Alex Rodriguez's steroid stain will last forever  —  Yankees Alex Rodriguez stands behind the batting cage while waiting his turn to take batting practice at Steinbrenner Field on Monday.  —  “This is about someone else,” A-Rod kept saying.  —  Yes and no. Federal agents are indeed investigating …

Matthews: I'm natural choice for Mets leadoff spot  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Gary Matthews Jr. felt right at home in the leadoff spot yesterday.  —  If Jerry Manuel's plan of batting Jose Reyes third in the lineup is to succeed, the Mets manager will need either Matthews or Angel Pagan to emerge as a reliable leadoff hitter.

Rocco Baldelli returns to Tampa Bay Rays as a special assistant  —  PORT CHARLOTTE - Former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli will rejoin the Rays as a special assistant, working with young players, executive vice president Andrew Friedman announced Tuesday.

What Puts Fans In the Seats?  —  One of the important questions to team management is how to put fans in the stands.  Obviously winning ballgames helps, but the question is how much and in what way?  Using data going back to 1950, I set out to create a model to help answer this question.

Barry Zito: “I want to be a top-of-the-rotation guy again”  —  Many people have chalked up Barry Zito's post-gajillion dollar contract struggles to complacency, comfort, wealth or poor character.  If you believe what he told MLB.com recently, however, his competitive fire still burn:

Minor League Transactions  —  Atlanta Braves  —  Signed: C J.R. House, SS Edward Salcedo  —  Released: RHP Rico Reid, 1B Ryohei Shimabukuro  —  The Braves inked Salcedo, 18, to the richest bonus in franchise history ever handed out to an international amateur—$1.6 million.

Can Bonds get back in game?  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Their current situations are not perfect parallels.  But with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds, it always has been more about intersections.  —  With the steroids era.  With controversy.  And with bat against ball.

The '07 Mitchell Report's effect: Five active players reflect  —  It was, and probably still is, baseball's darkest day this century.  When the Mitchell Report detailing performance-enhancing drug use was released Dec. 13, 2007, old wounds were reopened and new sins exposed.

Manny Ramirez expected to make Dodgers trip to Taiwan  —  Outfielder Manny Ramirez is on the Los Angeles Dodgers' expected roster for an upcoming trip to Taiwan, the team announced Tuesday.  —  According to a release from the Dodgers, the expected roster may change before the team leaves for Taiwan on March 10.

SABR Announces Chadwick Award Inaugural Class  —  The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is pleased to announce the inaugural class of recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award, which was established in November 2009 to honor the game's great researchers—historians, statisticians …

Berkman will miss spring opener … KISSIMEE, Fla. (AP) — Houston All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman is likely to miss the Astros' spring training opener Thursday after bruising his left knee.  —  The 34-year-old Berkman complained of soreness and swelling in his knee after Monday's workout.

Florida Marlins reliever quite the Olympic organizer  —  Reliever Seth McClung, noted for creating the Bullpen Olympics with the Brewers in 2008, could revive the event if he makes the Marlins.  —  CSPENCER@MIAMIHERALD.COM  —  JUPITER — Thought the Olympics ended Sunday?  Think again.

Leyland's new slogan: Protect the plate  —  Manager looking for club to improve in two-strike situations  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Jim Leyland's new slogan for his Tigers this year didn't make it to the media guide, and it probably won't end up on a T-shirt.  But he wants his hitters to take it to heart.

NY Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez moves ahead of the curve … TAMPA, Fla. — It's not unusual for Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez to talk baseball with his father.  However, it is unusual for those conversations to drift toward the subject of pitching.  And it is even more unusual for Vazquez's father to offer advice.

Bernazard's Ridiculous “Oppo” Plan  —  John Harper at the Daily News wrote about Tony Bernazard's organizational emphasis on hitting the ball to the opposite field, starting after the 2008 season.  Before his firing, Bernazard was apparently so obsessed with players “going oppo” …