Red-hot Rolen on Reds' radar  —  The Cincinnati Reds have talked internally about obtaining third baseman Scott Rolen from the Blue Jays.  —  The trade would re-unite Rolen with general manager Walt Jocketty.  The two were together in St. Louis when the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series over the Detroit Tigers.

Digital Eyes Will Chart Baseball's Unseen Skills  —  SAN FRANCISCO — As baseball's statistical revolution marches on, the last refuge for the baseball aesthete has been the sport's less quantifiable skills: outfielders' arm strength, base-running efficiency and other you-won't-find-that-in-the-box- score esoterica.

Melancon called to New York  —  No word on a corresponding move, but Mark Melancon has been called back to the big leagues and will join the New York Yankees in Los Angeles.  —  Melancon has not allowed a run in his past two outings, going a total of 5.2 innings with only one hit.

Vazquez injured, will miss Sunday start in Colorado  —  Braves officials hope to keep him off the disabled list  —  Denver — Even if Braves pitcher Javier Vazquez had been named to the All-Star team, a strained lower-abdominal muscle would have prevented him from playing in the game.

Comeback story 'penned  —  Red Sox relievers cough up lead against KC  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  The Royals, a punching bag for the Red Sox [team stats] and most other major league teams much of the last two decades, arrived at Fenway Park [map] last night for the opener of a four-game series.

‘Bran-Torino’ takes a ride to All-Star Game  —  Inge, Victorino win epic contest in Sprint Final Vote  —  “Bran-Torino” is now a joy ride.  —  Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino are your choices in the dramatic 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote …

Pirates Notebook: Sanchez trade not imminent  —  The Pirates are “pushing hard” to trade All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez, according to a National League executive yesterday, but no deal with any team looked imminent as of last night, according to multiple other sources.

Hanrahan earns victory on day off  —  Former Nats reliever credited with win in suspended game  —  HOUSTON — Pirates right-hander Joel Hanrahan was hanging out with teammate Adam LaRoche on Thursday afternoon in Philadelphia when he joked, “Well, it's time to get to work.”

Martinez's agent says Phils have shown interest  —  A couple of weeks after the pitching-hungry Phillies denied interest in free agent Pedro Martinez, the agent for the 37-year-old righthander said yesterday that the club had shown strong interest in the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

Rob Dibble on the Nats: “It's Pathetic”  —  Rob Dibble keeps talking, and I keep typing.  —  You won't often hear the home team's official broadcaster say things like this: “This isn't a Major League baseball team I'm watching out here....It's pathetic.  I've never seen a team that is ok with losing. …

Midseason Top 25 Prospects  —  While subscribers can see a more in-depth look at the top 25 prospects and will get a listing of the organizations who have improved their stock and which teams have slipped, we do want everyone to be able to see the listing of the Top 25 Prospects at the midseason.

Baseball prospers under Bud Selig  —  Allan “Bud” Selig has been baseball commissioner since 1992 and, after some early labor strife in his reign, baseball has enjoyed peace between management and players for more than 15 years.  —  A darker side of the game has emerged in the last decade …

O's prospect Tillman turning heads in minors  —  Chris Tillman wanted more eggs for breakfast but couldn't communicate the thought from his high chair.  So he grabbed an orange and flung it across the kitchen, hitting his grandmother flush in the back of the head.  —  Tillman wasn't quite 2, yet he had thrown his first strike.

The Evil Alex Cora Tries to Destroy Erin Andrews' Face  —  She's the sideline goddess, the fantasy of just about every male sports fan between the ages of 15 and 40 and she's pretty well-versed in the world of sports, too.  She's Erin Andrews, and for years she's been peering into your eyes …