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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Pirates' Tabata says wife lied about being pregnant  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Pirates prospect Jose Tabata, reading from a statement in Spanish, said his wife lied to him about being pregnant and then showed to him a baby that she later handed over to authorities, who arrested her on charges of child abduction.

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 …

Updates: Red Sox vs. Cardinals  —  THE HITS (2:53, END 6, 7-4 SOX)  —  The Red Sox have 14 hits through six innings after a four-run sixth in which they batted around.  Youkilis knocked in Pedroia with an infield single that, despite being a full swing, looked like a perfect bunt down the third base line.

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.

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 …