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It's no fun picking the Yankees. When a team outspends its nearest competitor by some $70 million, or whatever the ungodly sum will be this season, that team not only […]

To appreciate a story "Rangers manager Johnny Oates tells about John Wetteland, it takes a modest understanding of late-inning relief pitchers--closers, of which Wetteland is one of the best and […]

This is where Bryan Harvey limbers up his first arm on the morning of the day he leaves for spring training: inside a stable of quarter horses. Thwackt ... thwackt […]

How Bill Pulsipher, Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson, the Mets' talented trio of pitchers, went from prospects to suspects in six short months From behind his desk in the Mets' […]

Touchdown came more quickly than expected. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when Roger Clemens stopped being "Rocket Man" - youth fades gradually. It is 10 years since Clemens struck out […]

Looking way too ordinary for a pitching god, making him the most dangerous optical illusion in baseball, Greg Maddux sits shirtless and deadly calm on a small stool by his […]

The take on closers is that in order for them to be good they have to have a few wires crossed. Randy Myers, the Cubs' stopper, for years has gone […]

They say baseball is a game of finesse, of genius, but be honest: Who can resist its power? We love the 500-foot home run, and nothing pleases us more than […]

Jamie Moyer, baseball's newest ageless wonder, stares in for the sign. He has fallen behind in the count 3-0 to Milton Bradley, one of the league's top hitters. Moyer looks […]

Training ground By Charlie Maiorana, Clemens' coach at Spring Woods High in Houston I always thought Roger would be a success. I can't say I thought he'd win six Cy […]

ELEMENTS OF HARDBALL HUSTLE On the first day of the Mariners' Cactus League season, Ichiro Suzuki slipped on his wraparound shades, bowed slightly toward the pitcher, Jason Middlebrook of the […]

ELEMENTS OF HARDBALL INTENSITY Jeff Weaver arrives at the park fired up. You want to crowd the plate? Fine, but Weaver might stick one in your ear. You want to […]

The season's midpoint is nearly here, which means Yankees manager Joe Torre spent a few extra hours this week assembling the American League pitching staff for Tuesday's All-Star Game in […]

Baseball can be cruel, even to its most admirable player. Eventually the game passes by those who give it their youth and passion. Almost nobody is sure when that moment […]

Any baseball fan still residing on the planet surely recalls the seventh game of the 1991 World Series. Thirty-six-year-old Jack Morris pitched a 10-inning, 1-0 shutout over the favored Braves […]

Somewhere in the commotion 6 Saturday night's ninth inning and beyond, during those World Series moments that begin in tension and end in toasts, Leo Mazzone turns to Tom Glavine, […]

Call him Mambo -- everybody does. Some weeks ago, having little or no money in his pocket and nothing particular to interest him in Puerto Rico, he thought he would […]

The care and feeding of a young pitcher is one of baseball's most uncertain endeavors. A tender sprout depends on firm support, shelter and proper nutrients. Well-nurtured, a young pitcher […]

Tewksbury, potentially the biggest name of the free-agent market after this season, is having that effect on National League batters. He won't blow you away, but he'll blow your mind. […]

Jose Rijo cried out for help. He was a shy and scrawny teen-ager from the Dominican Republic who spoke no English and ran scared. He'd been signed by George Steinbrenner's […]

Ervin and Shirley Beck didn't quite understand their younger son's fascination with the ball. They had come from sprawling North Dakota farming families who were too busy milking cows and […]

From start to finish, the Braves' rotation is everything it was hyped up to be I was sitting in an American League ballpark when I began to truly appreciate the […]

Seung Song RHP, Red Sox Song, 21, went from low-Class A Augusta to high-Class A Sarasota and put up excellent numbers at each level. At 6-1,190, he is a power […]

Powered by a split-finger fastball that has become nearly unhittable, Roger Clemens is closing in on a historic season Surely, Roger Clemens' fastball is the key to the unprecedented sixth […]

Team: Mariners Ht./Wt: 6-5/215 B/T: R/R Age: 31 Record/ERA: 12-4/3.72 Grading out: 040 scale Overall: 60-plus Curve: 65 Splitter: 55 Two-seamer: 50 Four-seamer: 55 Skill set: Sele has very good […]

Neither Curt Schilling nor Randy Johnson has led the league in wins at the end of a season, but the Diamondbacks starters are in good position to finish as the […]

Jerome Williams RHP, Giants Williams was one of the untouchable players when teams talked to the Giants about trades. He has drawn comparisons with Dwight Gooden. Williams, 6-1,189, throws in […]

C.C. is the biggest and best of a large and talented crop of rookie starting pitchers. It was the top of the fourth and C.C Sabathia already was making the […]

Team: Astros Ht./Wt: 6-2/210 B/T: R/R Age: 31 Grading out: (0-80 scale) Overall: 60- (minus because of inconsistency) Fastball: 65 Curve: 60 Changeup: 60 Slider: 55 Physical description: Astacio has […]

The ups and downs of a wild pitch I can't imagine throwing a knuckleball, but a teammate of mine, Steve Sparks, lives and dies by it. Sparky and Tim Wakefield […]

Pitching with a two-run lead in the third inning against Anaheim on May 30, Joe Mays surrendered a lazy single to leadoff hitter Jorge Fabregas. When Twins center fielder Torii […]

Jeff Weaver Tigers Ht./Wt.: 6-5/210 B/T: R/R Age: 24 Grading out: (20-80 scale) Four-seam fastball: 55 Changeup: 52 Curve: 52 Slurve/slider: 50 Overall potential: 65+ Record/ERA: 4-5/3.09 Mechanics: Weaver slings […]

You might remember Annie Savoy. She taught English in Durham, N.C. She believed in the Church of Baseball because "there's no guilt" and "it's never boring." Each summer, when the […]

Mark Buehrle White Sox Ht./Wt.: 6-2/200 B/T: L/L Age: 22 Grading out: (20-80 scale) Fastball: 50 Cut fastball: 50 Curve: 50 Control: 50 Slider: 65 Overall: 55 Record/ERA: 2/3/4.25 Delivery […]

Can Southern California pitcher Mark Prior, the likely No. 1 pick in Tuesday's draft, go straight to the majors? Even for him, it won't be as easy as throwing strikes. […]

Pitchers are taught that hitters are so stupid they don't know enough to come in out of the rain. On the other hand, hitters think pitchers are gutless babies who […]

Every bit of fallout from Tom Hicks' fixation on Alex Rodriguez was predictable. The disintegration of the Rangers pitching staff. The resignation of the manager. And last but not least, […]

Byung-Hyun Kim speaks just enough English to politely decline an interview request. But if you road batters' lips as they walk back to the dugout, they'll tell you all you […]

Darren Dreifort Dodgers Ht./Wt.: 6-2/211 B/T: R/R Grading Out (20-80 scale) Fastball: 70 Slider: 75 Changeup: 50 Control: 50 Overall Potential: 65 Delivery: Poor, with stiff arm action, Physical description: […]

April 29, 1986 Roger Clemens farmed 20 in a 3-1 win over Seattle and set a nine-inning record for strikeouts, lie struck out 20 again on September 18, 1996, in […]

Two oversized flame throwers are being counted on to ignite the U.S. baseball team in the Olympics When pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Jon Rauch take their turns on the mound […]

"Hard-throwing lefthander with good control and a sharp curveball seeks major league club with pennant aspirations and a weak bullpen. Will accept long road trips and low pay. "Contact Will […]