Beckett pessimistic about back  —  Red Sox ace Josh Beckett, who spent the morning undergoing treatment for a strained lower back muscle, was considerably more pessimistic about his condition today than he was yesterday.  He said he had difficulty sleeping last night because of the back …

Yankees' Girardi still taking collision hard  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - Shelley Duncan, all 6-5 and 225 pounds of him, was tearing around third base yesterday, trying to score on a double to left-centerfield by Morgan Ensberg.  There was no throw and no play at the plate, but Duncan still slid …

Stadium game likely for Bronx Blueshirts  —  The House that Ruth Built is on track to be the house the Rangers bring down.  —  As the current Rangers continue to drive down the stretch of this season, what is shaping up as a historic 2008-09 schedule now is expected to include a game at Yankee Stadium.

Angel in the outfield  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Angel Pagan has hit 753 fewer career home runs than Barry Bonds' 762, but he also has one thing baseball's king of controversy isn't ever likely to receive:  —  A chance to start the season with the Mets.  —  Pagan has made the most of his …

VET PRANKSTERS HIT ROOKIE HARD  —  The clubhouse pranks for the Yankees have picked up this spring, and last year's No. 1 pick Andrew Brackman, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has been hit hard.  He walked to his locker yesterday morning to find that all of his sliders, his baseball underwear, had been slit down the middle.

Cha-Ching!  Selig Gets 4% Raise.  Made $15.06M Last Year  —  While player salaries haven't kept pace with the skyrocketing growth of revenues in MLB, one player off-the-field is certainly cashing in.  After receiving an extension (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1846 Itemid=42) …

Pie looking like Cubs' center fielder  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - Felix Pie has taken a big lead over Sam Fuld in the battle to be the Cubs' center fielder, but whether he'll be the man on Opening Day remains to be seen.  —  Manager Lou Piniella buried Pie on the bench after his recall last August …

Lineup, Yanks sign Chad Moeller  —  Well, the Yankees signed a veteran catcher to add some depth in the wake of Francisco Cervelli's injury — Chad Moeller.  He was released by the Nationals yesterday.  Said Moeller: “This one came up immediately.  It's a place to go right away and play at Triple-A.”

More Taxes and Lies  —  Over the past few days, a lot of new information has come to light on the Gwinnett stadium deal—actually it's been pried from public officials.  For any Gwinnett residents who still had confidence in their elected officials, it all has to be gone by now.

Linden has doubts about roster security  —  Outfielder voices concerns on opportunities with A's this spring  —  PHOENIX — It wasn't supposed to be this way for Todd Linden, the former Giant who figured that he was a slam dunk to start in the A's outfield this season, considering their youth movement.

Calling Ray Milland  —  It's a mystery pitch that needs a catchy name.  Too bad “Gyroball” is taken.  The Orioles will have to come up with another way to describe what Rule 5 pick Randor Bierd is throwing.  —  Bierd has a “swing-and-miss” pitch that's almost as difficult to describe as it is to hit.

Tip leads to new outlook for Pelfrey  —  Mets right-hander learning to be more deceptive on mound  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Still disappointed by his performance last summer and intent on improving, Mike Pelfrey shamelessly has turned to deceit as a means to attaining his objective.

Mets fans gearing up to Shea goodbye  —  Anthony D'Alessio fell in love with the Mets in 1981 and has since called the wilting Shea Stadium a second home.  —  Twice he pulled off the ultradedicated feat of attending all 81 home games, and Sunday he sealed the deal on the hat trick …