Sweet Lou quickly turning sour  —  MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs started the 1997 season with a National League-record 14 straight losses.  —  Ten years later, manager Lou Piniella is hoping to see his team win a Cactus League game before the end of spring training.

The future is now  —  In 10th season, Rays assemble most talented team  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Delmon Young, talented as they come with a future as big as his swing, threw a bat that hit an umpire smack in the chest last spring.  Maybe you heard about it?

It's The Hardball Times 2007 Season Preview  —  by clicking...  Pitchers are pitching, batters are batting, fielders are fielding and managers are mouthing platitudes.  This sure seems like a good time for The Hardball Times to unveil its first-ever season preview.

Mailbag: What's up down on the farm?  —  Fans curious about Teixeira, Francisco, Rangers rotation  —  Time to talk about the Minor Leagues before we get to the usual questions.  But you can always talk about anything you want at Monday Morning Manager, now playing at Postcards from Elysian Fields.

Morneau willing to deal  —  AL MVP instructs agent to resume talks  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — The American League's reigning Most Valuable Player could end up receiving another prize before the start of the regular season.  —  First baseman Justin Morneau said Sunday that he expects …

Pirates benefit from culture shock in '07  —  Strong second half in 2006 changed club for the better  —  The culture changed and the results changed, too.  Now, for the first time in many years, the Pittsburgh Pirates enter spring with the building blocks of success in place.

CARL TAKES A SUNDAY DRIVE  —  PAVANO PASSES TEST; TRADE RUMORS FLY  —  Johnny Damon sliced through the garbage that surrounds Carl Pavano's re-entry into the Yankees' universe.  Tagged the "American Idle" for missing all of last year and the second half of the previous season, Pavano became a stranger in his own clubhouse.

AROD: Rodriguez says he's matured in NY  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Fans, for the most part, cheer him at the New York Yankees' spring training complex, but it's not easy being Alex Rodriguez in New York.  —  "It was very easy in Seattle," Rodriguez said of his first of three big-league stops (Seattle, Texas, New York).

Life keeps piling on Navarro … ST. PETERSBURG - It would seem Dioner Navarro has been through enough.  —  There was the medically miraculous saga involving wife Sherley's recovery from a 2003 brain aneurysm.  The frightening hit-and-run auto accident he and his family were involved …

Nats roughed up by Braves  —  Williams hit hard in six-run second; Fick belts three-run homer  —  BRAVES 14, NATIONALS 5,  —  Braves at the plate: Chipper Jones and Craig Wilson both had two-run doubles in Atlanta's six-run second inning.  Brian McCann contributed a single and a double.

Back in the saddle  —  Boston's Lester successful in brief return to mound  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Jon Lester pitched in his first game Monday since his last cancer treatment just 2 1/2 months ago.  —  His mechanics were good and his command was outstanding as the Boston Red Sox left-hander retired …

Santana sharing secrets with Silva  —  Twins ace is trying to teach teammate to throw changeup  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Johan Santana has been trying to get his Twins teammate and good buddy Carlos Silva to understand something: He can no longer make a living off the sinkerball.

A steadfast Hamels haunts the weight room  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - We have confirmation.  Cole Hamels is here.  That was him on the mound yesterday at Bright House Networks Field, tossing three shutout innings against the Yankees.  —  Hamels has been difficult to find this spring.

Reds Likely To Start Producing Josh Hamilton Jerseys Any Day Now  —  The Rays still have plenty of their own questions as they enter the first full week of Spring Training games.  However, there was one question lingering out there in the minds of many Rays fans and it involved a player in a different organization all together.

Rockies' Hurdle: The quiet man  —  This spring, Colorado's manager has turned down the volume  —  Tucson - Manager Clint Hurdle last week officially began the last year of what could be his last contract managing the Rockies.  Yet there exists no sense of urgency, only a startling transformation he promised in January.

Beane disciples ditch Moneyball ways  —  To paraphrase Woody Allen, it's better to be rich than poor, if only for financial reasons.  —  But what about baseball reasons?  Hadn't Billy Beane blown up the idea of financial supremacy preordaining victory on the diamond?