Pettitte's back holds up in session while Iggy impresses Phils & self  —  Read Mark Feinsand's Blogging the Bombers  —  TAMPA - Andy Pettitte threw 25 important pitches in the bullpen yesterday, but it was the 87 tosses made by Kei Igawa that may have most calmed the Yankees' fears.

Z-Day (cont.)  —  So, given some of those hefty numbers and the certainty that, next winter, they'll probably be even heftier, both sides are busy burning up calculator batteries and wording contract proposals just right.  Yet the question remains: Can Hendry and Zambrano …

The myth behind the man  —  Matsuzaka says 'gyroball' not part of his arsenal  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Despite highly descriptive news reports, slow motion video and purported eyewitness accounts from major league hitters — well, the Florida Marlins' scrubs — Red Sox pitching sensation …

Mets Need Heilman in Bullpen More Than Ever  —  Aaron Heilman jogs out of the bullpen to "London Calling" by the Clash.  It is an urgent song for a low-key reliever, and one that fans at Shea Stadium can expect to hear even more than the 74 times they did last season.

Brandon Morrow  —  I guess it's my turn to weigh in on this.  —  I have to admit, I've been going back and forth on the issue - at first I liked it, but that's because my first impressions are always shortsighted, and the more I thought about it, the more I started to side with the "send him to the minors" camp.

Kerry presses baseball to hold off on DirecTV deal  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John Kerry urged Major League Baseball on Tuesday to hold off on a deal to put the sport's "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games exclusively on DirecTV Group Inc. A top baseball official declined to agree, with opening day less than a week away.

Padres decide Walker must go  —  Towers insists move wasn't about money  —  PEORIA, Ariz. - Unless they lose a grievance to the players' association, the Padres will save nearly $3 million via yesterday's decision to release utilityman Todd Walker, who will go on unconditional release waivers today.

How the New York Yankees Can Win the World Series  —  Will talks with Alex Belth about the Yankees' chances on Baseball Prospectus Radio.  Click to download the mp3.  —  Imagine the Yankees winning it all this year.  I know it's a leap of faith, but go ahead and try.  Okay, that didn't take long now, did it?

Papelbon moves up: Closer seeks new arm slot  —  SARASOTA, Fla. - Jonathan Papelbon [stats] is back in the one-and-done business, and yesterday it looked like he had not missed much while he was gone.  —  In his first one-inning stint since he and the Red Sox [team stats] …

Nats' Guzman hopes he's hitting stride  —  VIERA, Fla. — Cristian Guzman is doing what he can to put a certain number behind him, a number that defines his Washington Nationals career so far: .219.  —  That was his 2005 batting average, and, because he missed all of last season after shoulder surgery …

There's just a passion about the numbers in baseball … I learned a new number recently.  I now know how many yards Dan Marino, the record holder, threw for in his NFL career.  I'm told by football stat guys that it's an "awkward" number, but before the other day, I wouldn't have come within 10,000 yards of the correct number.

Brewers acquire catcher Maxim St. Pierre from Kansas City  —  Send pitcher Ben Hendrickson to the Royals  —  MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers today acquired C Maxim St. Pierre from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Ben Hendrickson.  The announcement was made by Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Melvin.

Getting some relief  —  Deal clears up outfield logjam and addresses bullpen concern  —  Tucson, Ariz. - The Milwaukee Brewers finally addressed their outfield logjam Monday with the added benefit of bolstering their bullpen.  —  Brady Clark, who became expendable when Bill Hall moved …

PECOTA Projected Standings, AL and NL Central  —  This miniseries breaks down into three parts, canvassing the country from East to West.  For each of the thirty clubs, I'm going to identify one player for whom I think the PECOTA forecast looks low ("Take the Over") based on statistical …

Take Me Out to the Mall Game  —  Hey, look what you're paying for!  A Voice guide to the new Mets and Yankees stadiums.  —  Time is running out for Shea and Yankee stadiums: By Opening Day, the skeletons of CitiField and the new Yankee Stadium (no corporate name yet, though …

Under The Knife  —  Hard Eight  —  It's crazier than you can imagine at the UTK home office.  As the season draws closer, there's always those last second surprises, the trades of guys like Brady Clark or Jorge Julio, based as much on roster crunch as talent.