David Wells blasts Joe Torre, says he'd ‘knock him out’  —  David Wells didn't hold back when he was asked about Joe Torre's new book, “The Yankee Years,” on The Michael Kay Show on 1050 ESPN radio Thursday afternoon - and he may not hold back if he and Torre happen to cross paths.

Andruw, Braves reunion doubtful  —  Atlanta eyeing other free-agent outfielders on the market  —  ATLANTA — The Braves have had a couple of weeks to discuss Andruw Jones, and in the process, it doesn't appear that they've become any more interested in bringing the veteran outfielder back to their organization.

Hinske, Pirates agree to terms  —  Outfielder Eric Hinske and the Pirates have agreed to terms on the one-year contract, as of late this afternoon.  —  Financial details are not available, but the base salary is around $1.5 million.  —  Remember, as always, that no contract is signed until a physical is passed.

Many ways for Series to become Super  —  Here at Rumblings and Grumblings, we know exactly what the World Series is — namely, the most historic championship extravaganza in sports.  —  We also know precisely what the Super Bowl is — namely, the most convenient sports excuse ever invented to goof off …

Jeter Owns Up to Taking Stadium Souvenir  —  Tampa, Fla. — Derek Jeter came clean Wednesday night.  He pilfered the Joe DiMaggio sign, as I suspected.  —  When I had last seen Jeter before covering the kickoff party to his celebrity golf classic for his Turn 2 Foundation at the Saddlebrook Resort …

Varitek, Sox in stare down  —  With only hours remaining before a team-mandated deadline, the Red Sox and catcher Jason Varitek seem caught in a stare down that could produce an unhappy ending for both the player and club.  —  According to a baseball source, the deadline by which Varitek must accept …

Astros ink Newhan to Minors deal  —  Veteran infielder invited to big league Spring Training camp  —  HOUSTON — As expected, the Astros inked infielder David Newhan to a Minor League contract on Thursday, and invited him to Spring Training.  —  Newhan, 35, will compete for a job as a backup infielder …

Mariners sign Mike Sweeney  —  It's a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.  Sweeney has Tacoma connections and I know has always had interest in playing for the Mariners.  His wife, the daughter of former major-leaguer Jim Nettles (who is brother of Graig Nettles) is from the Tacoma area.

UnBusted Prospects  —  One of the bigger issues of disagreement between the statistical community and the mainstream media is the predictive power of minor league performance.  It's still widely believed that minor league statistics aren't very useful, and that there is a significant collection …

Is Baseball Really Recession-Proof?  —  “I've lived through a lot of economic recessions in my day.  I've never seen anything like this.  And neither has anybody else. ...  And so while, in the past, I've felt baseball was recession-proof, this is different.”  —Bud Selig

Pena “feels great” after abdominal surgery, plans to be ready for spring training with Tampa Bay Rays  —  UPDATE, 4:55: Pena said he is “recovering well” and “feels great,” that he went through a full workout including hitting on Wednesday with no problems, and there is “zero percent chance” …

Pirates, Maholm agree to 3-year deal  —  The Pirates and their top pitcher, Paul Maholm, this morning reached agreement on a three-year contract extension, plus a club option for a fourth, with only a physical remaining until there is a signing.  That is expected today or tomorrow.  —  More details to come.