A's dealt a blow  —  Kotsay to have back surgery, likely out until June  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Athletics center fielder Mark Kotsay could be sidelined up to three months following arthroscopic surgery on his back Thursday.  —  The procedure, to be performed in Los Angeles …

Lou and Ted ... enough said  —  In this corner, wearing a baby bear patch on his chest and a glove on his right hand, Ted ''The Toronto Mauler'' Lilly. ...  In the other corner, wearing three World Series rings and a 5 o'clock shadow, Sweet Looooouuuuu Piniella.  —  Let's get ready to — well, you get the idea.

It's Fitting That the Ho Ho Kam Were Farmers  —  It's funny, I drive over a thousand miles to watch baseball in Arizona, and I end up sitting next to a guy who wants to talk about crossbred beef marbling and post-emergence herbicides.  I could have done that at home in Nebraska.

Martinez lightly throws  —  Mets ace tosses ball for first time since surgery in Oct.  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Pedro Martinez threw a baseball Wednesday for the first time since rotator cuff surgery last October.  —  The New York Mets ace lightly tossed a ball for about 10 minutes …

Benson experiences setback in rehab effort  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Kris Benson is experiencing increased soreness in his right shoulder, a development that means the Baltimore Orioles pitcher may need surgery on his torn rotator cuff.  —  Working on the advice of two doctors …

Hughes represents Yankees' new direction … WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — It isn't often in life that we can see the future.  But the New York Yankees can.  —  And its name is Phil (Don't Call Me Philip) Hughes.  —  But not just because Baseball America ranked this 20-year-old buzz-master …

A breakthrough for Gagné  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rangers manager Ron Washington has a plan for closer Eric Gagné: he'll allow the former Dodger to pitch against only National League teams in the spring, in an effort to make sure no American League teams see Gagné's stuff.

Kapler is managing nicely  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .  An entire other baseball universe exists.  While Daisuke Matsuzaka and the rest of the varsity were taking on the Florida Marlins across the state in Jupiter, the hopefuls and the wannabes …

Experiment: Bonds bats in third spot  —  (03-07) 04:00 PST Scottsdale , Ariz. — Barry Bonds got his first two hits of the spring Tuesday, batting four times even though he still has bronchitis and seemed one cough away from expectorating a lung every time he ran.

Matsuzaka a major attraction  —  Fans, media swarm to see first outing vs. big leaguers  —  JUPITER, Fla. — We've had the first Daisuke Matsuzaka press conference, the first Dice-K bullpen session, the first live batting practice, and the first time he faced college hitters in a spring training game.

Former Astros pitch in  —  TUCSON - The Rockies have high expectations for the three former Astros they acquired for Jason Jennings in the offseason.  —  But there's another former Astros player trying to make an impact, too.  —  Left-handed reliever Mike Gallo, signed to a minor league contract …

Throwing Out the First Pitch  —  I've done it.  I've caved and am actually taking the blog plunge.  There's no single reason for it, but over the life of this space we'll touch on a few.  —  I've been called everything from outspoken to blowhard to much, much worse.

A Classic argument  —  I miss the World Baseball Classic.  —  On this day last year, I stepped out of my car at 10 a.m. and into a circus.  Outside of Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, thousands of people waved the flags of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic …

Notes: Doubters lining up  —  Preseason predictions have White Sox back in the pack  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — Early preseason prognostications for the 2007 season have not been kind to the White Sox.  Actually, they have been downright mediocre, with a number of the picks placing the South Siders third …

Feller unhurt in accident  —  WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -Bob Feller, at 88 the second-oldest living member of baseball's Hall of Fame, was unhurt in a minor car accident at the Cleveland Indians' spring training complex Tuesday.  —  Dr. Nilesh Shah, physician for the Indians' Class …

Production Milledge's forte  —  Mets outfielder making music for his own record label  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Getting to New York City, that is the objective.  It's where Lastings Milledge knows he has to be to further his career.  He's confident the hits will come once he gets to the Big Apple.