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 …

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.

Duchscherer to have elbow surgery, out at least a month  —  PHOENIX — Justin Duchscherer will have arthroscopic elbow surgery next week, likely causing the Oakland Athletics' two-time All-Star to miss at least the first month of the season.  —  Manager Bob Geren announced the surgery on Friday …

A's Acquire Curtis Thigpen  —  By Tim Dierkes [March 27 at 2:23pm CST]  —  According to a press release, the A's acquired catcher Curtis Thigpen from the Blue Jays today for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  They also signed catcher Eric Munson to a minor league deal.

Melhuse informed he won't make team  —  Rangers decide to go with youth tandem as veteran ponders options  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Adam Melhuse is hitting .632 for the spring.  He is 12-for-19, giving him the highest batting average anywhere in Spring Training for a player with a minimum of 15 at-bats.

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.

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.

The Real Voice of the Yankees  —  When politicians questioned the propriety of the Yankees' $1.2 billion in tax-exempt bonds for their new stadium, Randy Levine, the team's president, scolded them for getting their facts wrong or for failing to examine similar financing for the Mets' Citi Field.

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.

Marlins give Nolasco nod for opener  —  Right-hander will face Nationals on April 6 at Dolphin Stadium  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Perform the way Ricky Nolasco did in 2008, and you are bound to be rewarded.  —  Add to that an impressive spring, and upstanding character, and you can understand …

Jeter hits 1st, Damon 2nd; it could stay that way  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - Johnny Damon didn't even get two steps into the Yankees' clubhouse yesterday morning before manager Joe Girardi intercepted him.  —  “Just the man I want to see!”  Girardi said.  —  On that note, they entered …

Justice: If Tejada regrets anything, it's getting caught  —  Drayton McLane loves it when his players do community work, so he has to be thrilled Miguel Tejada has agreed to do an extra 100 hours this summer.  —  Nice going, Miggy.  Way to represent The Good Guys.

To Draft or Not to Draft  —  Apparently, that is the question Tom Boswell has been trying to answer this week.  First, in a column for the Post and then in his chat yesterday.  —  A point by point analysis … What he fails to mention is how many hitters drafted #1 overall in the draft are in the Hall of Fame?

Gagne shows up at Dodgers' complex  —  Reliever not lobbying for job but plans to resume throwing soon  —  PHOENIX — With the bullpen being the Dodgers' greatest question mark, who should make an appearance at Camelback Ranch on Friday but the team's greatest reliever of all time, Eric Gagne.

Updates: Red Sox vs. Cardinals  —  WALK-OFF WIN (4:42, END 10, 11-8 SOX)  —  Sorry, everyone, but the end of the game did not go as planned.  With the score 7-4 in the eighth, Josh Beckett became availabe to the media in the clubhouse.  I went down there and, because it appeared the game …

ATLANTA BRAVES - ALL TIME HOME GROWN TEAM vs. ALL TIME ACQUIRED TEAM  —  To quote Red Leader in his Death Star Trench attack run... alllllllmost there!  —  Just two to go and I will have completed all 30 teams in my Home Grown versus Acquired opus.  —  Let's finish these babies!

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.