Will Bonds Break Hammerin' Hank's Record?  —  It doesn't take a clairvoyant to prophesize that one of the media events of 2007 is the likely celebration/opprobrium when, or if, Barry Bonds clubs home runs numbers 755 and 756 out of the yard.  —  But is such a celebration likely to happen?

Relief need remains as Kolb rejects bid  —  Maybe the Rockies' complementary setup man will come from within.  On Saturday, Colorado was left without Dan Kolb.  —  The Rockies could not bridge a salary gap as Kolb signed a one-year, $1.25 million, minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Hill climber in Chicago  —  Cubs believe Milton pitcher can reach top  —  Baseball officials are known to gush about their pitching prospects almost as if they were speaking about their own children.  Such is the case with lefthander Rich Hill.  For while the Cubs spent zillions this offseason …

Juan Gonzalez eyes return to Majors  —  Coming back from injuries, slugger sets sights on 500 homers  —  CAROLINA, P.R. — For eight seconds about every other inning, the boisterous crowd at Estadio Municipal Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium gets silent.  The horns cease and the chants …

Magadan keepin' score  —  Lest anyone forget, pitching was not the only problem for the 2006 Red Sox [team stats].  The Red Sox finished a relatively mediocre sixth in the American League in runs scored and ranked 11th after the All-Star break, the latter of which undoubtedly had a great deal …

Interview with Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News  —  Adam Rubin, who covers the Mets at the New York Daily News and runs the great and informative NY Mets Blog, answered some of my questions on the Mets upcoming season.  —  Pat Andriola: What do you make of the Mets rotation this year?

Ya Ghana believe!  —  MLB looks to expand national pastime into West Africa  —  TEMA, Ghana - The greatest baseball player 11-year-old Derrick Seperu ever saw was Inocent Abu.  The great Abu, a shortstop, plays on this very field, all dust and divots between two broken soccer goals, with no shade from the African sun.

Boys of winter have plenty to keep them busy  —  Even though spring training is not yet upon us, people in baseball are already hard at work getting ready for the new season.  —  General managers are still trying to fill out rosters, looking at the few remaining free agents, and discussing possible trades.

Williams' moves head lengthy list of worries for Sox  —  With Super Bowl XLI history, it's time for Chicago fans to refocus on the team that produced the city's last parade: The MMV White Sox, champions of World Series CII.  —  Yes, spring training is bearing down on fans preoccupied …

Hot Stove: Altoona to reap talent curve  —  Pine-Richland graduate and former No. 1 pick Neil Walker figures to open 2007 at Class AA Altoona.  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  Neil Walker has spent the past month enduring two-a-day workouts as part of a clinic at Arizona State University.

Baseball TV deal contested  —  MLB is trying to move Extra Innings package exclusively to DirecTV, but there's resistance.  —  Red Sox Nation has spoken.  A pending deal by Major League Baseball to put its Extra Innings pay package exclusively on DirecTV may have to be put on hold now …

On Baseball |  Waiting for that other game, here are XLI diamond tidbits  —  Super Bowl XLI will be played tonight in Miami, in the same stadium (it's had so many names, why bother listing them?) in which Phillies second baseman Mickey Morandini once wanted to kick butt on the organist …

Hiring of minorities rising into major issue  —  Dusty Baker appeared tranquil Thursday at the SNY studios, speaking with reporters and joking around with some fellow ex-players.  Later that day, he was leaving for Ghana with those ex-players and Mets general manager Omar Minaya, and he mentioned …