Rays' Bronx jeer new Yankee Stadium  —  The Yankees christened their new ballpark with Babe Ruth's bat on Opening Day, hoping to coax the pinstriped ghosts of past glory into following them across 161st St. and taking up residence at the new Monument Park.  —  They may want to consider witchcraft.

Bruney easing way back  —  After throwing off a mound yesterday, Brian Bruney is optimistic about his injured right elbow.  But since his brief return from the disabled list resulted in a quick return last month, the reliever is tempering his enthusiasm.  —  Bruney, on the DL …

LaRoche on Mets' Beltran: ‘Zero class’  —  HOUSTON — Adam LaRoche responded to New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran's comments Thursday that he was “embarrassed” at being swept in three games by the Pirates.  —  “I think it shows zero class and zero professionalism,” …

Solid Bullpen Showing Comes Undone  —  Nationals Fall to Mets in 10 Innings: Mets 3, Nationals 1  —  Maybe you've heard that the Washington Nationals have the worst bullpen in the major leagues.  True enough, though that collection of relievers didn't quite obey the role last night.

After 100th win, Big Z ponders future  —  Right-hander says he'll call it quits at end of current contract  —  CINCINNATI — On a night when Carlos Zambrano should've been toasting his 100th career win, the Cubs right-hander announced he will retire at the end of his current contract.

Dodgers rally from brink to stun Phils  —  After error loads bases, Ethier's hit caps ninth-inning rally  —  LOS ANGELES — There's a new winning formula for the Dodgers' offense these days, and it's pretty simple: just get to the bullpen.  —  At least that's been the story of late.

Royals designate Ramirez for assignment  —  Veteran lefty Horacio Ramirez, once sent to the bullpen, never made any secret of his desire to pitch as a starter.  Now, he gets that chance if he wants it.  At Class AAA Omaha.  —  The Royals designated Ramirez for assignment prior to Saturday's …

Gibson Has Stress Fracture  —  Missouri righthander Kyle Gibson, the No. 4 prospect on BA's Top 200 Draft Prospects list, has a stress fracture in his right forearm and will be shut down for six weeks.  This obviously will affect him in Tuesday's draft, when he was projected to go in the top half of the first round.

Ohlendorf brimming with intelligence  —  Pirates right-hander, a graduate of Princeton, always the smartest guy in the room  —  It was a conversation that has rarely, if ever, taken place in a baseball clubhouse.  As Pittsburgh Pirates players were milling about, doing nothing of particular interest …

Mets must face possibility that Reyes has peaked  —  A Jose Reyes triple exists somewhere on the list of the best things you might see at a baseball game, somewhere alongside an Albert Pujols laser and a Justin Verlander gem and a Denard Span wall-climb.  Reyes hits a ball into the gap …

Halos' Santana wins duel with Verlander  —  Righty pitches into ninth; Figgins' great catch seals it  —  DETROIT — Nursing a nose bleed all night long, Ervin Santana managed to find his All-Star form on Friday night at Comerica Park — and it was a good thing for the Angels.

Ghost of the New York Mets … The ghost exists.  —  Close your eyes, and you'll see him, flying up and down, left and right, through the glistening, freshly painted hallways of Citi Field and onto the crisp green grass.  He laughs a lot — not in wicked tones, per say, so much as a sadistic, Jim Carrey-in-The Cable Guy sort of way.

Draft Class '09 Top 50  —  To be clear, this is not a prediction of how the players will be selected, nor is it any kind of mock draft.  Instead, this is a pure ranking of talent based on a combination of ultimate ceiling and the probability of reaching it after numerous conversations with scouts …