These American idols have lost their fear factor  —  George Lucas may not be making any more Star Wars movies, but that doesn't mean we've seen the last of the Evil Empire.  —  Yes, the hated, despised, reviled, insufferable and arrogant Yankees are in town for a three-game weekend series …

Banged up Dodgers continue to struggle  —  Navarro and Mueller injured as skid reaches five games  —  LOS ANGELES — Thursday's game marked the Dodgers' fifth straight loss, but they may have lost much more than that in the process of being shut out, 3-0.  —  The game was hardly underway …

New Nats owner to take deliberate steps  —  When Ted Turner bought the Atlanta Braves in 1976, he gave baseball's other owners chills.  He was loud, flamboyant, a maverick in every sense of the word.  He didn't get his nickname "Mouth of the South" by mistake.  —  Free agency was in its infancy.

Rockies need to establish home-field advantage  —  The Astros face a contrast of styles for the second straight weekend, taking on the surprising Rockies in a three-game series that begins on Friday.  And they'll do so without utilizing their top two starting pitchers in Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte.

Interest in Clemens Is Low-Key and Far Away  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 3 — Roger Clemens will decide on his future soon, his agent said Wednesday, and there are no indications Clemens is leaning toward pitching for the Yankees.  —  "Roger is mulling over what he wants to do but does …

Foe's maneuver may sink Marlins' funds  —  A bill to give the Florida Marlins $60 million in tax breaks for a new stadium may fail again in the state Senate.  The legislative session ends today.  —  meklas@MiamiHerald.com  —  TALLAHASSEE - On the final nail-biting day of the lawmaking session …

Hamels vs. Bonds would be ESPN classic  —  IT WAS a sunwashed early September afternoon in the middle of the last century.  I can't tell you why I was in the rightfield bleachers of the Polo Grounds for a doubleheader between the New York Giants and the Phillies.

Setup man with stuff of closer  —  The best relief pitcher in the National League, and maybe all of baseball, looks more like a grad student in his street clothes.  Off the mound and out of uniform, Duaner Sanchez replaces his signature goggles with rimless glasses, just as Superman trades …

Future Shock  —  Now that we're a month away from the 2006 Draft, we do have a better idea of who's going to be picked at the top, but little idea of the order.  Let's start this week's notebook with an update of where things stand with the first five picks.

It's almost Lima Time  —  Jose Lima was pulled from last night's Triple-A Norfolk game after two innings and received congratulatory handshakes from teammates, but Mets officials insisted they aren't bailing on John Maine for Sunday's start.  Not yet, anyway.

Gomes has some serious strength … They are the next line, the line below the stars, but the line that clearly is on the rise.  Their next stop could be their first All-Star Game — and after that, perhaps even bigger things.  Here are five players who are off to good starts, which might be a sign of things to come.

Rain delay provided an opportunity to soak the fans  —  Despite more brutal weather, they played baseball at Fenway last night.  Hallelujah.  But had they not played, the Red Sox still would have been winners at the cash register.  The $ox always win these days.

Bonds gets a day off from starting lineup  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) - Barry Bonds' pursuit of the Babe might have to wait until Philadelphia.  —  Bonds wasn't in the starting lineup for the San Francisco Giants' game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.  —  He still had a bit of a headache …

Left-hander is a fantasy come true  —  ARLINGTON - When the Rangers acquired pitcher John Koronka on the eve of the 2006 season, my high-dollar fantasy baseball service described him as "a soft-tossing lefty destined, at best, for the Cubs' bullpen."  —  I'm thinking about canceling that service.

Second base, not second fiddle  —  ARLINGTON - Ask Mark DeRosa if he would like to be an everyday starter, and he'll give you an answer similar to what any player would: "That's always been the goal."  —  Ask DeRosa if he thinks he is capable of being a regular starter, and he won't hesitate: "Absolutely."

Rangers coach suspended, fined  —  ARLINGTON - Rangers third base coach Steve Smith and Triple-A Oklahoma manager Tim Ireland received lengthy suspensions Thursday for arguing with umpires.  —  Smith was suspended five days and fined $2,000 for what the league called "inappropriate and aggressive actions" …

Dotel inches closer to joining pen  —  ST. PETERSBURG - It's possible that the Yankees' best offseason addition to their bullpen hasn't thrown a pitch for them yet this year.  —  Octavio Dotel, who is nearing the end of his rehab from elbow surgery, is targeting the end of this month …

Cards Notebook: Pujols is hobbled  —  Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols fouled a breaking pitch off his left ankle during a first-inning at-bat Thursday.  He ended the plate appearance by grounding to second base.  He limped noticeably running to first before slamming his helmet.