Ump calls Yanks, Sox ‘a disgrace to baseball’  —  BOSTON — Umpire Joe West blasted the Yankees and Red Sox just before Wednesday's game, accusing the two clubs of being “pathetic and embarrassing” in dragging the pace of games and refusing to work with umpires.

The Business Of Baseball  —  Edited by Kurt Badenhausen, Michael K. Ozanian and Christina Settimi, 04.07.10, 06:00 PM EDT  —  Major League teams enjoyed record profits last season despite the bad economy.  —  There really is no crying in baseball.  Not when it comes to what teams are worth and the money they earn.

Vazquez Is Ready to Contribute in His Second Act  —  When Mark Teixeira joined the Yankees before last season, he asked Derek Jeter what made him excited about the team.  Jeter, whose ability to simplify things is among his greatest assets, gave Teixeira a blunt and prescient reply: “We've got pitching.”

Marquis' debut spoiled by Phillies  —  Nats right-hander roughed up in four-plus innings  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals fell, 8-4, to the Phillies on Wednesday night, as Ryan Howard's potent bat again proved to be too much for Washington.  —  It was a game in which Nationals pitchers walked eight batters.

Texas Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia placed on disabled list  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is going on the disabled list with stiffness in his left upper back, the Texas Rangers said Thursday.  —  Manager Ron Washington said Saltalamacchia injured himself in Monday's game …

Reyes Scheduled to Play for Mets on Saturday  —  Barring unexpected complications, Jose Reyes will in the Mets' lineup Saturday for their home game against the Nationals.  The plan is for Reyes to play one more minor league game Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., then travel to New York, where he will join the team Friday.

Lester deal looks like guide for Gallardo  —  The Brewers followed a trend when they signed 24-year-old right-hander Yovani Gallardo to a contract extension on Thursday.  Develop young pitchers, test them in the big leagues, then lock them up.  —  That was the path followed by Gallardo and the Brewers …

Under The Knife  —  Sneaky Recoveries  —  The Astros are on the verge of rushing Berkman back.  He has had multiple drainings of his problematic knee, both before and after his surgery.  On the last draining, the doctors also injected it with cortisone, a procedure that one orthopedist called, “a bit desperate.”

The path to Cooperstown through the hot corner  —  For my fifth annual THT column on position players and the Hall of Fame, I'm taking an in-depth look at the third basemen.  As with my prior looks at slugging outfielders/first basemen, middle infielders, leadoff men and my two-parter on catchers …