CC throws BP to Yanks batters

TAMPA, Fla. -- The crowd at George M. Steinbrenner Field cheered after CC Sabathia's second pitch shattered the bat of non-roster catcher Mike Rivera, producing a weak flare into center field and the echo of dead wood.

You wouldn't compare the intensity level to the last time Sabathia saw a hitter standing at home plate, in Game 4 of the World Series, but the 28 pitches Sabathia threw Sunday have the Yankees ace ready for the Grapefruit League to begin.

"I feel good," Sabathia said. "The bullpens have been going well. I'll be fine. I'm looking forward to it, and today definitely helped to get back going."

The Yankees modified the early spring schedule slightly for Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte after last November's Fall Classic, having them throw three bullpen sessions and one batting practice before making the standard six starts in exhibition games.

Sabathia's mound session on Sunday was pushed back a day by inclement weather, and his work against Rivera, Nick Johnson, Marcus Thames and Randy Winn was largely uncontested. Rivera actually hit the hardest ball off the big lefty, driving one to the wall in center.

"They didn't take many swings," Sabathia said. "But it's good to have that hitter judge your pitches. It doesn't matter whether they swing or not."

Sabathia will make his first Grapefruit League start at 1:05 p.m. ET on Thursday against the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., matching up against Roy Halladay on MLB.TV. Sabathia said that he didn't expect any added sizzle to the game, joking that he'd be in the dugout "eating seeds and goofing off" while Halladay works.

"He's a great pitcher, but it's Spring Training," Sabathia said. "If I face off [against] him in the season, I'll probably be more concerned, because I'll have to hit."

Also on the mound Sunday, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes threw their second live batting practice sessions of the spring as they prepare to battle for the Yankees' fifth rotation spot.

Hughes got Alex Rodriguez to swing and miss through one fastball and foul another back, but A-Rod caught up to the -- in his words -- "easy cheese" later in the session, belting two long drives toward the wall. Hughes joked that Rodriguez was "setting me up."

"I don't like the cage thing, especially when A-Rod's taking you deep," Hughes said. "It's not fun. I tried not to look. It sounded good off the bat -- like thunder."

Chamberlain worked against A-Rod, Mark Teixeira, Greg Golson and Austin Romine, and noted that his delivery and fastball command are feeling better.

"It's nice having guys in there and doing some things," Chamberlain said. "When I missed, I came back in and made a good pitch. It's always good to go in and have those hitters. It gives you a better read of what you're doing."

Rodriguez said that the spring competition between Chamberlain and Hughes should benefit the Yankees in 2010.

"They're both great young pitchers," Rodriguez said. "It's a great luxury for us to have. You can throw the balls up in the air and whoever comes down, I think the Yankees are the winners. It's a good problem to have."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that his players are looking forward to their first Grapefruit League action on Wednesday against the Pirates.

"I think everyone's kind of anxious to get going, because they're looking forward to competing," Girardi said. "Let's see some other guys."

Bombers bits: Mariano Rivera and Damaso Marte will throw their first bullpens of the spring on Monday, as will Chan Ho Park. ... Good news for Rays fans, A-Rod and Derek Jeter are both scheduled to make the trip to Port Charlotte, Fla., on March 19. ... Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he is not currently monitoring any other Major League free agents.

Now clad in blue, Vlad eyes rebound

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Reminders of Vladimir Guerrero's previous employer were in full view Sunday morning.

At 7:55 a.m., Guerrero pulled into the Rangers' parking lot at the Surprise Recreation Campus, driving a pristine red Range Rover with California license plates. He appeared a few minutes later sporting a short-sleeved red T-shirt tucked into jeans so faded that they looked like grey baseball pants. His shoes were crimson.

From a distance, it appeared as if a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was headed toward the Rangers clubhouse and in one way, that's exactly what was taking place.

Part of Guerrero's career will always be associated with the Angels, but for now, the designated hitter is a Ranger. His focus is on his future in Texas and helping his new club return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. At the age of 35, he's also trying to fit in for the first time in a long time. He played in Montreal for eight seasons before joining the Angels in 2004.

"I spent a lot of time in Anaheim, but here I am in Texas," he said. "I've been here about five or six days and I'm getting to know the guys. Everybody has been really nice to me. I know I'm going to like it here."

Once in the clubhouse, Guerrero changed into his new blue shorts, blue workout shirt and looked more like one of the guys. He chatted up Julio Borbon and Neftali Feliz. Endy Chavez joined the conversation and soon a group of Latin players gravitated to the soft-spoken veteran's corner of the room.

It was only 8:09 a.m. and Guerrero was already making time with his new teammates. He was one of the most popular players in the clubhouse during his six years with the Angels because of the way he treated his teammates. He also made teammates chuckle because he always wore the same blue Superman T-shirt and red shorts before games.

"Vlad is a special person and probably the most unassuming superstar that's ever played the game of baseball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He loves to play baseball. He's very low maintenance and just wants to come in and play. I'll be very surprised if he was anything but comfortable in any situation that he is in. The Rangers will understand his sense of humor and they will understand the passion he has for this game. I'm sure he will fit in well there."

Several Rangers players were asked to describe Guerrero in one word and the common response was "quiet." Few players had the words to describe Guerrero's impact on the field.

"Wow. He's one of us now," Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz said. "We're taking him in and taking advantage of his experience. He's a big figure in this game so we are happy he is in this clubhouse and not the Angels."

Earlier this year, Guerrero agreed to a one-year contract worth $5.5 million with a mutual option for 2011. He is coming off a disappointing season that saw him hit a career-low .295 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs in 383 at-bats. His .334 on-base percentage and .460 slugging percentage were also his lowest in 13 full seasons in the Majors.

His goal for 2010 is a simple one.

"My main goal is to stay healthy," he said. "Last year was a down year for me and I know that. I had problems with my knee and my shoulder but thank God I'm healthy again. We'll see what happens this year in Texas."

Guerrero will be the team's DH, but he said he also wants to the play the outfield when he can. Last year, he made just two starts in the field and was used primarily as a designated hitter after undergoing offseason knee surgery. He went on the disabled list for a torn chest muscle from April 18-May 25 and again for a strained left knee from July 10-Aug. 4.

Some wonder if Guerrero's best days are behind him. Others think his career is on the decline because it appears that his bat speed has slowed down.

"With the injuries that he had in the knees and in the shoulders, your bat would slow down, too," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He's healthy right now and I don't see anything wrong with his bat speed. I think because of the age bracket he was in and that happens when people begin to assume. I think when you get to that point, it's all about the individual and how you feel about yourself. He says he feels good and that's good enough for me."

Guerrero has been good against Texas. He has a .396 career average against the Rangers, the highest of any opponent with at least 150 at-bats against them, and his .394 batting average and .705 slugging percentage at the Ballpark in Arlington are the highest by any player with at least 50 games played there.

"He's very professional and he goes about his business," Washington said. "He's very influential. You always know that he is on the field. He may not have his mouth open talking but you know he is on the field. All you have to do is listen when he's swinging that bat."

Guerrero is also a hit off the field. Guerrero's mother, Altagracia Alvino, is famous across the league for her cooking and it was not uncommon for her to feed as many as 20 players after games. Guerrero delivered Tupperware bowls full of food for players that could not make it to his house.

"I've been doing it since I was in Montreal and that's something it makes me happy to do," he said. "We eat and we laugh. Any time I see my old teammates, I'll have food for them. I'm going to do the same thing for my teammates in Texas."

Guerrero should also be happy he won't have to stop wearing his favorite color in 2010. Last year, the Rangers brought back their red uniforms.

"I always liked the color red even before I was in Anaheim. It's a good color," he said. "Maybe I have to get a blue car now, too."

MLB instituting new medical records system

From the moment a player joins any organization in Major League Baseball, his baseball vital signs are well documented. With radar-gun readings, scouting reports and countless game statistics seemingly charting his every move, there's literally a book on every professional player.

For a trainer, the medical book needed on a player hasn't always been as accessible or as thorough, his vital signs sometimes harder to read.

But that is changing in 2010, with Major League Baseball instituting through all 30 organizations a new integrated, Web-based system designed to allow trainers to have more and better medical information at their fingertips.

"In 2020 or even 2015, I think there'll be people looking back saying, 'What's remarkable is you used to do it any other way,'" said Stan Conte, the Dodgers' director of medical services and head trainer.

Conte was among the Major League trainers instrumental in pushing for such a system in order to streamline access to injury and treatment information, both internally and when players move from one organization to another, and ultimately to perform Job One when it comes to athletic trainers' mission: providing the best possible care for players.

"What makes it new and exciting to those of us in the field is the continuity of care," Conte said. "I've always said the medical department is not the baseball department. When a player comes to your team, you're responsible for them and their medical care."

For years, Conte and other members of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) lobbied for a system that would make that job more efficient. After all, waiting 2-3 days for medical records following a trade or having too many hurdles trying to keep tabs on the hundreds of players in their own organizations was so ... Y2K.

In the span of a little more than a year, their wish was granted. Starting this Spring Training, baseball's trainers and doctors have a new tool at their disposal that eventually will provide an encyclopedia of knowledge on every professional player. It's much like one being used in the National Hockey League the last three seasons, and like the NHL one designed by SuttonMed Systems, but customized to fit baseball's specific injury dynamic.

With discussions beginning in 2007 and the project starting in earnest following what Conte described as a turning point at the 2008 Winter Meetings, Major League Baseball's labor relations department made the system a high priority.

"It obviously doesn't appear out of nowhere. It's something that's been discussed for a number of years, and any project of this magnitude takes time," said Dan Halem, senior vice president for labor relations for Major League Baseball. "But we got there."

Even Conte was pleasantly surprised when the system went online for all 30 clubs as of Jan. 4. "When they first said it'd be ready for 2010, I said there's just no way," he said.

The system, which Halem said does not change any rights of players in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is still in the early stages of getting up and running, with previous records being digitized and training staffs documenting Spring Training treatment in the system in real time. Conte and Halem say there is a lot of growing into it to be done, and no doubt a lot of adjustments to be made.

"Right now, we're focused on getting the system rolled out to 30 clubs," Halem said. "It's a very large undertaking. This year is almost a test year, and it's going to need to be upgraded based on feedback. But every player on every club at every level down to Rookie ball will have their records in this new system."

It's a step forward, all would agree. Going from a number of different approaches with different sets of records and a lot of manual file-keeping to a fully digitized and standardized, eminently secure and state-of-the-art system that's being put into effect industry-wide in the span of about a year? That's significant progress.

As Halem suggests, it didn't happen in a vacuum -- or without a lot of work. MLB director of labor relations Chris Marinak made the project his mission, spearheading the efforts of customizing it to meet the specific needs of baseball, and ensuring it will be the benefit sought for 30 teams.

"The goal was to implement the best medical electronic system being used in professional sports, and we should be able to get there," Marinak said.

In some respects, the process of getting the system running was a logical exercise -- baseball players' injuries are often related to the elbow or shoulder, as opposed to the many knee injuries or concussions one might see in the NHL or the National Football League, which also has a database system. So the system is set up with categories that make sense for baseball.

But there of course have been and will be variables involved.

"It's very complicated," said Marinak, who said it took about six months of "architecting it out" to get the system to the point where training staffs could move into their record-keeping houses this year. "There's no one generally acceptable way for providing treatment for certain injuries, so there was a lot of discussion about how to approach that sort of issue and make the system operate in such a way that medical staffs can best track and record injuries and treatments."

The system, which also will be used for Major League umpires, is secure with tracking of access, which is limited to specific personnel within an organization. With it, Conte can remain totally apprised of a Double-A second baseman's injury progress, and a general manager can track reports from a pitcher's Minor League rehab assignment in real time. Where there used to be stacks and cabinets of files, there will be digital access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, X-rays, reports and any other records. And, unlike in the past, there will be standardization, which will aid in team medical staffs knowing the history of a player arriving via trade or Minor League or Major League free agency.

"One of the things that's going to happen with this system is that everybody's going to be speaking the same language," Conte said.

Security is of obvious importance, and obvious priority. While, for instance, Dr. Lewis Yocum or Dr. James Andrews, noted surgeons who perform procedures on players from many teams, might have limited access to records to help them treat players, access is extremely limited in general. No, the Red Sox can't check out the Yankees' medical records, or vice versa. And, no, fantasy baseball owners can't get a leg up on their players' latest medical reports.

Like any one being treated medically would expect, this information is protected by federal HIPAA privacy guidelines and expected to be in even better hands now.

"The information here is more secure than it's ever been," Conte said.

Halem said the future could include some element of predictability, based on years of injuries and treatments being documented. While injury predictability using sabermetric algorithms and other research has been one of Conte's own projects in recent years, that's not what piques his interest here.

As a trainer, Conte is excited about the system for one reason.

"This is going to make things a lot easier in terms of taking care of the medical needs of players," he said.

Peavy pitches for reunion with Gonzalez

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When Jake Peavy hangs up the baseball glove and officially puts worries over fastball command in the rearview window, the right-hander might want to venture into the world of college coaching.

Peavy already seems to have the recruiting part of that job down pat.

In a CBS Sportsline report, Peavy stated that he wanted White Sox general manager Ken Williams to go after San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez. On Sunday afternoon, Peavy not only confirmed that piece of information but expounded on his role to try to somehow get the All-Star first baseman to move to the Midwest.

"Kenny asked me at one point in time, 'What kind of guy is this guy?' I went into full recruiting mode," said a smiling Peavy, who clearly is as honest as he is talented. "I said, 'Listen, if you put this guy in the mix on this team, a left-handed bat in the middle of the lineup, a guy that could spell Paulie [Konerko] at first and is a Gold Glover ...

"There's not much bad about the guy. I said, 'Kenny, absolutely. You put this guy on your club, and he's a great person as well.'"

Early on in this past offseason, unfounded rumors of a three-way trade involving the Padres, White Sox and the Angels sent the groundswell of "Gonzalez to the South Side" into a fever pitch. And before that same fever breaks out again, remember a few things about this particular situation.

Gonzalez, who had a banner year in Geneva, Ill., for the Kane County Cougars in 2001, is not a free agent. The San Diego native has one year left on a four-year deal, set to earn $4.75 million, making Gonzalez one of the game's top bargains. The Padres hold a $5.5 million club option on Gonzalez for 2011.

If or when the Padres decide to move their current franchise cornerstone, all the recruitment in the world from Peavy might not be enough to send him to Chicago. It's a safe bet, though, that if word starts to creep out about Gonzalez's availability, Williams will be ready to make his move.

A true power bat from the left side seems to be the glaring vacancy in this White Sox team assembled for 2010, so Gonzalez would be an absolutely perfect fit. It goes without saying that Williams will make a call or 10 for any big-name talent who can move his team closer to another World Series title.

The words from Peavy simply are support for a friend, who is in a less-than-ideal situation in San Diego, to which Peavy can relate.

"Adrian wants to win, I can tell you that," Peavy said. "If it means leaving San Diego, he won't think twice about doing that. I can promise you that. I love San Diego and I don't have a bad thing to say.

"But it gets frustrating. The guy hits .280, and he's frustrated for weeks at a time. He says, 'Peav, I got to swing the bat.' You look at some of the stretches where he had walks in multiple games and set some kind of record for most consecutive walks in a game or most two walks.

"You look at that stretch and our team record wasn't good because he wasn't getting to swing the bat. He sees that. I do feel for a player who gets in a situation where it's not best for him. But Adrian loves San Diego.

"He was born and raised there," Peavy said. "But he's understanding how, as time goes on, he's going to have to come to the point where he has to play for someone else."

At that point, Peavy paused briefly, followed by a broad smile.

"He'd look awfully good in black," said Peavy.

Any trade involving a player who has at least 30 home runs and 99 RBIs in each of his last three seasons probably will require a fairly significant haul of young talent in return. The Sportsline article quoted a White Sox source in stating that Williams would give anything to get Gonzalez, "maybe even Gordon Beckham."

That move seems highly unlikely, especially if Gonzalez was nothing more than a one- or two-year presence in Chicago. Beckham's ultimate upside has been projected along the lines of Texas' Michael Young, and five years of 200 hits, 40 doubles, 90-100 RBIs and an average near or over .300 would be about equal to Gonzalez's contributions.

Just about any other top prospect would seem to be in the trade mix. For now, though, Gonzalez remains with the Padres, and Peavy's recruitment serves as nothing more than a passing comment or two to Williams this past winter.

Make that a most persuasive passing thought.

"It wasn't anything significant," said Peavy of his Gonzalez talk with the boss. "He just asked me about the player. Obviously, I said we need to get this guy, simply because this guy can blink his eyes and hit 40 home runs in our park.

"This guy is as good a player as there is in the big leagues. I know a lot of people don't get to see that because he plays in San Diego. You put [Albert] Pujols and maybe a few guys above him, but he hits 40 home runs where he doesn't get much protection in a huge ballpark in a division where pitching is prominent.

"Who knows what will happen?" Peavy said. "It's a tough situation because if they came to Adrian with what was fair, the guy is living in his hometown, playing for his childhood team. It's hard to understand why an organization, with a brand new park in downtown, can't figure out a way how to hold down a superstar that's one of their own.

"They let guys like Trevor Hoffman walk and guys like me who want to stay there and establish themselves as a Padre. I don't know. I hope he gets what he wants out of the deal."

Hardy's transition eased with help of Mauer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- J.J. Hardy's initial reaction when he was traded to the Twins in early November was to think of which players he knew on Minnesota's roster.

The first one that came to mind was pretty easy for Hardy, considering that he and Twins catcher Joe Mauer have been good friends since they were around 17 years old.

The two players first met in Hermosillo, Mexico, in 2000 while playing as teammates on the under-18 Pan-American Games squad. Both of them were finishing up their junior years of high school and found themselves hitting it off right away.

Mauer went on to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Twins in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft while Hardy was a second-round pick of the Brewers that same year. But before that happened, the two would play on many of the same teams in international competition over the next year. They were even roommates back in 2000 when the U.S. Junior National team took the silver medal in the IBAF Junior World Championship in Edmonton, Canada.

"We have the same type of personality so I guess we hung out a little bit more than some of the other guys," Hardy said. "We became pretty good friends. And then playing against each other for the last five years, we've always made a point to see each other before the game or during [batting practice]. We've stayed in touch that way."

The two have reconnected even more since Hardy joined the Twins. Mauer traveled to Arizona in November, shortly after the trade was made, to play in Harmon Killebrew's annual charity golf outing. He used the trip as a chance to catch up with Hardy, who makes his home in the Phoenix area. The two played a couple rounds of golf along with another teammate, Nick Punto, who also winters in Arizona.

Mauer also tried to help introduce Hardy to many of his new teammates after the shortstop arrived in Fort Myers to begin working out earlier this month. The catcher then invited Hardy come to Minnesota for a week before Spring Training officially started, using it as an opportunity to show the shortstop around the Twin Cities, while also taking him ice fishing at his cabin.

"He showed me some areas up there, mostly St. Paul where he grew up," Hardy said. "He's really helped me a lot adjusting here."

Thanks to Hardy's friendship with Mauer, his transition to the Twins has been smooth. But what remains to be seen is whether he can use this new start to rebound from what was a tough 2009 season.

Hardy was an All-Star with the Brewers in 2007 and he combined for 50 home runs and 154 RBIs between the '07 and '08 seasons. His career seemed to be taking off, when Hardy suffered a setback last season. The shortstop batted just .229 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs while also earning a 20-day demotion to the Minors in August.

"I feel like I had some time this offseason to sit back and think about what happened and I was able to make some adjustments," Hardy said. "I took a few things from last year, but for the most part I wanted to forget about it and act like it never happened. I just wanted to go back to the way I was in the years past."

Notorious for his slow starts to the season, Hardy said that there were two things he believes played a factor in his struggles in 2009. One was his mental approach to the season. As he did in '08, Hardy got off to a poor start, batting .156 in April, but this time he didn't allow himself to shake it off. He batted .228 in June and July, and then .190 in August before he was demoted.

"I think I was really tough on myself," Hardy said. "I didn't allow myself to have fun. I got off to a really, really bad start, and I pressed a lot more. It didn't work."

Hardy said he started putting pressure on himself to put together perfect days at the plate, where even a two-hit day was not enough. He said some of that changed during his Minor League stint in August, which left him a couple service days shy of being a free agent after this season. By going down to Triple-A Nashville, Hardy was able to shake some of the pressure he was placing upon himself.

"I was pressing so much, I wasn't having fun. The game was going 100 miles an hour for me," Hardy said. "When I got sent down, those 20 days I actually had fun with some of those guys in Triple-A. It was a good time. Obviously it wasn't where I wanted to be, but being able to relax and play the game again was fun."

After watching lots of video this offseason, Hardy also determined that he needed to make a slight mechanical alteration to his swing.

"I was pushing off my backside a lot and kind of jumping toward the pitcher," Hardy said. "I worked on that this offseason and I feel a lot better."

The winter has helped Hardy to put behind him what he calls a "fluke" year. He's been able to figure out some of the things that might have plagued him last year. He also has the ease of knowing he'll no longer be plagued by the trade rumors that have followed him in Milwaukee over the past two years.

"I'm just excited about this situation I'm in now," Hardy said. "Coming to a great team, having the new start, it's just going to be great."

Having Mauer as one of his best friends on the team certainly doesn't hurt Hardy either. But Mauer doesn't feel like Hardy needs his help in the slightest, and he's the first to express confidence that Hardy won't suffer a repeat of last season.

"I don't want to put a lot of expectations on him or anything like that, but he's a good ballplayer," Mauer said. "He's proven that back when we were 17, and he proved it back in the big leagues a couple of years ago. I think it's just having him get his offense back. I think a change of scenery is good for guys and I think he'll thrive here."

Fantasy draft tiers: Catchers

Most drafts follow a similar ebb and flow. After the true blue-chippers are off the board, there's always one owner who breaks the ice and takes a catcher.

What usually ensues is a run on backstops that can sometimes go overboard, as some owner ends up forcing the issue by overpaying for a B-rated guy.

Because there is no position with fewer top-notch performers than catcher, owners will want to know and pay particular attention to where the talent drops off.

Tier 1: Joe Mauer

Mauer is the undisputed No. 1 catcher and accordingly will be the first off the board in every draft. The real question is where he should be taken overall. After making a serious run at .400 last year, he may be going into 2010 slightly overvalued. As talented as he is, it's tough to commit anything higher than a mid-first-round pick to a backstop who's never had more than 536 at-bats in a season.

Tier 2: Victor Martinez, Brian McCann, Matt Wieters

Mauer will be gone quickly in every draft, which will leave this trio as the remaining cream of the crop. Of the three, Wieters offers the most upside, while V-Mart is the safest play. No matter what, owners can expect to see all three go in near succession, as there is a significant talent dropoff after them at the position.

Tier 3: Miguel Montero, Kurt Suzuki

Owners who miss out on the run of Tier 1 and 2 catchers should not force the issue. Suzuki and Montero are solid options, but it isn't worth breaking the bank for them simply because the premier guys have been scooped up.

Tier 4: Geovany Soto, Mike Napoli, Jorge Posada, Russell Martin, Ryan Doumit, Bengie Molina, Yadier Molina

Martin's stock has dropped significantly after a forgetful '09 campaign and questions remain as to whether he can bounce back to stardom. Soto burned a lot of owners who spent big bucks on him last season, as did Doumit, albeit to a lesser degree. Those who are optimistic enough to believe Soto merely fell victim to the sophomore slump could be rewarded, but none of these guys are worth more than a mid-round selection.

Tier 5: Chris Iannetta, Jeff Clement, A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Ruiz

Owners in standard mixed leagues who abstain from drafting a catcher for the bulk of their drafts will likely have their choice from this group of guys, all of whom have some pop. Of the five, Pierzynski has been the steadiest performer over the last few years, though he's getting up there in age. Ruiz could be in store for a breakout campaign after a superb '09 postseason in which he batted .341 with six extra-base hits and nine RBIs.

Tier 6: Jesus Flores, Buster Posey, Kelly Shoppach, Dioner Navarro, J.R. Towles, John Baker, Ramon Hernandez, Miguel Olivo

Outside of deeper mixed leagues, these catchers figure to begin the season on the waiver wire.

Kershaw, Koufax chat -- courtesy of Torre

PHOENIX -- Joe Torre hasn't named Clayton Kershaw his Opening Day starter yet, but the manager gave another indication that the 21-year-old left-hander can be the next Sandy Koufax when he arranged an hour session for Kershaw with the original Sandy Koufax.

The tutorial occurred on a private jet bringing Torre's party back to Phoenix on Saturday night after more than $700,000 was raised for Torre's Safe at Home charity event during a rare conversation between Torre and Koufax at the Nokia Theater, emceed by Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers.

Torre also took coaches Rick Honeycutt and Don Mattingly to the event, but it was the hour that Kershaw spent talking to Koufax on the plane that could benefit the Dodgers in the standings.

"The guys talked the whole way back about pitching and competing," said Torre. "It was good to sit and watch and listen to it."

Torre said Koufax is in Arizona to visit family, but he's expected to soon appear at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, as he did last year, and no doubt will watch Kershaw at work, as he did two years ago at Dodgertown.

"It was pretty awesome," said Kershaw. "We talked for an hour and it was unbelievable. I learned more on one plane trip than I have in a long time. Honeycutt is great with the mechanics, but at the same time, this is one of the best ever. It's pretty cool.

"He just talked baseball, talked pitching. He gave me a lot of good insight. He watched my bullpen [session] a couple years ago, but this was the first time I really talked to him. Pretty awesome."

Koufax, 74, has that effect, yet it isn't unusual for young players to also praise Koufax's ability to connect with them, which is not always the case with great players. Koufax spent a decade as a Minor League instructor in the Dodgers organization.

"The best way to describe it, you feel really comfortable with him," said Kershaw. "Some Hall of Famers, I won't say you can't approach them, but you are in awe. That's how I was at first. Still, he's really easy to talk to, like another coach. It was awesome last night."

Torre said the night was a big success for his charity and drew a star-studded crowd that included comic Billy Crystal, who did a 15-minute warmup act for VIP donors at the backstage dinner. Torre said Hollywood was represented by Ron Howard and Penny Marshall along with Crystal; former Dodgers Lou Johnson, Tommy Davis, Chuck Essegian and Al Ferrara were there, and former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley bought a table.

Webb's velocity better in latest session

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Brandon Webb feels like he is being repetitive with his statements.

And in this case, that's a good thing.

Webb threw 43 pitches in his fourth bullpen session of the spring on Sunday, once again mixing in some changeups and improving his mechanics.

"I think the velocity was better this time than it was last," Webb said. "I keep repeating myself, but I think it gets better every time."

That's music to the ears of the D-backs, who are counting on a healthy Webb to compete in the National League West. Last season, Webb made just one start due to shoulder issues that required surgery in August.

Conditions on Sunday were less than ideal. Rain and cold temperatures forced the D-backs to take batting practice inside and for Webb to throw his session in the team's covered batting cages at its Minor League complex.

There was not enough space in the cages for Webb to play long toss, which most pitchers do to warm up for a side session.

"Today was brutal," Webb said. "It was probably the worst day you could possibly throw. It was 42 or 44 degrees, it was wet, I didn't get to long toss. Under those circumstances, it was pretty good, productive."

Barring any setbacks, the plan is for Webb to throw one more bullpen session on Wednesday and then face hitters in a batting-practice setting once or twice. The team would like to get him into a Cactus League game around mid-March.

D-backs manager A.J. Hinch announced prior to the beginning of camp that Webb's first start of the regular season would be the third game of the opening series against the Padres at Chase Field.

"Starting in the middle of March would get me on time to do the third game of the season," Webb said. "As long as I can get five innings in my last start of Spring Training, I should be able to take that at least six innings in my first start, which is normally what we do. Not many pitchers go [complete game] out of the gate."

Mechanics are still an issue for Webb, who has struggled to get his arm up in the throwing slot quick enough from the windup. When he throws from the stretch, he is able to get the arm where he needs it to be.

On Sunday, Webb threw half of his pitches from the stretch and may have had a breakthrough with the mechanics.

"I feel like I sit down on my back leg for my load in the stretch and I don't do that in the windup," Webb said. "So in the last eight [throws], I went back from the stretch to the windup again and tried to feel like I was sitting down on my back leg, it was just a little bit, but I think there's something to that."

Facing hitters for the first time might also help the problem.

"Everybody keeps saying when you get hitters in there, you're going to lock yourself in, it will come," Webb said. "I'm anxious to do that."

Lidge, Romero continue to progress

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Phillies closer Brad Lidge and reliever J.C. Romero each took another step forward Sunday at the Carpenter Complex.

Both threw off the mound, and both said afterward that they felt fine.

Lidge is recovering from offseason elbow and knee surgeries. Romero is recovering from elbow surgery. Both said their goal remains to be ready by Opening Day, although they stressed they will not rush their return.

"Still going slow, but it's going in the right direction," Lidge said.

Lidge, who has thrown off the mound three times, threw 35 pitches, and six or seven of them were sliders. He said he will start throwing off the mound every other day until he is ready to face hitters.

Romero, who threw off the mound for the first time, threw only fastballs. He will throw every third day.

"It went well," Romero said. "I feel good and I'm very positive about it."

Halos cover their bases with talented infield

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Mike Scioscia was a young, impressionable catcher during the final leg of an eight-year run, the longest in Major League history, by a Los Angeles Dodgers infield featuring Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes and Steve Garvey, from third to first.

Now helping formulate master plans for the Angels as a two-time American League Manager of the Year, Scioscia is optimistic he can assemble something similar to that dynamic foursome for years to come in Anaheim.

The names are Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar, Howard Kendrick and Kendry Morales, with Maicer Izturis in the picture as a one-man support system.

"I don't know if you plan to lock up an infield, an outfield, a pitching staff," Scioscia said on a rainy Sunday, his athletes confined to hitting and throwing bullpen sessions inside cages and under cover at Tempe Diablo Stadium. "But we do have a young infield that's very talented.

"The fact you have guys intact -- much like the Dodgers during those years, playing together six, seven years -- there are some inherent advantages to guys understanding every nuance of playing together and positioning, playing hitters.

"That also applies to our catchers, knowing the pitching staff and how to call a game."

Chone Figgins over the winter became the latest veteran Angels infielder to depart entering what likely will be the second half of his career.

When the dynamic leadoff man and Gold Glove-caliber third baseman signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the Mariners, he followed such equally popular infielders as Troy Glaus, David Eckstein, Adam Kennedy, Orlando Cabrera and Casey Kotchman out the door.

It's not that the Angels didn't embrace and appreciate these highly productive athletes. Concluding that they had an abundance of young infield talent on the way, they bit the bullet on each occasion.

CHANGING FACES
Year	1B	2B	SS	3B
2000	Vaughn	Kennedy	Gil	Glaus
2002	Spiezio	Kennedy	Eckstein	Glaus
2004	Erstad	Kennedy	Eckstein	Figgins
2006	Kendrick/Quinlan	Kennedy	Cabrera	Izturis
2008	Kotchman	Kendrick	Aybar/Izturis	Figgins
2010	Morales	Kendrick	Aybar	Wood/Izturis

Aybar and Kendrick have shown uncommon skills offensively and defensively in the heart of the infield along with Izturis, who arrived along with Juan Rivera in a trade after the 2004 season that sent Jose Guillen to Montreal. That was another example of the Angels surrendering proven talent for youthful upside.

A vital infield piece arrived dramatically last season. Morales, still absent from camp as he finalizes immigration paperwork, emerged as one of the game's rising young power hitters and a quality defender at first to take the sting out of losing Mark Teixeira to the Yankees in free agency.

In each case, the Angels have flourished with youthful, less expensive alternatives for fixtures the fans -- and staff -- hated to see leave.

"Why a veteran leaves, there are a lot of reasons for it," Scioscia said. "There's an opportunity [financially] for them an organization might not be able to match. It might be [more] playing time. Resources come into play. There's been some talent in this room that played here a long time and hasn't come back.

"I don't know if it's running guys out to make opportunities for younger guys. There's only so much revenue a team has to put a championship-caliber team on the field."

Asked about Figgins, Scioscia said his former catalyst "had mixed emotions but got an unbelievable deal. He loved it here, and we are going to miss him."

Now it is Wood's turn to show he is up to the challenge with his sure hands, accurate arm and thunder in his bat. Former Minor League teammates such as Kendrick and Aybar are convinced he won't stumble.

Buying out two years of free agency with Izturis, handing him a three-year, $10 million contract, the Angels have all five of their core infielders under contract at least through 2012.

For a total outlay of $8.05 million -- almost $1 million less than the salary Figgins will command in Seattle this season -- the Angels have all five under contract this season. That includes the $500,000 signing bonus that brings Izturis to $3.1 million, the highest figure of the five.

Aybar, Izturis and Kendrick are under club control through 2012, Morales through 2013, Wood through 2014. These are highly manageable contracts for a collection of infielders who could match any in the Majors in offensive production and defensive skills.

The Angels are equally protected for the future behind the plate. Mike Napoli, 28, and Jeff Mathis, 26, form a tandem few clubs can match for power (Napoli) and defense (Mathis). In support are capable Bobby Wilson and Ryan Budde, and the organization's premium position prospect, Hank Conger, is only a year or two away at 20.

The departures of the Molina brothers, Bengie and Jose, created openings for Napoli and Mathis.

Scioscia recalls that the makeup of the club was entirely different when he assumed the reins in 2000.

"It depends on where the talent is with your young players," Scioscia said. "When [Tim] Salmon, [Darin] Erstad and [Garret] Anderson came up, we had a very young outfield and veteran guys in the infield.

"I don't think there's an organization out there that doesn't have its finger on the pulse of the club. This is where our scoring and development staffs come into play. Age isn't a negative. If you don't have that youth in the organization that is developing and coming up through the ranks, it's going to be tough.

"These are guys we've been talking about for five years now -- Aybar, Kendrick, Wood, Napoli, Mathis, [Dallas] McPherson. A lot of these guys have come up and are feeling comfortable in the big leagues."

Among those players, only McPherson, a non-roster invitee of the Athletics, is not with the Angels. Largely because of injuries, he never really connected at third base as the successor to Glaus.

Those critics comparing Wood to McPherson would get a stiff argument from infield coach Alfredo Griffin, who, along with Minor League instructor Rob Picciolo, has worked to develop the rangy Wood since he signed as a first-round pick in 2003 out of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Horizon High School.

"He's going to be fine," Griffin said. "If you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere. Brandon is very good defensively, and he can hit.

"We have a lot of versatility in our infield. They're young, but they can play [multiple] positions. Wood can play third, short and first. Izturis can play third, short and second. Aybar can play second as well as short.

"These guys are young and good. It's been a long time since I've seen that kind of young talent in an infield."

The best part is, they could work and play together for years to come, developing the harmony and timing of the Beatles -- or Cey, Russell, Lopes and Garvey.

Zito prefers to be Giants' leading man

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Barry Zito used to be the main man on the Giants' starting staff. Despite four years remaining on his seven-year, $126 million contract, he now may be in the No. 3 slot. And he doesn't like the view.

"I wouldn't say I'm fine with it, I'm not," Zito told MLB.com this past week in a candid and wide-ranging interview. "I'm competitive by nature, and of course, I want to be the guy. It's important. But the way I pitched in 2008, it didn't deem me worthy of being the No. 1 starter going into last season. But no, I'm not happy being a No. 3 starter."

Manager Bruce Bochy said on Sunday that Zito probably will be slotted in the second game when Spring Training begins for the Giants against the Mariners in Peoria, Ariz., on Wednesday. That means Zito would start against the Brewers at Scottsdale Stadium on Thursday.

In his halcyon days with the A's, it was a tossup between Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson. Now, it's Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Zito, who is 31 and eight years removed from his 23-5, 2002 American League Cy Young Award-winning season. He's 31-43 in the three years since he signed with the Giants.

The way the deal is structured with his salary accelerating at the back end, he's the highest-paid player on the team this season at $18.5 million. He'll make that same figure again in 2011 and '12 before topping off at $20.5 million in '13, the last guaranteed year of the contract.

The Giants have an $18 million option on the '14 season or they can buy out Zito for $7 million.

Lincecum, who has won the Cy Young Award in the National League the past two seasons, avoided arbitration by signing a two-year deal worth $10 million this season and $13 million in 2011.

That's just the way the Major League salary structure works with service time having more value than performance until a player reaches free agency after six seasons. Lincecum is beginning his fourth season, Zito his 11th, and therein lies the difference. Zito signed as a free agent. Lincecum signed with the Giants still controlling him for three more seasons.

The big contract has been a double-edged sword for Zito. On one hand, it's provided lifetime financial security. On the other, it established unrealistic expectations for the left-hander, who stressed that he's not angry or bitter about the way the situation has evolved for him in San Francisco. He figures he has plenty of time remaining to make it right.

"I want to earn my stature back. I don't expect anybody to give it to me," Zito said. "I want to be a top-of-the-rotation guy again. I want to be out there on Opening Day, getting the win. It's important to me."

Zito thinks he bottomed out in 2008 with a 10-17 record, a 5.15 ERA and a 102/120 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Last year, in the No. 2 slot, he bounced back with a 10-13 record, a 4.03 ERA and an 81/154 walk-to-strikeout ratio that was by far his best with the Giants. From July 7 on, his ERA dropped almost a run from a high of 5.01 to his final 4.03. Yet he was only 5-5 during those 16 starts.

Bochy said that Zito simply had more command of the strike zone, and he expects that trend to continue.

"We all hope he throws the ball like he did last year, he threw the ball well," Bochy said. "His numbers weren't indicative of how well he threw. He went through a 10-game stretch when he was pitching as well as anybody. He was locked in. We just need to get him some runs. He needs that consistency from Game 1 until the end."

It's no secret that when Zito has less control of his pitches, they flatten out. If he's high in the zone with his 88-89-mph fastball, hitters just sit on the pitch and whack it. He said pressure early on as a member of the Giants caused him to make numerous mistakes. He's older and more mature now, he said, with his focus where it should be: on baseball.

"I had games last year with the same fastball I threw in my Cy Young year, about the same speed," Zito said. "My stuff is generally pretty much the same. I dropped my arm slot a little in '08 and that got me a little bit of velocity back."

There's no question about his tact now: "It's about being loose and having fun," Zito said. "When I got here, I wanted to make good on my contract. Now, it's just about going out there and having integrity in my work ethic every day. I'm just trying to stay in the moment."

That approach could very well lead him back to the No. 1 slot.

Glaus says he has no shoulder limitations

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- While the right side of the infield might still feel like foreign territory, first baseman Troy Glaus has spent his first week in Braves camp providing himself even more reason to believe that he's regained the strength that he possessed before having his right shoulder surgically repaired last year.

"I'm back to normal," Glaus said before Sunday afternoon's workout. "I worked out this winter without any limitations. I came into Spring Training with no limitations and I fully expect to continue with no limitations."

Once the Grapefruit League season starts with Tuesday afternoon's game against the Mets in Port St. Lucie -- airing on MLB.TV -- Glaus will have a chance to better acquaint himself with the responsibilities he will have at first base.

But as the exhibition season progresses, the Braves will be more interested in gaining the confidence that he does once again have the power that he possessed before undergoing surgery on his right shoulder last year. The procedure sidelined him until September and limited him to just 29 at-bats with the Cardinals last year.

"There's no doubt that it feels better than it did in September," Glaus said. "I was able to have a full winter of working out and getting in shape. During the last offseason and throughout the last season, all I could do is concentrate on rehabbing the shoulder . I couldn't work out. I couldn't lift weights. So my strength was down."

While facing bench coach Chino Cadahia during batting practice on Sunday afternon, Glaus provided some indication of his regained strength with a few long drives that landed on top of the berm behind the left-field wall.

His session caught the attention of Braves general manager Frank Wren, who constructed his roster with the confidence that Glaus will be healthy enough to serve as a right-handed power threat who will sit in the cleanup spot, between the switch-hitting Chipper Jones and left-handed slugger Brian McCann.

"One thing you can tell about strength and bat speed is the way the ball jumps," Wren said. "Whether it's in BP or live, it doesn't matter. He's got life in the bat."

The Braves provided Glaus a one-year $2 million contract to provide the kind of power that has been present throughout his career. The four-time All-Star has totaled at least 27 homers and 97 RBIs during each of his past seven seasons that he has played at least 120 games.

But they are also interested to see how quickly he makes the transition to the right side of the infield. The 33-year-old veteran has spent the early-morning hours of this past week taking countless grounders. When the games begin, he'll gain a better feel for his footwork, cutoff responsibilities and other intricacies of the first base position.

"You need to get in games," Glaus said. "That's when you really establish a comfort level. It doesn't matter if you can catch grounders at nine o'clock in the morning. You've got to be able to catch them at 2 o'clock in the afternoon."

Baker not worried about contract situation

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If the Reds don't finally break through the door for a plus-.500 season this year, it's possible that manager Dusty Baker could be shown another door -- out of Cincinnati

Job insecurity comes with the territory for any manager, but it's especially true this season for skippers like Baker, who is entering the final year of his three-year contract.

"It ain't no thing," Baker told MLB.com on Sunday. "You do your job the best that you can do it. I know we're going to win and everything will take care of itself. There's no sense worrying about what might be. It distracts from what is now."

Since Baker was hired on Oct. 14, 2007, the Reds have gone 152-172 for a .469 winning percentage. At the time of Baker's hiring, Wayne Krivsky was the general manager. Krivsky has since been replaced by Walt Jocketty.

Cincinnati has shown incremental improvement since Baker took over. After a 72-win season in 2007 under Jerry Narron and Pete Mackanin, the club went 74-88 in 2008 for Baker and finished 78-84 in 2009.

One encouraging sign for the Reds was their strong performance down the stretch last season. Over their final 40 games, they finished 27-13.

"A lot of people go to the last year of their contract," Jocketty said. "It shouldn't be perceived one way or the other. The length of the contract is negotiated. There's a reason it's two or three or four years. I think the media gets focused on it and creates the distraction. We all feel confident that everything will be positive this year."

Baker has been a "lame duck" manager several times over his career with the Giants and Cubs. In 10 seasons with San Francisco, -- including three where he was National League Manager of the Year -- he came to the end of his contract multiple times. In 2002, his final season with San Francisco, he led the club to a World Series before moving on to Chicago. That four-year tenure did not end anywhere near as positive.

The Cubs finished last in the NL Central with a 66-96 record in 2006 while Baker endured constant speculation about his future over the final weeks of the season.

"I'm building this thing. I came here to win this thing," Baker said of the Reds. "I will tell you that at the time I was hired, I was offered a four-year contract here. I said I'd take a three-year to see where we're going, if I like it and if you like me."

Many have named Cincinnati as an intriguing sleeper pick to make waves in the NL Central this season. Jocketty has made several moves to address holes, including the signing of free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, the re-signing of outfielder Jonny Gomes for right-handed power and the bold $30.25 million investment in Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman. Also, third baseman Scott Rolen was acquired in a July 31 trade last year with an eye towards this season.

The Reds remain a mostly young team, however, with core players like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips in the lineup and Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey and possibly Chapman in the rotation.

This season's schedule doesn't start easy, with the defending division-champion Cardinals in the opening series, and the Cubs, Marlins and Dodgers among other opponents during the first month.

Regardless, Baker doesn't feel any pressure to get off to a fast start this season.

"No. You do the best job that you can do and you do what's best for the players that are trying to mature," Baker said. "You can't rush maturity because it's the last year of your contract. You do what's best for the guys on the field. The way I look at it, I'm last in the scenario."

"To me, it's more how we perform throughout the year," Jocketty said. "I believe in continuity. It's important to keep solid continuity with your staff so the players know what to expect. We finished strong last year. It's a good indication that things are moving forward."

The pressure to win has only increased since Cincinnati has gone nine consecutive seasons without a winning record. The last playoff appearance came in 1995. There have been six different managers in the dugout over the last 10 years. Of the six, Baker has the best winning percentage.

Coincidentally, Baker is one of several high-profile managers in the game entering the final seasons of their contracts. The list includes the Cardinals' Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox of the Braves, Joe Torre of the Dodgers and Lou Piniella with the Cubs. With Baker, they make up five of the six most victorious active managers. Of the five, only Cox has announced his plans to retire. Yankees skipper Joe Girardi is also in the final year of his contract.

Baker has not asked for a contract extension and it has not been broached to this point from the front office.

"I think it's something that Dusty, myself and [president/CEO] Mr. [Bob] Castellini will address at some point," Jocketty said. "[Baker] does have a contract for the year. In the past, I've always waited until the end of the season to deal with the manager. When I was in St. Louis, that's what we did."

Regardless of how the season turns out for the Reds, Baker has no desire to move on. He's gotten comfortable in Cincinnati and has enjoyed the city.

"I didn't come here to leave," Baker said. "I really don't like moving."

Farm system takes hit, but talent remains

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Superior talent comes at a steep price.

The Phillies have acquired Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Joe Blanton in the past 19 months, which helped them win the 2008 World Series, '09 National League championship and become favorites to return to the World Series in '10.

"We were fortunate to be in a position to do it," Phillies assistant general manager Chuck LaMar said Sunday at the Carpenter Complex. "Secondly, we were able to do it because we weren't completely wiping out the system."

The Phillies traded Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d'Arnaud to Toronto in December for Halladay; Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson and Jason Donald to Cleveland in July for Lee; and Josh Outman, Adrian Cardenas and Matt Spencer to Oakland for Blanton in July 2008. They tried to restock their system when they shipped Lee to Seattle in December for Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez, but the upper levels of the Phils' system clearly have taken a hit.

Baseball America, which named the Phillies its organization of the year in 2009, said the club had the fifth-best Minor League talent in baseball before they traded Drabek, Taylor and d'Arnaud for Halladay. The Phils could rank anywhere from 15th to 22nd when its rankings are updated in March.

"It was hard to find an organization that had the same mix of a lot of young, high-upside guys at the lower levels and a decent amount of guys who were going to be impact guys proven at Double-A or above," Baseball America editor John Manuel said. "To me, that's what sets apart a farm system. But after the Halladay trade, there just isn't much left at the upper levels."

Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown ranked 15th in the magazine's top 100 prospects list. Aumont is 93rd.

The rest of the top 100 is scattered with former Phillies. Drabek is 25th, Taylor is 29th, Knapp is 64th and d'Arnaud is 81st.

Marson could be Cleveland's Opening Day catcher, although he could be keeping the position warm until top prospect Carlos Santana is ready. Donald is likely to start the season in Triple-A after missing time last season with injuries. He is competing for a utility job, which might be his future in the Majors. Carrasco struggled with the Indians in September, and appears likely to start the season in Triple-A.

Taylor, whom Toronto traded to Oakland for Brett Wallace, could be with the A's at some point this season, although they aren't in a rush. Outman went 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA 14 games (12 starts) last season before he injured his left elbow and required elbow ligament replacement surgery. Outman hopes to return to the mound midseason. Cardenas might be a September callup.

"They've traded just about everybody who had accomplished anything at the Double-A level," Manuel said. "But they still have a ton of young upside guys."

Aumont, Gillies, Ramirez, outfielder Anthony Gose, right-hander Trevor May, catcher Sebastian Valle and right-hander Jarred Cosart are just a few names that stand out behind Brown.

That talent will take time to mature.

But what about the immediate future?

If the Phillies have a need before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, can they make a move?

"It becomes a little bit more difficult to continue to pull from your Minor Leagues," Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "You keep doing that, and you kind of defeat the purpose of what we're trying to do, which is try to extend our ability to contend for more years than just 2010, 2011 and 2012. We want to extend it beyond that. But time and circumstance will dictate what we want to do and what we'll be able to do. We have some depth in certain areas. We have less depth in others, just like every other organization. But we've moved a lot of talent from our system and you want to try to preserve the talent as much as you can."

The Phillies have outfield and right-handed pitching depth, but lack power bats, left-handed pitching depth and catching.

"You're not going to be deep and have prospects in every position," LaMar said. "It just doesn't work that way. The great situation we're in is that it's not a full recovery. We were fortunate enough to be deep enough because of the job the organization has done in scouting and player development to even consider making those trades. Most of the organizations in baseball, no matter how bad they would have wanted to make those trades they just couldn't have. Even some of the contending clubs who have money to spend on free agents in the offseason, they just weren't deep enough to make those trades."

The Phillies were, but now they have to hope that lower level talent develops into big league talent because their current core at the big league level won't stay young forever. And even when they continue to produce, they can be tough to sign when they hit free agency.

"It's hard to tell how long that stuff takes," Amaro said. "Clearly I have a lot of confidence in what [director of scouting Marti Wolever] and his guys do. And they've really done a very special job of drafting high-ceiling athletes. We've got some kids coming that people don't know about that we really like.

"Even though we've moved some prospects, part of the ability to do that is confidence in Marti and what he's done -- and [international supervisor] Sal Agostinelli. I have great confidence in both of those guys and their people. As long as we do what we expect to do in bringing talent into our system I think we're going to be fine."

Lowe set to take ball on Opening Day

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As Braves manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Roger McDowell mapped out their pitching plans for the regular season, they provided further indication that they truly believe Jair Jurrjens is healthy and also gave Derek Lowe a vote of confidence.

Coming off a disappointing conclusion to the 2010 season and just a little more than two months removed from thoughts that he might be traded, Lowe has been informed that he will serve as the Braves Opening Day starter for a second consecutive season.

Lowe will be on the mound on April 5, when the Braves host the Cubs in an Opening Day matinee at Turner Field. Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson will start the other two games against the Cubs that week and Tim Hudson will make his regular-season debut in San Francisco on April 9.

"There's a lot of first-game jitters and excitement," Cox said. "You've got to have the right makeup to handle all of that. [Lowe] can pitch big games."

This will be the fifth time in the past six seasons that Lowe makes an Opening Day start. During the three Opening Day assignments he had with the Dodgers, he went 0-3 with an 8.44 ERA. But the 36-year-old sinkerballer's lone experience with the Braves proved much more memorable.

When Lowe tossed eight scoreless innings and limited the defending world champion Phillies to just two hits during the Braves' Opening Day victory last year, he propelled himself toward a 15-win season that was tainted when he posted a 6.65 ERA in his final nine starts.

This late-season swoon led the Braves to contemplate trading Lowe less than a year after he had signed a four-year, $60 million contract. But when they were unable to find any desirable suitors, they instead opted to create financial flexibility by trading Javier Vazquez.

"It's something that has come and gone," Lowe said when he arrived in camp and was asked if he was still bothered by the fact that the club had attempted to trade him.

With Hanson, Jurrjens and Hudson also arguably in possession of the credentials that could have gained them this Opening Day start, Cox once again took advantage of the opportunity to show Lowe that he still supports and believes in his capabilities.

"He was our winningest pitcher," Cox said, alluding to the fact that Lowe's 15 victories matched Vazquez for the team lead last year.

The decision to start Hudson during the fourth game of the season was based on the makeup of the schedule. With the current arrangement of this rotation, the 34-year-old right-hander would have the opportunity to pitch with at least one day of extra rest before each of his first three regular-season starts.

Hudson made seven starts after returning from Tommy John surgery last year and has provided every indication that he is healthy. But provided the opportunity, the Braves are planning to take advantage of the chance to give him extra rest during the early portion of the regular season.

"We're trying to keep him strong and ready for the stretch run, so that we can run him out there as often as we can and give Hanson and Jurrjens a chance to be the guys that get the extra days in the second half," Cox said.

Since arriving in camp with some discomfort created by inflammation around his right shoulder, Jurrjens has realized steady progress and is slated to begin throwing off a mound again on Monday. This puts him in position to compile the exhibition season innings necessary to be ready for his April 7 start against the Cubs.

But the Braves also seem to be mindful of the fact that the 24-year-old Jurrjens has combined for 403 1/3 innings the past two seasons. Before completing 188 1/3 innings in 2008, he had never worked more than 143 1/3 innings in a professional season.

Hanson, the club's prized 23-year-old right-hander, combined for 194 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett and Atlanta last year. He had never completed more than 138 innings during the traditional portion of any of his previous professional seasons.

Cox acknowledged that there is certainly a chance that Mother Nature or health-related issues could alter the plan to provide Hanson and Jurrjens the opportunity to gain extra days of rest later in the season.

"Nobody is too smart," Cox said. "We just thought if we could go that way, it would be advantageous. Sometimes, your best plans don't work."

Providing Lowe the opportunity to pitch on regular rest as often as possible, the Braves will take advantage of an off-day during the regular season's first week and bring him back to start the April 10 game against the Giants. Serving as the club's fifth starter, Kenshin Kawakami will make his first regular season start during the regular season's sixth game -- the April 11 series finale in San Francisco.

Dodgers make Phoenix fundraiser a hit

PHOENIX -- When the Ahwatukee Little League holds a fundraising autograph signing, it brings in the big guns.

Fourteen members of the Dodgers' 40-man Major League roster, plus the top prospect in the Minor League system, showed up at a neighborhood recreation center Sunday night for a two-hour session that drew about 500 people.

How could one Little League entice a lineup of ballplayers that included starting position players Russell Martin, Matt Kemp and James Loney and starting pitchers Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw?

Because the club officials that drafted and helped develop them asked them to.

Assistant general managers Logan White and De Jon Watson made the request to benefit their sons' Little League program and the players gave up a couple hours of their night to make it a success.

"We have a special team in Los Angeles," said White, instrumental in drafting and signing the players. "This means a lot to the parents and the kids here."

"It's pretty cool that our guys would do this for the kids," said Watson, who runs the Dodgers' farm system.

Joining Martin, Kemp, Loney, Billingsley and Kershaw at the signing tables were Brent Leach, Blake DeWitt, Trayvon Robinson, Kenley Jansen, Josh Lindblom, Russell Mitchell, James McDonald, Lucas May and Xavier Paul. Also signing was Dee Gordon, the club's top-rated prospect according to Baseball America.

Martin was so swamped by autograph seekers he was given a separate table.

Kershaw remembered one of the first Major League autographs he landed as a kid.

"Will Clark," he said. "That's why I wear 22."

Midway through the signing, former Major Leaguer Junior Spivey arrived. Kemp has long considered Spivey a mentor.

Time to shine for Barton

PHOENIX -- More than two years have passed since a fresh faced 22-year-old kid jolted the A's community as a late-September callup.

With a bat that produced a .347 average and 1.067 OPS in 18 games, the rookie presented a struggling Oakland team with an offering of hope in the form of a power-hitting first baseman.

That hope has since begun to fade. And those numbers have diminished greatly.

But the kid is still a kid -- in baseball years at least.

And Daric Barton, now 24, is out to prove he's done some major growing up.

He doesn't care that the jury is still out on whether he can produce consistent numbers. He wants to be his own judge.

"I have nothing to tell anyone who doubts me," Barton says. "Really, it's about me and what I can do, but I don't care what other people think. Some people are going to think negative, and some are going to think positive."

The doubters are likely to look to 2008 and point fingers at the .226 average he posted during 140 games in his first full big league season. They'll then recall the time the A's pushed Barton aside and brought back Jason Giambi to fulfill first-base duties in 2009. Surely the organization has lost all faith in him, they would conclude.

Not at all, insists Barton. In fact, "they have never done anything to make me feel like they don't want me here."

"They've given me every opportunity in the world," he says. "I think I took advantage of that opportunity in '07. In '08, I don't think I did. I might have taken it for granted a little bit, and that's something that's behind me. This game isn't easy, and I know that once you get here it's harder to stay here than you think."

Barton realizes he had to learn that the hard way. After a disappointing 2008 season, he was shipped to Triple-A Sacramento at the beginning of the year and didn't make his 2009 debut until June. Again, he struggled. Barton hit .118 in 17 games for the month before batting .188 in another 17 games in July.

Things got worse before they got better, as Barton battled a hamstring injury. But in September, he created flashbacks of that strong 2007 finish and went out batting .310 with 16 RBIs for the month to end the year with a respectable .269 average.

"I think starting off last year at Triple-A was the best thing that ever happened to me," he says. "I learned to be myself again and realized what it took to get to the big leagues in the first place. That was big for me last year. When I came up and got the time in at the end of the season, I think it showed that I was back to my normal self."

Whether he has maintained such presence has yet to be seen in a game situation, and Barton understands the A's won't wait forever for him to develop. After all, they have the power-heavy prospect Chris Carter right behind him in queue.

Barton won't let any of that shake him, though. A year ago it may have, but a mental makeover has done wonders for this Southern California kid.

"This year I'm going out there like I'm trying to make the team," he says. "It's different than before because I kind of took things as they were and saw things as whatever happens, happens. This year I'm trying to make it hard for them to make a decision.

"I don't feel any pressure at all. I'm not worried about anybody else but myself. I never thought making the team was going to be easy, but I just don't think I took it as serious as I should have, and it showed."

The only thing Barton wants to show off now are the extensive efforts he's made to become a constant in Oakland's lineup for years to come. That process began when he cut his offseason short -- not before a five-day trip to Costa Rica -- and made the move to Arizona in the second week of January "to get ready and get in baseball shape."

He says his central focus this spring is offense. After all, it's what the A's liked most about him when he arrived in 2004 as part of the Mark Mulder deal with St. Louis.

"I'm absolutely working harder on offense than defense this spring," he says. "I'm not trying to dissect it too much. I'm just trying to go back to the simplest form of hitting that I used to do. That means not thinking and looking for a pitch up in the zone to attack right away, and hopefully the results will come."

Barton firmly believes he can bring to the plate what he displayed in those three short weeks as a rookie. He's also acutely aware of his defensive abilities, which have transformed from what he deems "terrible" to "tremendously better" over the last couple years.

"When I first came over here, it was pretty bad," Barton admits. "I think it affected my offense. That's another thing I've had to learn -- balancing out what you're working on and honing all your skills. Now I've learned to work on both the same amount."

Through it all, the A's organization has kept his youth and track record -- including a .293 career Minor League batting average -- in mind. They've been patient and forgiving, along with trusting of Barton's ability.

He'll be the youngest of Oakland's expected starting position players on the field come Opening Day, but he could arguably be the most experienced in growing pains and lessons learned.

"I think my mind's going to be a lot more clear," he says. "I'm not worried about what anyone else thinks. I'm just focusing on what I can do, and I know I can do it well."

Braves set their Grapefruit League rotation

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Jair Jurrjens will begin throwing off a mound again on Monday and if he continues to make steady progress, the Braves will fit him into their Grapefruit League season rotation to prepare for his April 7 regular-season debut against the Cubs.

Along with announcing that Derek Lowe will serve as his Opening Day starter for the second straight season, Braves manager Bobby Cox also took time on Sunday afternoon to announce his Grapefruit League pitching plans.

Tommy Hanson will start the Grapefruit League season opener against the Mets on Tuesday at Port St. Lucie and Tim Hudson will get the start on Wednesday, when the Braves host the Mets to open the home portion of their exhibition season schedule. Both games will air on MLB.TV.

Kenshin Kawakami will make his first start on Thursday, when the Braves host the Pirates at Wide World of Sports complex, also on MLB.TV.

As he moves toward what will be his second consecutive Opening Day assignment for the Braves, Lowe will make his Grapefruit League season debut on Friday on MLB.TV against the Nationals. Closer Billy Wagner and setup man Takashi Saito are also scheduled to pitch in this home contest.

Peter Moylan and left-hander Eric O'Flaherty, the club's top two middle relievers, are scheduled to pitch during Wednesday's game against the Mets.

Jurrjens, who has been making steady progress and feeling less discomfort in his right shoulder that was inflamed earlier this month, will need to complete at least three side sessions before being placed in the Grapefruit League rotation. Because Jurrjens is currently unavailable, the Braves will have Kris Medlen start Saturday's game on MLB.TV against the Astros in Kissimmee.

Gardenhire sets spring pitching rotation

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Nick Blackburn will get the start in the Twins' Grapefruit League opener against the Red Sox this Thursday, manager Ron Gardenhire revealed on Sunday when he announced the starters for the club's first four exhibition games.

Gardenhire has already announced that Scott Baker will be the club's Opening Day starter with Carl Pavano likely to pitch the second game of the regular season followed by Blackburn and Slowey. So the early spring schedule is just to help line up pitchers for those slots and also to make sure everyone gets innings.

Here is how the starting pitching will stack up for the club's first three games, which are all against the Red Sox. Blackburn will get the start on Thursday night at City of Palms Park with Slowey backing him up. On Friday, Pavano will start in the Twins home opener at Hammond Stadium. Francisco Liriano will then get the start in Saturday's contest across town in Fort Myers.

Baker and Brian Duensing are each slated to start a contest on Sunday, March 7 as the Twins will take part in a split squad that day. They'll host the Yankees at Hammond Stadium for one contest while another group travels to Bradenton for a game against the Pirates.

Glen Perkins, who will compete with Liriano and Duensing for the fifth spot in the rotation, is expected to back up one of the starters during the first couple games, although the exact date has not yet been determined.

Players return to camp following illness

JUPITER, Fla. -- Four Cardinals players and a coach who had been struck by an internal illness returned to camp on Sunday. The ailment has swept through the Cards' clubhouse, with one player estimating that 18 players have come down with it since camp began. Kyle Lohse, Skip Schumaker, Blake Hawksworth, Robert Stock and first-base coach Dave McKay all missed Saturday's workout but returned to action on Sunday.

The good news is that in nearly every case, it has been a one-day matter. The bad news is that that one day can be extremely unpleasant.

"I feel a lot better right now than I did yesterday at this time," Lohse said on Sunday afternoon.

Hawksworth had been scheduled to throw live batting practice on Saturday but missed that session. Instead, he threw a bullpen session on Sunday, which will allow him to get back on schedule with a live-BP throw on Tuesday.

Lohse, meanwhile, remains slated to face hitters on Monday.

"I'm feeling pretty tired right now, but other than that, tomorrow I should be fine," Lohse said. "As long as I get some food in me. I've got a throw tomorrow and I should be all right for that. I've got to pace it a little bit I guess, probably."

Rehabbing Roberts takes live BP

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Brian Roberts took swings during Orioles live batting practice on Sunday for the first time since being diagnosed with a small herniated disc in his lower back.

Baltimore's leadoff hitter, Roberts progressively swung with more authority as he rotated through the team's five stations, taking some good hacks in particular off infield coach Juan Samuel.

"I always do BP fairly easy," Roberts said. "I've tried to increase the intensity a little bit as I went, kind of every round. But most importantly, [you] just try to get your body moving in that direction at a little higher rate than off the tee or flips or whatever."

In addition to bunting, Roberts took cuts from both sides of the plate, and he was encouraged with the results from Sunday's workout.

"Any time you are coming off of any type of injury, that psychological part is as much as the physical part," he said.

"It got better. The physical confidence as well as the psychological part ... the more you [take swings], the more confidence you get and the more effort you are able to put in."

The 32-year-old Roberts began experiencing nagging back spasms during his offseason workouts at the Athletes' Performance Institute in Arizona, and was originally misdiagnosed with kidney stones before doctors found the herniated disc a week later.

Roberts said on Tuesday that he had hoped to be able to swing a bat against live pitching within the next week. Prior to Sunday's workout, the Orioles second baseman had been a regular fixture at fielding practice and in the cages, and was only limited in swinging the bat during BP.

"That's the last phase, start hitting live," manager Dave Trembley said of Roberts' program. "So, it was good to get that started."

With the Orioles set to play an intrasquad game on Monday and open Grapefruit League play against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, the timetable for Roberts' spring debut is still undecided.

"I don't know [when Roberts will get in games]," Trembley said. "I will wait until I see what [head athletic trainer Richard Bancells] tells me, what [Roberts] tells me. I can't put a timeframe on it."

For now, Roberts said the plan is to slowly increase his workload and intensity, and try to limit the stopping and starting action that often results from waiting around in between turns at the plate.

"I don't think I'm going to start hacking off pitchers throwing 95 [mph] yet," Roberts said. "But we will increase with the batting practice and the intensity and maybe a few more swings, as well."

One of Baltimore's most consistent players, Roberts hit .283 with 16 homers and 56 doubles last year, breaking Lance Berkman's record for the most doubles by a switch-hitter in a season.

Tribe catchers find Alomar a vast asset

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The name in the catching slot on the Double-A Binghamton Mets' lineup card before a game in 2007 was a familiar one to Tribe catching prospect Wyatt Toregas.

Toregas, a member of the Akron Aeros at the time, had grown up hearing the name from his mother, Laura. She worked for an insurance company based in St. Paul, Minn., and on business trips she'd go to Twins games at the Metrodome.

The Indians always seemed to be the visiting club, and Laura always came home gushing about one player in particular.

"Every game she went to, he hit a home run or had three hits," Toregas said. "I was a young catcher in middle school, and she would tell me, 'I saw Sandy Alomar Jr.'"

So when Toregas saw that name on the Binghamton roster, he was shocked. He didn't realize the Mets were shuffling the veteran Alomar around their system near the end of his career.

"I looked at the lineup card, and I see 'Alomar Jr.,'" Toregas said. "I thought, 'The same guy?' I get out on the field, and it's him. I got pumped up to play that game."

Now, Toregas and the other young catchers on the Indians' roster -- Lou Marson and Carlos Santana -- are pumped to be on the same field as Alomar, under much different circumstances. He's not an opponent; he's on their side, brought aboard to be the Tribe's first-base coach and catching coordinator. And he has the knowledge that comes with 17 years of Major League experience, including 11 memorable years with the Tribe, to pass along to them.

"He's seen everything 100 times," Toregas said. "I can't wait for these days coming up. I feel like I'm going to learn a whole lot. You get to a point where you've learned a lot and things start to come slower to you, whereas early in your career you're taking in a lot of things fast. But I feel like I'm starting over again. I can tell he sees things I don't see, and he knows how it's going to work out before it happens."

That's why the Indians felt it so important to bring Alomar in as a member of new manager Manny Acta's staff. They knew of his playing credentials, of course, but they also heard laudatory things about Alomar from the last two years he spent as a catching instructor with the Mets.

While with the Mets, Alomar developed a program for catchers that he's begun to pass along to the Tribe's backstops.

"You want the players to be aware of every situation in the game," Alomar said. "And that's how I started my program. It's not just the same thing over and over, because that becomes boring. You have to throw different situations in the game at them so that they're mentally aware."

The program here in camp begins with a series of morning drills in which Alomar has his catchers work on their footwork, their backhand and forehand scoops, and their blocking of wayward pitches. The number of repetitions is high, and the speed is advanced.

"It loosens your hips up," said Marson, who is expected to be the Tribe's regular behind the plate at the outset of the season. "That's something he wants us to do before the game, too, so that we're loose before the first inning. Sometimes you go into a game and your hips are still kind of tight and you have to block that first ball. He's stressing that you can lose a game in the first inning, so you want to be ready in the first inning."

The conditioning element of the drills should also help the catchers be more physically prepared to handle the grind of the season and the sheer length of games.

"The first couple days [of Alomar's program] tire you out," Toregas said. "But once we catch up with it, we're going to be a lot quicker and a lot more explosive. Sandy's a smart man. He knows how to train. And he's the coolest guy I ever met."

Alomar is one of the most popular players from the Tribe's glory days of the 1990s. In 985 games with the Indians, he batted .277 with 92 homers, 453 RBIs and 416 runs. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1990 and a six-time All-Star.

But for all his successes, Alomar, like many of us, wishes he would have known then what he knows now.

"If I would have known what development and evaluation is about," he said, "I would have evaluated myself much better and known what to do. The goal -- and it should be everybody's goal as a coach -- is to teach the player that eventually the player can manage himself or coach himself on the field."

Alomar said Joel Skinner, Junior Ortiz and Tony Pena were all tremendous teachers for him early in his career. Now, he hopes to have a similar positive influence on Marson, Toregas and Santana, the Tribe's top prospect who figures to be the club's catcher of the not-too-distant future.

But even grizzled veteran Mike Redmond, who will be the Tribe's backup backstop this season, sees the benefits of having Alomar around.

"Some teams don't have anybody who can help the catchers," said Redmond, who played the previous five seasons in Minnesota. "We didn't have a catching coordinator with the Twins. It's nice to have a guy who has been in the battles and understands the grind of catching and handling a staff."

Alomar also understands elements of the catcher's job that he believes go too often overlooked.

"The simplest, No. 1 thing in catching that a lot of people don't even cover is covering signs," he said. "The majority of stolen bases are when people steal your sign from first base. Breaking ball? They're gone. People don't work on that, but we will."

The work began last week and will continue throughout camp and into the season. Catchers usually don't have a set pregame conditioning routine before regular season games, but Alomar's catchers will.

And Alomar already has their ears.

"I asked him the other day how many years he played," Marson said. "He said '17,' and I thought, 'Wow.' I have a lot of respect for guys who can play that long and be consistent for that long. You can listen to and learn from a guy like that. He's been through it all."

Pitchers' fielding practice is a rite of spring

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The drill begins with a bell, a horn or the voice of a pitching coach.

And it's usually met with a few sighs, shoulder shrugs and occasionally, a clap.

It doesn't matter if you want to do it. And it doesn't matter if you are New York's Andy Pettitte, Boston's John Lackey, reigning Cy Young Award winners Tim Lincecum and Zack Greinke or an unknown Minor League pitcher -- you will practice fielding your position during Spring Training. You will move station to station to improve your defense, and it will be the first thing you do every single day for the next six weeks.

Every. Single. Day.

It's called pitchers' fielding practice, also known as PFP, and it could be the most dreaded part of Spring Training. But it's also among the most important. PFP gets pitchers in tip-top shape and can mean the difference between a run or a game in the regular season.

"During the course of the year, most of the pitchers that succeed and win games will have a PFP play a couple of times a game," Padres pitching coach Darren Balsey said. "The guys that get the job done and execute may end up winning the club the game. There are a lot of times that a pitcher throws the ball away or doesn't field a bunt correctly and a run scores. That can't happen. That's why we work so hard on it during Spring Training."

Each club has its own version of PFP and time spent on the exercise varies from 15 minutes to an hour each day. PFP usually starts immediately after the morning stretch and includes these practices: covering first base and third base, pitchouts, pickoffs and rundowns, bunt plays, backing up relay throws, slow-rollers, comebackers, double plays, and balls hit in-between fielders.

"As a pitcher, if you have the opportunity to get that out, you have to help yourself," Padres pitcher Jon Garland said. "If that ball is right there in front of you, that's a lot better than being in the outfield so you better make that play. It does get boring and these first few weeks of Spring Training, it's all you are doing, but you have to take it seriously."

In the National League, pitchers hit, bunt, slide and review the signs during Spring Training PFP. Most teams revisit pitcher's fielding practice two or three times during the regular season.

"There is a proper way to cover first base and there are proper angles to fielding, fielding a bunt or hitting the bag," Padres manager Bud Black said. "I don't want our guys just going through the motions. We work on this stuff in Spring Training and during the course of a season, if a pitcher does not make the right play, we get really ticked off."

Some believe Greg Maddux is the best fielding pitcher of all-time. He has 18 Gold Glove Awards to back the claim. Retired pitchers Kenny Rogers and Mike Mussina, along with White Sox ace Mark Buehrle and St. Louis star Adam Wainwright, who each won a Gold Glove in 2009, are often the first mentioned as strong defensive pitchers.

But is a good fielding pitcher born or is he made? Athleticism plays a role in defensive success, but just how big of a role?

"To me, it's all about how good of an athlete you are," Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson said. "I was an outfielder and I think a lot of guys that used to play a position just do it naturally. Personally, I'd rather spend the time going over strategies and pitching techniques than do PFP. It's just boring."

Instinct plays a role on defense for pitchers. Can instinct be taught?

"I think a lot of what happens comes naturally," Buehrle said. "You don't have a lot of time to think and that ball is coming at you pretty fast sometimes. You make the play without thinking."

Buehrle has an advantage on the mound. He spent his childhood playing roller hockey with his buddies and was usually the team's goaltender. The sport taught him how to move laterally and he sometimes uses the hockey techniques to stop baseballs.

He's not above a kick-save or throwing his hip into a ball if it means a chance at saving a run or getting an out.

"I've taken some pretty good hits off my body, but so far, I've been fine," he said. "I know there is going to come a time when I get nailed and I'm going to ask myself, 'Why the heck did I just do that?' but you just do what you have to do. It's all instinct."

During the World Series last year, Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee, then with Philadelphia, made a few defensive plays, including a behind-the-back catch -- on instinct. The plays cemented his status as a solid fielding pitcher.

"Some of those plays, I was just trying to get a glove on it and it's not anything you work on," he said. "It's just something that happens. I think my athletic ability had something to do with that, but it's also about being ready. Once you let that ball go, you are a fielder."

Pitching coaches acknowledge that instinct and athleticism play roles in PFP, but also say repetition can improve a pitcher's skill and remind him of proper technique. It makes sense. It's not like pitchers are taking ground balls or covering first base in drills during the offseason.

Pitchers, like most players, run or lift weights during the winter months. It's not uncommon for a big league pitcher to start throwing in January, but offseason PFP is unheard of.

"You hear all the time that you want the pitchers to be involved in as few plays as possible and the pitching coaches want the exact opposite," Reds pitching coach Bryan Price said. "We want our guys to be able to handle the ball and make plays. The only way to feel confident in these guys is to give them the repetition and make sure they are confident on the infield."

One of the only ways to keep the pitchers from losing interest during the monotonous drill is using games to keep PFP fun. The Rangers pitchers play Wiffle ball. The Padres have a contest to see which pitcher can make the most PFP plays without making an error.

In one of the most notable moves by a manager in the history of PFP, Detroit's Jim Leyland agreed to take on Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander in a pitcher's fielding practice showdown this spring. After Leyland hit ground balls by Verlander in the first two days of workouts, Verlander declared that he would not let his manager get another ground ball past him for the rest of camp.

The result has been an entertaining -- and beneficial -- competition for all of the pitchers in camp.

It was Detroit that brought PFP back into the spotlight after the 2006 World Series against St. Louis when Tigers pitchers made five errors, four of them on throws to first or third base. Verlander had two miscues as the Tigers lost the Series to the Cardinals in five games that year.

"Everybody saw what happened in the World Series a few years back with Detroit, but that just happened to be on the big stage," Garland said. "That can happen every day or ever year in a game. You make an error and it can make the difference in a game."