Family to catch Broderick's Nats debut  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals right-hander Brain Broderick said his parents and brother will attend his first Major League Opening Day after all.  That will occur Thursday afternoon against Braves.  —  The news comes two days after Broderick said his parents …

Clemens says he's ‘looking forward’ to his day in court  —  HUMBLE — After finishing his stint as a charity caddie for PGA Tour player Ryan Palmer this afternoon, Roger Clemens stopped to shake a few hands, slap a few backs and sign a few autographs.  —  Then, with a large group of media waiting …

MLB on FOX ready to tie one on  —  Walking out of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia after the final game of the NLCS, I was grabbed by Jim Bernard, a FOX Sports VP.  —  “Are you ready to wear the bow tie?”  Jim said.  “We're getting you some in San Francisco.”  —  The what?

BREAKING NEWS: Brandon Belt wins spot on Giants' roster, will make big league debut on opening day (33)  —  Giants Manager Bruce Bochy went to the mat to keep Brandon Belt and the skipper got his wish.  —  Alex Pavlovic just reported via Twitter that Belt was informed he'll be on the team.

Patrick Reusse: You can take your UZR and ...  2011 BASEBALL PREVIEW All the new-age stats in the world can't tell as much about a player as the eyes of a baseball lifer.  —  Jim Fregosi played his first pro game in 1959.  He was an All-Star with the California Angels and a manager …

Mets seek productive mix of new talent, core  —  Club has pieces to win, but chemistry will create identity  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Consider, for a moment, the Mets at their most basic level.  Consider the names embroidered on the back of the uniforms: Wright.  Reyes.  Beltran.  Bay.

Spring training 2011: Philadelphia Phillies trim roster, cut just-signed 2B Luis Castillo  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Philadelphia Phillies released Luis Castillo on Wednesday, one week after signing the veteran second baseman to a minor league contract.  —  Castillo signed with Philadelphia …

Shakespeare and Verlander … Like This Story … - The Government Is Suing Banks for Offenses That Regulators Knew About but Ignored- Why Are Simon Winchester's History Books So Popular?  - Britney Spears' New Album Is Brilliantly Avant-Garde.  Seriously.- Gamification Is the Worst …

Giants Designate Travis Ishikawa For Assignment  —  The Giants designated Travis Ishikawa for assignment, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).  Rookie Brandon Belt made the Giants' Opening Day roster, bumping Ishikawa from the team.

A Solo Shot  —  Fans come out to the ballpark for a variety of reasons, from cheap family fun to the intricacies of the hit-and-run to the devastating ruin of Pedro Martinez's changeup.  Baseball has something for everyone.  There is no denying, however, the almost universal appeal of the home run.

Yankees name righthanded reliever Luis Ayala to pitching staff as Pedro Feliciano starts on DL  —  Luis Ayala will be the final man on the Yankees' pitching staff to open the season, as the Bombers chose the veteran righthander over young lefty Steve Garrison.

Jamie Moyer joins ESPN for 2011  —  Jamie Moyer hopes to pitch in the majors in 2012, but for this season the 48-year-old left-hander will lend his expertise as an analyst for ESPN's “Baseball Tonight”, making his debut Thursday for Major League Baseball's Opening Day.

New leadership, new approach for Blue Jays  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Blue Jays enter the 2011 season with a new manager and a new philosophy on how to compete in the American League East.  —  Last season, Toronto led the Major Leagues with 257 home runs.  The club's approach was to sit back …

Fernando Valenzuela was a game-changer for the Dodgers, baseball, and Los Angeles  —  What became known as Fernandomania began with an opening day shutout by Mexican rookie Fernando Valenzuela 30 years ago.  He'll throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.

Nick Evans cleared waivers, no news on Bay  —  To hear Sandy Alderson's conversation with the media, click play here:  —  According to MetsBlog's Rich Coutinho, Sandy Alderson said the team has not yet made a decision on Jason Bay, who is on his way back to Port St. Lucie tonight.

Mound work first step in long rehab for Greinke  —  CINCINNATI — The Brewers expect injured starter Zack Greinke to begin throwing off a mound this weekend in Cincinnati or early next week in Milwaukee, but he's still weeks away from being activated from the disabled list and could miss all of April, manager Ron Roenicke said.

‘Dancing’ to find the 2011 Series winner  —  Counting down the 30 teams to the one (Red Sox) who will be left standing in October  —  Well, here we go again.  It's that column you've all been waiting for — The One Where Stark Makes Himself Look Like An Idiot Like He Does This Time Every Year.

MLB institutes 7-day DL for concussions  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Major League Baseball and its players union have announced a new set of protocols for dealing with concussions, including the creation of a new seven-day disabled list for players with the injury.  —  The league and the union announced …