60 years after Robinson's debut, the number of black players is declining  —  The reason was literally as simple as black and white as to why Jackie Robinson wasn't allowed to play in the major leagues prior to April 15, 1947.  —  As Major League Baseball celebrates the 60th anniversary …

The Short and Happy Career of Ron Wright  —  Five years ago, in an otherwise forgettable baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers, a 26-year-old rookie named Ron Wright struck out, hit into a double play and hit into a triple play.  —  "Best day of my professional life," Wright said.

Ortiz homers as Schilling, Red Sox shut down Angels  —  CBS SportsLine.com wire reports  —  BOSTON — Curt Schilling is willing to mix in more pitches these days if it means he's able to throw fewer pitches overall.  —  Relying less on his fastball and more on changing speeds and location …

Notes: Smith getting hang of New York  —  Life in big city has proven a challenge to young side-armer  —  NEW YORK — For the most part, Joe Smith is enjoying his first month as a big leaguer.  He fits in well in the clubhouse — his primary residence is under the wing of Aaron Sele …

Blue Jays closer placed on 15-day disabled list  —  TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays placed closer B.J. Ryan on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with an elbow injury, a day after he blew his second save in his last four chances.  —  Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi told ESPN …

Papelbon saves it in the eighth  —  Closer gets the best of Guerrero in crucial matchup  —  BOSTON — Four years later, Bill James' message is finally getting through.  —  Of course, it helps to have a messenger like Jonathan Papelbon.  Right now, the 26-year-old right-hander …

Free pass  —  Source: Bonds explored exemption after failed test  —  By now, casual fans know that when Barry Bonds was told he had failed an amphetamines test last season, the first thing he did was suggest that he had taken some kind of substance that belonged to teammate Mark Sweeney.

Mets' Star Power Beyond Nats' Grasp  —  Stack up the New York Mets' lineup, from Jose Reyes at the top to Jose Valentin at the bottom, and put it up against the group that the Washington Nationals brought to Shea Stadium Friday night.  Mix the names around, come up with different orders …

Ozzie scolds anti-Thome fans ... again  —  CLEVELAND — Jim Thome got what he expected from Cleveland fans when his name was announced for each at-bat on Friday, but the booing for the former long-time Indians slugger still wasn't sitting well with Ozzie Guillen.

Cleveland 4, Chi White Sox 0  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Paul Byrd is warming up to pitching in cold weather.  —  The right-hander worked six sharp innings in his first official start of the season and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 4-0 Saturday.

Minnesota 3, Tampa Bay 2  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carl Crawford compounded one baserunning mistake with another, and Justin Morneau made him pay for it.  —  After Crawford's two blunders caused a double play in the top of the ninth, Morneau led off the bottom of the inning …

More Aches and Pains: Now Pavano Will Miss Start  —  The Yankees' most fragile player has added himself to the team's growing list of wounded pitchers.  Carl Pavano, who missed most of the last two seasons with a variety of injuries, will miss his start here Saturday with stiffness in his right arm.

A new era dawns  —  Tensions mounted for Robinson on historic day  —  For most of us who didn't live through Jackie Robinson's first day in the major leagues, black and white images have embedded it in our memories.  A stark snapshot of Robinson in his Brooklyn Dodgers cap, or frames of newsreel footage showing him running the bases.

Buck's gutsy play helps A's beat Yanks  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Travis Buck decided from the moment he made contact that he would stretch his hit into a triple.  —  The rookie wanted to test center fielder Johnny Damon and did so - barely.  —  Three batters later, Buck scored the winning run …

Indians extend Westbrook's deal  —  Tribe agrees to keep 29-year-old pitcher through 2010  —  CLEVELAND — The lure of big money and big years was on the horizon for Jake Westbrook.  He was just months away from his first shot at seeing what the free-agent market had to offer for his services.