Williams hits dour note  —  Might pick guitar over Yanks  —  NEW MILFORD, Conn. - One of the most revered Yankees of this generation acknowledged last night that it finally looks like "Bye-bye, Bernie."  —  Longtime outfielder Bernie Williams admitted that he is not inclined to take the Yankees …

Nitkowski's Japanese Journey Begins  —  MIYAZAKI, Japan - After 12 spring trainings in major league baseball with seven different teams, I would have felt confident saying that I have seen all spring training could possibly have to offer.  That was, of course, before I began my 13th spring training …

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 …

Rays C Paul gets $150,000 raise after losing in arbitration  —  CBS SportsLine.com wire reports  —  PHOENIX — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays won the first arbitration decision of the year Saturday — against backup catcher Josh Paul.  —  Paul sought a raise from $475,000 to $940,000 at Friday's hearing.

Baseball: Splendor in the grass  —  Rockies ownership has lost its patience.  It wants, at minimum, a .500 record this season.  It wants a competitive team from April's first pitch to September's last out.  The manager and general manager are on notice.  —  The clock is ticking …

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 …

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.

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.