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 …

3. how is the starting lineup coming along?  —  The Cardinals are remarkably set within their lineup.  Of the 14 players who received at least 100 at-bats and were with them at the end of last season, only second baseman Ronnie Belliard is gone.  —  Signing Adam Kennedy to a three-year …

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.

Insult of Parque leads to comeback  —  Former Sox pitcher gets chance with Mariners  —  During the six-day trip to Africa, he both learned of the neck surgery that would take left-hander Dave Williams out of the running for a fifth starter's job and arranged for a replacement.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.