Pitcher makes attitude adjustment  —  Lopez looking for fresh start following horrible season in AL  —  When Rodrigo Lopez contemplated his future, his past steered him in a new direction.  If he was really going to start fresh with the Rockies, he had to let go of the old things.

Several rule changes in effect for 2007  —  Alterations address ties, pace of game, official scoring  —  Taking a red pencil to the game's rules for the first time in more than a decade, MLB's Playing Rules Committee has enacted several changes for the 2007 season.  —  Relax: It's still the game you know and love.

Trading Zambrano has upside  —  Cubs could obtain bonanza if they can stomach a deal  —  With Carlos Zambrano, Jermaine Dye and Mark Buehrle eligible for free agency after this season, Chicago sports columnists and talk-radio hosts should send thank-you cards to the respective front offices of the Cubs and White Sox.

Notes: Nats interested in Belliard  —  Club reportedly targeting veteran free agent as reserve infielder  —  VIERA, Fla. — The Nationals lost a considerable amount of strength on the bench when they traded Marlon Anderson and Daryle Ward for prospects on Aug. 31.

Expected to close for Indians, Keith Foulke retires  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Before he got a chance to finish another game, Keith Foulke closed his career.  —  Foulke, whose toss to first base for the final out ended an 86-year World Series title drought for the Boston Red Sox …

Spring Training: Lincoln shut down by elbow  —  Pirates moving Walker from catcher to third base  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates have shelved their top pitching prospect and shifted one of their top hitting prospects.

ROCKET: 80-20 I'LL RETIRE  —  According to Roger Clemens, the Yankees have a slim chance of adding him to their suspect pitching rotation sometime this summer.  —  Clemens yesterday told Houston television station KRIV there is an 80 percent chance he is going to end his Hall of Fame career by retiring.

Buehrle turned down Sox's offer  —  Reveals he refused White Sox's offer at 2006 All-Star Break  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — With his White Sox future at stake, Mark Buehrle showed Friday he is ready to make amends for a rough 2006 season.  —  A fit-looking Buehrle tackled some tough issues …

Rangers' pitchers will be put to test  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - New manager Ron Washington officially starts the daunting task of prepping a Rangers pitching staff this weekend.  —  Here's how he plans to do it: He plans to put all the pressure on the pitchers.

Where's the fun in the sale of the Braves?  —  At first glance, the pending sale of the Atlanta Braves is a deal only a tax attorney could love.  Liberty Media gets the Braves, $1 billion in cash and — who knows? — maybe a junk bond to be named later.  In return, Time Warner gets back a chunk of its stock held by Liberty Media.

Devil Ray performs under pressure  —  ST. PETERSBURG - Infielder Ty Wigginton came through with a lot of big hits for the Devil Rays last season.  But that was nothing like the way he delivered during the offseason.  —  When his wife, Angela, went into intense labor two weeks early …

Scuffing baseball could lead to 10-game suspension for non-pitchers  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A major league position player who scuffs or defaces a baseball would be ejected and receive an automatic 10-game suspension under changes approved Friday by the sport's playing rules committee.