Commentary: For Griffey, Mariners, end is near  —  If life were as simple as fiction, the book on Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners would have closed late last summer, with him being carried around Safeco Field on the shoulders of his teammates.  Junior wanted one more year, the Mariners thought it might work and gave it to him.

Mets Raise Their Voices but Go Quiet in the Big Moments  —  The dominant image of David Wright on Monday night at Citi Field was not his ninth strikeout in nine consecutive at-bats.  That happened with the bases loaded in the first inning.  —  Instead, the more meaningful picture was of Wright …

Modern pitchers taken to task by legend Jenkins  —  MERRILLVILLE — During his keynote speech at Monday's Meet the RailCats luncheon at the Radisson Hotel, Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins lamented the lack of assertiveness on the part of modern pitchers.  —  “In my era, we knocked people on their butt …

Nova gets the call  —  Thanks to my pal Tim Bontemps of the New York Post for the heads up on this, but it appears the Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher again tonight.  —  Ivan Nova, whose regular turn in the rotation would have been yesterday, has been called to New York …

Adonis Cardona Close To Agreement With Blue Jays  —  The Blue Jays are close to signing Venezuelan righty Adonis Cardona, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law.  The prospect can't officially sign with the Blue Jays until the July 2nd signing period opens.  The terms of the deal aren't clear …

Jurrjens aggravates left hamstring  —  Braves righty likely won't be activated from DL on Saturday  —  MILWAUKEE — Right-hander Jair Jurrjens suffered a setback on Monday that will likely keep him out beyond Saturday, when he becomes eligible to be activated from the disabled list.

Moore believes Royals will step it up  —  GM doesn't have any moves on tap for slumping squad  —  KANSAS CITY — What's next for the slumping, shell-shocked Royals?  Apparently no personnel changes before they open a home series against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Prospectus Q and A: Denard Span by David Laurila  —  Denard Span … David Laurila: Who are you out on the field?  —  Denard Span: Who am I on the field?  I'm definitely a confident ballplayer, a hard-working ballplayer.  It took a lot of hard work for me to get here …

NIX, ROLEN HELP REDS HOLD ON FOR WIN IN PITTSBURGH  —  The Sports Network  —  Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Laynce Nix and Scott Rolen each had a run- scoring double and Bronson Arroyo pitch seven-plus quality innings, as the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates …

Pregame notes: Park ready to begin rehab assignment  —  Chan Ho Park is closer than ever to returning to the Yankees bullpen.  —  Park threw a 45-pitch bullpen session today and will make a rehab appearance in extended spring training on Wednesday.  That outing will determine how quickly Park returns to the big league bullpen.

Trio of Sox relievers get job finished vs. Jays  —  Happy ending 'penned  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  The Red Sox [team stats] have mangled, strayed from or plain forgotten their lines so often this season, what happened with the bullpen last night is a welcome reminder …

MLB teams take scouting to new level, track umps  —  Ron Washington flips the pages of his three-ring notebook, filled with inside info on the other team's pitchers and hitters.  —  The Texas manager gets to the back of the black binder, reaches into the pocket and pulls out another scouting report—on that night's home plate umpire.

Tigers pay tribute to Harwell … DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers honored late broadcaster Ernie Harwell by raising a flag with his initials at Comerica Park.  —  The team paid tribute to Harwell on Monday night before playing the New York Yankees, its first home game since Harwell died last Tuesday from cancer.

Vazquez Shopped, Millwood and Mets, Johnson's Durability  —  On Monday afternoon I spoke with my main Yankees source down in Tampa, who informed me that the team has already received inquiries from several NL teams in regards to the availability of Javy Vazquez.

Ross swipes home, momentum from Cubs  —  Double steal in seventh inning provides insurance run  —  CHICAGO — One way to grab some attention is to swipe home.  —  Cody Ross did just that.  He saw the opening, and delivered a momentum-changing play that underlined the Marlins' 4-2 comeback victory …