Room for improvement (cont.)  —  6. Giants.  If their youth movement appears to consist of one man (Barry Zito), it's a good one to have.  Stat lovers find fault with Zito's WHIP (walks and hits per inning), but he's a winner, he's dependable, he knows the territory and his 3.55 ERA will go below 3 in the National League.

At 112, a Sox fan to the end  —  State's oldest person dies having shared team's triumph  —  Kathryn Gemme touched the World Series trophy in 2005 as state Senator Marc R. Pacheco looked on.  (SARAH BR EZINSKY FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)  —  At 109, Kathryn Gemme had been a Red Sox fan longer …

Perlozzo savors the power of lunch  —  Dining and joking with Huff pay off  —  A pre-Christmas lunch for Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo consisted of breaking bread and cracking jokes.  And it went a long way toward satisfying the team's hunger for a power-hitting outfielder and first baseman.

A Deadspin Special Report: Another Vixen Thrown Into the Mix  —  So, progress has been limited thus far.  I've put in the call to both Justine Gilman and Lori Nelson (advisor and "coach", respectively) of the fabled Song Girls but I am not expecting a message return.

Nats' Johnson May Miss First Month  —  Washington Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson is well enough to fly, well enough to walk without crutches, well enough to travel with his wife for a Las Vegas getaway, as he did this week.  But he still has a limp — favoring the right leg he broke …

O'Dowd: Bench help on the way  —  With two 40-man spots open, the Rockies' roster roulette is close to stopping on a left-handed bat off the bench and a catcher.  —  Colorado has agreed in principle with a reserve hitter, though general manager Dan O'Dowd said Tuesday he wasn't ready to reveal the player.

Around the Horn: Catchers  —  Taking over for Piazza, Lo Duca makes the position his own … NEW YORK — Paul Lo Duca hadn't yet completed the first eight innings of his Mets tenure when he already made his share of positive first impressions: a run-scoring single in the third inning …

Around the Horn: Catchers  —  Improvements earn Laird another shot as starting backstop  —  ARLINGTON — Gerald Laird has thrown out 37 of 91 baserunners attempting to steal on him in the 149 games he has caught at the Major League level.  —  That includes 134 games started …

2006 Baseball America Prospect Handbook  —  AVAILABLE NOW.  SHIPPED USPS PRIORITY MAIL.  The 2006 Prospect Handbook is the definitive annual reference title on prospects.  This book profiles the top 30 prospects in each organization - 900 prospect reviews in all!

Pirates Notebook: Lawrence in team's sights  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  The Pirates are among the finalists to sign free agent Brian Lawrence, who twice was the San Diego Padres' opening-day starter but missed all of last season after having shoulder surgery.

After repeated denials, Saban takes Bama job  —  Nick Saban has accepted an offer from Alabama to coach the Crimson Tide and leave the Miami Dolphins, two weeks after declaring "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."  —  Saban's agreement with Alabama is for eight years and a fully-guaranteed $32 million …

Howard should expect raise of about $1 million  —  Ryan Howard is shopping for a new agent.  As far as the Phillies are concerned, he can take his time.  —  "We're not doing something on Ryan Howard.  He's not our priority," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Fingers owes Wisconsin over $1.4M  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) - Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers owes Wisconsin more than $1.4 million in income taxes and is the seventh biggest tax delinquent in the state.  —  The state Department of Revenue lists Roland G. Fingers as owing $1,433,609.

Player Profile  —  Coco Crisp  —  After acquiring one of the top prospects in the minors in Andy Marte for Edgar Renteria last offseason, the Boston Red Sox shipped Marte and Kelly Shoppach to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for David Riske, Josh Bard, and Coco Crisp …

Go see Cal?  Hardly  —  Editor's note: This article originally ran on September 28, 2001.  —  For the past few months, one of the constant refrains in every American League city has been, "This is your final chance to see Cal Ripken Jr. play."  Here in Boston, the Orioles cruised into town …