McGwire's Hall hopes rest on confession  —  A confession would help.  —  A confession would liberate Mark McGwire, increasing his chances of redemption by an ever-forgiving public, not to mention the 10-year members of the Baseball Writers Association of America who vote for the Hall of Fame.

Tony Gwynn Hall of Fame Interview  —  I had the opportunity to tag along to interview Tony Gwynn yesterday in his office at Tony Gwynn Stadium.  I traded my photography skills for a chance to submit a few questions and hang out with him for about a half hour.  This was on the eve of his Hall of Fame announcement.

Cardinals await Mulder's decision  —  The Cardinals could learn as early as today whether free agent lefthander Mark Mulder will accept their modified two-year proposal potentially worth about $18 million.  —  General manager Walt Jocketty met with Mulder and agent Gregg Clifton in Scottsdale …

Rockies sign Javy Lopez  —  Signing strengthens competition at catcher  —  In the Rockies, Javy Lopez saw an opportunity.  In Lopez, the Rockies saw someone who has faced adversity.  —  Lopez's desire to revive his career led Colorado to sign the veteran catcher Tuesday …

Edmonds has surgery on foot, shoulder  —  The club confirmed center fielder Jim Edmonds had surgery on his left foot last Friday.  Edmonds, who signed a two-year extension with the club in November, is also recovering from arthroscopic shoulder surgery that team medical supervisor …

Giants sign free-agent pitcher Russ Ortiz  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Adding a veteran arm in the form of a familiar face, the San Francisco Giants have signed free-agent right-handed pitcher Russ Ortiz to a one-year contract for the 2007 season, club Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today.

Maine gets a head start  —  In previous winters, John Maine would have agonized over the Mets' pursuit of various big-name pitchers.  Would the possibility of a new star coming to Shea mean Maine would be bumped out of a place in the rotation?  —  By his own admission, Maine has a track record of fretting over such things.

Brewers to preview DVD release  —  Video salutes 25th anniversary of World Series appearances  —  MILWAUKEE — A video documentary about the 1982 American League pennant-winning Brewers is due for release on April 10, the team announced Tuesday.  —  The release of "Harvey's Wallbangers …

Kornheiser back on Monday Night Football  —  After an inaugural season in which ESPN's "Monday Night Football" drew mixed reviews but strong ratings, the network plans to have analyst Tony Kornheiser back in 2007.  —  And Kornheiser is all for it.  Early yesterday, he told Newsday …

Sun interview with Cal Ripken Jr. … Cal Ripken Jr. recently visited The Sun for a wide-ranging question-and-answer session to discuss the Hall of Fame and other matters related to his career.  He was interviewed by Sun staff members Dan Connolly, John Eisenberg, Peter Schmuck and Childs Walker.

Blue Jays agree to deals with Thomson, Frasor  —  TORONTO — Right-handers Jason Frasor and John Thomson agreed to one-year contracts with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.  —  Frasor was 3-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 51 relief appearances last season, splitting time between Toronto and Triple-A Syracuse.

Cuban pitcher eyes majors  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  There was nothing political about Yoslan Herrera's decision to flee Cuba and defect to the United States.  —  "I wanted to pitch in the major leagues," he said.  —  Herrera, a right-handed pitcher, last month signed a three-year contract with the Pirates.