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 …

Nats Are Awfully Certain  —  By design, John Patterson rarely reads the sports page.  But last week, he was climbing into a whirlpool to loosen his muscles.  With little else to do, he grabbed a paper from New York that sat nearby.  He looked at a prediction for the team for which he pitches, the Washington Nationals.

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 …

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.

National League West  —  For this division, off-season activity seemed to be a ceaseless whirlwind of activity, a spirited game of "Can You Top This?"  —  San Diego signs Greg Maddux away from Los Angeles, Los Angeles signs Jason Schmidt away from San Francisco and Randy Wolf away from Philadelphia …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Ask the Rockies  —  The roster has its share of new faces, from promising prospects to wily veterans.  Baseball writer Tracy Ringolsby recently tried to get some of the players to reveal more about themselves:  —  Troy Tulowitzki  —  If I didn't play baseball . . . "I would be in law enforcement."

Dodgers and Angels need speeding ticket  —  They may be out of step in a power-hitting era, but L.A. teams' emphasis on basestealing and manufacturing runs makes for more exciting baseball, and could make them World Series contenders.  —  We've spent so much time moaning about the inability …

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.

Padres sign Adrian Gonzalez to four-year deal  —  The Padres announced Sunday that they have agreed to terms with infielder Adrian Gonzalez on a four-year contract through the 2010 season with a club option for 2011.  —  "Adrian has established himself as one of the great young players …