Manny clocks in 'early': Silent slugger surprises Sox  —  FORT MYERS - The sun rose, and the sun set, and Manny Ramirez [stats] showed up yesterday to play baseball for the Red Sox [team stats], who once again opened their arms to their maddening, gifted slugger.

Abreu out 2-3 weeks with injury  —  Veteran strains right oblique muscle during batting practice  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees outfielder Bobby Abreu could miss two to three weeks with a strained right oblique muscle, freeing Spring Training at-bats for Melky Cabrera, but not free agent Bernie Williams.

Reliever fires away  —  Balfour aiming for comeback  —  Phoenix - Normally a pitching coach doesn't like to see a pitcher "overthrow" on the mound.  Mike Maddux made an exception Monday when right-hander Grant Balfour did it, however.  —  "It's good to see it with a guy coming off surgery …

Peterson helps 'lost' pitcher gain new direction  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — When Oliver Perez arrived in New York last season, he admitted that he was lost.  The simplest solution was for Rick Peterson to provide a map.  —  "If someone says to you, 'I'm lost,' what would be the first thing that you would respond?"

As Season Approaches, Some Topics Should Be Off Limits  —  Things I don't want to read or hear about anymore:  —  ¶  Roger Clemens saying he hasn't decided if he will play this year or retire, and if he decides to play, which team he will play for.  —  Clemens is one of the greatest pitchers ever, the greatest of his era.

Red Sox Bring in a Friendly Face to Greet Matsui  —  Hideki Okajima was so eager to discuss coming duels with his old Yomiuri Giants teammate that he waved his hands and nodded his head as he spoke.  Okajima, a newly recruited left-handed reliever for the Boston Red Sox, was using Japanese …

Honus Wagner baseball card sells for record $2.3 million  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The "Holy Grail of baseball cards," the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday.

New scouting tool - Google - nets pitcher  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - Baseball scouts look everywhere, from the local high school team to the fields of Japan and Latin America, for prospects.  —  The Phillies may be the first team to find a player with a Google search.

Infield to Outfield to Pitcher's Mound  —  As a lanky 16-year-old third baseman playing in the Dominican Republic town of Salcedo, Jorge Sosa booted four or five balls during one game.  After the game, when Paul Egins, a Colorado Rockies official, went over to talk to Sosa …

It's a Bat Mitzvah!  —  Ex-Jewish stars to bring hardball to the Holy Land  —  Miracle Mets' outfielder Art Shamsky says he doesn't know much Hebrew, but he thinks he knows enough for his job in the new Israel Baseball League.  —  "I learned a few phrases: 'Atah eevair' means …

The Best Young Shortstops of 2007  —  This week, I will continue my position-by-position review of the game's best players by examining young shortstops.  The following list differs from traditional prospect lists in two ways.  First, anyone under 25 is eligible.

Notes: Many options against lefties  —  Right-handers Mesa, Grilli expected to fill void left by Walker  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — When the Tigers lost Jamie Walker to free agency over the winter, they lost their best lefty reliever and a pitcher who posted a 2.81 ERA in 56 games.

Notes: Jacobs focuses on hitting lefties  —  Marlins first baseman batted .182 off southpaws during 2006  —  JUPITER, Fla. — When games begin, Mike Jacobs hopes to get his share of cuts off lefties.  —  A year ago, Jacobs batted .182 (16-for-88) with two home runs and 11 RBIs off lefty pitching.

Helton weighing in on hefty issue  —  Tucson - Weight and see.  Welcome to Todd Helton's experiment this season.  —  Helton, mindful of critics and eager to rejuvenate his career, underwent a radical physical transformation, bulking up from his sickness-induced 200 pounds to approximately 230.