Rickey Henderson: An Interview with the Stolen Base King  —  We have you covered all Spring Training here at BDD!  Even as I leave Arizona, our own Martin Gandy is just getting started in Florida.  Martin wasted no time in hitting the camps, and today he brings us the first of his exclusive interviews …

Future Shock  —  Our first high school player to make the Ten Pack this year, Beavan earns the spot for good reason.  A six-foot-seven righthander who touches 95 mph and has a plus slider, Beavan fired a perfect game earlier in the week, striking out the first 14 batters he faced and finishing …

Bloomquist seeks full-time position with Mariners  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — Willie Bloomquist collected a pair of hits Monday, two singles.  Another multihit game.  That's not surprising.  Few players this spring are hitting the ball as well as the Mariners utility man.

Mixed Reviews As Dice-K Gets First Taste Of AL East  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — In case you were wondering, home run in Japanese is "hon rui da."  The Baltimore Orioles do not require an interpreter.  —  Daisuke Matsuzaka got his first taste of life against the American League Sunday, and discovered he is not in Seibu anymore.

Webb gives hitters that sinking feeling … PEORIA, Ariz. — Not many people have less incentive to be on the job than an Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder when Brandon Webb is pitching.  But here are three who spring to mind:  —  • A surfing instructor in Siberia.

Will Cable Try to Bulk-Buy MLB.TV Subscriptions?  —  In an interesting twist to the Extra Innings / DirecTV deal, cable may opt to go the online route, as opposed to trying to match DirecTV's offer of placing the MLB Channel on the basic tier.  —  To compete, iN Demand may take an interesting side route …

Notes: Clayton nabs starting job  —  Veteran to play shortstop; reserve situation unsettled  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — Royce Clayton is penciled in as Toronto's starting shortstop.  The Blue Jays were just a little hesistant to say as much when they signed him over the winter.

The AL West with Rob Neyer  —  There are people in this world who speak and write so authoritatively, that I find myself always agreeing with them even when I know they are wrong.  Rob Neyer is one of those people.  Rob could write a column about how earthworms are going to take over the world …

College Top 25: March 12  —  DURHAM, N.C.— The top three teams remain the same in Baseball America's Top 25 rankings, as both No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Vanderbilt went 4-0 last week, and No. 3 South Carolina swept its weekend series.  —  No. 5 Oregon State swept Evansville over the weekend …

Rockies release veteran Lopez  —  Iannetta's progress made backstop expendable  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — Catcher Javy Lopez received his release from the Rockies on Monday morning and openly wondered if he'd ever get another chance to be an everyday catcher.  —  The Rockies signed Lopez …

Notes: Meche learning new tricks  —  Right-hander's new delivery getting results this spring  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Toe, not heel.  —  That is the reminder that Gil Meche gives himself every time he takes the mound for the Royals.  Should he forget, pitching coach Bob McClure is there to remind him.

Baseball Prospectus 2007.  —  I got my copy of Baseball Prospectus 2007 this past week.  This is my fifth edition of the the stat-friendly annual (since 2002- missing 2005, when I was in Europe).  I am also a former and current subscriber to the website, having just anted up for a month's subscription …

Minors report: Hietpas makes big switch  —  Longtime Mets catching prospect to try his hand as pitcher  —  Hot topic: A year ago, Henry Owens was hot.  Though he was 25, he was considered something of a young arm, even a pitching prospect.  He produced a nice spring …

Barton becoming key part of big trade  —  Mulder deal with St. Louis brought young hitter to Oakland  —  PHOENIX — When A's general manager Billy Beane stunned baseball by trading Mark Mulder to the Cardinals in December 2004, just days after dealing Tim Hudson to the Braves, Oakland fans were understandably bummed.

Former Mets pitcher Franco leads push to ban metal bats in NYC  —  CBS SportsLine.com wire reports  —  NEW YORK — New York's City Council is considering a ban on metal bats, with former New York Mets reliever John Franco testifying Monday in sport of the proposal.