Yankees honored to visit Va. Tech  —  Tuesday's exhibition game can be seen free on MLB.TV  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The itinerary for the Yankees' trip to Virginia Tech includes a visit to the memorial site at Drill Field, where the traveling party will depart from buses and pay its respects …

Hard Feelings Emerge as Mets Face Lo Duca  —  VIERA, Fla. — Paul Lo Duca and Lastings Milledge, two players no longer with the Mets, sat in the opposing clubhouse Monday and did their best not to say anything controversial about the fact that they now play for the Washington Nationals.

No. 2 Lester to arrive late  —  FORT MYERS - For Jon Lester [stats], there is a price to be paid for being named the Red Sox [team stats]' starter for their second regular-season game in Tokyo - he won't be joining his teammates on the flight to Japan.  —  Lester, who was announced yesterday …

Mets' injured Valentin is mulling retirement  —  VIERA, Fla. - Jose Valentin sounded as if he were on the brink of retirement yesterday in talking about a pinched nerve in his neck, but general manager Omar Minaya later insisted the situation is not that desperate.

For Dukes, Joining Nats Is a Move Toward Stability  —  More than four hours before an exhibition game last week, sweat poured off Elijah Dukes's face, soaked through his red shirt.  He worked alone with one of the Washington Nationals' batting practice pitchers, drilling baseballs …

Team wants to deal, but needs its pitchers  —  (03-18) 04:00 PDT Scottsdale, Ariz. — The Giants remain in the trade market, still trying to upgrade their offense, but their thinking has changed given what's happening in the trainer's room.  —  With reliever Vinnie Chulk shelved …

Long-term contract talks with Miguel Cabrera continue  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — The Tigers and third baseman Miguel Cabrera are continuing to talk about a long-term contract that would keep the talented third baseman in Detroit for the next several years.  —  It isn't clear how close the sides …

Ankiel ready to provide protection?  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Whether in a back field dawn workout at their spring training complex or in the relative anonymity of middle relief during a 2004 comeback to the major leagues, the Cardinals long handled Rick Ankiel as a precious commodity, something to be protected, even shrouded.

Jason Jennings picks up pace for Texas Rangers  —  Pitcher showing much improvement, but other staff question linger  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - The Texas Rangers are within two weeks of opening the season.  Do you know who your Rangers pitchers are?  —  Neither do they.

New-and-improved SportsCenter throws Ombudsman curveball … In a column last summer, posted in response to the insipid, month-long Who's Now competition on SportsCenter, I broached the notion of ESPN's producing a crisp, clean half-hour evening edition of SportsCenter, focused on news and highlights …

National League Over/Unders  —  In case you missed it, we ran through the American yesterday.  Now on to the senior circuit.  For entertainment purposes only:  —  Arizona Diamondbacks - 86.5  —  Under: The Diamondbacks won 90 games last year, despite allowing more runs then they scored.

Andy Sox it Papi, Boston  —  TAMPA - The Yankees didn't seemed overly concerned about Andy Pettitte's elbow injury when he was scratched from his start two Saturdays ago.  —  Still, there had to be some comfort for the entire team Monday as the lefty tossed 65 pitches against the Red Sox.

Castro has strain  —  The Mets announced this morning that Ramon Castro's MRI revealed a strain of his right hamstring.  The official prognosis is day-to-day (of course).  But it is a good sign that Castro is behind the plate catching Mike Pelfrey for this morning's simulated game.

Tigers prospect dislocates shoulder  —  Hollimon suffers injury during game against Reds  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — Tigers prospect Michael Hollimon's spring is likely over, and possibly more than that, after he dislocated his left shoulder on a play in the field during Monday's loss to the Reds at Ed Smith Stadium.

Lightning Rod  —  After a stormy off-season, Alex Rodriguez is back on course for the record books and, perhaps, that ever-elusive ring.  Can baseball's $275-million man redeem himself — and the game?  By Seth Mnookin  —  On Opening Day last season, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit …

Phillies Notebook: Lidge may start weekend exhibition  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - Assuming everything goes smoothly in a minor league start Thursday, Brad Lidge should make his first Grapefruit League appearance this weekend.  The Phillies closer, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Feb. 25 …

Wood over Marmol: Cubs will regret it  —  Piniella shouldn't put most-pressing need all on Kerry's shoulders  —  He's one of those blue “I Believe” wristbands.  He's the shriek in Ron Santo's voice, the quiver in the soul of every diehard, the ongoing template of hope in Cubdom.