Best Outfield Arms of 2006  —  It was the last day of 2006 and I was getting ready for a little New Year's Eve get-together.  While I was blowing up some balloons, I saw a new message in my inbox, and after a click I realized that I had just received a late Christmas gift …

Aaron wants to start over  —  Not happy with pen role  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Yes, Aaron Heilman asked again.  No, he's not going to get a look as a starting pitcher this spring.  —  "I haven't given up," Heilman said yesterday, a day after arriving from his home in Chicago.

Mariano Rivera's Request For An Extension  —  Yesterday, Peter Abraham shared the following: … According to a trusted source that I have, Rivera is not happy at this moment.  Mariano is displeased by the way the Yankees have elected to handle an offer to Bernie Williams (for 2007).  That's part of it.

For Patterson, the Writing Is on the Glove  —  John Patterson's bright red baseball glove has always had the U.S. flag stitched on one side, the flag of his home state of Texas proudly stitched on the other, the pair flanking a script version of his name.  But Wednesday, when Patterson pulled …

Colorado Rockies  —  Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel.  All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.

Hall to man center field  —  Yost's decision not a surprise  —  thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com  —  Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost, who has been coy all winter about his outfield plans for 2007, is ready to declare himself.  —  As expected, Yost will use the six weeks of spring training …

Battles will be on for several open spots … Another frenetic winter of transactions has left holes and competitions at positions all across Major League Baseball.  Not counting the open spots at the back end of rotations, which almost every team has, here are 10 position battles entering spring training.

Slimmer Wood ready for bullpen role  —  Former Cubs ace dropped over 30 pounds in offseason  —  MESA, Ariz. — It's a good thing Kerry Wood still wears No. 34, because it's hard to recognize Kid K. And that's not because the Cubs right-hander is now a reliever and not a starter.

Cubs show tradition the door with ad deal  —  MESA, Ariz. — Bricks and ivy have made up most of the outfield walls at Wrigley Field for the last 70 years, but the Cubs will alter the ballpark's famous backdrop for at least the next two years with advertisements on the old green doors.

Spring Training: Japanese pitcher steals spotlight  —  Followed by large media contingent, Kuwata aims high with Pirates  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  On this, the day the Pirates' pitchers and catchers report for work in Bradenton, Fla., no fewer than a dozen cameras …

Benitez feels healthier than previous two springs  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Armando Benitez expects nothing less than to be San Francisco's closer this season - as long as he's healthy.  —  The Giants want to evaluate him this spring before handing him back his old job.

Winds of change unlikely at Ballpark  —  ARLINGTON - There was no question which way the wind was blowing at The Ballpark in Arlington on Wednesday.  The fact that I couldn't feel the end of my nose or my ears as I walked from the parking lot told me that quick enough.

Positional Health Reports  —  First Basemen  —  First base should be the least risky position on the field, but there are factors that cancel out some of the inherent advantage.  First, the guys who man the position tend to be of a type.  They lack mobility, have an increased likelihood …

Hansen getting closer  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — When Craig Hansen opened the message from his brother and found a link to a website, he was puzzled by what popped up on the screen: a house in Colorado, and the fact that it was for sale.  —  Huh?  For the reliever, who stays away from television and newspapers, it was a mystery.