George Kell, former Detroit Tigers broadcaster, dies at 86  —  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — George Kell, a Hall of Fame third baseman who outdueled Ted Williams for the 1949 American League batting title and became a Detroit Tigers broadcaster for nearly 40 years, died Tuesday.  He was 86.

Nady Wins Job, and Swisher is Subdued  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - On Nick Swisher's Twitter page, his enthusiasm all but bursts through your computer screen.  It's a festival of exclamation points and effusive praise.  The trip to the pool hall?  A great idea.  Team U.S.A.?  Loaded with talent.

Andruw Jones Update: Texas Rangers Now Considering Him A Cleanup Option  —  NOTICE: THIS POST IS, AS WE SAY, “DEVELOPING.”  IT MAY BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY.  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - The latest twist in the strange spring saga of Andruw Jones:  —  The Rangers, who a week ago …

Stan Kasten Discusses Nationals' Plans and Expectations  —  The transcript follows.  —  Stan Kasten: Hi there, everyone.  I'm happy to have this opportunity to speak with all of you.  I always enjoy having the opportunity to chat with fans, whether in person or online.

Competitions won't end on April 6  —  Obsessed with who'll be the Yanks' starting CF on April 6?  Don't be.  Ken Rosenthal says battles like this won't end on Opening Day.

What does Bill James think of the Astros?  I'm glad you asked  —  OK, I'll cut right to the chase.  Bill James is a genius.  A lot of people say the same thing about me, but that's not important now.  Today we're discussing Bill James.  His statistical analysis has changed professional sports forever.

Smoltz and Daisuke next steps  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — The next step for John Smoltz is his bullpen session, scheduled for tomorrow.  In that session, which will take place at 9 a.m. at City of Palms Park, he is expected to throw between 30 and 35 pitches in what will be his first bullpen of spring training.

Hello Livan, Goodbye Freddy  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Ladies and gentlemen, the Mets' fifth starter is Livan Hernandez.  Big surprise, right?  Not really.  The latest and clearest indication that we'll be seeing Hernandez on April 11 in Florida came this afternoon, when the team reassigned Freddy Garcia …

Blue Jays Rotation: And Then There Were Three  —  As promised yesterday by Cito Gaston, the tussle for the 4-5 rotation spots became a little clearer this morning when non-roster, rehabbing right-hander Matt Clement was sent to minor-league camp for assignment.

Hamels' debut may come April 10  —  Phillies ace lefty to pitch in Minor League game Tuesday  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — If everything goes well, Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels could start the fourth game of the regular season, April 10 against the Rockies in Denver.

United States' Loss Runs Deeper Than One Game  —  There was a troubling refrain from Team USA players on Sunday after a 9-4 loss to Japan in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.  —  Japan did the little things, they said, and the United States did not.

Lupica: Gardner could grow into Yank version of Pedroia  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - The throw from Ryan Raburn of the Tigers, a spring-training throw out of palm trees and blue sky that seemed to explode out of the kid's hand in center field and carry all the way to his catcher, Gerald Laird …

Armed, but Dangerous  —  It's too bad Stephen Strasburg is a pitcher.  Otherwise, he might be worth a record-shattering amount of money for a No. 1 overall draft pick.  But he's a pitcher.  So, he isn't.  —  History is unequivocal.  Strasburg, no matter how much he dominates college hitters …

Yankees announce some Stadium details  —  This press release from the Yankees ...  YANKEES AND LEGENDS HOSPITALITY TO DEBUT NEW GENERAL CONCESSIONS LINEUP IN YANKEE STADIUM; FOCUS PLACED ON QUALITY, CONVENIENCE, VARIETY AND VALUE  —  THE NEW YORK YANKEES announced today their new general concessions lineup for the 2009 season.

Marlins' ballpark vote passes  —  Retractable-roof stadium slated for 2012 opening  —  MIAMI — At last, a home the Marlins can truly call their own.  —  Miami-Dade County commissioners on Monday put to rest more than a decade-long quest by voting in favor of a retractable-roof ballpark for the Marlins on the Orange Bowl grounds.