You pay for Yanks' parking deal  —  The Yankees and hundreds of their VIPs will get free valet parking for the next 40 years, courtesy of New York taxpayers.  —  The startling revelation of yet another subsidy for the richest team in baseball is buried deep in the fine print …

Trade presents opportunity for Texas Rangers pitchers  —  From where I sit on this New Year's Day - and that would be in my pajamas watching a small TV and gorging myself on every snack chip I can find - there are two components of the Rangers' daring pre-Christmas trade with Cincinnati.

YANK DROVE WITH NIXED LICENSE  —  VICTIM'S PALS RIP LEYRITZ AS 'A KNOWN DRUNK'  —  By LISA LUCAS in Delray Beach, Fla., SAMUEL GOLDSMITH in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and DAN MANGAN in New York  —  Ex-Yankee home-run hero Jim Leyritz was driving with a suspended license when he allegedly got drunk …

Yankees After Darvish For 2009?  —  I'm surprised it took this long, but the Yu Darvish to MLB rumors may have just officially kicked off right along with the new year.  A Sports Hankook (Korea) report, relying on a Japanese source, says that the Yankees plan to nab Darvish following the 2008 season.

Re-imagining the Big Zone Sixties, revisited: part one  —  Away back in 2004 (it really doesn't seem that long ago!), in the dim dark early months of THT, we presented a couple of articles that examined the impact that the expanded strike zone of 1963 through 1968 had on our perception of the best batting performances of the era.

National intrigue  —  New vibe surrounds DC following busy offseason  —  WASHINGTON — There's a good reason the Nationals are excited about the upcoming season — they're going to play in a brand-new ballpark and bring more excitement to the diamond, especially after general manager Jim Bowden …

Giles may add to mix at second  —  Creating competition will be a common thread as the Rockies iron out their final roster wrinkles before the start of spring training.  —  Free agent Marcus Giles is emerging as a strong possibility to push rookie Jayson Nix for the second base job.

Interview: Bob Bowman - President and CEO - MLBAM  —  At the beginning of this interview, I mention that Bob Bowman is the most influential person in sports that no one has heard of.  If you have your finger on the pulse of sports business, that really could not be further from the truth.

Fountain of youth  —  Marlins move on with top prospects, young stars in 2008  —  MIAMI — Instead of growing another year older, the youthful Marlins have gotten a bit younger once again.  —  At least, they're greener when it comes to experience.  —  The Marlins made the biggest splash …

Why won't anyone pony up for Johan Santana?  —  The Yule logs are but ashes.  The fruitcakes are being digested, a process that will continue until July.  The Moet bottles are empty, giving off a nauseating, sour smell that really makes you wonder how the stuff possibly tasted good the previous night.

The Wang Effect?  —  If you're a baseball fan with at least some proclivity towards stats, you're probably familiar with Voros McCracken's DIPS theory.  McCracken basically stated that a pitcher's ability to control what happens on balls in play is variable and volatile.

THE FACE OF THE TIGERS: Brandon Inge is pillar in community, but he's likely to be traded  —  Coffee tables are crowded at this time of year.  They are popular hangouts for greeting cards, holiday decorations and photographs of second cousins you rarely see.  Space can be scarce.

Dodgers parade into New Year's Day  —  Lasorda, Scully, players begin celebration of 50 years in LA  —  PASADENA, Calif. — The Dodgers got the new year and their 50th anniversary celebration off to a rousing start as players past and present joined employees on the organization's …

Sox in position to build on success  —  Veteran leadership around young core gives club balance  —  They did it again.  But can they do it again and again?  That's the big question entering 2008.  —  The Red Sox are already the first team in the 21st century to win multiple World Series, doing it twice in a span of four years.