Pujols takes a swing at false report  —  Albert Pujols said the nagging injuries to his body have abated.  He is less certain how he will recover from what he sees as damage to his reputation.  —  The Cardinals first baseman and a Most Valuable Player award winner was calm …

dungy's return thrills utecht  —  No one was more excited about the news that Tony Dungy will return to coach the Indianapolis Colts than fellow former Gopher Ben Utecht, a tight end for the Colts.  —  “Really excited; Tony has been such a mentor to me, not only as a coach but also as a man …

Less competition for Bedard now?  —  The Mariners won't go on the record to say they are still pursuing Baltimore lefty Erik Bedard.  —  However, the undercurrents around baseball suggest that Seattle very much wants Bedard, and now it turns out that, other than the Orioles …

Team Offenses, Detroit Tigers  —  We continue to look at team offenses for 2008 with the Detroit Tigers.  —  In 2007, the Tigers scored 5.48 runs per game.  —  I plugged in a likely lineup to the Lineup Analysis Tool, using the Marcel the Monkey predictions from Tom Tango.  The lineups rate as follows:

Tomko eager to ‘grind’ for Royals  —  Right-hander will battle for spot in Kansas City's rotation  —  KANSAS CITY — Brett Tomko's biography tells us that he's an “accomplished artist."  Does that mean that he paints the corners of home plate like a Rembrandt?  Or, more appropriately, like a Maddux?

Clemente's No. 21 May Be Retired From Play  —  Hispanic baseball pioneer Roberto Clemente's uniform number 21 will be retired from use by all 30 teams in Major League Baseball if the New York City Council has its way.  —  The council will debate a resolution today calling on the commissioner of baseball …

Hinske moved to tears by Pack  —  Ever seen a grown man cry because his favourite team lost a playoff game and his favourite player was the goat?  And ever see a grown man's tears turn into icicles?  —  Well, sources swear all of the above happened Sunday evening to Eric Hinske …

Search for the Truth  —  In Rob Neyer's Friday Filberts, he made a keen observation that perhaps has been lost in the debate over Jim Rice's Hall of Fame worthiness. … I totally agree with Rob's take on this matter.  I'm not nearly as interested in whether Rice gets elected to the HOF as I am in shaping the thought process.

Cyberspace exploration  —  Nevis, nestled in the Caribbean, is a near-perfect place to disappear a month before spring training.  The population is the same as it was when Alexander Hamilton was born there in 1755, which is a good thing.  —  There are four times as many monkeys as people …

Mailbag: Predicting prospects' potential  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers Nationals fans' questions … Looking ahead, who would you rate as a can't-miss prospect in the Nationals organization?  —  I would have to say that Chris Marrero is a can't-miss prospect.  He has a beautiful swing.

Damon Heart Rudy...and Mitt's not bad either  —  Yankees star outfielder Johnny Damon joined up with Bronx Bombers loyalist Rudy Giuliani here today, introducing the ex-mayor at a rally at The Presidential Ballroom in Orlando.  —  Here's a taste of what Damon, a registered Republican voting in Florida's primary, had to say afterward:

Cards sign catcher Yadier Molina to four-year deal  —  ST. LOUIS — Yadier Molina, one of the top defensive catchers in the major leagues, agreed Monday to a $15.5 million, four-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.  —  The 25-year-old had asked for a raise from $525,000 to $2.75 million …