Helton to Red Sox is far from a done deal  —  Renewed talks about a trade in which the Rockies would send first baseman Todd Helton to the Boston Red Sox hit another snag Sunday as the Rockies remained firm in their demand that one of the elite prospects in the Boston system be included if a deal is made.

Reggie, Hough feted at dinner  —  Baseball's past, spiced with Yankees flavoring, and its present, served with a heaping portion of Mets, was on the menu at last night's 84th New York Chapter Baseball Writers Association of American dinner at the New York Hilton.

Umpires finding their calling  —  Learning to be an umpire is a labor of love for hundreds of hopefuls each year.  `If you haven't actually stepped out there on the field, you really don't have an appreciation for what actually goes into it.'  —  kbaxter@MiamiHerald.com

Hot prospect at hot corner  —  Padres hope Kouzmanoff will be a hit right off the bat like he was for Indians  —  One pitch into his major league career, Kevin Kouzmanoff already had done as much as a man can possibly do with a swing of the bat.  One very dizzying, mind-numbing, discombobulating swing of the bat.

Rockies, Sox talk Helton  —  The Colorado Rockies have expressed interest in dealing first baseman Todd Helton to the Red Sox, major league sources told the Globe's Nick Cafardo Saturday.  The teams spoke about a Manny Ramirez-for-Helton swap at the GM meetings in November …

Fields' dreams are now in play  —  Sox's plans hinge on Podsednik's health, youngster's growth  —  The only certainty in Josh Fields' off-season occurred Dec. 17 when he got married.  —  That was before third baseman Joe Crede signed a one-year, $4.94 million contract …

3 Weeks to Pitchers and Molinas  —  The energetic, young children scampered along a bumpy dirt infield, chased baseballs around an outfield that was missing almost as much grass as it contained and sidestepped a leaning light tower that was a miniature Tower of Pisa.

Bernie torn on future  —  Bernie Williams is all too aware that the Yankees seem to be close to closing the door on his career in pinstripes, and he said he's not taking it personally.  But as he spoke about his baseball future last night, he said nothing definitively to answer the question of whether he is ready to call it a career.

Williams puts scouting staff on notice  —  It wasn't the first time White Sox senior director of player personnel Duane Shaffer has had tire tracks across his back, but this time it was general manager Ken Williams who threw Shaffer underneath the bus.  —  During Saturday's town hall-style meeting …