Mismatch made in heaven  —  Northeastern gets a whiff, and is simply awestruck  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Imagine.  You play college baseball in Boston.  You spent the winter hitting in poorly lit indoor cages with poor backgrounds.  Finally, you get to play outside for the first time and you step in to face . . .

Here's one $80 million signing that's priceless  —  Consider the numbers.  —  Five years, $80 million.  —  Huge dollars, yes.  But look at it a better way.  —  Instead of one Alex Rodriguez at 10 years and $252 million, Rangers owner Tom Hicks could have had three Michael Youngs.

Marlins' Johnson could miss season  —  JUPITER — Marlins starting pitcher Josh Johnson might miss at least the first month of the season and could be lost for the year because of possible nerve damage in his right arm, sources said Wednesday.  —  Johnson is scheduled to have an MRI today …

Mets built for the long haul  —  Remind critics NL East race isn't a sprint  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - The slights keep coming for the Mets.  It was one thing for Jimmy Rollins to declare his Phillies, those perennial underachievers, as the team to beat in the National League East this season.

Whom Would You Choose?  (Again)  —  Since we had so much fun with Schilling vs. Smoltz, I thought I would keep the good times rolling.  Probably the two names that came into the discussion most frequently were Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina.  —  They're today's victims.

It's Opening Day for Damon's Bat  —  The record will show that the first Yankees' swing in the first game of spring training produced a home run.  Johnny Damon, the man who hit it, knew what that meant.  "It's only downhill from there," he said.  —  These are the Yankees, so the expectations might as well start high.

Cain signs multiyear deal with Giants  —  Young right-hander goes for four years with option for fifth  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Noah Lowry used the calendar to put Matt Cain's brand-new deal with the Giants in perspective.  —  "When he's done with that contract, he'll be almost my age," Lowry said.

Cards Notes: Cardinals try to make inroads into Mexico with Salas signing  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — The Cardinals' enhanced awareness of Mexican talent became tangible earlier this week when the club acquired 21-year-old pitcher Fernando Salas from Saltilla of the Mexican League.

Minor leaguer quizzes Edgar about 2001 Mariners  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — Bryan LaHair knows plenty about winning.  —  As a 24-year-old minor leaguer, however, he's smart enough to know he's a long way from knowing everything about winning.  —  Although the code in spring training is for minor leaguers …

A-Rod talkin' like Mr. Cub  —  With options open, Alex is still batty over 'father' Piniella  —  While Alex Rodriguez has demonstrated a penchant for self-analysis, the media has provided ample evidence that this is a two-way couch.  —  We hang on A-Rod's every word.  The season is still a month away from opening.

Mariners Notebook: Hernandez likely to start Opening Day  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — So you want to know who the Mariners' Opening Day starting pitcher will be?  —  All you've got to do is look at today's starting lineup, look at the date of the opener, then start counting backward by five.

Lefties rule Randolph's bullpen  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Dae-Sung Koo's headfirst dive into home while wearing a warm-up jacket with a weighted ball in his pocket, after reaching on a double against Randy Johnson, cemented his place in Subway Series lore.  —  But now when Willie Randolph calls …

Six people dead in Bluffton University bus accident  —  ATLANTA (AP) — A charter bus carrying a college baseball team from Ohio plunged off a highway ramp early Friday and slammed into the pavement below, killing at least six people and scattering sports equipment across the road, authorities said.

Project: Rebuilding confidence  —  The dullest two weeks of the season are complete.  The Rangers finished up their last pre-exhibition season workout Thursday, and manager Ron Washington provided a little positive reinforcement.  He said the club was attentive even at a point when some teams start to lose focus.

Dentist sues late pitcher's estate over plane crash  —  NEW YORK — A dentist to the rich and famous has filed a $7 million lawsuit against the estate of late New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, claiming his home was destroyed when the ballplayer's small airplane crashed into his apartment building.