Notes: Schumaker in the mix  —  Eckstein fine day after collision; Rodriguez improving  —  PHILADELPHIA — Skip Schumaker's stock has risen considerably, while So Taguchi's has fallen only slightly.  Larry Bigbie is unavailable, but John Rodriguez is merely limited.

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.

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 …

Washington (0-1) at NY Mets (1-0)  —  Of all the new additions to the New York Mets, Brian Bannister didn't expect to get his chance to contribute so quickly.  —  Because of injuries to the starting rotation, the rookie right-hander makes his major league debut Wednesday night when the Mets …

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.

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.

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 …

GM Jim Hendry has made some shrewd moves with the Cubs, outweighing mistakes, writes Paul Sullivan  —  Studs offset duds  —  CINCINNATI — Jim Hendry is an unapologetic throwback, the kind of front-office executive who still values his scouts' opinions over a computerized printout of every statistic imaginable.

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) …

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.

For Wagner and Rivera, Play It Again, Metallica  —  The song took hold in Houston and accompanied Billy Wagner to Philadelphia.  Between those stops, it has blared nearly 600 times, providing an intimidating backdrop for his entrance from the bullpen.  —  But until the song "Enter Sandman" …

Estes faces Giants, seeks 100th win  —  San Francisco (0-1) vs. San Diego (1-0), 7:05 p.m. PT  —  Following Tuesday's rainout, the first in San Diego since 1998 and 16th in Padres history, southpaw Shawn Estes makes his Friars debut against his original team, the Giants, on Wednesday night.

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."