Opening Day Butterflies Are Part of Acta's Game  —  Manny Acta told his wife this offseason that he had to be careful when he was driving.  —  "I haven't become a major league manager until Opening Day comes," Acta said.  "If I have a car accident, I'm not going to go down in history as the manager of the Washington Nationals."

Green means go for 2 hits  —  ST. LOUIS - Shawn Green noted his .149 spring average didn't count.  Still, it was easier to forget after last night, when he singled in his first two at-bats and went 2-for-4.  —  "For me, if I can go out and have a good series, or get off to a good start …

Zell wins Tribune auction; Cubs to be sold  —  After an epic corporate drama, Chicago's Tribune Co. sold itself in a deal that puts the 159-year-old media conglomerate in the hands of the city's most iconoclastic entrepreneur, setting up a high-stakes bet that a pillar of the nation's old-media establishment …

Mix master  —  ST. LOUIS - A buzz coursed through the new Busch Stadium, the kind that portends something special.  Yadier Molina, the catcher who had propelled the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series, waddled toward the plate Sunday night with the bases loaded in the first game of the 2007 season …

Rangers will second Kinsler praise  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - Michael Young is not given to big, broad pronouncements.  On Sunday, given a chance to go down in the ever-expanding annals of athletes who guaranteed a win/pennant/championship, he said: "I don't roll that way."

Talks with Eckstein appear stalled  —  As long ago as the Winter Warm-up, Cardinals officials expressed a hope to approach shortstop David Eckstein during spring training to discuss an extension to his current contract.  —  There were some talks but nothing substantial while the club was in Florida …

Opening Day fever  —  As anticipation bubbles near and far, Sox set to bow in  —  Daisuke Matsuzaka was blinded by the light as he made this grab while shagging flies yesterday.  (JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF)  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Red Sox are the baseball Beatles.  They are Elvis.

Schilling Broken  —  My daughter just heard on the radio that Curt Schilling broke his arm in a car accident in Kansas.  I'm looking for a story now.  —  Update 8:10 AM: Still nothing on the web, but our local radio station says that Schilling stepped off a curb this morning and was grazed by the side-view mirror of an SUV.

What is Zone Rating?  —  Zone rating has been around for 20 years now as a way to measure defensive players.  It's a simple concept; you just need to know two things: How many plays a fielder makes, and how many were hit into his zone.  You divide the first number by the second, and you have zone rating.

Predicting O's win total is a lose-lose situation  —  I'm thinking of a number between one and 162.  —  It's the number of games I think the Orioles will win this year, and I'm hesitant to reveal it for fear it will reveal me as a negative guy.  —  I'm a little sensitive about that.

Baseball 2007: Deep-sixed in first six?  —  Another poor start for Pirates portends another disaster  —  Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photo illustration  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  Zach Duke gets it.  —  Even though he will pitch a Major League Baseball opener …

Zambrano extends deadline for contract extension  —  CINCINNATI — Pitcher Carlos Zambrano extended his deadline to reach a contract extension with the Chicago Cubs beyond Opening Day, a sign the sides are nearing agreement.  —  Zambrano and the Cubs are thought to be discussing a five-year deal worth about $80 million.

Balking at the First Pitch  —  Bush's Skipping of Opening Day May Perpetuate a Ritual's Slow Decline  —  This is a baseball story, so let's get right to the stats.  —  Today is Washington's 65th Opening Day since 1910, when William H. Taft gave us a tradition: the ceremonial first pitch by the president.

Notes: Final roster spot undecided  —  Bourn, Condrey, Dobbs, Segovia make 25-man roster  —  PHILADELPHIA — On Sunday, the Phillies' roster stood at 24 players, with one undecided spot.  —  The team expects to rectify that and announce its 25-player assortment by Monday.

Four unexpected players make roster  —  Buck, Walker, DiNardo and Marshall in immediate plans  —  OAKLAND — Travis Buck has never played above Double-A ball.  Jay Marshall has never played above Class A. Todd Walker was released by the Padres earlier this week.  Lenny DiNardo was waived by the Red Sox in February.