Former Yanks help lay dirt in Stadium  —  Crew from '98 teams up with area kids in symbolic ceremony  —  NEW YORK — Paul O'Neill strode down a flight of concourse stairs at the new Yankee Stadium on Saturday, set his feet on the warning track — a rough, dirt expanse …

Brewers tab Randolph as bench coach  —  Former Mets skipper was finalist for managerial opening  —  MILWAUKEE — The Brewers were looking for experience in their bench coach, and they found it in one of their managerial candidates.  —  Former Mets manager Willie Randolph …

He'd love Sox to catch him  —  Deal to Boston would thrill Saltalamacchia  —  Jarrod Saltalamacchia can't hide his excitement when he hears rumors of being traded to Boston.  Nothing against Texas, he insists, where he's trying to wade through a catching maze with Gerald Laird and Taylor Teagarden …

YANKEES TOP 10 PROSPECTS 2009 PER BASEBALL AMERICA  —  One of the rare times that the print version of Baseball America provides the news before it's on their site...as per the Nov 17-30, 2008 edition found in my mail box today...here are the Yankees “Top 10″ Prospects for 2009, according to Baseball America:

Michael Young's Gold Glove may help keep him at shortstop for the Texas Rangers  —  So much for asking Michael Young to switch positions.  —  The Gold Glove American League managers and coaches bestowed upon Young on Thursday will likely entrench him even further at shortstop for the Rangers for the foreseeable future.

The infield shift is on  —  Shortstop position losing power  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  There is no rule that states a stud of a shortstop is the key to winning a World Series.  The Red Sox [team stats] certainly can vouch for that, having won two in the last five years …

Do the Cardinals Believe in Ryan Ludwick?  —  As the Ryan Ludwick trade speculation continues to swirl, I thought I'd dial it it back to take a look at one of the central issues:  —  Is Ludwick a one-year wonder?  —  The Cardinals probably believe that to a large extent — or they would not be shopping Ludwick.

That Awful Mets Bullpen May Return Intact  —  Most witnesses of the Mets' bullpen meltdown last season, those who can still see crucial victories squandered night after September night, would probably just as soon not see the names responsible for another missed postseason — Heilman …

Sox focus on Cuban 3B Dayan Viciedo  —  MLB gives green light for teams to make offers to Viciedo  —  The White Sox are poised to put the Joe Crede era behind them and become players in the first big acquisition of the offseason.  —  Agent Jaime Torres was informed by Major League Baseball …

Madden: Obama makes White Sox America's team  —  For over 100 years, the Chicago White Sox have had to live as second-class citizens to the Cubs in the Windy City while, nationally, they had a fan base and recognition factor the equivalent of the Houston Astros or San Diego Padres.  —  No more.

Padres cut Peavy finalists to 3 teams  —  Cubs, Braves, Dodgers in the hunt  —  Padres general manager Kevin Towers was back home in San Diego on Friday, sifting through the possibilities that will allow him to trade former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy to the Cubs, the Atlanta Braves or …