Some friendly suggestions for Matsuzaka  —  An open letter to Daisuke Matsuzaka:  —  Dear, Dice-K (OK if we call you Dice-K?  Or would you rather D-Mat or Dice Man?),  —  Welcome to Boston.  Thought you might like to know a little about your new workplace.

This Year, No Anna Benson (Among Others)  —  A year ago, the Mets' holiday children's party at Shea Stadium was turned upside down by Anna Benson, who wore a revealing crimson dress in her role as Mrs. Claus.  —  Mrs. Benson has since relocated to Baltimore, where her husband, Kris …

Braves pass on Giles; Jones may be next  —  The Atlanta Braves, who discovered this fall what it's like to be sitting home in October, also are feeling the pain of trying to hang with the big boys in the free-agent marketplace.  —  The Braves, saying Tuesday they didn't have the finances …

Report: M's, Nats have tentative deal on Vidro trade  —  WASHINGTON — Second baseman Jose Vidro would be sent to the Seattle Mariners by the Washington Nationals for two prospects in a tentative trade that is pending physicals for all players involved, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

Club makes contract offer to second baseman Giles  —  General Manager Kevin Towers said he made a contractual offer yesterday to second baseman Marcus Giles, the former Braves regular who became a free agent on Tuesday night.  The proposal is believed to be worth $3 million to $4 million.

Bombers mull pitch for Pineiro  —  The Yankees already have Andy Pettitte in the fold, they likely have Kei Igawa on the way and they still have Roger Clemens in their sights whenever he decides about next year.  —  But a person familiar with the Yankees' thinking said the team …

High time for Dawson  —  Ex Cub's Hall credentials superior to McGwire's  —  I told a pollster from The Associated Press that, yes, I will be voting for Mark McGwire for baseball's Hall of Fame.  —  Circumstantial evidence is not proof, I maintained on a radio talk show.  Show me a smoking gun.

Our Interview With John Rocker  —  Two days before Thanksgiving, at Local 138, one of our favorite watering holes in New York City, we sat down with, of all people, famed immigration expert John Rocker, and talked for about an hour.  Really.  We did this.  See?  Sometimes we interview people.

Wainwright appears more likely to be penciled into the rotation  —  Tony La Russa came to St. Louis brandishing what he argues is an impromptu legal document that binds the biggest name left on the free agent market to the Cardinals' unfinished pitching rotation.  —  It works only if "signed" is used loosely.

Rays, Iwamura confident as deal nears completion … ST. PETERSBURG - Owner Stuart Sternberg isn't sending a private plane like the Red Sox did for Daisuke Matsuzaka, but the Devil Rays appear close to landing their own promising Japanese import, infielder Akinori Iwamura.

Lugo hopes to hit it big  —  He finds Fenway a welcome sight  —  Secret agents have aroused more attention than Julio Lugo's arrival in Boston did.  —  But that didn't make him any less welcome to the Red Sox, who introduced the shortstop they've coveted for years to a thoroughly distracted media yesterday at Fenway Park.

New Law Should Eliminate Visa Issues  —  A bill headed to President Bush's desk is expected to make life easier for foreign minor leaguers and will allow major league organizations to bring more players into the United States.  —  The bill, which is expected to be signed into law before the end of the year …