Nick Adenhart of Los Angeles Angels killed in car crash in Fullerton  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed early Thursday when a minivan ran a red light and struck the sports car they were traveling in, authorities said.

Remembering The Best Friend I Ever Had  —  I had just moved to Manhattan Beach, California as a four-year-old kid and had no friends yet.  I sat around playing with my He-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures by myself.  A boy saw me playing in the yard with this stuff and approached me.

Raissman: No Mad Dogs allowed for stadium debuts  —  The only shot Chris (Mad Dog) Russo has of doing his Sirius/XM radio show from Citi Field and Yankee Stadium during the home openers next week is if he accepts Bud Selig's recent offer.  —  When informed Monday by Russo that exclusivity clauses …

At first, it never looked as if Yanks would get Tex  —  Up and down the Yankees' organization, from Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada to Joe Girardi and Hal Steinbrenner, the sentiment on Mark Teixeira early in the offseason was that he would be playing elsewhere in 2009.

Ichiro gets seven hits in Minors action  —  Mariners right fielder triples twice in Rookie League game  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki was the leadoff hitter for both teams in a five-inning Rookie League intrasquad game on Thursday afternoon in Peoria, Ariz.

Lowrie is flailing away so far  —  Judging by the raw data, the difference between Jed Lowrie now and in spring training could hardly be starker.  Lowrie left Fort Myers, Fla., batting .343 with 10 extra-base hits.  Through three games that count, he is 1 for 11 with six strikeouts, two of which have come in key late moments.

CORRECTING SHEFFIELD'S CRITICS  —  I have come not to bury Gary Sheffield as so many others have since the Mets signed him unexpectedly last week on the eve of the opening of the season.  Have I come to praise him?  Not necessarily, but I would like to offer a fairer picture of the veteran slugger than usually is presented.

Inbox: What is the best outfield trio?  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers Nationals fans' questions … Although I like the outfield strengths, I think Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes and Austin Kearns should be the starting outfielders.  I know Lastings Milledge is starting in center …

Obama won't throw Nats' first pitch  —  President Barack Obama won't be at Nationals Park on Monday to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Washington Nationals' home opener.  —  According to a White House aide, Obama will decline the team's invitation to throw the pitch in the game …

Dodgers falter at the finish against Padres  —  They surrender a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning and strand a runner at third with no outs in the ninth inning.  —  Reporting from San Diego — Perhaps this was only one bad inning in one bad game.

Silva's Pitch Selection  —  Last night, Carlos Silva returned to his former stomping grounds in Minnesota, trying to resurrect his career after a disastrous 2008 season.  Silva represents one of the tests for the predictive power of FIP, which we often use to evaluate pitchers here on the site.