Former MLB commissioner Kuhn dies at 80  —  PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who lorded over baseball during 15 tumultuous years that saw players gain free agency and start the spiral of multimillion-dollar salaries, died Thursday.  He was 80.

Seeking strength within: Closer search likely an inside job  —  FORT MYERS - Red Sox [team stats] fans holding their breath for the last-second acquisition of Chad Cordero or another big-name closer should exhale.  —  Red Sox forum:  —  For the time being, what you see is what you get.

Shapiro agrees to extension  —  WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — General manager Mark Shapiro agreed to a five-year contract extension through the 2012 season with the Cleveland Indians, a team he has dismantled and rebuilt into a playoff contender.  —  Shapiro was signed only through this season …

Orioles' Benson is out for 2007 … FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. // Three weeks into a scheduled four-week rehabilitation program, Orioles pitcher Kris Benson has chosen to have season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn right rotator cuff.  —  Benson met with Orioles vice president Jim Duquette …

How low can Lopez go?  —  Colorado's goal for new starter is to keep ball down  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - There is no understating the importance of newcomer Rodrigo Lopez to the Rockies rotation.  —  Someone has to replace the 200-plus innings Jason Jennings provided, rack up a double-figure victory total …

Mets arms 2 of a kind  —  Pelfrey, Maine deliver  —  LAKELAND, Fla. - John Maine hasn't searched for an apartment yet in New York, or signed up on the clubhouse list to have his vehicle transported north on I-95.  —  He ought to.  So, as it's becoming clear, should Mike Pelfrey.

Bringin' Some Serious Cheese: Rich Harden  —  Mid to high 90s fastball, slider, changeup, spuckle (thanks to Adam Melhuse for that one).  Rich Harden's stuff can and will be described as:  —  a) nasty  —  b) dirty  —  c) filthy  —  d) all of the above  —  However, Rich Harden comes with the "When healthy" label.

Sanchez, Reed duel for CF job  —  FORT LAUDERDALE — There are more than two weeks left in spring training, but the Marlins have seen enough of Reggie Abercrombie to know that he won't be their center fielder this season.  —  Abercrombie was sent to minor-league camp Wednesday as the Marlins narrowed …

The Twins' supernatural talent  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - Johan Santana's gilded left arm was twitching every 2 seconds, and Eddie was to blame.  —  Eddie is Santana's electrical-stimulation machine, named so because a rotund figure that appears on the machine's LCD screen reminds him of former teammate Eddie Guardado.

Council votes to ban metal bats in NYC high school baseball  —  NEW YORK (AP) -The City Council voted 40-6 Wednesday to ban metal baseball bats for high school teams citywide, a law that supporters say would make the game slower and safer.  —  The measure was not certain to become law …

The NL West with Rich Lederer  —  For more than a year now, I've been promising to write a column for Rich Lederer's tremendous site Baseball Analysts.  I still have not done it.  This is because of a series of comical coincidences — really.  I would start writing a column and then my computer would blow up.

Five Questions: Chicago White Sox  —  This is my fourth annual article "questioning" the White Sox.  In my first preview, I wondered what kind of manager newly hired Ozzie Guillen would be.  In the second, I spent a lot of time recapping Kenny Williams' busy offseason.

Time has come to mark Prior as an ex-Cub  —  There comes a day when patience and wishful thinking are obliterated by complete and utter hopelessness, the grim reality that no amount of time can help a downward spiral make a U-turn.  That's where I am on the sad, mysterious subject of Mark Prior.