Wright no fan of cheats  —  David Wright said he was a big fan of Roger Clemens growing up.  The Mets third baseman even got his autograph.  —  He'd like to be able to say the pitcher he faced was not using performance-enhancing drugs, but Wright isn't sure what to make of the Rocket's …

Around the horn: Middle infielders  —  Reyes, Castillo are catalysts on offense, standouts on defense … By the end of last season, the middle of the Mets' infield was limping, literally and figuratively.  Luis Castillo, short of two months with the team, was hobbled by a balky knee …

SIGN-ING UP  —  NAME SET AT YANKS' NEW PARK  —  The House That Jeter Built has a new sign that unmistakably promises great baseball will be played there.  —  The words “Yankee Stadium,” solidly etched in gold-leafed stone, were hoisted by crane onto the team's new South Bronx home this week.

Encouraging prospects  —  Rookie program shows Sox' stock is on the rise  —  Clay Buchholz (left) and Dustin Richardson hope they're in the running to make the Red Sox.  (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)  —  When you looked out at the football field in the indoor bubble at Boston College's …

Observations that can't wait  —  Picked-up pieces while waiting for the AFC Championship game . . .  — Please tell me you were rooting for the Colts.  Wouldn't this 19-0 ride be more satisfying with a butt-kicking of Indy at the Razor?  Wouldn't that be like beating Derek Jeter and Friends en route to the 2004 World Series win?

Twins Notes: Money, Money, Money, and Money  — Over at MLB.com, Kelly Thesier reports that “so far it appears no progress has been made” in the Twins' attempt to lock Justin Morneau up to a long-term contract extension.  Morneau told Thesier that he's “looking for a long-term deal …

In Baseball, Fear Bats at the Top of the Order  —  HE will always be a rookie to me, but Jimmy Rollins, the reigning National League most valuable player, once gave me a poignant piece of wisdom that typically would flow from mentor to mentee, not the other way around.

Dodgers avoid arbitration with Brazoban  —  LOS ANGELES — Relief pitcher Yhency Brazoban and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $540,000, one-year contract Tuesday.  —  The 27-year-old right-hander appeared in four games for the Dodgers last season before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on June 22.

Rockies back to business  —  Owner unsure NL champs can keep Holliday long term  —  In the 11 weeks since the lights faded to black in the World Series, putting to bed one of the most stirring sports stories in Colorado history, Rockies owner Dick Monfort has been a popular target in public.

Sanchez won't be ready to open spring training  —  JUPITER — The Marlins might have to wait a little longer than they had hoped for the return of right-hander Anibal Sanchez.  —  Sanchez, who made just six starts last year after winning 10 games and throwing a no-hitter as a rookie in 2006 …

Spring Training and the Syringe Generation  —  As theater, what was missing was the big gong sound of Bud Selig's head and Donald Fehr's head being banged together, just to learn 'em.  That big bang may never come around again, the way it did on the evening of March 17, 2005 …