Angels will be Hillenbrand's fifth team since '01  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Free agent first baseman Shea Hillenbrand and the Los Angeles Angels agreed Tuesday to a $6.5 million, one-year contract.  —  Hillenbrand, who split last season between Toronto and San Francisco, gets $6 million next year …

Shopping Zito in New York May Give Fits  —  Scott Boras's dream: to have the Yankees and the Mets compete for one of his highly valued clients.  —  Scott Boras's nightmare: to have a highly valued client who is a good fit for both the Mets and the Yankees, but one team isn't interested.

The Memory Remains  —  We often hear about pitchers setting up batters, changing eye level, throwing pitches out of the zone, pitching backwards, etc.  Instinct and reaction are of utmost importance in catching, throwing, and hitting, but pitching is deliberate.  First pitch strike?  Inside or outside?

Upstart Marlins net surprising season  —  Young squad comes together to exceed initial expectations  —  MIAMI — Typically, losing 84 games is not considered a rewarding season.  —  Then again, 2006 was anything but an ordinary year for the unpredictable Florida Marlins.

New owners take control  —  Soriano's exploits, sale of club, new stadium highlight 2006  —  WASHINGTON — Although the Nationals endured a disappointing season that started with a 9-21 record in Spring Training, there were some exciting moments in the 2006 campaign.

Padres interested in Mariners' Beltre  —  The Padres, continuing their search for a third baseman, are taking aim at a talented, expensive and perhaps unattainable option — the Mariners' Adrian Beltre.  —  The Mariners likely will entertain offers for Beltre only if they fall out of contention by the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

He uncovers a rare gem and shares it with the artist  —  Not everything was for sale this holiday season.  —  A Claremont man, for instance, discovered in an old box a rare, vintage recording of an immensely popular and critically acclaimed artist, spent hours digitizing it to improve …

Tribe close to deal with Foulke  —  Reliever's agent says contract could be finalized this week  —  CLEVELAND — The Indians are closing in on another closing candidate.  —  The club is on the verge of signing free-agent right-hander Keith Foulke to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2008 …

Enough Teasing  —  So on Christmas, I had enough information to post that something was close.  But first, let's talk about the continuing Randy Johnson rumors.  Yes, there's a possibility that he's headed out of New York and due to his no-trade clause, the only location he'd approve a deal to would be Arizona or Southern California.

Rangers couldn't wait for help  —  Lack of homegrown pitching talent forced team to move Danks  —  There are Rangers fans out there who are still wandering through the house, picking up rivers of ribbon, pieces of paper and tendrils of tinsel in a daze.  —  Yes, the gift-giving frenzy can leave a person in that zombie-like state.

Big Unit a Big Bargain  —  Merry Christmas, everyone.  —  The prevailing reaction to the news that Randy Johnson is on the trading block is indifference: many Yankee fans treat him as though he's nothing more than a fourth starter.  And maybe that's understandable; Johnson's tenure …