Yanks ‘sign’ 59-year-old comedian Crystal to play  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Billy Crystal will get to “look mahvelous” in pinstripes.  —  The actor will sign a one-day, minor league contract with the New York Yankees and play in Thursday's exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Harper: Kennedy's brain wins games  —  TAMPA - If Joba Chamberlain is the box-office phenom, and Phil Hughes is the can't-miss kid, what does that make Ian Kennedy, the least heralded of the three young guns the Yankees are banking on this season?  —  Call him the thinking man's pitcher.

For Mets, Tradition Field Looks Like Red Sox Nation  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Johan Santana received a pleasant round of applause when he was introduced as the Mets' starting pitcher before Monday's game.  The fans, though, were just warming up their vocal cords.

CARLOSES TWICE AS NICE  —  The heart of the Mets' order - and arguably two of the biggest deciding factors in their season - returned from a lengthy absence yesterday.  —  Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado went a combined -for-5 with two strikeouts and a double-play groundout …

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.

Barmes draws interest from O's, Angels  —  TUCSON — With Troy Tulowitzki cemented as the Rockies' shortstop for arguably the next decade, the Orioles and Angels are among the teams monitoring Clint Barmes this spring, hoping he becomes available in a trade.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mitch Williams still a little ‘Wild’  —  MITCH WILLIAMS lived up to his “Wild Thing” nickname Saturday at a Catholic Youth Organization basketball game in Medford, N.J.  —  The former Phillies hurler cursed at a female referee who was calling a basketball game in which his daughter …

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 …

WILLIE MUST TAKE SOME GIANT STEPS  —  Willie Randolph watched the Super Bowl from his living room, saw Tom Coughlin put the finishing touches on his trek from firing line to genius.  —  It was another symbol to a man born in Brooklyn, steeled in the Bronx and elevated in Queens that reputations can flip in a New York minute.

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.