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.

Manager resists lure of tobacco 'heaven'  —  FORT MYERS - It's bad enough Terry Francona is trying to give up an unhealthy, addicting habit he absolutely loves.  —  Even worse, the Red Sox [team stats] manager has to constantly be around the thing he's trying to quit - smokeless tobacco - when he's near a baseball field.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Greed between the lines  —  'Loyal' A-Rod just after cash  —  TAMPA - Just when we thought the circus might finally have left Yankee spring training and been replaced by a tranquil, business-like routine, Alex Rodriguez manages to get himself all over the back pages again - and for all the wrong reasons again.

Heilman elbows way back  —  LAKELAND, Fla. - Aaron Heilman, who has not pitched since allowing four runs in an inning against the Tigers six days ago, hopes to return to action tomorrow night against the Marlins.  Heilman has tendinitis in his right elbow, from which he had bone chips surgically removed on Oct.23.