Williams Spurns Longshot Chance at Making Yanks' Roster  —  Bernie Williams came to this Connecticut town Friday night to play his guitar in a benefit concert at a church.  He will be back home in Westchester County in the days to come.  But where he will not be any time soon is in Tampa …

Exit Door Hardest To Open  —  Birth Of His Son Helped Cone Refocus  —  MONTVILLE — There comes a point when athletes have to let go, but putting off that day has become fashionable.  —  "It's tough," said former Mets and Yankees pitcher David Cone, who finally retired after a brief comeback in 2003.

Draft preview: Washington Nationals outlook  —  Team-by-team outlooks  —  If you ain't got pitching, you ain't got nothing.  And, in this event, you would be the 2007 Washington Nationals.  —  Not only will this be the worst team in baseball — yes, worse than the Royals — it will also be the most difficult to watch.

Chan Ho Park Reaches Deal With Mets  —  NEW YORK — Chan Ho Park is joining the expanding list of pitchers trying to earn spots in the New York Mets' rotation.  Park and the Mets agreed Friday to a $600,000, one-year contract, giving the team another option for its starting rotation heading into spring training.

Making Noise: Batter Up!  Is Major League Baseball Prepping for an Interactive IPO?  —  Addition By Subtraction: There's a lot of talk these days about Major League Baseball striking a seven-year, $100 million per year deal to sell exclusive rights to its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games to DirecTV (NYSE: DTV - News).

Beimel, Paul first two players in arbitration hearings  —  Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Beimel and Tampa Bay backup catcher Josh Paul became the first two players to go to salary arbitration hearings this year.  —  Paul asked arbitrators Richard Bloch, Robert Bailey and Christine Knowlton for a raise from $475,000 to $940,000.

Stoic Link to Baseball History Stands Guard  —  Once upon a time in Brooklyn, they used to play baseball here.  —  Tucked away among ancient factories and garages is a massive relic of the Dodgers' old ballpark.  Not Ebbets Field, but Washington Park, where Brooklyn played before moving to Flatbush.

Baseball Defeats Santa Clara, 7-4, In Season Home Opener  —  Romero has home run, four RBI to spark Aztec offense  —  SAN DIEGO - San Diego State made the most of six hits and got another fine starting pitching performance from junior Donnie Hume as it defeated Santa Clara, 7-4, in its 2007 home opener Friday evening.

Eight men out?  —  Managers on the hot seat — and likely replacements  —  Also in this column:  —  Most everyone in baseball will be feeling quite a bit warmer when they get to Florida or Arizona for spring training in the next couple of weeks.  But some will actually be feeling not warmth …

Price-Rice Matchup Lives Up To Billing  —  The first game here in Houston has been very entertaining.  Since we've been anticipating the Price vs. Rice showdown for so long, I figured I'd break down Vanderbilt starter David Price's outing in some detail.  The Owls jumped on Price early …

Hank Bauer dead at 84  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Hank Bauer, the tough ex-Marine who set a World Series record with a 17-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees and later managed the Baltimore Orioles to the 1966 title, died Friday.  He was 84.  —  Bauer died in the Kansas City area …

Braves pitcher, wife mutually agree to split  —  ATLANTA — Braves pitcher John Smoltz is getting a divorce.  —  The agency that represents Smoltz, Career Sports & Entertainment, said Friday that the pitcher and his wife, Dyan, had mutually agreed to split after some 16 years of marriage.