a marriage destined to continue, and one that should continue, especially if Jeter has a 2010 that resembles 2009, when one of the five best shortstops ever born had one of his finest offensive seasons, when he addressed his lacking defense and responded with as strong a season with the glove as anyone could have asked. Jeter is not ..."

Rodriguez's strong outing a big relief

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March 16

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"Step No. 1 for Francisco Rodriguez this season: Stick with the goggles. It makes you look more menacing. These days the Mets could use all the menacing they can get. Rodriguez went retro yesterday, wearing his orange-tinted goggles, which are really wrap-around sunglasses, in his first appearance of the spring. He made the switch to glasses because of his bout with pinkeye. He was terrific, blowing away the Cardinals in his one inning of work in the Mets' 6-5 win at Tradition Field. Angel Pagan drilled a two-run walk-off home run for the victory. When Rodriguez joined the Mets last season as a free agent, he was expecting big things. All he got was one big disappointment after another. ..."

Orlando Hudson brings heart, volume to Twins ... and life

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March 16

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"Throw away the clubhouse coffee pot. Orlando Hudson serves as the Twins' morning jolt. Hudson, 32, provides the boost of a triple espresso but without the brewing time. He's usually the first one in the clubhouse each morning, and he's always ready to go. He pings around the room, seemingly happy only when in motion. When the Hammond Stadium radar gun malfunctioned the other day and clocked a Kevin Slowey fastball at 111 mph, Ron Gardenhire insisted it really was measuring Hudson's decibel level. "Some guys need a little jump now and then," Hudson said. "And I like to have fun." Signed to a one-year contract as a free agent, Hudson has earned four Gold Gloves as a second baseman. He also ..."

Jays could be downright offensive

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March 16

Toronto Sun

columnist Mike Rutsey

"At the start of Blue Jays training camp, the consensus was that the Achilles heel of the team in 2010 would probably be its starting pitching. With no Roy Halladay to anchor the rotation and youthful, inexperienced arms set to fill most of the spots, the thinking was that the starting pitching would provide wide swings in fluctuation. That's still true, but what could turn out to be the true bummer for the Jays in 2010 is their offence. As it stands now, there is absolutely no spot where even the most enthusiastic fan or spin master can point to and say with any conviction: "Were going to be better there. We are going to get more production out of that position than we did last year." It ..."

Being in a ballpark is Ryan's chosen spot

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March 16

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"Terry Ryan has become the ghost in the Twins' machine, a quiet but omnipresent figure who influences the team's biggest decisions and analyzes their most obscure prospects. Despite his popularity in Minnesota as the man who transformed a dying franchise, Ryan these days works in the shadows of men who rose to authority under his tutelage. While he left the general manager position to spend more time at home and shed some of his least favorite aspects of public life, he remains a strong voice and maniacal worker whose presence is felt every day in the organization. "He's a great asset to the Twins organization, and especially me," said Twins General Manager Bill Smith, Ryan's successor and ..."

Muddled Jays pitching situation means no relief

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March 16

Toronto Star

columnist Richard Griffin

"The day started out as a pitched battle for the No. 4 spot in the Blue Jays rotation, with Marc Rzepczynski and Brett Cecil both scheduled to pitch in an A-game against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. The pair were matched under the same conditions against pretty much the same lineup. And the day ended with serious questions about Toronto's left-handed pitching, this time out of the bullpen. There was troubling news back at Dunedin Stadium regarding the team's perceived strength, the depth of its relievers. Slender lefty Jesse Carlson had not thrown off the mound until last Wednesday because of a wonky left knee. It turns out he has some medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage that may be ..."

Cuban pursuit a positive sign

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March 16

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Perkins

"It doesn't matter whether or not Adeinis Hechavarria plays in the major leagues for this to be a good signing for the Blue Jays. Obviously, it would be good if, a couple of years down the road, the 21-year-old Cuban defector shows the ability to be a productive big-league player. No sense wasting the $10 million (all figures U.S.) like, for instance, the $10 million they will pay B.J. Ryan in 2010. Leaving aside the young ballplayer's future for a second, this is a huge move by the Jays because it shows everyone in major league baseball they are back in the game, serious about competing for talent."

Why Phillies are looking at 98 wins

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March 16

Philadelphia Daily News

columnist Bill Conlin

"So, we're down to St. Patrick's Day Eve and it's time for the annual Phillies prediction. In 1993, I sensed a special set of intangibles in the crazies that GM Lee Thomas turned over to manager Jim Fregosi. Coming off a dead-last finish in 1992, picking the reinforced cast of baseball's "Animal House" to win the pennant was more than a little risky; it was nuts. But I did and the Phillies jumped out to a huge lead, hung on for the East title, then took out the favored Braves in six. You know the rest. So here we are again, with a team that is the biggest Phillies favorite to win the division since the playoff format began. They are a narrower fave to win a third straight pennant. Charlie ..."

Rangers have choices for their pitching staff, but that's not the same as depth

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March 16

Dallas Morning News

columnist Evan Grant

"I believe it was Mark Twain, managing the old Hannibal Steamers of the Missouri State League, who was talking about his pitching staff when he said: "The reports of my depth are greatly exaggerated." Ron Washington should keep that quip handy. The great myth of spring training is the Rangers' pitching depth. They do not - repeat, do not - have pitching depth. Depth would mean the Rangers have a number of established pitchers from which to choose a staff. Depth suggests that if a pitcher were to go down with injury, another similarly established guy would be ready to step into the void. To be honest, I'm not sure there is anybody locked into the Rangers rotation or vying for a spot in it ..."

CC looks sharp ... unhurt in liner scare

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March 15

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"The baseball had barely touched the outfield grass when Steve Donahue and Dave Eiland were off the bench, out of the dugout and on their way to the pitcher's mound at McKechnie Field. This would be odd, this urgent duo of trainer and pitching coach, given that to every eye inside the picturesque park it seemed like a routine base hit off the bat of Adam LaRoche, a line drive up the middle that didn't seem to cause the pitcher any undue stress. Except the person in the line of fire was one Carsten Charles Sabathia. And suddenly it made perfect sense. "The ball just ticked off my glove," Sabathia would explain later. "No big deal at all." But he is CC Sabathia, and he is the ace of the World ..."

Brian Tallet building success from past failures

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March 15

Toronto Star

columnist Richard Griffin

"Scoping out the Jays' clubhouse, perhaps the least likely leader of the pitching staff to replace the influence of the departed Roy Halladay would be the eccentric left-hander Brian Tallet. But Tallet has been thinking about the clubhouse void since Doc's December trade and now feels he has a lot to offer, especially if he remains in the mix of the Jays' five-man starting rotation. "It's one of those things where you never really deem yourself a leader," Tallet said. "The guys that (say they are), a lot of times people don't look at them as a leader. You lead by knowledge."

Young diamond gems attracted to the way Twins play the game

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March 15

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"You know the Twins have some very young prospects when they hand out uniforms, spikes, nooks and blankies on the first day of minor league camp. Among the 150 or so hopefuls working out at the far end of the Lee County Sports Complex are three crown jewels of the farm system: two 16-year-olds and one just-turned 17-year-old. All three received big bonuses, but all three still can eat off the kids' menu. Plus, the organization saves plenty on razor blades. Their respective paths to Fort Myers differed greatly. The Twins gave a whopping $3.1 million to Miguel Sano, the most coveted young player in the Dominican Republic. Sano's countryman, Jorge Polanco, asked to play for the Twins, even ..."

Remember Ron Davis? Twins need a legit closer

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March 15

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"In a few weeks, the Twins will open their $500 million ballpark with a $100 million roster. This is no time to employ a 25-cent solution -- a flip of the coin -- to finding a closer. A contender without a closer is like a yacht without a life buoy. The Twins have spent too much on their roster to entrust the ninth inning to a committee or a crapshoot. Two springs ago, the Twins signed Joe Nathan to a four-year, $47 million contract, calling the deal a worthwhile risk because Nathan's presence would give them not only an All-Star closer but a deep, settled bullpen. Sometime this week, Nathan is expected to announce that he will undergo surgery that will cost him this year and jeopardize ..."

Selig says there's no ballpark report yet

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March 15

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist John Shea

"Commissioner Bud Selig was at Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday meeting with Giants managing general partner Bill Neukom and president Larry Baer, presumably updating them on his committee that's analyzing the A's ballpark situation. "I've been talking to both clubs," Selig said. "There are a lot of situations that I wish didn't come to me. But as they often tell me, that's why we have a commissioner. I'll wait until the committee has done its work." Though Selig appointed the three-man committee last March, he said he hasn't received a report or recommendation despite reports to the contrary. Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums' office has said Selig received the report. "I've talked to them a lot," ..."

To be great, Pablo Sandoval shouldweight

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March 15

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Scott Ostler

"Is it too soon to start talking up Pablo Sandoval for the Hall of Fame? Yeah, you're probably right. One full season in the major leagues probably isn't enough of a sample around which to build a Cooperstown campaign. So just consider this column a rebuttal to Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs' pitcher is, like Sandoval, a fine and portly athlete from Venezuela. Last Wednesday, Sandoval hit a grand-slam homer off Zambrano. The two men are friends. Zambrano knows the Giants have been urging Sandoval to control his weight and have instituted an ongoing Operation Panda. Zambrano told The Sporting Green's John Shea that people should get off Pablo's back about his weight. "Man, there are a lot of guys ..."

Jose Reyes perfect example of why baseball needs HGH testing

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March 14

Bergen Record

columnist Bob Klapisch

"Only the most black-hearted souls could be unmoved by Jose Reyes' run of bad luck. Not only does the Mets' young star have an over-active thyroid, but he'll be on the disabled list (again) on Opening Day - and who knows when he'll return? The Mets seem trapped in an endless cycle of disappointment, particularly in Reyes' case. First, the hamstring injury, now the thyroid, both of which have come crashing down on a kid seemingly as innocent as a dove. But is Reyes' predicament just a case of an aggrieved baseball god? Or is there more to this story? It might take a monster not to pity Reyes, but it take an equal measure of naïveté to gloss over his association with Canadian doctor Tony ..."

Alex Rodriguez needs to answer why he had to see Dr. Galea for anti-inflammatory drugs

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March 14

New York Daily News

columnist Mike Lupica

"Here is the question that Alex Rodriguez will eventually have to answer, for the feds, for the Yankees, for Major League Baseball. It doesn't have to be the first question he is asked, but it is still one that requires not just an answer, but a straight one: Why exactly did you need to go to a Canadian doctorÂ one who can't practice medicine in New York to get anti-inflammatory drugs for a hip that may or may not have been "inflamed" at the time? I don't mean to be a cynic or skeptic with the Yankee third baseman, but are we supposed to believe he couldn't get anti-inflammatory pills at Columbia-Presbyterian, a few minutes from Yankee Stadium? He couldn't get anti-inflammatory pills from ..."

Jason Kubel's stats cry for attention

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March 14

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"Jason Kubel could walk into a PETA meeting while wearing a fur coat and eating a steak sandwich and not cause a stir. He could hand out Hooters calendars at a feminist convention and get no attention. He could. ... He could. ... Why, he could bat .300, drive in 103 runs and sock 28 homers and remain unnoticed. That last one is the most amazing of all. In a statistic-propelled sport, those are high-quality numbers that, when taken together, add up to an utterly fantastic season. Yet Kubel hasn't received the slightest bit of recognition for his outstanding 2009 efforts. Media types trudge past his locker each day on their way to interviews with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer. ..."

Old friends on hot seat

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March 14

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist John Shea

"The Rangers say they're better. The Brewers say they're better. What team doesn't this time of year? In these teams' cases, would that mean improving on last year's records - 87 wins for Texas, 80 for Milwaukee? Pushing for a division title? Keeping their managers employed? Ron Washington and Ken Macha, both with deep A's roots, have contracts that expire after the 2010 season. In October, the Brewers added a 2011 club option to Macha's contract, which is far from a guarantee. In June, the Rangers exercised Washington's option for this season. Either way, for Washington and Macha to get contracts for 2011, their teams probably can't repeat what they did in 2009. The Brewers were two games ..."

Strasburg, Chapman at top of wave of pitching talent

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March 14

Baltimore Sun

columnist Phil Rogers

"Davey Johnson dropped a Dwight Gooden on Stephen Strasburg. Scouting legend Art Stewart, who chiseled his first reports on stone tablets, upped the ante in describing Aroldis Chapman. Stewart called the lanky Cuban the "best young left-handed arm I've seen since Herb Score," and in doing so crossed a bridge that spans 55 years, to Score's rookie season with the Indians. A few phenoms have come and gone since then. So who's better: Chapman or Strasburg? That's the great baseball argument of the moment, one that turned white hot after the two newcomers combined for this pitching line in their spring debuts: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO. There's no right or wrong answer. The amazing thing ..."

Case for Helton in Hall

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March 14

Denver Post

columnist Troy E. Renck

"Todd Helton is the Rockies. That much is certain. Todd Helton is a Hall of Famer. That is matter of conjecture. The Rockies believe he will end up in Cooperstown, which provided some motivation for his two- year, $9.9 million contract extension last week. There are two layers to this debate — the statistical and intangible. Based on numbers alone, Helton is a longshot. He has accumulated 2,143 hits and clubbed 325 home runs. It's hard to see him getting a Hall pass without 2,500 hits and 400 home runs, particularly given the power historically associated with the first base position. He easily has 367 more hits in him. But 75 home runs? Not so much. For some voters that will spoil his ..."

After 20 years, the rites of spring training have changed just a little

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March 14

Los Angeles Times

columnist Steve Lowery

"It had been 20 years since I'd been to spring training. Twenty years since I covered the then-California Angels for a newspaper that no longer exists and announced my arrival to then-Angels manager Doug Rader: Me: "So, whattya gonna be doing today?" Rader (disgusted): "Baseball. (Disgusted and walking away) We thought we'd do baseball today." So, I hadn't missed spring training that much. But then the Dodgers moved from Florida to Arizona, making it possible not only to see both L.A. teams in a single trip but allowing my son, Jack, and me to check another item off of our "Sports To-Do" list: USC- Notre Dame football game in South Bend? Done. World Beard and Mustache Championships? To do. ..."

The Original Curse: Gambling Era spawned Black Sox scandal

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March 14

Toronto Star

columnist Garth Woolsey

"The question is posed on the book's cover: "Did the Cubs throw the 1918 World Series to Babe Ruth's Red Sox and incite the Black Sox scandal?" The answer is: Most likely, almost certainly. Lacking the definitive smoking gun, Chicago-based author Sean Deveney musters an overwhelming arsenal of circumstantial evidence to make his case. For one thing, gambling on baseball was commonplace in those early days of the game. Professional gamblers were everywhere, in the open, in the stands, rubbing shoulders with fans and players alike. Hard evidence of game fixing emerged during the 1918 regular season and it is hardly a stretch to believe it continued into the post-season, then on into 1919 and ..."

Different treatment for Cito Gaston, Bobby Cox

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March 14

Toronto Star

columnist Richard Griffin

"Two old warriors, managers Bobby Cox and Cito Gaston, stood shoulder-to-shoulder watching batting practice, one of the relaxed rites of spring training. Even though both have announced they are stepping down at season's end, the differing perception of their final years is astounding. Cox is being celebrated on a farewell tour. Gaston is perceived a lame duck that should have stepped aside for the good of the franchise. Why are there different realities? "I'm pretty sure it's been written that way and that's why people think of it like that," Gaston said, obviously having already thought about it. "They only go by what they read and they take it that way. I don't take it that way. I feel ..."

'X' marks the party spot

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March 14

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

columnist Bob Wolfley

"The March 22 edition of ESPN Magazine carries the first column from "MLB Player X," whom the magazine does not identify other than saying "Player X is a major league star." The aim of the column is to provide "a series of unfiltered looks at the lives of professional athletes." The magazine and ESPN Insider have been offering "incognito reports" from NFL, NBA and NASCAR competitors. The subject of the column from "MLB Player X" is spring training - the writer explains things like why veterans leave the spring training games, including the park, before games are over. The writer contends spring training isn't much about partying, but goes on to cite evidence to the contrary. "If you must ..."

Renaissance era for pitching phenoms

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March 14

Chicago Tribune

columnist Phil Rogers

"Davey Johnson dropped a Dwight Gooden on Stephen Strasburg. Scouting legend Art Stewart, who chiseled his first reports on stone tablets, upped the ante in describing Aroldis Chapman. Stewart called the lanky Cuban the "best young left-handed arm I've seen since Herb Score," and in doing so crossed a bridge that spans 55 years, to Score's rookie season with the Indians. A few phenoms have come and gone since then. So who's better: Chapman or Strasburg? That's the great baseball argument of the moment, one that turned white hot after the two newcomers combined for this pitching line in their spring debuts: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO. There's no right or wrong answer. The amazing thing ..."

In '02, Cameron wielded his clout

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March 14

Boston Globe

columnist Bob Ryan

"The Seattle Mariners had lost the first two games of a three-game series against the White Sox in Chicago, so skipper Lou Piniella decided to fool around with the batting order. He moved Bret Boone, who had been hitting third, to the second spot. He also moved Mike Cameron, who had been hitting sixth, to the third spot. The move had a good effect on Boone, who hit two home runs in a 10-run first inning. The move had a good effect on Cameron, too. He also hit two home runs in the first inning. And one in the third. And another one in the fifth. Yes, on May 2, 2002, Mike Cameron became the 13th man in major league history to hit four home runs in a game (Shawn Green and Carlos Delgado have ..."

Dan Duquette doffs cap to Nomar

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March 14

Boston Herald

columnist John Tomase

"Dan Duquette was the conquering hero summoned to revive a moribund franchise when he took over as Red Sox general manager before the 1994 season. Considered a miracle worker with the Montreal Expos in the early '90s, he arrived with the reputation of someone who could build through the draft and develop a farm system capable of producing big league talent. As such, his first draft was hugely symbolic. The Red Sox owned the 12th overall selection in the 1994 draft and almost immediately set their sights on a skinny shortstop from Georgia Tech who would go on to become one of the greatest players in franchise history."

Separating rivals better for MLB than a radical realignment

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March 14

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Baseball does not have a competitive-balance problem. It might have a Yankees problem or a Yankees-Red Sox problem. But mainly it has a public relations problem. There is no salary cap and the Yankees have a payroll that dwarfs all others. That combination — more than anything — creates the perception that the sport lacks competitive balance. But repeating that over and over does not make it fact. Here is a fact: Eight different teams have won the World Series in the last decade or one more than has won the Super Bowl in the sainted, share-every-dollar NFL. How can the Royals ever compete with the Yankees? Sounds great. It is repeated all the time. Just, it is ridiculous. The Royals' ..."

Curtis' center of attention is on his fielding

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March 14

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"his story begins in batting practice. That's when Curtis Granderson is learning to become a better center fielder, and it starts when his teammates are in the cage. In Granderson's first game at George M. Steinbrenner Field, he made like a laptop wait-message, circling and circling back on a ball that landed just over the center-field fence by the Rays' Sean Rodriguez (pictured). That home run gave Granderson a glimpse of what fly balls in a high sky with a howling wind can act like here in the spring. It was a perfect-storm way to begin life as the Yankees center fielder. "You're going to get some funky stuff," said third-base coach Rob Thomson, who also works with the outfielders. Eight ..."

Mejia, Davis could turn into Amazin' finds

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March 14

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"This re mains one of the charms of baseball, specifically spring baseball, because there still is a hefty element of surprise to all of it. There still is the opportunity for a name to knock you out, for a kid fall out of the clouds and into an exhibition game box score. There still is a place for mystery. We know all about the things that ail the Mets by now. We know all about Jose Reyes' thyroid and Carlos Beltran's right knee. We know all about Johan Santana's elbow and the question marks disguised as the Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 pitchers in the starting rotation. We know all about David Wright's quest for redemption, and Jason Bay's mission to justify his big contract, and Jeff Francouer's ..."

Modern Yankee Heroes: From humble beginnings, Mariano Rivera becomes greatest closer in MLB history

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March 14

New York Daily News

columnist Christian Red

"Vivid childhood images and memories still dance in the mind of the 40-year-old man, as if they had unfolded yesterday. Seated in a chair by his locker in the home clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field, five-time World Series champion Mariano Rivera - the greatest closer who ever put on a major league uniform - shuts his eyes and in an instant he's back in tiny Puerto Caimito, Panama. It is low tide, and he's standing on a wide beach that stretches endlessly, sun blazing, the sand stretching to the Pacific whiter than the cloud wisps above. The waves lap at the makeshift first-base and right-field lines. Baseballs are made of shredded fish netting and electrical tape. Sometimes, if the ..."

Mark Twain, Baseball Fan, Had an Eye for a Short-Stop

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March 14

New York Times

columnist Darryl Brock

"River rafting and billiards, sure. But who knew that the creator of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn was a devotee of baseball? The answer: Lots of folks, in his time. "Mark Twain contributes liberally to the support of the Hartford base ball club," The Sporting News asserted in 1886, adding wryly, "Mark 's reputation as a first-class humorist is now firmly established." The zinger proved prophetic. Hartford's entry, along with the entire Eastern League, folded that season. Twain's penchant for bad financial risks was highlighted along with his continuing attraction to the game. In 1874, Twain and major league ball had arrived in the so-called Nutmeg City. He built a mansion in a sylvan ..."

Cuddyer's timing was right on the money

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March 13

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"Just a few years ago, Michael Cuddyer would have had as much chance of the Twins picking up his $10.5 million option as Jon Rauch has of playing Peter Pan at the Ordway. Or of Joe Mauer ordering rot-gut whiskey in a dirty glass. Or of Jose Mijares signing an endorsement contract with Speedo. Ten point five million! Somewhere, Carl Pohlad is rattling his leg irons. "It's hard to comprehend something like that," Cuddyer said. "So I don't even try to. I put it out of my mind. I'm going to play as hard as I can. The minute you start thinking about it, that's when you become complacent. And that's the biggest fear of an athlete — complacency." Just what does one say when the boss calls and says ..."

Unsafe pitching conditions

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March 13

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Bruce Jenkins

"The race surges on, and it's not for the squeamish. It's Bud Selig and his band of stodgy investigators against the ambulance. You can almost hear it in the distance, coming for the first serious casualty - or death - of the maple-bat revolution. It happened again in Port Charlotte, Fla., on Wednesday, another broken-bat weapon flying through the sky. The ugly shard struck Tampa Bay pitcher David Price on the right hand, and it could have been so much worse. For several years now, there has been indisputable evidence that maple bats, though handy in a certain way, break as easily as peanut brittle. You don't need any stats or research papers to know the difference between maple and ash, ..."

Pitching still a puzzle for Rangers, but pieces are there

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March 13

Dallas Morning News

columnist Tom Cowlishaw

"Just because the Rangers found some quality pitching in 2009 doesn't mean the search is over. One season after the team produced its lowest ERA and its most shutouts since moving to The Ballpark in Arlington, the Rangers' quest for arms knows no bounds. In fact, the team is playing extra "B" games to provide innings for all the candidates. In a 6-2 win over San Diego on Friday, Matt Harrison threw three shutout innings. He looked sharp, much like the young left-hander who won nine games in 15 starts for Texas in 2008 before struggling with shoulder injuries last season. Tommy Hunter, 9-6 with a 4.10 ERA as a rookie in 2009, was also solid Friday afternoon, allowing just one run in three ..."

Washington Nationals are better, but they're at a loss to prove it

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March 13

Washington Post

columnist Thomas Boswell

"Brian Bruney sat by his Nats locker and gave what could be a slogan for his whole team. "For years, I was okay with just being okay," said the reliever. "Now I'm not okay with it anymore." That's how the Nats' culture-of-losing franchise and its long-abused fans felt when this spring training opened. Enough is enough. And they thought the last 12 months had started to prove it. Purge the front office. Fire the whole bullpen. Can the manager. Give grouchy vets pink slips. Sign five recognizable free agents. Add every scout in sight. Showcase high-draft-pick pitchers. Even raise the budget, some. But it's not quite working out just yet. The Nats are, at the moment, the only team in baseball ..."

Why Peavy is a man ... and you're not

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March 13

Chicago Sun-Times

columnist Joe Cowley

"Just in case Jake Peavy hadn't already endeared himself to the South Side since arriving last July, Friday might have sealed the deal. The White Sox ace took a comebacker off the left shoulder in the first inning of his three-shutout innings of work against the Angels, and was asked about the treatment he received for the bruise. "Ice? I'm not a big believer in ice unless I'm hurt,'' Peavy said, sounding like some nameless cowboy out of a Clint Eastwood movie. "I didn't even ice it to be honest with you.'' OK, so he doesn't believe in ice. But he does believe in his organization, and he made that very evident after his spring debut in the 10-7 win over Los Angeles. "I'll tell you this, we ..."

Hall of Fame lock? No-mar

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March 13

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Buckley

"Five full baseball seasons will be in the books before Nomar Garciaparra's name appears on a Hall of Fame ballot. Yet the debate already has begun: Is Nomar worthy of Cooperstown? It's a fascinating question. It's also a question that wouldn't have inspired much debate had it been posed when Garciaparra and the Red Sox [team stats] were entering the 2001 season. The Sox were commemorating the 100th anniversary of their entry in the American League, and they chose four iconic players from the past and present to grace the cover of their media guide. Representing 1901 were manager/third baseman Jimmy Collins and pitcher Cy Young, and representing 2001 were pitcher Pedro Martinez . . . and ..."

Jeter feeling Reyes' pain

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March 13

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"Remember when Jose Reyes was the shortstop of the future in New York and Derek Jeter supposedly was starting to slip? Now, things just keep getting worse for Reyes and the Mets while Jeter and the Yankees keep winning championships. No one knows better than Jeter what a difficult task it is to survive and thrive in New York and right now he feels for his sidelined Mets counterpart. "First and foremost is your health, and it goes beyond anything you do on the field," Jeter said yesterday at Steinbrenner Field. "You wish him the best. I don't like to see anybody go through that kind of stuff. It's just that he's had such bad luck. You have to assume that his luck is going to change here ..."

Soriano sightings rare, but he vows to be ready

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March 13

Tampa Tribune

columnist Martin Fennelly

"He hasn't said much, he hasn't pitched much. The Rays did pick up a bullpen closer, right? There he was Thursday, on a back field at Charlotte Sports Park, throwing live batting practice before the Rays' exhibition game against the Blue Jays, with no one watching his fastballs and sliders except Rays manager Joe Maddon, some coaches and a few reporters. This just in: Rafael Soriano exists. Rays fans were just wondering. "Tell them I'm fine," Soriano said. "Tell them, relax. In April, I'll be there." The Rays are keeping him under wraps, or Soriano is. He won't pitch in his first game until next week. Nothing unusual, no injury, just a deliberate pace, the one Soriano wants. ..."

A true believer, Jerry hopes to be one 'playing with the toys in June and July'

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March 13

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"Manager Jerry Manuel believes. You can take that however you want to. You can take it with a grain of salt. You can take it with enough salt to cover a city pretzel. You can scoff: Of course he has to believe, because if he doesn't, who will? You can mutter: He had better believe, because he has less job security than Gov. David Paterson. That's fine. That's fair. He chooses to believe anyway. "I really believe that if you can endure, if you can remain positive, and hopeful, eventually that kind of faith is going to pay off," Manuel was saying early yesterday morning, inside his Spartan office at Tradition Field. "Eventually, the kind of hardships you absorb are going to make you a ..."

Message to the Mets Sounds Familiar

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March 13

New York Times

columnist William C. Rhoden

"About 45 minutes after the Mets lost, 8-2, to Boston on Thursday, fans stood outside the gate where the players drive away from Tradition Field. After waiting patiently, enduring intermittent showers, the fans got the player they wanted: the injured center fielder Carlos Beltran. Beltran is generally regarded as one of the Mets' most cooperative players. But this time he rolled through the gate, barely stopping, then made a sharp right turn and sped off. One fan cursed loudly and hollered after Beltran: "Why don't you look at another called third strike?" The comment was a reference to Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, when Beltran took strike three from Adam ..."