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 …

Cubs bring Lieber back for another run  —  Veteran won 20 games for club in 2001, signs one-year deal  —  CHICAGO — Jon Lieber is back with the Cubs.  —  The free agent pitcher, who was the last member of the Cubs to win 20 games, signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract on Wednesday with the team.

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 …

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?

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.

Okajima looking forward to homecoming  —  TOKYO - Boston reliever Hideki Okajima [stats] is looking forward to starting the 2008 season on home soil — even though he'll be thousands of miles from Fenway Park [map].  —  Okajima was in Tokyo on Wednesday promoting Boston's season-opening series …

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.

Leaving The Mets Out Of The New Mets' Stadium  —  As Mets fans prepare for the last year of Shea Stadium, the future, in the form of Citi Field, is taking shape beyond the outfield fences.  —  Citi Field: the very name is yet another sell out to corporate interests, but if selling …