Sox won't extend Schilling  —  Pitcher will declare for free agency after season  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — When it comes to signing players, age discrimination is not a federal offense.  So general manager Theo Epstein, confirming what Curt Schilling announced earlier yesterday …

Hughes throws 'filthy stuff'  —  That's how Giambi describes BP session of Yanks' top prospect  —  TAMPA, Fla. — If Phil Hughes was even a tad nervous about throwing batting practice to the Yankees' major-leaguers in front of manager Joe Torre and company, it sure didn't show.

Notes: Lo Duca sidelined again  —  Catcher expected to miss few days with right hand tendinitis  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — His Spring Training already reduced by suspected food poisoning last week, Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca is likely to miss a few more days because of tendinitis in his right hand.

Right-hander Mitre playing catch-up  —  · The shoulder trouble that torpedoed Sergio Mitre's 2006 season has him a few steps behind his fellow pitchers this spring.  —  His teammates are throwing live batting practice, but Mitre continues to pitch on the side to strengthen the shoulder.

FCC investigating MLB's proposed DirecTV deal  —  WASHINGTON — The government is investigating a proposed deal between Major League Baseball and DirecTV Inc. that has had fans in a tizzy.  —  MLB reportedly seeks to strike an exclusive deal with the satellite television provider to offer its "Extra Innings" baseball package.

Learning curve  —  Pitcher Henry Owens put off his dream to attend medical school to pursue a career in baseball.  —  dneal@MiamiHerald.com  —  JUPITER - Most 27-year-olds aren't where they thought they would be 10 years ago.  —  In that regard, Marlins pitcher Henry Owens isn't much different from his peers.

Notes: Possible platoon not ideal  —  Outfield logjam may mean reduced playing time for some  —  PHOENIX — Geoff Jenkins is not the only Brewers outfielder who wants out if the team is planning a platoon.  —  Kevin Mench, who struggled mightily after a midseason trade from Texas to Milwaukee …

Furcal to bat leadoff for Dodgers  —  With Pierre in the No. 2 spot, Little feels he has two players who can get things started in the first inning.  —  VERO BEACH, FLA. — From the comfort of a golf cart, Manager Grady Little led off an informal news conference Thursday by saying Rafael Furcal …

For peak performance, Reyes must aim low  —  JUPITER, FLA. — To be the pitcher the Cardinals think he can be and he knows he has to be, Anthony Reyes has embraced the power of the lower reaches of the strike zone.  —  He has accepted the two-seamer into his life.  —  If only his mechanics made his conversion easier.

Nats' Cordero Takes Everything in Stride  —  The newest millionaire in the Washington Nationals' clubhouse was, prior to his arbitration hearing earlier this week, offered a two-year contract.  He declined.  —  "I don't know why I didn't do it," Chad Cordero said Thursday.  "I wanted to."

Berra, Larsen to see '56 perfect game  —  NEWARK, N.J. — It is one of sport's most enduring images: New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra leaping into Don Larsen's arms after the final out of the pitcher's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.  —  For decades, it was also considered …

On deck: Dodgertown to ghost town?  —  VERO BEACH, Fla. — Baseball fan B.F. Peters thinks Dodgertown is heaven: He loves a cloudless day, warm sunshine and watching from a few feet away as the Los Angeles Dodgers, in their bright blue uniforms, practice on the same fields as Jackie Robinson.

Pirates Notebook: Matos good bet to make team  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — It would appear that Luis Matos will have a hard time not making the Pirates' 25-man roster out of spring training.  —  Asked yesterday how Matos might fit in with the team's needs …