Cool Brew  —  MILWAUKEE - The junk-bond investor sat in the middle of the room, a slight and bespectacled man surrounded by grizzled baseball lifers wired on snuff and coffee, sure that his new business would be little like his old.  —  About an hour earlier, Mark Attanasio …

Alive and kicking  —  Yankees look sharp in taking opener vs. Sox  —  NEW YORK — This public-service announcement comes courtesy of the New York Yankees: The rest of the 2007 major league baseball season will be played, as scheduled, contrary to any chatter suggesting otherwise.

Stats Geek: Don't always save the best for last  —  Has bullpen management devolved to the point that a team must bring in its worst pitcher at the game's most crucial point?  —  Pirates fans know what I'm talking about.  With the Pirates ahead by four runs in the seventh inning on Saturday night …

Redskins RB Portis: Vick can do what he wants  —  While prosecutors and the league try to find out if Michael Vick was involved in a dog fighting ring at a Virginia house that he owned, one NFL player says it doesn't matter if he did take part.  —  "I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not …

Pirates Notebook: Rogers recalled; Chacon likely to start  —  It will not be a starter, but a reliever, coming to the Pirates from Class AAA Indianapolis.  —  And, in all likelihood, it will be Shawn Chacon who becomes the new fifth starter.  —  Brian Rogers, owner of a 1.35 ERA …

Fielding problems plague Marlins star infielders  —  In defense of Ramirez and Cabrera, numbers may not tell whole story  —  Statistically, one can argue Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera are baseball's most prodigious shortstop-third baseman combination this side of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

Quentin's HRs rally Arizona by Rockies  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Even after homering twice and driving in a career-high five runs, Carlos Quentin refused to declare his season-long slump over.  —  "I'm not going to say anything about anything at all," Quentin said with a smile after leading …

Notes: Losing Crawford would be bad move  —  If the Devil Rays are thinking about trading left fielder Carl Crawford, they should think again, one rival general manager says.  —  "I don't think they will do it and I don't think they should," the GM says.  "He's getting better and better.

Mets head to Atlanta  —  Can add to lead, confidence  —  The Mets and Braves have been neck-and-neck since the start of the season, neither team leading by more than the 2-1/2-game cushion the Mets currently enjoy.  —  Now the Mets hope to gain a little separation from their NL East rivals …

Team doesn't want fans spooked  —  Senior execs stress: 'It's business as usual'  —  New owners of sports teams usually like to come in with a splash.  But when the Braves play their first home game under Liberty Media ownership Tuesday night, they'll go out of their way to tell fans it's business as usual at the ballpark.

JOE AWAITS CLEMENS' GREEN LIGHT  —  Joe Torre said it's up to Roger Clemens to decide if tomorrow night's start for Trenton (Double-A) is his last in the minors.  —  "It will be his last if he says it is," Torre said of Clemens, who will be making his second minor-league outing since signing with the Yankees.

Indians improve to 17-4 at home, top M's  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — One hefty snowstorm and 45 days later, the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners finally played nine innings.  —  Casey Blake homered and Josh Barfield had two RBIs as the Indians remained baseball's best home team …

Arizona's Valverde, Houston's Pence named co-winners of Bank of America Presents the National League Player of the Week  —  Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence, whose .591 (13-22) batting average led the Majors, and Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Jose Valverde, who led the Majors with four saves …