Protection of Milledge makes Mets look minor league  —  It took until the second inning Wednesday night, and a failed attempt at a one-handed catch by Lastings Milledge, for Mets TV voices to reveal another side of the highly touted prospect.  —  "He (Milledge) did irritate the opposition …

Prospectus Notebook  —  Rockies, Dodgers  —  COLORADO ROCKIES  —  Historically, the most significant problem in Rockies baseball is the lack of pitching talent.  The lineup has never really been as potent as it is believed to be—the 1995 playoff squad made it as far as it did on the strength …

Bonds on Broadway  —  Fans may boo, but players rave  —  In San Diego, a plastic syringe flew from the stands.  In Philadelphia, he was greeted with a banner that read: "Ruth did it on hot dogs & beer.  Aaron did it with class.  How did you do it?"  —  Just imagine what Shea fans …

From Way Out in Right Field  —  Yankees Fan Who Beat O's in Stands Could Join Them in Dugout  —  This is a story about fate, a story about a curse — if you care to believe in such things.  It is a story about coming to grips with them, and maybe, just maybe, reversing them.

Hey fake fans: Make like Damon and leave  —  They show up like every day is Christmas, and you know what that means: You just lost your seat at church.  You have shown up week after week, year after year, and now you have to stand behind the last pew because of some lady with an obnoxious pink hat.

Padres don't see trade imbalance  —  Bay's statistics better, but Giles leads in intangibles  —  PITTSBURGH - Any time the Padres and Pirates meet these days, subject one on the table is The Trade.  —  Sports talk shows in Pittsburgh were abuzz with the subject yesterday.

Lords of the stance  —  Individuality proves it's not how you start, but how you finish  —  "The one unbreakable rule about hitting is this: If a batter hits well with his own particular stance and swing, think twice — or more — before suggesting a change."  — Stan Musial

Sheffield Out Indefinitely  —  MRI Shows Ligament Tear, Tendon Injury In Wrist  —  DETROIT — The injury news keeps breaking all over for the Yankees, and most of it is bad.  On Thursday, they learned right fielder Gary Sheffield will be lost for indefinitely, perhaps the rest of the season.

Delgado slumping but won't shift blame  —  It almost seems unfair.  When Carlos Delgado steps into the batter's box and surveys the field in front of him, he probably feels as if someone has changed the rules in the middle of the game.  —  Nobody is standing within 20 feet of third base …

Asian-American group decries North remark  —  Mike North's detractors are split.  —  Many advocate ignoring the WSCR-AM 670 morning man, while others wish to see him reprimanded for the occasionally insensitive things that roll off his tongue.  —  North said something Tuesday that drew …

Come July, Nationals Could Be a Top Seller  —  Over the next two months, fans will scan the baseball standings trying to figure out which teams are true playoff contenders and which are not.  Baseball executives are no different.  But depending on the day or the week, the health of one team or another …

Rockies report, June 2  —  Scouting report: Florida Marlins  —  Series history: The Rockies lead the all-time series 62-59, including 40-20 in Denver and 34-14 at Coors Field.  The Rockies swept a three- game series April 28-30 at Florida for the first time.

Sports and Salvation on Faith Night at the Stadium  —  It has long been noted that in certain parts of the United States, a fine line separates sports from religion.  But at a minor league indoor football game last month in Birmingham, Ala., fans may have witnessed as transparent an attempt …