Yankees to sign comedian Crystal  —  Commissioner Selig approves lifelong fan's one-day contract  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees are ready to add a touch of Hollywood to their roster, announcing their plans to sign actor and comedian Billy Crystal to a one-day contract during Spring Training.

Santana solid; Beltran really can't run  —  That about sums it up, Mets fans, after today's 1-1 tie with the visiting Red Sox at Tradition Field.  Rejoice in the fact that Johan Santana gets better with each start and today was a perfect example: four scoreless innings, two hits, four strikeouts, zero walks.

Upbeat A-Rod to WFAN: NY is where I want to be  —  TAMPA, Fla. - Alex Rodriguez didn't create any controversy in his interview with Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN Monday — unlike a year ago, when he made it sound as if staying in New York would depend on whether the fans made him feel wanted.

Cubs' Pie out 3-5 days  —  MARYVALE, Ariz. — Centerfielder Felix Pie will undergo surgery on Monday to correct a personal problem and miss 3-5 days, manager Lou Piniella announced before the Cubs-Brewers game.  —  Pie is suffering from what's called testicular torsion, or, in layman's terms, a twisted testicle.

Year one A.B. (cont.)  —  When is Mr. Roberts going to Chicago?  —  Most baseball people still think Brian Roberts will go to the Cubs before spring is over.  What may be delaying a trade is for the Orioles to complete their scouting of the Cubs' minor leaguers.

Benson on the burner for No. 5 spot in Phillies' rotation  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - The only candidate for the No. 5 spot who hasn't given up a run in the past 5 days was the one throwing a bullpen session and drawing rave reviews yesterday morning outside Bright House Field.

Sox may have (computer) chip on their shoulder  —  If computers ran the world, Steven Seagal probably would have won a few Oscars by now, assuming they judged him on the $2 billion his movies have earned.  If computers had a way of measuring acting ability, he'd be running a martial-arts school in a strip mall.

Joba, Rivera lead Yanks over Reds  —  Starter lasts into third inning; closer retires all three batters  —  YANKEES 4, REDS 0  —  Reds at the plate: Jay Bruce reached base in his first three plate appearances, getting aboard on a throwing error in the first inning before singling in each of his next two at-bats.

Yankee Fans Nervously Anticipate Life Without Torre  —  Starting last week, I've been traveling around the eastern seaboard as part of a book tour, which means a little bit of book signing interspersed with answering a great many questions from journalists and radio and TV hosts …

A's notes: Barton homers in return  —  (03-10) 18:50 PDT Tempe, Ariz. —  Daric Barton was in the lineup for the first time since March 1 and hit a three-run home run in a 5-4 A's loss to the Angels.  Apparently, that hand injury no longer is a problem.

Breaking Down the Leftover Campers  —  With 2 1/2 weeks of Spring Training action left and the Mets already assigning ballplayers to their minor league camp, I became curious as to whether the Mets' Opening Day Roster appears any clearer than it did a few weeks ago.