With ongoing Damon soap opera, nothing is as it appears … Johnny Damon, with the matinee-idol looks and obvious love of the big stage, is starring in his very own soap opera this winter.  —  At first, it was thought that he was going to cash in big-time following his home run of a regular season and his World Series heroics.

Big Hurt decides to call it a career  —  Longtime White Sox star Thomas is 18th on home run list  —  The Big Hurt is calling it a career.  —  Longtime White Sox star slugger Frank Thomas, who is tied for 18th on the all-time Major League home run list with 521, told MLB.com on Thursday evening that he is officially retiring.

Yankees' Johnson focuses on approach at plate  —  Nick Johnson may have two of the slowest legs in The Bronx this summer, but Kevin Long isn't interested in the Yankees' designated hitter's foot speed.  —  Instead, the hitting coach is focused on Johnson using the lower half of his body to keep from getting beat on inside pitches.

Yankees' Phil Hughes gives battle for rotation spot a start  —  TAMPA - Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are working out at the Yankees' minor-league complex, preparing for the start of spring training next week, honing their changeups and getting used to the feel of their spikes on a mound again.

Red Sox ‘Truck Day’ has arrived!  —  The truck that will transport the Red Sox' gear to Fort Myers for spring training is sporting a new look.  It was outside Fenway early Friday morning, ready to be loaded.  (Steve Silva / Boston.com)  —  Sorry Punxsutawney Phil and your six-more-weeks …

Mets Top 11 Prospects  —  Four-Star Prospects  —  Three-Star Prospects  —  Four More:  —  12. Jeurys Familia, RHP: Familia had the best pure arm on an impressive staff at Low-A Savannah last year, but most see him in a future relief profile.  —  13. Cesar Puello, OF …

Big Ten should make a big splash and expand to 14 teams … With the latest report that the Big Ten is opening up discussions with Texas about possibly joining the conference, it got me thinking about what radical changes we might see from the Big Ten in the next couple years.

Giants, Lincecum reach $23M, 2-year deal  —  Buzz up!  —  SAN FRANCISCO - Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants reached a preliminary agreement on a $23 million, two-year contract ahead of the scheduled start of an arbitration hearing.  —  The two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner …

Delgado unlikely to accept current offers  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  —  Could free-agent first baseman Carlos Delgado be this year's Pedro Martinez, waiting until after the season begins to sign with a contender?

Daniel Murphy's flaws at first base will test Mets announcer Keith Hernandez  —  There will come a time this season, in a crucial situation, when Mets first baseman Daniel Murphy makes an error.  In SportsNet New York's broadcast booth, Keith Hernandez will have something to say about it.

Rangers prospect Danny Gutierrez suspended 50 games for testing positive for amphetamine Adderall  —  RHP Danny Gutierrez, whom the Rangers acquired from Kansas City last fall, has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a banned substance.

Bonderman wants back in on Detroit's power play  —  Almost two years have passed since Jeremy Bonderman could feel like he was really a part of what the Tigers were trying to accomplish, a part of the clubhouse.  If you're hurt and on the disabled list and unable to pitch, you keep your locker …

Minaya: Many battles to be won at spring training  —  The Mets are baseball's piñata.  They've made mistakes, and have been blasted, but when pitchers and catchers get together next week in Port St. Lucie, along with early arriving position players, one thing will be in the air that's been missing in past years: competition.

An admittedly premature look at Jayson Werth's future in Philly  —  I started this blog post back on Jan. 22, but for whatever reason — breaking Phillies news, shiny object dangling in front of my face — left it half-complete.  Seeing as though it is still one of the more relevant questions surrounding …