Angels' Adenhart killed in accident  —  Rookie right-hander dies in three-car hit-and-run crash  —  ORANGE, Calif. — On one of the saddest mornings in Angels history, a groundskeeper on the field in Angel Stadium smoothed the pitching rubber on which Nick Adenhart stood 13 hours before.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marlon Anderson is odd man in outfield  —  CINCINNATI - It looks like Marlon Anderson's final game as a Met may come Friday night in Florida.  —  The Mets need to clear roster room for fifth starter Livan Hernandez, who will make his Mets debut Saturday opposite Ricky Nolasco.

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 …

O'Day's Painful Day  —  When he got back to the team hotel late Wednesday night Darren O'Day saw the highlights and got the news that his friend and minor league teammate Nick Adenhart had pitched six shutout innings for the Angels.  He thought to call or to text, but decided to wait until Thursday morning.

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.