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.

Trade thoughts kept at arm's length  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The planets were aligned.  An ace who could have been pitching for the Red Sox was pitching against the Red Sox.  A guy who could have been traded for the ace was pitching for the Red Sox.  And another guy who could have been traded …

Pedro pitching for new deal … PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - You didn't honestly think he was going to make the trip, did you?  —  The New York Mets will be in Fort Myers to face the Red Sox [team stats] (again) today, and it is Pedro Martinez' day to pitch.  But by the time the Mets take the field …

Blue Jays take flyer on veteran pitcher Benitez  —  DUNEDIN, Fla.-The Blue Jays added another veteran arm to their spring training bullpen mix Tuesday morning, signing 35-year-old reliever Armando Benitez to a minor-league contract.  —  Benitez will report Thursday's to the Jays' minor-league camp, said general manager J.P. Ricciardi.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Pouring cats and dogs  —  Perhaps elephants, too.  —  It's definitely coming down here at City of Palms Park, putting in jeopardy the on-time start for Tim Wakefield.  The mound and home plate have been covered, and the fans are seeking shelter.  —  Meanwhile, I have to apologize for my tardiness in blogging the lineups.

Stats I Like  —  The day is here!  The Soul of Baseball paperback is now officially out, available on-line, available in bookstores, available at my house (send your checks!).  Buy the award-winning book that President George Bush called “Thank you for the copy.”

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.

Martinez could see Big Apple by year's end  —  Santana trade stripped system, but Mets have talent at lower levels … The Mets will be the first to say that reports of the farm system's demise following the Johan Santana deal have been greatly exaggerated.

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 …

Two on Two: 2008 AL Central Preview  —  We're bringing out the big guns for the American League Central.  We hope you enjoyed the AL West and NL West previews and trust you will find today's roundtable discussion with two of our favorite writers informative and entertaining.

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 …

Yankees see brilliant future for Cano  —  Robinson Cano fields a ball during spring training at Legends Field.  The young second baseman's future appears bright, given what he already has accomplished in his short career.  (Newsday/Audrey C. Tiernan)  —  TAMPA, Fla. - The Yankees …

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.

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.