Creature comforts were worth wait for all concerned  —  So perhaps there was no other way for this to turn out but as a "joyous day in New England," as Red Sox owner John Henry termed it.  —  But for anyone who believes it was a foregone conclusion, this celebratory press conference …

YANKS MAY GIVE DOUG DEAL  —  Before the Yankees make Doug Mientkiewicz a contract offer they want to see the medical report from Dr. Robert Watkins who operated on the first baseman's back.  —  The Yankees, who have experienced back troubles with pitchers Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson lately …

Is Ichiro San Fran-bound in 2008?  —  Fear not, Giants fans.  The team's 2007 edition will be another Senior League special, but after that club officials could replace Barry Bonds with a far more appealing star.  —  How does Ichiro sound?  —  San Francisco, with its huge Japanese community …

Rays' waiver claim on Livingston voided by MLB  —  The Tampa Bay Devil Rays' claim and subsequent trade of left-handed pitcher Bobby Livingston was voided by the commissioner's office Thursday, and Livingston then was awarded to the Cincinnati Reds.  —  The Devil Rays have the highest waiver …

Mets ready for sitdown with Zito  —  The Mets are working to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Barry Zito, their top remaining free-agent target, a person familiar with the situation said yesterday.  A date and location have not yet been decided, although it will likely be next week.

Nationals obtain financial flexibility  —  Piece-by-piece, deal-by-deal, the Washington Nationals have transformed themselves over the last six months from a "mid-budget" club of veterans with several burdensome, long-term commitments into a "low-budget" squad of young players with loads of financial flexibility moving forward.

Gonzalez drawing heavy interest  —  Eight minor-leaguers signed, including Wasdin  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  Where Mike Gonzalez will pitch next season remains a mystery, but this much is not: The interest in him is mounting.  —  It is believed that no fewer …

Sights set on Suppan  —  Right-hander pitches well in Miller Park  —  thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com  —  If Jeff Suppan could pitch nearly as effectively for the Milwaukee Brewers as he has against them, it's easy to see why they're interested in pursuing the free agent right-hander.

Angelos: No Ripken sale … Orioles owner Peter Angelos adamantly denied a foxsports.com report last night that said he is talking to a group that includes Cal Ripken about buying the club.  —  "There is no question that Cal and I have a great relationship," Angelos said.

Cubs and Ted Lilly agree to four-year deal  —  The Chicago Cubs today announced that the club has agreed to a four-year deal with free agent left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly.  —  Lilly, 30, won a career-best 15 games last season with the Toronto Blue Jays.  He was 15-13 with a 4.31 ERA …

30 Voices on the State of the Game  —  Of all the comments made for this article, maybe Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus put it best:  —  "Saying what's right and wrong with the game is an exercise in hubris and futility."  —  True, but that doesn't mean we can't try, right?

Minor League Guns  —  Young catchers are somewhat unique among prospects: a reputation as a good or bad defender can be the difference between a career spent as a backup catcher and one that tops out with a failed transition to first or third base.  However, like so many issues in prospect analysis …

At home on the big stage  —  In career, persona, new Sox pitcher Matsuzaka an outsized presence  —  From Hokkaido to Kyushu, Daisuke Matsuzaka has been known as The Monster since he was a teenager, a larger-than-life presence at every stage of his career.  At his old high school in Yokohama …

The Logical Extension of "Moneyball"  —  OK, this is pretty awesome.  From our friends at The Griddle comes this video of the world's first baseball playing robot.  When they all unite and take over the earth, we will remember this as the first warning sign.  Like you wouldn't take him over Tony Womack.