Manny clocks in 'early': Silent slugger surprises Sox  —  FORT MYERS - The sun rose, and the sun set, and Manny Ramirez [stats] showed up yesterday to play baseball for the Red Sox [team stats], who once again opened their arms to their maddening, gifted slugger.

In first look, Burgos appears quite striking  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Ambiorix Burgos had an electric fastball, and spotty control, with the Royals.  But the Mets feel they have a diamond in the rough with the upper-90s throwing righthander, who was obtained in the offseason for Brian Bannister.

It's a glove story for Botts now  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Jason Botts has played in only 30 major league games so he hasn't been the subject of several hundred newspaper articles.  Nor has he been the darling of TV interviewers or the official mascot of the radio gods.

Boo-boo for Abreu  —  Bobby out 2-3 weeks with strained muscle  —  TAMPA - Just when the Yankees received good news on Carl Pavano, the team suffered its first serious injury of the spring, losing Bobby Abreu for two to three weeks with a strained right abdominal muscle.

Reliever fires away  —  Balfour aiming for comeback  —  Phoenix - Normally a pitching coach doesn't like to see a pitcher "overthrow" on the mound.  Mike Maddux made an exception Monday when right-hander Grant Balfour did it, however.  —  "It's good to see it with a guy coming off surgery …

As Season Approaches, Some Topics Should Be Off Limits  —  Things I don't want to read or hear about anymore:  —  ¶  Roger Clemens saying he hasn't decided if he will play this year or retire, and if he decides to play, which team he will play for.  —  Clemens is one of the greatest pitchers ever, the greatest of his era.

Honus Wagner baseball card sells for record $2.3 million  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The "Holy Grail of baseball cards," the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday.

Pavano is only bruised  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The MRI of Carl Pavano's left foot showed only a bone bruise, and the injury-plagued righthander was surprisingly upbeat and honest yesterday regarding his outlook.  —  "I feel like this is the first time I could say I'm just going to pick up where I left off," Pavano said.

Braves streak is over, but not hunger for October … LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — John Smoltz played in a golf tournament in Connecticut.  Bobby Cox puttered around his farm.  —  Chipper Jones packed up to travel to the ranch in Texas.  John Schuerholz headed for the office to begin the quest …

Red Sox Bring in a Friendly Face to Greet Matsui  —  Hideki Okajima was so eager to discuss coming duels with his old Yomiuri Giants teammate that he waved his hands and nodded his head as he spoke.  Okajima, a newly recruited left-handed reliever for the Boston Red Sox, was using Japanese …

All Butler needs is glove  —  Royals' outfielder has a big-league bat; now he's working on his fielding.  —  This time.  —  It wasn't smooth, graceful or even particularly encouraging — except for the determination, which was evident and beyond question.  —  This drill, in fact, was extra work.

Spring fever or is prospect really special?  —  Cedric Hunter has team singing praises  —  PEORIA, Ariz. - The Padres were craving a new hot prospect after homegrown infielders Khalil Greene and Josh Barfield reached the major leagues.  —  They might have found one in the draft last June.

New scouting tool - Google - nets pitcher  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - Baseball scouts look everywhere, from the local high school team to the fields of Japan and Latin America, for prospects.  —  The Phillies may be the first team to find a player with a Google search.

Cubs' Perry not accepting excuses  —  New hitting coach stressing disciplined aggressiveness  —  MESA, Ariz. — It's still early in Spring Training, so Derrek Lee can't give a complete scouting report on new Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry.  But Lee, who won a batting title in 2005 …

No shirt off his back - yet  —  Barmes offers his No. 12, but Finley is not in any rush  —  TUCSON - Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes was ready to defer to experience.  —  "He told me I could have (uniform) number 12," outfielder Steve Finley said.  "It was nice of him …