Cubs call up Pie; Soriano feeling 'much better'  —  The Cubs have called up Felix Pie to play center field and lead off Tuesday afternoon's game against Greg Maddux and the Padres, replacing Alfonso Soriano in the lineup.  Soriano strained his left hamstring Monday.

Pepperoni with that?  Flying pizza at Fens  —  Jason Sole just wanted to catch a foul ball.  Matt Madore was merely trying to eat some pizza.  —  Put the two together, and it sounds like the setup for a twisted Reese's peanut butter cup commercial.  But what started as a disagreement …

Nats Are Winning.  How Cool Is That?  —  In the first inning at frigid, drizzling and wind-whipped RFK Stadium last night, rookie Matt Chico got two quick outs, then gradually began to turn into a snowman.  As the wind dried his hand, the ball felt slick.  As the cold chilled the San Diegan's body, his pitches began to bounce.

POWER OUTAGE  —  LONG BALLS IN SHORT SUPPLY FOR METS  —  There have been few reasons for curtain calls, no need for celebratory handshakes.  There's yet to be much need for a tape measure.  —  One of the strange developments so far in 2007 has been the Mets' head-scratching lack of home runs …

Mets pitchers putting in extra time  —  PHILADELPHIA — While the Mets may appreciate these days off when they are grinding out the dog days of August, to live through an April that has included nearly as many days off as games played, the tedium was easy to spot.

Baseball's Worst Cliché  —  When I am king, one of my first acts will be to create a law that permanently eradicates the expression "a good piece of hitting" from the baseball announcer's lexicon.  Millions of Americans who now can't watch baseball games on television without hurling heavy items toward …

Sad Day for Our Community  —  Brian Bluhm, a popular member of the Detroit Tigers internet community, was one of the students killed in the horrible shooting at Virginia Tech yesterday.  I never met Brian in person but he was an important part of my life over the past several years.

Mailbag: Franco the player/manager?  —  Mets beat reporter Marty Noble answers fans' questions  —  I read somewhere that Julio Franco wants to play past 50 years old then become a manager.  Any way he can become a player/manager?  Who was the last guy to do that?  Pete Rose?  Joe Torre?

More Than a Handshake Deal for Japanese Baseball Players  —  If Kei Igawa helps the Yankees defeat the Cleveland Indians tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium, Manager Joe Torre will probably offer him a handshake and some words of encouragement.  But Igawa, who pitched for the Hanshin Tigers …

Faux Yankee gets earful of Bronx cheers  —  Never have I been so thankful for a Yankees hat.  Never again will I wear one.  —  For 26.2 miles yesterday, my white cap with blue brim kept the rain out of my face, and my Derek Jeter T-shirt announced to spectators and runners along …

Easier resale of game tickets … Scoring last-minute tickets to an Orioles or Ravens game would be as easy as a stroll downtown under a bill introduced in the City Council yesterday that would lift a prohibition against reselling tickets within a mile of the Camden Yards sports complex.

Derek's leather is under weather & it may be catching  —  What is wrong with Derek Jeter?  —  The American League's reigning three-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop has looked anything but golden in the early part of the season, committing six errors in his first 11 games.

Blue Jays' Ryan out 4-to-6 weeks, Glaus goes on DL  —  TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan will miss four to six weeks with an elbow sprain and All-Star third baseman Troy Glaus will be placed on the disabled list Tuesday.  —  Left fielder Reed Johnson also opted for surgery to repair the herniated disk in his lower back.

Sanjaya gets booed at baseball game  —  [ 17 Apr, 2007 1344hrs IST IANS ]  —  BOUQUETS & BRICKBATS: Contestant Sanjaya Malakar was booed at a recent baseball game in Los Angeles (AP Photo)  —  LOS ANGELES: American idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar was booed by crowd at a recent Dodgers-Padres baseball game in Los Angeles.