Time for Honesty About the Great Derek Jeter  —  My father used to clip columns from a popular New York sportswriter named Jimmy Cannon that, in his old age, he enjoyed reading to me.  His favorites were about heroes of his youth who were now at their crossroads.

Hair-brained policy raises Hanley's ire  —  Hanley Ramirez, the lone Marlin with five stars to his resume, walked through Thursday morning's clubhouse with a message written across his chest in Sharpie.  —  “I'm sick of this s—,” it read.  —  He was serious.  “I'm angry,” he said.

Reds Values Return  —  The Cincinnati Reds have announced the return of $5 single game tickets and the debut of new value-priced concession items at Great American Ball Park for the 2009 season.  —  “We want fans to know that Reds baseball will continue to be an affordable entertainment destination …

Japanese schoolgirl Eri Yoshida makes pro baseball debut  —  OSAKA, Japan — Japan's first female professional baseball player made her debut Friday, striking out one batter in the ninth inning.  —  Eri Yoshida, a 17-year-old who throws a sidearm knuckleball, took the mound during Kobe 9 …

So far, SNY closed to captioning  —  Carl DeStefanis is deaf, and thus doesn't bother with TV shows that do not offer closed captions.  —  One exception: Mets games on SNY, which he called “a continuous reminder of my disability.”  —  “I can't help but try to watch the Mets,” DeStefanis …

Beyond Thunderdome: In the 'pen  —  Young Parnell emerges as favorite to join Major League team  —  In this third installment of Beyond Thunderdome, the series that sets odds on the Mets' roster-margin positional battles, I'll examine the back end of the team's bullpen.

Exploitation, steroids hitting home in Dominican Republic  —  SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — A mid-morning workout on a barren field during a bright Friday in March provides a picture of the dreams baseball engenders in this impoverished country of 9.5 million people.

Opinion: My Tour of Citi Field  —  In November, 2008, following a media tour, I left Citi Field thinking it was very sterile, cold, ‘cookie cutter,’ and much too similar to PNC and Citizen's Bank Park.  —  This is no longer the case.  —  Citi Field will have its own unique feel, and Mets fans are going to love it.

Padres' ownership transition officially under way  —  Jeff Moorad, the new CEO of the Padres, donned a jersey at a news conference yesterday at Petco Park.  (Nelvin C. Cepeda / Union-Tribune)  —  Jeff Moorad assumed the dual roles of Padres CEO and vice chairman of the board Thursday …

Raissman: Meet the Mets' Carlin & Ojeda  —  It wasn't a mirage.  Still, it was a sight you would not expect to see on a beach in Tampa - a big fellow, wearing a trench coat, pacing back and forth in the sand.  Between two fingers was a lit cigarette.  The other hand was holding a cellphone, pressed to his ear.

CLEVELAND INDIANS  —  Baseball News, Schedule, Pictures, and More  —  Indians won't pursue Cliff Lee contract extension this season, citing economic uncertainty  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia are left-handed starters, former teammates and have won the last two Cy Young awards in the American League.

Gammons On Pitching Shortages  —  By Tim Dierkes [March 27 at 9:51am CST]  —  The theme of Peter Gammons' latest blog post: almost every team needs pitching.  One GM told Gammons, “Other than the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Marlins and Twins, everyone is looking for pitching, at least affordable pitching.”

New York Mets' David Wright set to return to lineup Friday night … PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — With less than a week remaining before they head north, the Mets will send something closely resembling their projected Opening Day lineup out to play the Washington Nationals on Friday night at Tradition Field.

Johan talks to Perez after tough outing  —  Mets ace expresses team's need for struggling hurler to right ship  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Long fingers are an advantage for a pitcher.  For a man generously listed as 6-foot tall, Johan Santana has relatively long fingers.