Sosa in clear?  Sorry, no way  —  Perhaps you saw the two letters to the editor in Saturday's Tribune Sports section.  —  One suggested that media members take a hard look at themselves in regard to their treatment of Sammy Sosa, seeing as how Sosa's name didn't show up in the Mitchell report.

The Dan Haren Trade: Glass Half Empty for the Angels  —  There is a detailed analysis of the Dan Haren trade over at the subscriber-driven Baseball Prospectus, and for Angel fans, it is not a pretty picture.  —  In short, don't pop the division crown corks any time too soon, especially you pre-2009-11 AL West crown revelers.

Dodgers beat M's to Kuroda  —  The Mariners lost out on one of their prime pitching targets, Japanese free agent Hiroki Kuroda, who agreed Saturday on a three-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  —  The deal will be worth $35.3 million, according to mlb.com.

Dale Murphy has big beef with cheaters  —  Dale Murphy still regrets not saying something during his playing career, when the power numbers of ripped sluggers were exploding along with their outsized pecs.  Now retired and devoting much of his time to his anti-steroid "I Won't Cheat" …

D-backs, Melvin agree on extension  —  Arizona to lock up manager through 2010, according to source  —  PHOENIX — The D-backs have reached an agreement with Bob Melvin on a contract extension through the 2010 season, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told MLB.com.

Still wanted: Pitching  —  My plan for today was to write something profound off the Mitchell Report and performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.  —  But really, what's left to say?  Baseball had a huge drug problem.  Big Bud Selig's going to mete out some punishment.  It will cost some guys games and money.

Searching for a cure to these Hall of Fame ballot blues  —  Every December my Hall of Fame ballot arrives in a plain brown manila envelope.  This year, that seems especially fitting.  —  So I'm sitting here, staring at the 25 names listed on the ballot, wondering what I'm going to do.

Athletics starter Gaudin to have surgery on hip  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Right-hander Chad Gaudin needs surgery to repair a tear in the cartilage of his left hip joint, the Oakland Athletics said.  —  The 24-year-old pitcher, who spent the entire 2007 season in the starting rotation …

His own boss … Hank Steinbrenner makes no apologies for taking a stand on some hot Yankees topics in the past few months.  "You can't hide in a corner," he says.  "You have to step up at some point."  —  Times]  —  TAMPA - He crafted his own career and life on 800 acres …

Hot Stove: We will ... come up with a new slogan  —  Anyone taking jabs at the Pirates in 2008 will have to find a fresher approach than poking fun at the marketing slogan.  —  In other words:  —  We will ... find new material.  —  Yes, the "We will" slogan, born in early 2006 and stamped …

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEARTLAND  —  LINCOLN UP WITH JOBA AND HIS PROUD DAD  —  LINCOLN, Neb. - This was long before Joba Chamberlain became JOBA!  —  Back in 1998, when Northeast High won the Nebraska state basketball championship, one of the first on the floor to celebrate was the ball boy …

Andy Pettitte can spare us the crocodile tears and contrived 'regret'  —  A little over a year ago, it was reported in the Los Angeles Times that a former Yankee pitcher named Jason Grimsley had accused some major-league players of using performance-enhancing drugs in a federal agent's affidavit.

Report costly, not valuable  —  ST. PETERSBURG - With all due respect and acknowledgment of what the Mitchell report intended to accomplish - to document across 409 pages at a reported $20-million cost that, yes, baseball has a drug problem - one can't help but think that the money could have been better spent with some forethought.