Alex Rodriguez's cousin, Yuri Sucart, would do anything for him … As far back as anyone can remember, Yuri Sucart was always by Alex Rodriguez's side.  —  Sucart would tell anyone who would listen he was Rodriguez's cousin.  But he was also Rodriguez's best friend, confidant and personal protector.

Signing Griffey a shortsighted move by Mariners  —  The Mariners' agreement with Ken Griffey Jr. is a nostalgia signing that does very little to push the franchise forward and carries some risk of retarding their recovery from five years of mismanagement by the previous baseball regime.

Hank rebukes talk of salary cap  —  Yankees co-chairman responds to Boston's suggestion of payroll limit  —  Hank Steinbrenner isn't so keen on a salary cap.  —  Not long after Red Sox owner John Henry and club president Larry Lucchino said on Wednesday that Major League Baseball …

Sources: New York Yanks, San Diego Padres vie for Mexican pitcher  —  The Yankees and Padres continue to search for pitching depth, even with spring training under way, and both are in the bidding for Walter Silva, a 32-year-old right-hander who had a strong showing in the Mexican Winter League, sources said.

Rockies' pitcher Francis likely out for year  —  TUCSON — Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis expects his season to be over before it starts.  Francis will undergo exploratory surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday in Denver, he said here today.  —  The surgery is expected to sideline him between 6-12 months …

Francoeur, Braves avoid arbitration  —  Outfielder now can focus on Spring Training, upcoming season  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Jeff Francoeur won't need to board his scheduled flight on Thursday morning.  Nor will he have to experience the arbitration hearing that had seemed destined to take place.

St. Louis Cardinals Pineiro upset with Jose Oquendo decision  —  JUPITER, FLA. — Debate continues over whether Major League Baseball devised the World Baseball Classic as a competition or global marketing opportunity.  —  In the Cardinals' training camp, the tournament has become a flash point.

Baseball battles the slump  —  In one of the hardest-hit parts of the country, the Arizona Diamondbacks are emerging as a case study of how to keep sports fans loyal during the recession ($1.50 hot dogs, anyone?).  —  (Fortune Magazine) — Calling Arizona Diamondbacks season ticket holder Jackie Smiley …

George Steinbrenner, Bernie Williams appear at New York Yankees spring training  —  TAMPA, Fla. — A pair of familiar faces appeared Thursday at the New York Yankees' spring training camp for the first time this year: owner George Steinbrenner and outfielder Bernie Williams.

Baseball's Place Under the New Media Sun  —  The mainstream media really seems to think that the sports business is in trouble.  Check out this piece of doom-casting from the Wall Street Journal: … That's a pretty bold statement, considering how healthy the major sports leagues …

Young players asked to fill leadership void for Dodgers  —  Russell Martin restrains teammate Manny Ramirez, who argues with Phillies pitcher JC Romero during the National League Championship Series last season.  Martin is one of several young players expected to serve as team leaders in 2009.

Now with Angels, Abreu happy Phillies won World Series  —  TEMPE, Ariz. - On the night the Phillies won the World Series, he sat in his apartment high above the streets of New York, eyes fixed on the high-definition screen.  He'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.  —  “I was rooting for them.

Ryan Ludwick on WBC, Adam Kennedy on TLR  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Ryan Ludwick has told the organizers of Team USA that he would rather stay with the Cardinals than participate in the World Baseball Classic unless they would like him as a starter on the team.  He's waiting to hear where he fits on their roster, if he fits at all.

Rich Rundles has a posse  —  The number of people who care about this is likely equal to the number of people who were excited to see Rich Rundles make the majors last year, but while reading the new edition of the Baseball Prospectus annual, I was a bit put off by this information on their new play-by-play defensive metric:

Cubs hope Kosuke Fukudome gets good start—in Japan  —  Fukudome seeks jump-start in Japan  —  MESA, Ariz. — You didn't have to be Bob Woodward to catch this clue.  —  Right there in full view, before the Cubs' first workout Wednesday morning, a pair of athletic shoes sat in front of Kosuke Fukudome's locker.