Sheffield wanted in: 'Boston was my first choice'  —  LAKELAND, Fla. - Gary Sheffield desperately wanted to cross enemy lines.  —  The former New York Yankees slugger had only one team on his wish list as last season wound to a close, though he dared not disclose it.

Another down day for Prior  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Just when it looked like Mark Prior's status on this year's Cubs staff couldn't sink any lower, the former rotation big shot pitched his way Saturday from contender for the fifth-starter job to dark horse.  —  Actually, he's behind the dark horse.

How to Appeal to Baseball Fans?  Advice: Don't Try  —  With the wisdom of his 57 years, the greatest third baseman in baseball history can reflect on his career as a cautionary tale for the greatest third baseman of today.  —  Mike Schmidt won multiple Most Valuable Player awards …

Time for Mets to dump troubled reliever  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Duaner Sanchez, the fat and tardy Mets reliever, arrived at camp at 6:45 a.m. yesterday, a full hour and 15 minutes before he was scheduled to sit down with Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya to explain why he has taken …

Alito trades robe for Devil Rays jersey  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. —Samuel Alito liked being on this bench, too.  Dressed in a green Devil Rays jersey instead of a black robe, the Supreme Court justice stood in the dugout Saturday, getting ready to throw out the first ball before Tampa Bay played …

'New beginning' Sosa's focus now  —  Though he says 'a lot of people' know only one side of his breakup with the Cubs, he doesn't want to talk about it  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — While the ice is thawing in the long-running cold war between Mark Grace and the Cubs, and Steve Stone is back in good graces …

Hit them in the wallet  —  In the end, the Players Association in baseball, and its members, are really only passionate about one thing: Protecting guaranteed contracts, something they think should be covered by the Patriot Act.  The Players Association used to stand for a lot of things, so many of them good and important.

Weaver could light way for M's  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — Yeah, as a matter of fact, Jeff Weaver does think about how he went from having a horrible, no-good, rotten, very bad season to earning the clinching victory in the World Series last October.  —  And, yeah, it feels pretty freaking good every time the memory lights up.

AMAZIN'S OFFERED JOSE TO TRIBE FOR ALOMAR  —  If you think the Roberto Alomar trade was a disaster for the Mets, you should know it could have been worse.  Far, far worse.  —  An official who was involved in the discussions that led to that Dec. 11, 2001 deal said that one of the players …

On Baseball |  Hurler injuries common: Phils should keep Lieber  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - The cautionary tales are being written, right in the Phillies' own division.  —  Florida Marlins righthander Josh Johnson will be out two months with a nerve problem in his elbow.

Tulowitzki injures wrist  —  Tucson - Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies' prized rookie shortstop, will find out today if his injured right wrist is merely a bump in the road or a major roadblock.  —  Tulowitzki was hit in the wrist by a fastball thrown by Padres pitcher Doug Brocail in the fifth inning …