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 …

Pirates' Sanchez injures knee  —  Reigning N.L. batting champ scheduled for MRI  —  BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Reigning NL batting champion Freddy Sanchez sprained a ligament in his right knee Tuesday and left the Pittsburgh Pirates' 11-10, 10-inning loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

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.

Willie tinkers with hitting Wright after Reyes  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - This was a few minutes before noon in Willie Randolph's office, long before his Mets would take the field on a perfectly sunny, perfectly nondescript spring training day.  But the Mets' lineup against the Indians …

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.

Mets Rookie Uses All the Angles to Disguise His Pitches  —  On one of the first nights of the rest of his baseball life, Joe Smith returned home from practice at Wright State and practiced some more.  Sitting in front of his television, Smith popped in a baseball video game …

Rangers can be best in West  —  This column should come with the following warning from the Surgeon General:  —  IF YOU ARE PRONE TO ATTACKS OF DOUBT OR FEAR THE POSSIBILITY OF A JINX, DO NOT READ THE NEXT 500 OR SO WORDS.  GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE QUESTIONS.

Gagne has 'huge day' in comeback bid  —  Bullpen session is his best in two years, says Texas closer  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Eric Gagne became a bit less of a mystery to himself Tuesday.  As for the rest of the American League, they will just have to wait a bit longer to solve the puzzle he can represent.

Orioles, Roberts Appear Close to Extension  —  In the middle of the Baltimore Orioles' exhibition game against the Florida Marlins on Monday, Brian Roberts, given the day off, walked out of the team's executive offices at Fort Lauderdale Stadium in full uniform and was stunned to see a group of reporters waiting outside the clubhouse.

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.

Tejeda, Ojeda star against Rockies  —  Starter tosses two scoreless innings; catcher belts first homer  —  RANGERS 8, ROCKIES 2  —  Rangers at the plate: Former Rockie Miguel Ojeda hit his first spring home run deep to center field for a two-run shot in the fourth, expanding the Rangers' lead over the Rockies to 5-0.