Will fans say Danks for nothing?  —  ksherrington@dallasnews.com  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - Brandon McCarthy figures there's no reason he'd monitor John Danks' results in Chicago's rotation, which puts the latest Rangers starter in a distinct minority among the faithful of his new team.

Pavano likely to go Opening Day  —  With Wang on DL, door opens for maligned right-hander  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees learned Saturday that their Opening Day starter won't be Chien-Ming Wang, who will miss most of the season's first month with a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring.

Patterson 'kind of passed out' during warmups  —  VIERA, Fla. (AP) - Nook Logan's injury was there for everyone in the sellout crowd to see Saturday: The Washington Nationals' starting center fielder crumpled to the dirt after straining his right groin while running the basepaths in the ninth inning.

Francis in April form  —  Catch the daily spring training roundup each afternoon from Rockies beat writers Troy E. Renck and Patrick Saunders in Tucson.  You'll find insider information on players and what the team is working on as it gets ready for the 2007 season.  Check every afternoon for the Rockies Rundown.

Royals send Berroa down  —  'Decision speaks for itself,' GM Moore says after shortstop is optioned to Omaha.  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. |  It was a quieter Royals clubhouse Saturday morning as a subdued Angel Berroa silently watched television while slumped in a couch before pregame drills.

Pirates Notebook: Demotion has Burnett 'furious'  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — The final makeups of the Pirates' and Class AAA Indianapolis' starting rotations became much clearer yesterday, and Sean Burnett was none too happy to learn he'll be a member of the latter.

Smith, Sele to join Park in bullpen  —  Korean righty would rather start; Pelfrey likely No. 5 starter  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets' 2007 bullpen, likely to be a state of flux into the summer, on Saturday appears to have a semblance of definition for the first time.

Ready or not here's the setup  —  Duchscherer threw an inning in his first spring training game and has three more appearances scheduled before Opening Day  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Justin Duchscherer was happy to watch his bullpen mates pitch so well while he was sidelined with tendinitis in his right triceps.

Working Overtime  —  Extra Duties Have Varitek Struggling At Plate  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — He is one of the most prepared catchers in baseball.  Jason Varitek will spend hours poring over the stats of opposing hitters as he puts together the next day's pitching game plan.

In Baseball, Searching for Balance in the Scheduling Vortex  —  As anyone holding his riddled N.C.A.A. tournament bracket will groan, records of college basketball teams — 29-5 here, 18-10 there — are often not what they seem.  The collective strength of a team's opponents over a season plays …

Former baseball pro Bailey dies at 75  —  Congressional aide, city councilman diagnosed with cancer 6 months ago  —  Ed Bailey, former professional baseball catcher and a Knoxville City Council member for 12 years, died at 10 p.m. Friday at Parkwest Medical Center.  He was 75.

Q&A with Jim Duquette  —  After working in the New York Mets front office for 14 years, Jim Duquette, 40, was named the Orioles' vice president for baseball operations on Oct. 20, 2005.  A two-time All-New England selection as an outfielder at Williams College in Massachusetts …

Best-case scenario in NY?  —  Yankees believe they are the team to beat  —  What Johnny Damon told the New York Post last week — "We're the best team" — is no different from what he said after the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in four games in the American League Division Series: "The best teams don't always win."

Conversation with Crisp goes far afield  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp was asked yesterday how he felt after playing for the first time since March 14.  Crisp talked about shopping.  —  "I went to the mall last night," Crisp said, "and I bought a couple of hats.