Dice-K will start opener; Lester in Game 2  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Red Sox manager Terry Francona today announced his starting pitchers for the two regular season-opening games in Japan next week: Daisuke Matsuzaka gets the nod on Opening Day in his home country, and Jon Lester will start Game 2.

Joba believes he'll begin in bullpen  —  Righty to discuss his role with Yanks' coaches Wednesday  —  TAMPA, Fla. — With less than two weeks remaining before the Yankees break camp, Joba Chamberlain believes that he will begin the year in New York's bullpen.

Miller remains work in progress  —  Marlins lefty finds positives to build from in latest start  —  VERO BEACH, Fla. — He's still a work in progress, but 6-foot-6 Andrew Miller took some steps in the right direction on Sunday afternoon.  —  The 22-year-old Marlins left-hander showed improvement …

Categorizing Pitchers by Strikeout and Groundball Rates: Starters - 2007 Edition  —  It is no secret that the best outcome for a pitcher is a strikeout.  There are no ifs, ands, or buts about that statement of fact.  That's the way it has always been and that's the way it will always be.

Linden learns he won't make club  —  Non-roster invitee was tearing up Cactus League pitching  —  PHOENIX — First baseman/designated hitter Mike Sweeney got half of the good news he's been hoping for Sunday when the A's informed him he'll be going to Japan with them Wednesday.

Broken bat makes mess of Delgado  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Carlos Delgado needed four stitches to close a bloody gash on his right forearm after he was speared by Brady Clark's broken bat as he led off third base in the third inning of Sunday's 7-4 split-squad win over the Tigers.

A farewell to Dodgertown  —  VERO BEACH, Fla. - Taking a left off State Highway 60 for the short, slow crawl into the parking lot at Dodgertown, I find the moment more or less matches my expectations.  —  The anger is gone.  —  The disappointment, no.  —  It still hurts.

Sabathia won't bite on Apple  —  TAMPA - Some Yankee fans view Indians' ace C.C. Sabathia, last year's AL Cy Young award winner, as the perfect target for the team when the lefty becomes a free agent next year.  —  Sabathia, though, says he's not thinking about the future, unless it applies to this season with the Indians.

Team Health Reports  —  Detroit Tigers  —  Finding Detroit rated this low seems kind of an oddball, down here in the land of the non-contenders (health division).  Hearing that Kansas City or Washington ended up with a bunch of DL days doesn't surprise many people, but the Tigers?

Hendry not done dealing  —  MESA, Ariz. — Two weeks from today, the Cubs open the regular season by hosting the division rival Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.  This has been a seemingly smooth camp, with most of the key decisions made before pitchers and catchers reported last month.

New discovery regarding baseball's origin  —  Almost since it was posited in the early 1900s, the myth of Abner Doubleday having invented baseball has been debunked.  Yet for longer than that, it's been accepted nearly unanimously by serious baseball historians that the first certifiably organized …

College Top 25: March 17  —  Arizona State takes over top spot  —  DURHAM, N.C.—Arizona State, one of two unbeaten teams in the nation, leapfrogged Arizona to take the top spot in Baseball America's college baseball rankings.  —  The Wildcats remain second after winning a series …