Gwynn, Ripken will fall short of perfect  —  NEW YORK - Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. will fall short of becoming the first unanimous Hall of Fame picks, and Mark McGwire doesn't figure to be anywhere close to the necessary 75 percent when 2007 voting is released Tuesday.

Drew Is a Red Sox in Waiting ... and Waiting  —  J. D. Drew could not be reached for comment yesterday.  He changed his telephone number or had a problem with his phone service, because the automated message said his number had been disconnected or was not in service.

Rox working on deal with Lopez  —  Former All-Star catcher could compete for starting job  —  DENVER — Javy Lopez's desire to regain his All-Star form behind the plate could change the complexion of the Rockies' catching position.  —  Lopez, 36, and the Rockies were still ironing out the details of a one-year contract on Monday.

White Sox GM stands by Uribe  —  Williams confident shortstop will be cleared of charges  —  After sorting through the seemingly ever-changing information concerning Juan Uribe and his ongoing legal troubles in the Dominican Republic, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams reiterated his strong support for the embattled shortstop.

Mailbag: Evaluating the signing of Fick  —  Nationals beat reporter Bill Ladson answers fans' questions … Do you think the signing of Robert Fick was a good move?  He said he feels he can get at least 300 at-bats this year.  — Jason D., Tustin, Calif.

Griffey's broken hand healing as expected  —  CINCINNATI — Ken Griffey Jr.'s broken left hand is healing as expected, and the Cincinnati Reds will have a better idea in about 10 days whether it will interfere with spring training.  —  Griffey had the hand X-rayed over the weekend in Orlando, Fla., where he lives in the offseason.

Another boring week goes by  —  There isn't a great deal of Cubs discussion going on about right now since Hendry was done with his offseason shopping before Christmas arrived.  Since the signing of Marquis, the Cubs have barely even grabbed a headline and the discussion about the Cubs has slowed as a result.

Rangers still waiting on lefty Mulder  —  Cardinals expected to get chance to match any offer  —  ARLINGTON — The Rangers continue to be left hanging by pitcher Mark Mulder and his agent, Gregg Clifton.  —  The Rangers made a two-year offer last month and have yet to receive an answer.

Categorizing Pitchers by Batted Ball Types and Strikeout Rates  —  We all know that strikeouts are the best outcome for a pitcher.  When a batter fails to put the ball in play, there is little or no chance for him to reach base or to advance runners on base.

A busy couple of weeks in baseball despite the holidays  —  Happy New Year to all Baseball Bullet-In readers, and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2007.  —  We've been away for two weeks, so we'll start off the first column of this year with a review of some of the off-beat topics …

Why Rice deserves a Cooperstown plaque  —  In baseball, collective attention is gradually shifting from hot stove goings-on to annual Hall of Fame debates.  —  In recent years, one recurring and particularly feverish argument is the one over the status of Jim Rice.

Wheeler inks one-year deal with Astros  —  Right-hander, Houston avoid arbitration with agreement  —  HOUSTON — The Astros signed right-hander Dan Wheeler to a one-year contract worth $2.1 million plus incentives on Monday, avoiding arbitration with the setup man.

New York Mets  —  Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel.  All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.

Tempered Expectations for Igawa's Bronx Arrival  —  The Yankees celebrated the arrival of a new left-handed strikeout king yesterday.  His first name is pronounced K, as in the letter for strikeout on a scorecard, and he led the Japan Central League in strikeouts in three of the last five seasons.

Mailbag: Who's going to hit cleanup?  —  Rangers beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers fans' questions  —  Sorry the mailbag has been away for the holidays.  But we're back and so is Monday Morning Manager at the Postcards from Elysian Fields.  Just click right here at MLBlogs.com and let everybody know your opinion on the Rangers.