Dowd criticizes Selig's selection of Mitchell  —  NEW YORK — Baseball launched its probe Thursday into alleged steroids use by Barry Bonds and others, and right away the head of the investigation came under attack because of his close ties to the sport.  —  In the wake of a searing book about Bonds …

Floyd likely to make Phils' rotation  —  The youngster will open the season as a starter as the Phillies finalize their pitching staff.  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. - The Phillies offered a blueprint of their pitching staff yesterday, and barring a trade or late addition, Gavin Floyd will be on the team.

Anna Benson files for divorce from O's pitcher  —  New Baltimore player says Mets traded him because of wife's actions  —  Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kris Benson, left, and his wife Anna Benson talk with media after the pitcher's trade from the Mets in January.  —  Slide show

Baseball 2006: Tracy's goals are big, but strategies small  —  FORT MYERS, Fla.— When presenting challenges to his players, Pirates manager Jim Tracy stresses thinking big.  —  The day before the first full workouts of spring training, he gathered all 62 of them in a Pirate City cafeteria …

The Kid Is Now the Man  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., March 29 — Anderson Hernandez's teammates did a double take when they saw him Wednesday morning, and it was not because they thought he had missed the bus.  —  Gone was the substantial Afro that Hernandez had nurtured, replaced by a shorter, more refined style.

Under The Knife  —  Early Worries  —  One of my favorite readers asked a question about pitching yesterday that touched on a subject I've often wondered about.  In golf, you'll often hear about a golfer taking some time off to rebuild his swing.  Even Tiger Woods, the top golfer of this era …

Numbers cruncher  —  When it comes to baseball statistics, analyst Bill James wrote the books  —  LAWRENCE, Kan. — You can't MapQuest 445 Tennessee St. Not technically, anyway.  —  It's on a block that doesn't actually exist, the street ending where it runs into ''The Kaw" — what locals call the Kansas River.

Maddon won't fret over starters' struggles  —  SARASOTA - Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon continues to say everything is fine, as do his starters.  It is spring training, after all, and pitchers spend more time working on mechanics than worrying about statistics.

Only The Agent Was Free  —  Last September, I republished an article written by my Dad for the Long Beach Independent, Press-Telegram about Sandy Koufax's perfect game.  The title of that entry was "It Was Forty Years Ago Today..." Well, in the spirit of 40-year anniversaries …

Red Sox's Tavarez suspended 10 days for brawl  —  NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox reliever Julian Tavarez was suspended for 10 days and fined Thursday for his role in a brawl this week.  —  Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, cited Tavarez for "violent and unsportsmanlike actions" …

Report: MLB sponsors won't celebrate Bonds  —  Major League Baseball plans to celebrate if Barry Bonds passes Hank Aaron as the all-time home run kind.  MLB's sponsors, however, have a different idea.  —  According to Bloomberg News, one of baseball's 18 national sponsors, Bank of America Corp. …

Baker plans sitdown with 3 second basemen  —  TEMPE, Ariz.—Dusty Baker says he isn't concerned about the three-headed monster at second base, where Jerry Hairston appears to have the edge over Todd Walker and Neifi Perez.  —  Baker plans to talk to all three of them together in Las Vegas …

Angels Barely Covered on TV  —  Moreno ends talks with FSN on 10-year, $500-million deal that was supposed to be set.  Only 58 games are on the schedule for now.  —  The Angels pulled the plug on Fox Sports Net on Wednesday, putting their fans in jeopardy of losing television coverage …

Preseason Predictions  —  AL Staff Picks, 2006  —  When BP welcomes new contributors, we like to test them right away—usually by demanding that they take out their crystal ball.  Yes, it's time to wrap up the off-season by predicting what things will look like at conclusion of the 2006 season.

Nats send Church down to New Orleans  —  VIERA, Fla. — The Washington Nationals optioned outfielder Ryan Church to Class AAA New Orleans yesterday, clearing the way for rookie Brandon Watson to be their starting center fielder.  They then added veterans Royce Clayton and Daryle Ward to their 40-man roster.