Young to man first base as Lee leaves  —  Close spring battle ends quietly as veteran asks to be released  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Several weeks ago, while still in the Nationals' Minor league camp, first baseman Dmitri Young vowed that he would be on the team's 25-man roster.

Pelfrey locks up fifth spot  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The identity of the Mets' fifth starter was not much of a mystery by the time Mike Pelfrey threw his opening pitch in yesterday's start against the Astros at Tradition Field.  —  As long as the 6-7 Pelfrey walked off the mound under his own power …

Prognosis on Wood not good  —  Often-injured Cub hurt again, could be put on disabled list  —  MESA, Ariz. — Kerry Wood's chances to open the season on the Cubs' active roster likely ended Sunday when the injury-plagued right-handed pitcher suffered another setback.

De Aza earns shot in center  —  FORT MYERS — When bench coach Carlos Tosca writes the lineup card every day, he uses black ink for right-handed hitters, blue for switch-hitters and red for left-handers.  —  Alejandro De Aza saw his name in red, and the rookie outfielder had his own explanation: "I'm on fire.''

Beckett ready to break out  —  Right-hander taking things slower in second season with Sox  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Hanley Ramirez smacked Josh Beckett's first pitch of Sunday afternoon right up the middle for a single, and it was almost symbolic of the type of rush to judgment that might …

Pirates Notebook: McCutchen upbeat despite demotion to Class AA  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Andrew McCutchen walked out of the Pirates' clubhouse yesterday morning with a wide smile.  —  Probably because, even though he finally was assigned …

Oops!  Maybe Sox got it right  —  Getting Danks for McCarthy might make GM look good  —  Scouts don't write glowing reports on pitchers because of their pickoff moves.  Teams certainly don't hand out super-sized bonuses because of them.  —  Even the best prospects often have to work on the little things.

Notes: Brewers relievers deliver  —  Villanueva pitching well in various roles this spring  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Finally, some relief.  Brewers manager Ned Yost delivered a message to his relievers on Saturday that it's time to see some results, and on Sunday, he got what he was looking for.

Famous guest blogs in  —  Given 'invite,' Schilling issues direct answers  —  Curt Schilling isn't one to sit on an opportunity to get an unfiltered message to the fans.  (FILE/BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS)  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Getting a little tired and bored here in the final week …

Loe's role with Rangers uncertain  —  He's pushing to be a starter, but may open season in long relief  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  TUCSON, Ariz. - For Rangers manager Ron Washington, the question still surrounding Kameron Loe is not about whether he makes the Opening Day roster, but rather where he fits in.

Hot springs can turn cold in a hurry  —  Arizona averages can be deceiving for Cubs  —  MESA, Ariz. — Carrying over a hot spring into the regular season would seem like a relatively easy transition, but the Cubs know it's easier said than done.  —  Nomar Garciaparra tore up the Cactus League in 2005 …

Clubhouse chemistry winning formula?  —  PEORIA, Ariz. - "Hey Greg, I've got one for you," Brian Giles said to new Padres teammate Greg Maddux last month.  —  "Why was the mathematics book depressed?"  Giles said.  —  After the 333-game winner pondered the question for a few seconds, Giles slowly delivered the punch line.

Why don't the Yankees win titles anymore?  —  Though they're supposedly baseball's neighborhood bully, the New York Yankees haven't won the World Series since 2000.  —  Yes, the Yanks always grab the column inches/bandwidth for being perennial free-spending contenders, but they haven't laid hands on a trophy in almost seven years.

Interview with Bill James  —  Former independent writer turned revolutionary Bill James, who is now a part of the Boston Red Sox Front Office, was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.  Bill and I discuss Mark McGwire, his own potential website, parody in sports, and more.

Orioles cut 5, including Penn and Fahey … JUPITER, FLA. // Orioles officials have spent part of the spring boasting about their improved depth, which has given manager Sam Perlozzo more options and harder decisions on his roster makeup.  —  He made a couple of those decisions today …