Initial report on Wang  —  Chien-Ming Wang threw 91 pitches today in Tampa today, 70 for strikes.  —  I'm still gathering the details in terms of hits and runs, but he struck out 11 without a walk and was averaging around 91 with his fastball.  —  Wag pitched in an extended spring training game …

Identity crisis for newcomer O'Day  —  Rangers righty wears Gabbard jersey after joining team  —  TORONTO — To say Darren O'Day's Wednesday was a whirlwind of a day would be a massive understatement.  —  The right-handed reliever began the day looking for work, and by the end of it …

BIG PAPI TO JOBA: DON'T THROW AT US  —  BOSTON — If young Joba Chamberlain misbehaves tomorrow night, he might face a spanking from someone else's Papi.  —  With Chamberlain scheduled to start for the Yankees in the opener of a three-game series against the Red Sox, David Ortiz yesterday …

Uh-oh: Cardinals 5, Mets 2 ... Jerry to shake up lineup  —  Now what?  Well, after the Mets lost to the Cardinals, 5-2, on Wednesday night to fall two games under .500, Jerry Manuel plans to shake up his lineup.  Well, shake it up for a day, anyway.  —  Carlos Beltran will move to third …

Carter: Interest in Mets job was a ‘mistake’  —  Gary Carter received a lot of criticism for expressing his interest in the Mets managerial job last season when Willie Randolph still held the position.  Almost a year later, Carter realizes he made a mistake.

Inside the 2009 Forbes MLB Franchise Valuations  —  Now in their 12th year, Michael K. Ozanian and Kurt Badenhausen have published the 2009 MLB franchise valuations for Forbes, and with it, the downturn in the economy has cast its shadow across the league.  —  The 30 clubs are valued …

Cubs' Piniella lays down the law to Milton Bradley  —  Milton Bradley entered Lou Piniella's office at 10:17 a.m. Thursday morning, with a white towel wrapped around his waist and a blue towel covering his head.  —  Bradley wasn't hiding from the paparazzi, but did not want to advertise his visit to Piniella's office.

Q&A: Marlins' Wes Helms talks about his love for kickboxing  —  Being a major leaguer is accomplishment enough for most people, but Marlins' reserve infielder Wes Helms has another notch on his belt — actually it's the belt itself.  Helms has a black belt in kickboxing, which he took up in 1995 to improve his agility.

Bush takes no-hit bid into 8th, Brewers beat Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dave Bush held Philadelphia hitless for 7 1-3 innings before pinch-hitter Matt Stairs homered off the foul pole, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Phillies 6-1 Thursday.  —  Bush became the sixth pitcher …

Florida's fire sales are history  —  With a new park opening in 2012 and loads of young talent, the Marlins are here to stay  —  We all know what happened the last two times the Florida Marlins put together teams like this.  —  The 1997 World Series champs were calling the moving vans …

Fans Say New Home Ignores Old Mets  —  Where have you gone, Tug McGraw?  Apparently, to the windswept left-field entrance of Citi Field.  —  The Mets have taken a lot of heat from fans angry about the ticket prices and the obstructed views at Citi Field.  A vocal minority of fans …

What makes a home run pitch  —  It's the bottom of the ninth, and the healthy lead you've been holding all game starts to come into jeopardy as you load the bases with an arm that is growing increasingly numb.  The pitching coach makes his excruciatingly slow walk to the mound and grunts: “This is your last batter.