Rocket's reentry set for Houston  —  Boston can't make Clemens splash  —  TORONTO — The Red Sox' pitching rotation is no better now than it was early yesterday morning when Roger Clemens agreed to a prorated $22 million, one-year deal to rejoin the Houston Astros, but if there's …

Winning ways  —  Amazing they got this game in.  The way it looked just past 7 o'clock, I didn't know if my flight on Friday would get off the ground, let alone the Yankees and Tigers would play.  It was bad, as you'll see below in my previous post.  But they played baseball, and the Yankees were pleased for that, as you can imagine.

Under The Knife  —  By June, Our Brook's Run Out of Song and Speed  —  June already?  Changing the calendar is usually a good time to look back and see if we learned anything from the previous month or whether an extra month gives us enough data to make bigger trends more apparent.

Cubs Seek Nevin To Fill Void  —  Despite all his winter wheeling and dealing, Jim Hendry never thought to create a back-up plan at first base.  Derrek Lee, coming off a career season, had not played less than 155 games in six years.  As Derrek Lee went down with a wrist injury, so did the Cubs, losing 26 of their next 37 games.

Rockies: Hey, we aren't the angels  —  'Christian-based code of conduct' disputed  —  SAN DIEGO - Colorado Rockies players and management say the team enjoys a healthy, positive attitude in its clubhouse but is anything but a bunch of choirboys.  —  "We look for players with character and ability …

Gagne Ready for His Return  —  After the Dodgers' 9-3 loss to Atlanta in final game of trip, all eyes are on the team's closer, who will be in the bullpen tonight.  —  ATLANTA — The Dodgers finished a two-city trip with a one-sided defeat.  They flew all night and must drag themselves to work today to begin a homestand.

Maroth to undergo elbow surgery  —  Lefty to have bone chips removed, could be out until late July  —  DETROIT — Mike Maroth will undergo arthroscopic surgery Friday to remove bone chips in his left elbow, dealing a major blow to the Tigers' rotation.  —  The bone chips were discovered …

Escobar Signs Three-Year Extension  —  In spring training, Kelvim Escobar said, the Angels offered to extend his contract for two years and $15 million.  He turned them down and said he would pitch his way to a better deal.  —  He did.  After his performance in April and May convinced …

American League All-Star picks  —  American League All-Star picks  —  This year's All-Star ballot, the paper one that they give out at every major league ballpark, has 240 names on it, with 240 red dots next to each.  The ballot begins, in the upper left-hand corner, with "J. Giambi YANKEES …

Next Peavy start in doubt due to shoulder concerns  —  Unless Jake Peavy wakes up this morning with his right shoulder feeling better than it has in three weeks, the Padres' ace right-hander likely will have his next start delayed by three days.  —  Instead of pitching as scheduled Saturday in Pittsburgh …

Ten Things About Los Angeles Baseball  —  The Dodgers and the Angels.  One team plays in Los Angeles, the other plays close enough for government work.  The one that actually plays in LA got its name from dodging trolleys in Brooklyn; the one that doesn't actually play in the city derived …

How things fell apart in Kansas City  —  Young flamethrower Mike MacDougal delivered the pitch, pinch-hitter Brian Daubach grounded to second, where Desi Relaford fielded the ball and flipped to first baseman Ken Harvey for the final out of the Royals' 83rd victory of the season.  —  The date was Sept. 25, 2003.