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 …

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 …

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.

Debate: Is Jim Rice a Hall of Famer?  —  Jim Rice hit 20 or more home runs in 11 of his 16 seasons in the majors and also drove in more than 1,400 runs in his career.  But so far those numbers haven't been enough to get Rice elected to the Hall of Fame.  —  In this, his 14th year on the ballot …

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.

Mailbag: The important statistics  —  MLB.com's Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  I enjoy reading your stories.  You give straight answers to tough questions, and I look forward to your Mets mailbags.  That being said, I have a comment about two recent stories dealing with Brian Schneider.

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.

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.

Blue Jays sign R. Johnson for $3.275 million  —  TORONTO (AP) — Outfielder Reed Johnson and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract worth $3,275,000.  —  The 31-year-old hit .236 with two homers and 14 RBIs last season, which was cut short in April because of a herniated disk.

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.

Baltimore Orioles  —  Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel.  All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.

Baseball gets back to work  —  It's Jan. 2 and baseball is back in business after a break for the holidays.  What does this mean for the Yankees?  Probably not a whole lot.  —  There are no indications that the Yankees will suddenly get back into the mix for Johan Santana.

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.