Willis cinches opening start  —  JUPITER — Dontrelle Willis will start the Marlins' season opener April 2 in Washington - an announcement so anticlimactic that manager Fredi Gonzalez joked that he flipped a coin to decide.  —  "It came up heads," Gonzalez said Monday before speaking sincerely …

Herges making his pitch to stick  —  Veteran battling youthful duo for spot in bullpen  —  TUCSON - Ramon Ramirez and Manual Corpas are in the bullpen mix, hardly surprising because both relieved extensively last year for the Rockies.  Still competing with them is newcomer Matt Herges, something that is a bit stunning.

Mariners Notebook: Sherrill is latest shaky performer in bullpen  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — If you ever wondered what a deflated man looks like, then the picture of Mariners reliever George Sherrill on Monday afternoon would answer your query.  —  As the 6-foot, 225-pound Sherrill trudged …

Rangers' mid-spring analysis  —  Lineup is taking shape, but questions remain at some positions  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  Infielders  —  1B Mark Teixeira, 2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Hank Blalock, SS Michael Young, UTIL Jerry Hairston Jr.  —  Closeup on Jerry Hairston Jr.: The difficult decision involves INF Matt Kata.

For Mets Pitchers, Location Is the Word  —  Every spring when the Mets begin playing exhibition games, the pitching coach Rick Peterson puts together a forum for his pitchers near their warm-up area at Tradition Field.  —  The only item on the agenda is pitching, or, more precisely …

Yes!  It all ads up for Giuliani  —  Yankee airwaves offer free time for Rudy's run  —  Rudy Giuliani, aided and abetted by George Steinbrenner, has a history of commandeering Yankees airwaves to enhance Bombers business interests or promote his own agenda.

Looking at 2007's top milestones and records  —  The 2007 baseball season is just around the bend.  —  The pennant races are always the lead story in any baseball campaign, but the upcoming season also figures to provide us with an extra-large helping of individual drama.

Trade talk as Opening Day approaches  —  Here's a look at some players who can expect to see their names come up in trade discussions between now and Opening Day:  —Armando Benitez, Giants.  They have Brian Wilson ready to take over as closer, and they have scouts from Florida …

The Best Young Corner Outfielders of 2007  —  This week, I will continue my position-by-position review of the game's best young players by examining corner outfielders.  The following list differs from traditional prospect lists in two ways.  First, anyone under 25 is eligible.

Big contracts won't sway Royals GM  —  Dayton Moore says he considers talent, not money, when he assembles roster.  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. |  Royals general manager Dayton Moore contends money won't do any talking when he gathers his on-field and front-office staffs for discussions on putting together the major-league roster.

Greinke growing as a competitor  —  "It's how you react when everything doesn't work out like you expect.  You have to be tough.  That's what it takes to be good."  —  | Zack Greinke  —  On Monday, Greinke pitched five strong innings in a spring-training game against the Chicago White Sox.

Other Voices: Here's hoping weight is all that Felix has lost  —  Editor's note: The Stranger identified Seth Kolloen the best sportswriter you've never heard of for his work at seattlest.com.  His columns appear occasionally in the P-I.  —  FELIX HERNANDEZ LOST a bunch of weight in the offseason …

Yankees Coach Looks in the Mirror and Sees Posada  —  With the ease of one friend meeting another in a coffee shop, the Yankees coach Tony Peña pulled up a chair at Jorge Posada's locker in the clubhouse.  Peña placed his paper coffee cup on the floor, picked up a baseball and began an impromptu catch-and-throw lesson.

How the Philadelphia Phillies Can Win the World Series  —  Brad talks with Steven Goldman about the Phillies' chances on Baseball Prospectus Radio.  Click to download the mp3.  —  I am not a devoted Phillies fan, but in the years before I became publicly associated with the Yankees …

Non-roster invitee seizes chance  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Non-roster invitee Adam Russell has pitched himself into consideration for a spot on the White Sox's Opening Day roster.  —  "Russell, enjoy the ride, because he's in the picture," manager Ozzie Guillen said with a smile Monday …