Mailbag: Would order shift help Soriano?  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers fans' questions … Given the team's recent and unexpected success, do you think general manager Jim Bowden and manager Frank Robinson will keep their jobs?  — Andrew M., Middleburg, Va.  —  Let's start with Bowden.

2,000 Is Becoming Popular Number for the Yankees  —  Bernie Williams's next appearance, most likely Tuesday night against Cleveland, will be his 2,000th.  He has played his entire career with the Yankees.  —  There are many magic numbers in baseball, but 2,000 is not really one of them.

Floyd ready to return and accept competition  —  Cliff Floyd jokingly suggested last week that given Lastings Milledge's success in left field, the Mets might ask him to go on the disabled list to stay out of the way.  And that was before the Mets exploded for 37 runs in a four-game sweep of Arizona.

D'backs make no excuses  —  Giants' next opponent is slumping, but players don't blame Grimsley flap  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks are enduring a seven-game losing streak and the wake of the Jason Grimsley steroid scandal.  It's not a reach to suggest that these issues are related.

Contreras' effort one for the book  —  Guillen tabs him likely All-Star starter after record-tying decision  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Jose Contreras moved into the White Sox record book Monday night, and he probably earned himself the honor of starting in the July 11 All-Star Game.

Duffy to rejoin Pirates' fold  —  Outfielder reporting to Bradenton today  —  Today, Chris Duffy will begin his journey back into baseball.  —  The Pirates' opening-day center fielder will travel from his home in Glendale, Ariz., to report to the team's extended spring training program in Bradenton …

Critical stretch: Heckled Foulke has second straight stinker2-4893  —  If Keith Foulke wants to silence an obnoxious fan sitting behind the Red Sox dugout, he'll need to pitch better than he has the past two nights.  —  The target of a belligerent heckler, Foulke struggled …

Baseball Injury Report  —  Featured Note of the Week  —  Rich Harden (RHP, OAK)  —  A day after it was announced Harden was going back on the DL, this time with elbow problems, more details were released.  He has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching elbow.

Since talent is watered down, don't blame juice  —  At some point, right about the time the war on drugs morphed into a war on baseball, a hole in logic grew to such Ruthian proportions that it's come to obscure rational thought.  Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased history.  Barry Bonds chased immortality.

Beane could get asking price for Zito  —  The A's position on left-hander Barry Zito is unchanged; they will trade him if they get the right offer, no matter where they are in the standings.  —  Of course, if A's general manager Billy Beane defines "the right offer" as the equivalent …

Whiffs: a striking effect  —  Some baseball observers say strikeouts don't matter; first-year Marlins manager Joe Girardi doesn't agree.  —  cspencer@MiamiHerald.com  —  SAN DIEGO - Baseball's data crunchers say strikeouts are overrated, overemphasized and over-dramatized …

"Comedulce" a hero in his country  —  Phillies' Abreu often underrated in the United States  —  Susy, those delicious cookies with the chocolate-filled center, are famous across Venezuela and so tasty that the mere mention of them is enough to make Philadelphia right fielder Bobby Abreu close his eyes, smile and hum in delight.

Notes: Erstad's return a boost for Halos  —  Youngster Weaver knows return to Minors coming soon  —  ANAHEIM — The Angels defense received a boost on Monday when the club activated Darin Erstad from the 15-day disabled list.  —  Outfielder Tommy Murphy, who was hitting .243 with a home run …