Vazquez, White Sox agree to $34.5M extenstion … The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a three-year, $34.5-million contract extension with right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez.  He will make exactly $11.5 million in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  —  "Javier and his representative made a proposal …

Dice-K flashes glove, holds Marlins scoreless  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Daisuke Matsuzaka reached to snare a line drive, then grinned and bowed to his shortstop.  —  It turns out the rookie from Japan is a pretty good fielder.  —  He can pitch, too: Matsuzaka threw three scoreless innings …

Inside the Steroid Sting  —  SI's Luis Fernando Llosa and L. Jon Wertheim, on the scene for the Florida raids, continue to report on the ongoing investigation that promises to rock sports  —  The Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center is decidedly less exotic than its name might suggest.

Sledge hits another long homer  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - The Padres weren't surprised to see Terrmel Sledge hit another mammoth home run, even if a few police officers were.  —  Unbeknownst to the cops who chatted away as they stood on a berm beyond right field, Sledge's 430-foot drive went sailing overhead …

Drew still a bit blue: Leaving LA hurtful  —  FORT MYERS - In a perfect world, J.D. Drew [stats] would have made the three-hour bus ride from Vero Beach yesterday and suited up in Dodgers blue.  —  Red Sox spring training:  —  Instead, batting fifth and playing right field for the Red Sox …

Mariners Notebook: In with the old at M's camp  —  Veterans, retirees offer expertise at spring training  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — It was a flashback to 2001 at Mariners camp Monday, with familiar faces all around.  —  Ichiro Suzuki was the lone holdover from that team until …

Man faces new federal charges in alleged shakedown of athlete  —  ST. LOUIS (AP) — The athlete targeted in an alleged $150,000 shakedown by an unemployed ex-con was former St. Louis Cardinal second baseman Ronnie Belliard, a person close to the matter confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

SPRING BREAK  —  Five ways to pass time on the bus  —  By his count, Ian Kinsler is a veteran of seven trips to Tucson, Ariz., in Rangers camp.  And while most starters would complain about having to make that many two-and-half-hour bus rides, Kinsler doesn't mind because Tucson is his home (he was 2-for-3 with a double Monday).

Delgado Says That Green Can Be All He Once Was  —  Their friendship goes back to their eight seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, and it extends beyond baseball.  After the players who did not make the trip to Fort Lauderdale for Sunday's game had finished working out at the Mets' complex …

It's as easy as 1-2-3 for Lester  —  Lefty's eight-pitch outing a small but meaningful step  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — You can forget how big a guy he is.  How big his hands are.  How fluid his delivery is.  How much poise he has for a pitcher who is 23 years old.

Cuban defector Herrera among Pirates' first cuts  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  BRADENTON, Fla. - Cuban defector Yoslan Herrera was among eight players the Pirates reassigned this morning to minor-league camp, trimming their spring training roster to 61.

Baseball Season Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates  —  You might remember, from back at the beginning of the NFL season, when we previewed each team by having a writer we liked write about their favorite team.  —  Well, we're less than a month away from the start of baseball — spring training is here! …

Outfielder talks of a career long on winning, playing the right way  —  As he enters his 17th major league season, Rangers center fielder Kenny Lofton has proven he can do two things exceptionally well: steal bases and win.  —  Lofton is the game's active leader with 599 stolen bases.

Giving the Finger to BP  —  One of the things you learn when you run a relatively large blog is that people are going to say crappy stuff about you from time to time.  We get nasty emails from readers frequently, and there's no shortage of folks out there who think we're the worst people walking the earth.

Fuhgeddabout those post All-Star blues  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Hand on his heart, David Wright swears he wasn't trying to steal Alex Rodriguez away from the Yankees, or tell the Mets' front office how to build a dynasty to last through the next decade.  —  All Wright was doing when he offered …

Loose Jenks comes back strong  —  Stretching routine eliminates tightness from spring debut  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — It wasn't about hitting 100 mph on the radar gun.  —  That can wait.  —  It was 93 to 94 mph, mechanically sound and no tightness.  —  More importantly, it was about easing a lot of minds, including his own.