Williams Spurns Longshot Chance at Making Yanks' Roster  —  Bernie Williams came to this Connecticut town Friday night to play his guitar in a benefit concert at a church.  He will be back home in Westchester County in the days to come.  But where he will not be any time soon is in Tampa …

Bargain shopping  —  Looking at the best deals of the offseason  —  DALLAS — According to Chinese astrology, 2007 is the Year of the Pig.  According to baseball's zodiac, it has been the Year of the Sheep.  Or the Lemming.  One-by-one owners seem to have mindlessly followed one another off …

Hank Bauer, 84, World Series Star, Dies  —  Hank Bauer, a bruising pipe fitter and decorated combat veteran who became an All-Star outfielder for the Yankees, playing in nine World Series, and who later managed the Baltimore Orioles to a stunning Series victory, died yesterday in Shawnee Mission, Kan. He was 84.

Exit Door Hardest To Open  —  Birth Of His Son Helped Cone Refocus  —  MONTVILLE — There comes a point when athletes have to let go, but putting off that day has become fashionable.  —  "It's tough," said former Mets and Yankees pitcher David Cone, who finally retired after a brief comeback in 2003.

Rangers have a plan to increase fan base  —  A zip-code-by-zip-code analysis of the fans attending Rangers games last year revealed that the team isn't drawing nearly as well from Dallas and the north Dallas suburbs as their counterparts — the Cowboys, Mavericks and Stars.

Making Noise: Batter Up!  Is Major League Baseball Prepping for an Interactive IPO?  —  Addition By Subtraction: There's a lot of talk these days about Major League Baseball striking a seven-year, $100 million per year deal to sell exclusive rights to its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games to DirecTV (NYSE: DTV - News).

Draft preview: Washington Nationals outlook  —  Team-by-team outlooks  —  If you ain't got pitching, you ain't got nothing.  And, in this event, you would be the 2007 Washington Nationals.  —  Not only will this be the worst team in baseball — yes, worse than the Royals — it will also be the most difficult to watch.

Beimel, Paul first two players in arbitration hearings  —  Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Beimel and Tampa Bay backup catcher Josh Paul became the first two players to go to salary arbitration hearings this year.  —  Paul asked arbitrators Richard Bloch, Robert Bailey and Christine Knowlton for a raise from $475,000 to $940,000.

Stoic Link to Baseball History Stands Guard  —  Once upon a time in Brooklyn, they used to play baseball here.  —  Tucked away among ancient factories and garages is a massive relic of the Dodgers' old ballpark.  Not Ebbets Field, but Washington Park, where Brooklyn played before moving to Flatbush.

Baseball Defeats Santa Clara, 7-4, In Season Home Opener  —  Romero has home run, four RBI to spark Aztec offense  —  SAN DIEGO - San Diego State made the most of six hits and got another fine starting pitching performance from junior Donnie Hume as it defeated Santa Clara, 7-4, in its 2007 home opener Friday evening.

Price-Rice Matchup Lives Up To Billing  —  The first game here in Houston has been very entertaining.  Since we've been anticipating the Price vs. Rice showdown for so long, I figured I'd break down Vanderbilt starter David Price's outing in some detail.  The Owls jumped on Price early …