Padres beef up security after syringe tossed at Bonds  —  SAN DIEGO — In light of Monday's syringe throwing incident, another security measure was put in place for Tuesday night's game at Petco Park, which was rained out, after a syringe came flying out of the stands toward Barry Bonds.

Gooden sentenced to year in prison for drug use  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Former baseball star Dwight Gooden was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison for violating probation by using cocaine.  —  The 41-year-old pitcher was serving three years of probation for speeding away from a police officer during a drunken driving stop.

No joshing — it was ugly  —  Game 2 was one to forget  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Not much life in this one.  Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield fell behind, 4-0, before recording an out, new catcher Josh Bard forgot how many outs there were in the first inning of the second game of the year, and the Sox lost to the Rangers, 10-4.

Under The Knife  —  West Coast Love  —  Late West Coast games are simultaneously one of the best and worst things about baseball.  On the one hand, it's more baseball, and that's almost always a good thing.  Mixing in three good games in a day (day game, night game, West Coast game) …

Lowe Says He Takes ADD Drug  —  Pitcher Derek Lowe revealed in a divorce deposition that he has taken medication to treat adult attention deficit disorder for three years, although he said he had never seen a Dodger physician for the problem.  —  The Dodgers, however, said that Lowe …

Song belongs to Met-tallica  —  Billy, not Mo, entered as the first 'Sandman'  —  Not only should the Mets play "Enter Sandman" when closer Billy Wagner takes the mound at Shea, the manager of Metallica says they should turn up the volume.  —  "Frankly, they could have played it louder …

Clemens gets ring, still uncertain about future  —  Clemens gets ring, still uncertain about future  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Even Roger Clemens' sons want an answer.  —  Clemens watched on television Monday night as the Houston Astros beat the Florida Marlins in their season opener.

A dazzling debut for new Busch  —  Minor Leaguers give stadium a test run  —  ST. LOUIS — The freshness and sparkle of the new Busch Stadium was on full display on a clear, cool and calm Tuesday evening as the venue's first game finally took place.  Judging by the buzz and conversation flowing throughout …

On ESPN, Bonds Is Shaken, Not Perturbed  —  "Bonds on Bonds," the ESPN vanity series that made its debut last night, shows a Barry Bonds that few of us know: he weeps, he talks to his father at his gravesite, he mops up the mess from a busted aquarium pipe in his house, he wonders why he is not GQ's most-hated athlete.

"In The Best Interests of Baseball?"  An interview with author Andrew Zimbalist  —  I recently read "In The Best Interests of Baseball?  The Revolutionary Reign of Bud Selig", and was given an opportunity to interview author Andrew Zimbalist on the book, as well as on the current state of some economic topics in the game.

The schedule is a Major undertaking  —  There's more than 2,400 games and only 181 days to play them  —  The Longest Season.  The long and winding road, through the dog days of summer, into October.  The grind, plain and simple.  And, of course, the proverbial "marathon."

Offense not so Lee-pendent  —  CINCINNATI — One of the many encouraging signs for the Cubs during their season-opening 16-7 victory Monday against the Cincinnati Reds was that first baseman Derrek Lee did very little offensively and still came away with two RBI.