Sports calendar flips to baseball

Now that the American sports clock has clicked past another of its major annual appointments with the Super Bowl in the books, only one sport can take the ball and start running with it, just as it has the previous 43 years and for decades beyond that: baseball.

So for baseball fans, the clock tends to run backward this time of year. As in, 10 days (or, about 240 hours) till pitchers and catchers hit the fields in Florida and Arizona, and 56 days (oh, about 1,300 hours) till Opening Day.

And like that last 15 minutes of your toughest class in school, the clock just can't move quickly enough these days.

This much we already know: Baseball will thrill us around the clock again in 2010 -- morning, noon and night. And the only thing it'll have in common with every baseball season before it is that it'll be different.

So, what will make 2010 unique? Here are a few glimpses at what will rock us around the clock until a World Series champion crowned:

Morning

Spring awakening: Once those first magical pops of the glove and cracks of the bat are offered up in Florida and Arizona, 2010 will be officially on the clock. And things will have changed before the first pop and crack.

The Cincinnati Reds have made the trip across the country on Interstate 10 and will be training in Arizona for the first time, making it a 15-15 even split between the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues for the first time. Having made some noise with the Aroldis Chapman signing and a few other moves that make them look like possible National League Central contenders, the Reds join their Ohio neighbors, the Indians, in Goodyear.

There also will be many new faces in new places, with John Lackey moving to Boston, Jason Bay joining the Mets, Roy Halladay with the Phillies and Cliff Lee with the Mariners -- among many, many others. Also, general managers Alex Anthopoulos in Toronto and Jed Hoyer in San Diego will be overseeing their teams for the first season, and new managers Brad Mills of the Astros and Manny Acta of the Indians will be running their respective camps for the first time.

Aces high: Arizona figures to be a good place to check up on the aces on the mend this spring. Jake Peavy is preparing to pitch his first full season with the White Sox after missing much of 2009, and D-backs right-hander Brandon Webb and A's signee Ben Sheets are returning after 2009 was a bust.

The Royals' Zack Greinke, the American League Cy Young Award winner, will be out in Surprise and the Giants' two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum will be toiling -- for how much pay, we'll find out in the coming days -- over in Scottsdale, and Felix Hernandez will working alongside Lee for the Mariners in Peoria. Good starting pitching won't be hard to find in the desert this spring.

Of course, there will be plenty in Florida as well, with Lackey taking his first Grapefruit League action, Halladay turning in his Blue Jays blue for Phillies red, and Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 pick a year ago with a bullet, drawing all eyes in Nationals camp every time he twirls the pea.

Opening Daze: It won't be the first -- that'll belong to Yankees-Red Sox on April 4 -- but the biggest Opening Day celebration might belong to the Twins, who are going topless for the first time since 1981 with the opening of Target Field on April 12. Best of all, Minnesota will have both its power twins -- reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer and 2006 MVP Justin Morneau -- jogging to the lines during introductions.

There will be ring ceremonies at Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Park as the season cranks up, and each of the 30 teams from Miami and Atlanta to Detroit and Pittsburgh to San Francisco and Seattle will put up the bunting, strike up the band and celebrate a new season.

Noon

An NL edge, finally? Now this really would make 2010 unique: an NL victory in the All-Star Game, to be played July 13 in Anaheim. After all, it would be the first NL victory since 1996. But, whether all their sluggers enter it or not, the NL might have a surer edge when it comes to the Home Run Derby.

Cardinals superslugger Albert Pujols now has teammate Matt Holliday at his side for a full season; Bay has switched leagues from a year ago as well; and Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard have already established themselves as members of the homer elite. With Arizona's Mark Reynolds and San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez joining the 40-homer club, the NL held the top five spots in homers at the end of last year. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Adam Dunn are other 40-homer threats.

For the league without the designated hitter, the NL is becoming the bopper league.

Hello again: Interleague reunions abound in the late spring and early summer, but there can be no better juxtaposition than these: Halladay returning to Toronto with the Phillies, and Manny Ramirez returning to Boston with the Dodgers. Consider that the longest ovation and longest, well, we'll see exactly what happens when Mannywood meets Boston Being Boston.

Hawk, Rat and God: With five-tool man Andre Dawson, manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey being bronzed and feted, this year's Hall of Fame class certainly will have its own personality. Although the Hawk will become the second player whose plaque bears the Expos logo, there's no question there will be a Chicago theme to his speech at the July 25 ceremony, when he joins the two white-haired icons of their respective roles.

Night

Stretch runners: By the time August rolls around, we'll know a lot more about how some of the darlings of the 2009-10 Hot Stove season have performed when the heat is on. And with the July 31 Trade Deadline, possibly stoked by an interesting crop of pending free agents, we will see even more change.

Will the Mariners' winter work pay off in the AL West standings? With 2009 postseason hero Lee in Seattle, will the Phillies' acquisition of Halladay push them to new heights in 2010? Will Sheets still be in Oakland, probably meaning the A's are in the hunt, or will he have been shipped elsewhere a la Holliday? Will the Twins have made the right moves to build around their twin powers?

By the time the Trade Deadline passes and the stretch begins, we'll know a lot more.

On any given day: Parity figures to be a theme in every division in baseball in 2010. Without naming names, it's safe to say more than 20 teams could be very much in the mix come Sept. 1.

Both the AL West, with the Angels' three-year run threatened by the Mariners, Rangers and A's, and NL West figure to be multihorse races. The AL Central and NL Central have the same potential, especially if the Cubs get back in the conversation. And with the AL East and NL East without runaway favorites either, there's a good chance the standings will be a must-see in more cities through September than even the last few years of unprecedented competitive balance.

Perhaps more than ever before, it's all up for grabs.

Repeat offenders? Still, when it comes down to it, the Yankees have a very reasonable chance to be the first back-to-back winners of the World Series since their 1998-2000 threepeat, and the Phillies have a chance to make even more NL history. Another title and they would become the first NL team to win three consecutive pennants since the Cardinals in 1942-44. And if both were to happen, it would be the first back-to-back World Series matchup since 1977-78 with the Yankees-Dodgers.

Then again, that doesn't take into account the Cinderella story (see: 2007 Rockies) that is always a possibility before the clock strikes midnight.

But, hey, it's only dawn now. It's not midnight for a good long time, thankfully.

Dawn is breaking. It's warming up now. Check your clocks.

It's time for ball.

MLB teams eye super goals, say let '10 begin

It's time for baseball now.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training starting Feb. 18. The MLB.com Fantasy Preview and Fantasy games are out on Monday. The countdown is officially under way, now that the football clock has ticked to :00 and the jazz is flowing in the French Quarter.

"We pulled it off," Ron Washington said Sunday night amid much background noise, pure civic love in his voice. "I tell you what, New Orleans is a world champion now."

The Rangers' manager was born in New Orleans. He grew up there. He had seven feet of water in his home after Hurricane Katrina, and he stayed while most of his family members relocated to Houston. As he spoke to MLB.com throughout the game from the home of his sister, Lorraine, Bourbon Street was increasingly jam-packed. The Saints had just beaten the favored Colts, ending the winter reign of football and transitioning to baseball once more.

"I think everything that this city's been through, since Katrina came up here and changed everyone's life, the Saints is all they had to hold on to," Washington said. "The city of New Orleans has been supporting the Saints for a lot of years, and now to finally get the championship under their belt is a blessing. This year has been special for this team and for a city that has been trying to get itself together after Katrina. No one can understand the devastation until you've had to pull yourself together from something like that.

"We all were touched by it. One of my sisters didn't come back. Her home got destroyed, she had an opportunity to rebuild like I did, and she decided when she went to Houston to just stay. Our whole family is there. It's just myself, a brother and a sister that's back in New Orleans. The people here, they are certainly gonna have a good time. Through all the bad times -- and there were many -- the people here supported their football team. They love their football team."

Washington is taking stock of this one, soaking it in, the good kind of soaking it in this time. He leaves Friday for Dallas, and then from there leaves on Sunday for Spring Training camp in Surprise, Ariz. He has a message, a new message to bring to a Rangers team that is one of only three active clubs never to reach a World Series.

"The things that my young players went through this year, we stayed in the hunt all the way to the end, I think it's going to make us better for it because we have talent," Washington said. "We realized what it takes. If we stay healthy, I do believe we can surprise some people. The message that we've been sending since the winter started, it's our time. We brought the Angels to almost the last few games of the season, and all we've been talking about all winter is: It's our turn. It's time for the Texas Rangers. Now we just go out and play better baseball than everyone else on this day."

Marlins catcher John Baker was kind enough to e-mail MLB.com from pregame through the finish during the Super Bowl Watch Party, and now he assumes territorial claim on the Sun Life Stadium field following Spring Training. Baker, who reports to Marlins camp with other pitchers and catchers on Feb. 20, said he hopes that venue ends another sports season in 2010.

"While the game didn't turn out as I had hoped (congrats to the Saints) it seems the best team won," Baker said. "It is very refreshing to see two small market teams battle it out for football's greatest prize on our field in Miami. I can only hope that baseball's championship will be decided in the same location: Sun Life Stadium. Watching any team win a championship is inspiring, and great motivation for us to hit the ground running in Spring Training 2010. I can't wait to get out there and help another small market team work its way to a championship."

That is the talk of baseball, the talk of 30 teams that all have aspirations of winning a World Series or at least advancing to the postseason.

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones was at his mother's house watching the game, cheering for the Colts all night, and while the Lombardi Trophy was presented to the Saints, he was being harassed by a houseful of friends and family.

"Everybody was getting on that bandwagon," Jones said. "I've got a houseful of Chargers fans and they're getting on the Saints bandwagon. But I understand it. I'm talking about the 300 million people of this country. It's for the city of New Orleans, I completely understand it."

Then, as he held the phone to his ear, he said this to everyone razzing him on the spot: "I'm gonna talk about this one more day, and you guys will still be talking about it two weeks later. I'm already over it. It's baseball season."

It's baseball season.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Florida and Arizona starting on Feb. 18. Although he is a position player, Jones, coming off an All-Star season, said he is going to show up early with the batterymates. He had a final thought about the big game first.

"I think actually there were two biggest plays," he said. "It was the fourth-and-one to go for it, then the real conservative way the Colts came out in the second half. Just overall, the Saints were better. They weren't afraid of it. That was a good call before halftime. They deserved to win. Their game plan was better."

Matt Stairs is still coaching high school hockey up in Bangor, Maine, while he waits to hit his new Padres Spring Training camp next weekend. But he knows the time for baseball is now here.

"Always the same. Football is done. Now baseball is coming," Stairs said. He was thinking about what is now unfolding on Bourbon Street, what kind of celebration they will have for the city of New Orleans' first major sports championship -- and was reminded about how it felt to ride that long-awaited Phillies victory parade after the 2008 World Series.

"I don't think New Orleans will have as many people as we did, close to 3 million people, but it's something every pro athlete should go through one time," Stairs said. "To ride through your Main Street and to see the joy on the face of fans. It's exciting. Now I know what they mean by parade elbow. You're waving to all those people for a long time."

MLB.com celebrated the annual handoff from football to baseball with a Super Bowl Watch Party from pregame through the trophy presentation ...

9:48 p.m. ET -- Saints win Super Bowl, 31-17.

More to come ...

9:36 p.m. ET -- Saints 31, Colts 17, late fourth quarter

Back in Visalia, Calif., the background noise was all Saints as Astros manager Brad Mills answered the phone. "You hear that?" he asked.

The Saints had just been the beneficiaries of instant replay, as their attempt at a two-point conversion was ruled successful after closer inspection. "I'll still take our umpires' calls," Mills said with a laugh. The Saints at that point were up a full 7, with time dwindling.

"They set the standard for this game when, even though they didn't score, they went for that touchdown on fourth down in the first half," Mills said. "Since then, it's been a very good game. They have to be going crazy in New Orleans."

Just to be sure, we called Rangers manager Ron Washington back -- the other Texas state manager.

"Who Dat?" was the voice answering on the other end.

"Who Dat gonna beat them Saints?"

Washington was laughing. Everyone at his sister Lorraine's house was going slightly wild -- especially the host, who "lives and dies with it." The Saints had just added another quick TD with the 74-yard interception return by Tracy Porter.

"I know they're going crazy at my sister's house right now," Washington said, when told what Mills had just said. "They had to play some defense and they pulled one out there. That was a bad pass by Manning. Now [the Colts] have got to score two touchdowns.

"If this holds up, I'm just going to be happy that the Saints won. I can't put up with that crowd, but I know the city will be lit up. You can believe that. There will be a lot of horns. It's already Mardi Gras time, you know? But I tell you what, the city needs it. It needs it, it needs it. It's something to be happy about."

9:20 p.m. ET -- Saints 24, Colts 17, fourth quarter

Marlins catcher John Baker, heir to the Sun Life Stadium playing surface after the Super Bowl is finished, said at the start of the fourth: "One-point game with one quarter left. Who could ask for more?"

8:57 p.m. ET -- Colts 17, Saints 16, end of third quarter

Joseph Addai took the handoff from Peyton Manning and tapdanced his way into the end zone to put Indy back on top. But back in Omaha, at the home of Twins pitcher Brian Duensing's in-laws, they finally converted the last holdout, his father-in-law, to jump on the Saints bandwagon.

"He was the last one here rooting for the Colts," said Duensing, who grew up a Chiefs fan in Kansas City. "It's just ridiculous. This is a great game. The pace of the game has picked up in the second half, back and forth, I like that. The middle of the first half seemed kind of boring, not much going on."

And just like that, Garrett Hartley nailed a 47-yard field goal, cutting the Colts' lead to one.

Duensing was told what Rangers manager Ron Washington had just relayed to MLB.com from home in New Orleans, where there was so much background noise. Could you imagine the scene on Bourbon Street if the Saints can rally again and win this Super Bowl?

"I think the word to describe it would be disaster. It would be mayhem. Probably pretty fun," Duensing said.

Favorite commercial so far?

"We loved the Snickers one with Betty White right out of the gate," said the Twins' Game 1 starter in the 2009 American League Division Series against the Yankees. "And the most recent Volkswagen one where the kid hits his grandpa."

Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson was taking a pass on the game, focusing on his training. "Gym time!" he tweeted. "Betting attendance at Gold's in Huntington [Calif.] is single digits." Nationals pitcher Colin Ballester, completely enthralled along with most of the U.S. population, tweeted: "Colts are my new favorite team to watch."

8:33 p.m. ET -- Saints 13, Colts 10, third quarter

Rangers manager Ron Washington is in New Orleans right now, at his sister's home. Church was an amazing sight there this morning, he said.

"Everybody dressed in their black and gold, it was exciting in church," he said. "It's wild right now. Saints fever all over the place. I just hope they can play a good enough game to pull it out. It's nice for the city."

When you talk to the Rangers' manager right now, during this game, there is a lot of "we" on the other end of the phone line. "We need to tackle a little better," he said. "[The Colts] took care of the first quarter, we took care of the second quarter. They put up 10, we put up 6. We have to make Manning beat us. If the guy running the football is chalking up yards like that we gonna be in big trouble."

As he was talking, the Saints recovered an onside kick to start the second half. Then they took it in, taking their first lead in Super Bowl history. It was 13-10, Saints. There was serious whooping and hollering where Ron Washington is watching this game.

"I like where we are," he said.

Washington is driving to Dallas on Friday, and then comes Spring Training camp, a flight next Monday to Surprise, Ariz. "Everything shifts back to baseball," he said. "I just came from a trip over to our Dominican baseball school. Got a good rush over there working out with those young kids. I'm ready, my blood is flowing."

Adam Jones' blood is flowing, too. He has been working out like a machine all winter, "trying to get myself right," but he said before this game that his total mental focus really comes after this Super Bowl is over. He is just being a real sports fan, as he watches this one at his mother's house, wolfing down tacos.

"Since my team is still in it, a lot of other people [on the Orioles], their football minds are already altered," Jones said. "After today, mine's completely altered. Then I can go hard with baseball and let it keep going.

"The Colts look good, the offense looks really good. They just have to keep it up. The defense is fast, but when you keep [the Saints' defense] on the field, you can do some things against them. You just gotta get them three-and-outs."

Jones is pumped for the American League East race this season. Coming off an All-Star campaign, he said he thinks he has even more talent around him: "I feel good. Our GM made some great moves, I think. We added leadership. I'm excited for the first day. I'm going to get there early and report with pitchers and catchers and get a feel for everybody."

8:09 p.m. ET -- Halftime show

Adam Russell is watching the game at a sports bar in Scottsdale, Ariz., along with former White Sox teammate Chris Getz, now a new Royals infielder. Reached by phone, the Padres pitcher had a few moments to talk before catching the halftime concert by "The Who."

"That's some serious rock and roll right there," Russell said.

Russell, who lives in the Cleveland suburbs, said he is in Scottsdale "getting a little training in before Spring Training starts." For players like him, this is My Generation.

"I'm really excited for this year," he said. "We've got some good additions. Jon Garland is going to help round out our rotation. The way we wound up the last two months, it's going to be indicative of what's in store. We were the second-winningest club the last two months. That was a fun time. We held leads and every game was close, we were able to finish teams off.

"Me personally, I feel great. Usually at this time I'm a little stiff and don't have good arm action, but my bullpens have been going very well, and my bullpen coaches have been out here helping me. It's a little tough in Cleveland to get good training with the snow, so I came out here early."

This is what it's all about. Baseball players and managers watching the Super Bowl, just waiting, waiting, waiting -- knowing their moment is about to come.

Russell said he agreed with Brad Mills on the fourth-down call.

"I have to agree with that. Super Bowl, you gotta let it all hang out," Russell said. "I think that was the right move. That was good defense [by the Colts], can't do anything about that.

"Great game so far, nice clean game, kind of free from penalties. I am a little surprised how well the Colts ran the ball, but it's a great game so far. I thought there would be more scoring, though, with those two pass offenses, so it's kind of surprising. I think Drew [Brees] had a couple miscommunications early with receivers, but they got past that, and they should have gotten more than six out of it."

Halftime, 8 p.m. ET -- Colts 10, Saints 6

It was hard to focus after seeing Punxsutawney Polamalu, but after that commercial, the Saints were stuffed at the 1-yard line on a bold fourth-down call. As John Baker, the Marlins' catcher, e-mailed to MLB.com: "Defense wins championships. Wow, what a goal-line stand."

We immediately called new Astros manager Brad Mills, wondering what a dugout play-caller thought about an NFL coach going for it in the biggest game with fourth and goal at the 1, needing points.

Mills never even waited for the question as he answered the phone.

"I support it wholeheartedly. Wholeheartedly," Mills said before the greeting. "We got a houseful here. Everybody was kind of rooting for the Saints because they're the underdog.

"How about that? Even though they didn't take that in, I'm glad to see them come back [and add a field goal before the half]."

Mills is having a party for "a houseful" of family and in-laws. They are back in Visalia, Calif., and he said he and his wife leave next Friday for Kissimmee, Fla., and his first Astros Spring Training since coming over from the Red Sox organization.

"We're excited about getting started, there's no doubt," Mills said. "Anytime you have the type of talent we have on this club, and getting ready to start Spring Training, it's exciting for our coaching staff and players, as well. It's a good time. It really is almost like handing over to baseball."

After Mills hung up the phone, the Colts went into the locker room clinging to a precarious four-point lead in a truly low-scoring Super Bowl.

7:25 p.m. -- Colts 10, Saints 3, second quarter

Marlins catcher John Baker, who will be going to work on the same field on which this Super Bowl is being played, just emailed this to MLB.com after the Saints broke through with a field goal:

"Points on the board ... Indy looks good. Time to see how their defense looks, this first drive should be interesting. Can the Colts stop the Saints?

"Peyton has a rocket arm. The Saints better score on this drive or they are going to be in real trouble."

7:15 p.m. ET -- End of first quarter

Pierre Garcon just hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning, and the Colts finished the quarter with a 10-0 lead. It completed a 96-yard drive -- tying the longest drive in Super Bowl history.

That was good news to Pirates starting pitcher Paul Maholm, who asked during the first quarter: "Is it bad I am outnumbered at least 10 to 1 at my own party?" He then proceeded to post on Twitter: "Go Colts!"

Kansas City first baseman Billy Butler is pulling for the Saints as he hosts a party at his home in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He has been busy making "all the typical kinds of snacks and dip, pigs in a blanket, artichoke dip. I've got a bunch of people here and had to get all that ready." MLB.com talked to him after the first quarter, and he said he liked the Bud Light house-building commercial best and worries about his Saints.

"It's their first Super Bowl, it would be good to see them win it, good for the sport," Butler said. "I was not shocked to see the Colts come out quick."

Butler said he is psyched to take the handoff. The Royals are about to crank it up at Spring Training in Arizona, with their first full-squad workout scheduled for Feb. 23. He comes off a huge season in which he batted .301, and also was just the fifth Major Leaguer to post at least 50 doubles and 20 homers in a season before the age of 24, joining Hank Greenberg, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Magglio Ordonez.

"Baseball's all about being consistent," Butler said as he returned to the TV screen. "Last year was good for me but that year's over with, I've got to go out and prove myself again. They know what I'm capable of with the bat -- if I can go out and do better, it just shows it wasn't a one-year thing. You gotta keep doing it year in and year out."

Matt Stairs is in Bangor, Maine, hosting 10 or 15 friends and family. He is a Cowboys fan and said, "I don't care who wins, I just want an entertaining game, high-scoring, which would be good for fans, maybe pull for the Saints as underdogs and what it would do for New Orleans." He said the big play in the first quarter was the dropped ball by Saints receiver Marques Colston -- "He was wide open, and it changed the momentum."

Stairs played in the last two World Series, securing a spot in the hearts of many Phillies fans for years to come. Having been on baseball's big stage the past two autumns, he said he felt sort of a connection to the Super Bowl participants.

"It's not nervous, but you're anxious," Stairs said. "When that girl came on before the game started, they were showing highlights, and the same girl sang during the World Series, I had goosebumps. Knowing that when they're waiting for God Bless America and the national anthem. You knew the players wanted to get it going. I felt anxious for them."

Now Stairs is about to have a fresh start once baseball takes over. He will be trying to earn a spot with the Padres at their Spring Training camp.

"I'm excited, knowing that next Sunday at this time I'll be in Arizona, starting with a new team, different side of the country," Stairs said. "I'm excited. It's something I had my mind set on with early retirement during the season, then I was given the opportunity to make the team. I hope it works out well."

6:25 p.m. ET -- Kickoff

Brian Duensing has had his taste of postseason excitement and is eager for more. He was the starting pitcher in the Twins' postseason opener last fall, but took the loss as CC Sabathia and the Yankees came out firing that first night. Right now, he is showing up at his in-laws' home in Omaha, Neb., ready for some enchiladas and salsa, ready for the big game, ready to take the baton and go fight for a spot on the Twins' pitching staff down in Florida.

"It's going to be a high-scoring game," the lefty said on the way into the party. "As much as I can't not root against Peyton Manning -- because he's such an intelligent quarterback and so good -- I just feel that the Saints are going to pull it out. I don't know how, but I think they're going to win it. That's just the gut talking. I watched a little bit throughout the season. I'm not some diehard NFL fan so to speak, but I do like to watch a lot.

"The way Peyton runs the offense, I feel the Saints have a lot of work to do, especially on offense to keep up. But I think the Saints will make the big plays when they need to. If Reggie Bush makes a couple of good plays, he can be the momentum shifter for the Saints."

The first date for Twins pitchers and catchers to work out in Fort Myers is Feb. 22. Duensing said, "I've got a lot of work to do because there's a spot that needs to be earned. I'm just itching, getting ready to go, get out of this cold weather, get down where it's warm, see what's gonna happen this year. So far it's a given we have [Carl] Pavano, [Scott] Baker, [Nick] Blackburn and [Kevin] Slowey coming off the DL. All the talk has been about myself and [Francisco] Liriano and Glen Perkins fighting for that fifth spot. I wish I could say that what I did last year would solidify it, but I know I have to do all I can."

Carrie Underwood just sang the national anthem. She also performed it during the 2007 World Series at Colorado.

Pregame

Kickoff is at 6:25 p.m. ET on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. That venue will be taken over by the Marlins after Spring Training, so let's start with Colts-Saints predictions from some guys who will spend this summer in that same stadium. The first thing you notice is that they, like the masses at large, differ wildly on the subject.

"I'm taking the underdog ... Who Dat Nation! Sorry Peyton," Chris Coghlan just said. He had more hits than any Major Leaguer in the second half of last season, enough to win him the National League Rookie of the Year Award -- and enough to make you wonder fancifully just how good this guy can be in his first full Major League season.

"This matchup makes for a very interesting game," said Coghlan's teammate, Marlins catcher John Baker. "Both teams have dynamic offenses, so the key will be defense. I think that the Saints, while they have more offensive weapons, don't have the defense to stop Peyton and the Colts. I think the Colts win a close game with a lower than expected point total."

Adam Jones is eager to follow up on an All-Star breakout season in Baltimore, and we'll be hearing from him between quarters, during those tantalizing commercials. He is a hardcore Colts fan who loves football. Jones has been at Athletes Performance all offseason training tirelessly, yet the average baseball fan surely can relate when he says he "can't think 100 percent about baseball until the Super Bowl is over."

Brewers newcomer LaTroy Hawkins grew up in Gary, Ind., as a Bears fan, but he said he is adopting the Colts right now. We'll be talking to him during the course of the game, and this is what he had to say to MLB.com beat writer Adam McCalvy before kickoff:

"My mom, my mother-in-law and my father-in-law are all big Colts fans. So is my daughter. She's got a Colts flag painted on her wall in her room, and a Shrek doll wearing a Colts jersey. Her grandma got her into that. But I'm rooting for them anyway because I like Peyton. I'm a big fan. I know it's going to be a shootout, but I think defense is going to have to win this game. It's going to come down to which defense can stop the other offense. If they don't play defense, this might be the highest-scoring Super Bowl in history."

Hawkins is watching the game at home with his family. He is a big Brett Favre fan, and was at the Superdome in New Orleans for the Jan. 24 NFC Championship game. The Saints beat Favre and the Vikings in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl, giving Hawkins even more reason to pull for the Colts on Sunday.

"I don't have any Saints fans around me right now, so I can say this," Hawkins said, launching into song. "'Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Colts do! Dat's who.'"

The Saints are in the Super Bowl for the first time. In case you're wondering what active Major League teams never have been in the World Series, there are now only three: Mariners, Rangers and Nationals (formerly the Expos). Could one of those three break through in 2010? We'll be watching this game along with Rangers manager Ron Washington, and we'll ask him.

The handoff becomes complete after the Vince Lombardi Trophy is conferred upon tonight's winners. On Monday, amid the final analysis of the best Super Bowl commercials and some Monday Morning quarterbacking, baseball talk will heat up. Fantasy owners start to converge and map out their drafts, and you may be happy to know that MLB.com will launch its 2010 Fantasy Preview package complete with the ever-popular player rankings -- and also the Fantasy games that will become a way of life for so many fans in the coming months.

Many Major League players and prospects also are tweeting about the Super Bowl. You can follow @MLB/players on Twitter and see their real-time commentary -- at least from those who are immersed in it. Pirates pitcher Daniel McCutchen, one of them, predicted a 34-24 Colts victory and added: "Note to self ... don't ever go to the grocery store again on Super Bowl Sunday."

Justin Upton of the D-backs: "Saints 31- Colts 24- MVP is Drew Breeeeeeeeees."

Twins outfielder Denard Span could blossom into a star in 2010, having played such a key role for the team in its big comeback to get into the last postseason. For now, though, his attention is fixed on this game. Span is from Tampa and has been across the state this week to take in the Super Bowl festivities himself.

"I want the Saints to win for the city, but they got lucky against the Vikes so I think they will lose by a modest margin of two TDs," Span said.

It's Super Bowl time. The parties are under way. Baseball players, managers, coaches and fans are football fans. And everyone knows what is coming next. Baseball time as a center of sports attention is four quarters away. Finally.

Greinke to make first Opening Day start

KANSAS CITY -- Royals manager Trey Hillman wasn't going to let the Super Bowl make all the news on Sunday. He had a bulletin of his own: Zack Greinke will start on Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers.

Now that's not exactly startling news. After all, Greinke did win the American League Cy Young Award for his superb 2009 season. But it's certainly a very early announcement, especially for Hillman who has been extremely cautious before naming Gil Meche to start the openers the past two years.

Opening Day, April 5 at Kauffman Stadium, is almost two months away.

"Zack is starting on Opening Day and Gil will pitch Game 2, barring anything unforeseen, and both those guys know that already," Hillman said Sunday from his Texas home.

Hillman was in the midst of doing a phone interview about upcoming Spring Training when he dropped his little news flash.

"I wanted to give you a little bit more," Hillman said with a chuckle. "I know that's earth-shattering."

Greinke was the overwhelming choice as the American League Cy Young Award winner after a 16-8, 2.16-ERA season.

"I'd really be a stupid idiot if I didn't start him Opening Day, wouldn't I?" Hillman said.

That sets up a probable pitching matchup of Greinke against Justin Verlander, the Tigers' ace who tied for the Major League lead with 19 victories.

"Yeah, I would think so," Hillman said. "That would be a great Opening Day matchup right there."

Hillman gave Greinke the news after he'd accepted his Cy Young Award recently at the baseball writers' dinner in New York.

"He was very appreciative," Hillman said. "And even a little bit nostalgic, which was good to hear. I asked him, 'I didn't get to see the award, what did it look like?' He said, 'Oh, it's a plaque, and the cool thing is they've probably kept it the same after all these years, and I like stuff like that.'"

Greinke told Hillman he gave the plaque to his parents for safekeeping.

This will be Greinke's first Opening Day start. Meche had started the past three openers for the Royals. He beat Boston, 7-1, at Kansas City in 2007; had a no-decision in an 11-inning, 5-4 win at Detroit in 2008, and a no-decision in a 4-2 loss at Chicago last year. In the three games, Meche allowed just five earned runs in 20 1/3 innings for a 2.22 ERA.

Meche certainly had no qualms about Greinke having the honor this year.

"He said, 'I would hope so -- the guy won the Cy Young Award'" Hillman related. "And I said, 'Well, I didn't want to insult your intelligence, I figured you knew but I just wanted to go ahead and make it official before I was asked the question.'"

Meche sounded relieved.

"He goes, 'Good, I'm glad we're doing this early because it drives me nuts when they all ask me about it,'" Hillman said.

In 2008, Hillman didn't announce Meche as the Opening Day starter until March 15. Last year, with Meche battling back problems, Hillman waited until March 24 to make it official. Now, on Feb. 7, the word is out: Greinke.

So there you have it. Hillman has kicked off the Royals' season with some news.

Caribbean Series won by Dominican Republic

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela -- The pulsing sounds of merengue overpowered the concourse, and fireworks lit up the sky above center field on a clear night at Estado Nueva Esparta.

On the ground, the Reds' Juan Francisco and Mets outfielder Fernando Martinez celebrated, illuminating the field just as they had all week with their play during this year's Caribbean Series.

On Sunday the dynamic duo capped a fine six-day tournament by leading the Escogido squad to a 7-4 victory over Venezuela's Leones del Caracas in the finale to seal the 2010 title for the Dominican Republic.

On Monday they'll start thinking about Spring Training, but for now they'll celebrate -- first in the middle of the infield with their teammates, and later with their families.

"This is very emotional," Martinez, 21, said. "To be able to contribute to the Dominican Republic team is something you dream about as a child. This is a wonderful feeling. I don't have the words."

The Dominican Republic finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, and Puerto Rico's Mayaguez team placed second, with a 4-2 mark. Mexico's Hermosillo squad finished 2-4, and Venezuela went 1-5.

Martinez was named the series MVP after hitting .348 with two home runs and four RBIs. He will now head to Port St. Lucie, Fla., to compete for a spot in a Mets outfield already loaded with Jason Bay in left field, Gary Matthews and Angel Pagan in center, and Jeff Francoeur in right.

He has his work cut out for him. In 29 games for the Mets last season, he hit .176 with one home run and eight RBIs. He's likely headed to Triple-A Buffalo for another year of seasoning.

But he wasn't thinking about the Mets on Sunday night.

"We won as a team," he said. "That's the most important part of this experience. We did it together."

Francisco, 22, will be a prospect to watch this spring in Goodyear, Ariz. Last season he hit .429 in 14 games for the Reds and .295 with 27 home runs and 93 RBIs in 131 games combined at Double-A Carolina and Triple-A Louisville. The infielder played left field during the Winter League and is blocked on the big league club by Scott Rolen.

He hit .261 with six RBIs during the series.

"Everybody knows that the more you play the game, the more you are prepared," Francisco said. "I've learned a lot in this experience. I know it's going to help me."

The victory marked the 18th Caribbean Series championship for Dominican Republic and the third for Escogido. A team from the island nation last won the title in 2008, when two of the four teams were from the Dominican. Puerto Rico did not participate in the tournament two years ago in Santiago, D.R., because of problems with the league.

Escogido last won a Caribbean Series title in 1990, when it was managed by Felipe Alou, the father of current first-year general manager Moises Alou.

"I kind of feel like I should retire now," Moises Alou joked. "It's my first year, and we win the Caribbean Series. You can't beat that. Anything after that will be a letdown."

Alou wasn't the only man feeling giddy. Add "manager of a Caribbean Series champion" to Ken Oberkfell's resume.

Oberkfell, the manager of the Mets affiliate in Buffalo, took the job because he thought it would help him become a Major League manager one day, but he said the experience turned out to be much more rewarding.

"This was a lot of fun," Oberkfell said. "It's been a great experience, because I really didn't realize how passionate the fans are about the game of baseball. It was an honor to do this, and I'm happy to be able to bring a championship to the Dominican."

Detroit shortstop Ramon Santiago finished with a .316 batting average, and Philadelphia outfielder Freddy Guzman went 0-for-4 with one run scored on Sunday. Guzman was named to the All-Tournament team along with teammates Pablo Ozuna, Kevin Barker and Nelson Figueroa.

"You have to give credit to the players," Alou said. "They did all the work. The coaches worked very hard. They deserve all the praise."

Hall of Famers endorse Tejada at third

After 13 years as one of the Major Leagues' best offensive shortstops, Miguel Tejada -- a little older, a little slower -- will attempt to make the potentially difficult transition to third base upon his return to Baltimore for the 2010 season.

Agreeing that adjusting to the hot corner will take some time, two of the Orioles' best third basemen also think Tejada will do just fine.

In fact, when asked by The Baltimore Sun whether he thought Tejada could succeed as a third baseman, Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. said, "There's no doubt about it."

"I think there is a physical side, and then there is a mental side," Ripken added. "But Miggy's got great hands. He knows how to catch a ball, and he's got a great, strong, accurate arm."

Brooks Robinson, widely considered the greatest defensive third baseman of all time, agreed.

"Miguel knows most of the players in the American League," Robinson told The Sun through a representative. "He knows who bunts, who doesn't bunt and how fast they run. I think he is going to do great."

After 16 years and two Gold Glove Awards as a shortstop, Ripken made the move to his right and was the Orioles' third baseman for the last five years of his career, where he also excelled.

In a report by The Sun that ran on Sunday, Ripken said the key to a smooth transition is patience, repetition and a strong commitment.

"I think the hardest part is reworking the thinking about the position," he said.

"As a shortstop, you have learned it. You have learned all the movements. When the ball goes up, you know where you are supposed to be, where you are supposed to cut off the relay, where you are supposed to line up. It's second nature. At third, or at a different position, you have to think all over again, 'OK, that's my job now.'"

Robinson, who spent his entire 23-year career as a third baseman and notched 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, said that kind of transition will take time, despite Tejada's strong arm and good hands.

"I think it is much more difficult to go from short to third than it is to go from third to short," said the 72-year-old Robinson, who, according to The Sun, is recovering from abdominal surgery in December. "At third base, you really have to take the ball as it comes. Third base is a reactionary position, and it might take him a while to get used to it."

Tejada, a career .289 hitter with 285 home runs in 13 years in the big leagues, has played 1,846 games as a shortstop. His other 23 games were spent as a designated hitter. The former American League Most Valuable Player did, however, play third base during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

A couple years back, Tejada didn't want to make the move from short to third, but now he sees it as a way to extend his career, one that includes six trips to the All-Star Game.

At some point, Tejada will reach out to Ripken and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez -- who moved from shortstop upon arriving in New York in 2004 -- for advice on how to handle the transition, according to The Sun.

And when he does, Ripken, who once played in a Major League-record 2,632 consecutive games, will preach dedication.

"I think the first [thing] is to fully commit to it, and it sounds like he is," said Ripken, who also told The Sun that he was hesitant to move from shortstop because he wouldn't be as involved in the game, but that he grew more comfortable with his new position in late August of his first year as a full-time third baseman, in 1997.

"He has the physical skills to be a really good third baseman, so he shouldn't doubt that. But don't think that you are going to be over there for a little while and then go back to your old position. Fully commit to it, and work hard at the things that you need to work hard at. And don't get discouraged."

Caribbean Series facing a youth movement

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela -- Mets outfielder prospect Fernando Martinez is among the new faces of the Caribbean Series.

In two or three years, though, his image will be replaced.

Welcome to the present-day Caribbean Series. The tournament that was once the stomping ground of such Hall of Famers as Reggie Jackson, Juan Marichal and Willie Mays, and veteran stars David Ortiz and Miguel Tejada, is facing a youth movement.

How the tournament will survive with a focus on such prospects as Martinez, Danny Valencia (Twins), Juan Francisco (Reds), Jose Ortega (Braves) and Alex Valdez (Athletics) remains to be seen. What's certain is that the tournament leaders are not waiting on veterans like Francisco Rodriguez, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Abreu or Ivan Rodriguez to rescue them.

"Forget about big names. They are not coming for many reasons," Caribbean Confederation commissioner Juan Francisco Puello said. "Don't characterize our success or failure by the names we have here, because our stars are the young players here. This is the future of baseball, the future of the Caribbean."

Puello could be on to something. Led by Martinez, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, the Dominican Republic's Escogido squad won the 2010 title with a 5-1 record. Martinez hit .364 in the tournament.

"I'm just really happy I was able to participate here," Martinez said. "To bring the trophy back to my country is unbelievable."

It seems necessary for Puello and the confederation -- made up of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela -- to focus on youth. The Major League stars are often prohibited by their teams from participating in the Caribbean Series and a full Winter League season, because the big league clubs want to protect their investment. In addition, the new Winter League agreement between Major League Baseball and the Caribbean Confederation adds restrictions to players to protect them from being overworked, and it could reduce the pool of players in the future.

Here's something else to consider: Sometimes star players do not want to play. The winter is vacation time for some established players, and some players want to work out on their own.

That's their right, and nobody blames them for wanting a little R&R.

This is what has changed: In the past it was normal for stars to suit up for the Winter Leagues and Caribbean Series because they needed the money to supplement their baseball salary. That hasn't been the case in a long time.

From the Caribbean Confederation's point of view, a Winter League team can't always afford to pay the $20,000 or $30,000 a month it takes to score a star, thus it makes sense and saves cents to go without a ringer.

Yes, patriotism remains a big reason to play in the Caribbean Series, but top players are now asked to make the difficult choice between the love of country and the love of money.

What would the average person choose in that situation?

Money matters, amigos. There will come a time when Martinez won't suit up for the Dominican Republic because his value to the Mets will prevent him from playing. It's the Caribbean Series' cycle of life, and Puello knows it well.

"We all understand the economics of the game and how each side is impacted," Puello said. "We can spend all day talking about who is not here, and the obvious reasons why not, or we can focus on who is. Let's double the promotion for these young men and their stats."

"Let's be honest. The star figures that do show up for the Caribbean Series are not always ready," he added. "It's near the start of Spring Training, and the men are not close to being what they will be at midseason. It's not about star power, it's about baseball."

That said, he has not completely given up on participation by Major League Baseball's stars. One of his ideas is to move the Caribbean Series from the first week of February to the last week of January to give Major Leaguers more downtime between the end of the Caribbean Series and the start of Spring Training if they decide to participate.

The biggest argument against such a proposal would come from the leagues and teams in the Caribbean Confederation, because they would be forced to cut their regular-season and playoff schedules.

Puello said that the addition of leagues into the confederation would add talent to the annual tournament, but progress on that front has been slow. The stadiums in Cartagena and Barranquilla, Colombia, need to be improved before he will consider adding that country, and he said that the leagues in Nicaragua and Panama are not up to confederation standards yet.

Cuba, an original member of the Caribbean Confederation along with Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela when it was formed in 1949, has an open invitation to rejoin but has declined.

"Cuba is welcome, and we've done all we can to get Cuba in the confederation again," Puello said. "At this point it is their call. They have other priorities, like their tournaments, their league and their national team, so we'll wait, but we're here if they want in."

In some ways the Caribbean Series needs Cuba. The country hasn't participated in the tournament since Fidel Castro took over the country in 1959, and its presence would add intrigue -- not to mention Major League scouts -- to the games.

Puello also said that he will not consider changing the original double round-robin format to an elimination tournament until at least one more team is added.

The commissioner also wants to make sure he doesn't lose a team, either. He and the rest of the Caribbean Confederation will meet twice in Puerto Rico during the upcoming months to address the problems that have plagued the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League during the past few seasons.

"The idea is that Puerto Rico's league returns to the prominence it had in the area," he said. "That is priority No. 1 for the confederation."

To alleviate issues with the international media, Puello hired a Dominican Republic journalist as a confederation adviser.

"I think you can see how important it is to them by what they are trying to do," said Lou Melendez, MLB's vice president of international baseball operations. "This is their World Series, and it brings a lot of fans together from each country. It's their baseball. You can see that it's growing simply from the fact that it is televised now by MLB Network."

The 2011 Caribbean Series will be held in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and it is tentatively scheduled for the first or second day of February next year. Puello expects the usual crop of journeyman veterans and prospects to participate, and he's fine that mix.

The Caribbean Series must go on, with or without the marquee names.

"We have 28 teams in the Caribbean playing for the Serie del Caribe title," said Sadi Antonmattei, president of Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League. "That's why it's important. That's why, when you hear people translate it into English, they call it the Caribbean World Series. It's a big deal."

Mariners bring back lefty Bedard

Left-hander Erik Bedard has passed his physical and signed a one-year contract with the Mariners.

Bedard, who will turn 31 on March 5, had season-ending surgery (performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum) on his left shoulder on Aug. 14, 2009. He is expected to be ready to pitch sometime this season.

The contract, which has a $1.5 million base salary and up to $6 million in incentives, also includes a mutual option for 2011.

"We think Erik is an important piece for us to add," general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a news release. "We're confident he'll be ready to pitch Major League games this season. We've carefully monitored his recovery from surgery and his rehabilitation process and are confident he'll be a contributor to our 2010 campaign. We are looking forward to him returning and being a part of this organization as we move forward."

Bedard allowed two earned runs or less in 13 of his 15 starts with Seattle last season, and allowed three earned runs in the other two starts. He was 5-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 15 starts with Seattle overall. He struck out 90 batters while walking just 34 in 83 innings. He had two stints on the disabled list, spending June 17-July 7 on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his left shoulder, and returning to the DL on July 26 (and missing the remainder of the season) after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder which revealed an inflamed bursa and a torn labrum.

"My first choice was to return to Seattle, so I'm very happy to get this done," Bedard said in the release. "I like the moves the team made this winter, and I'm looking forward to when I can get back on the mound and help them this year."

Bedard has a career record of 51-41 with a 3.81 ERA and 801 strikeouts in 822 innings pitched. He spent the first five years (2002, '04-07) of his Major League career with Baltimore prior to being traded to Seattle before the 2008 season. With the Mariners, he is 11-7 with a 3.24 ERA in 30 career starts.

At the end of this season, the Mariners have the option of offering Bedard a contract for 2011. He can either accept or decline the offer. If he declines, he becomes a free agent. If the club declines, Bedard would receive a buyout and become a free agent.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Mariners designated right-handed pitcher Yusmeiro Petit for assignment. The Mariners now have 10 days to trade, release or outright Petit to the Minors.

Major Leaguers take sides on Super Bowl

Baseball and football both have terrific athletes who orbit in the same athletic universe and become soulmates when the other sport's signature game rolls around.

In a couple of days, the vicarious thrills will be had by baseball players, many of whom will be emotionally wedded to the action in Miami.

As America prepares for Super Sunday -- and to awaken the next day to the sunrise on another Spring Training -- MLB Nation salutes, and takes sides on, Super Bowl XLIV.

Counting down XLIV baseball links to kickoff:

XLIV: LaTroy Hawkins, the Brewers reliever who grew up in Gary, Ind., and has relented to family pressure by adopting the Colts, has a singing telegram for New Orleans:

"Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Colts do! Dats who."

XLIII: Baseball, walk-off. Football, Hail Mary.

XLII: This will be the first Super Bowl between cities that have never fielded a Major League team.

Three previous Super Bowls were between cities that did not have an MLB franchise at the time -- VII and XVII (both Washington-Miami) and XXII (Washington-Denver).

XLI: Jamey Carroll, the Dodgers infielder who was born in Evansville, Ind., and attended the University of Evansville, is a Colts season-ticket holder. Big surprise, then, that ...

"It's an exciting time around the Carroll household," Carroll said. "In baseball, I wouldn't say I'm superstitious. But when it comes to the Colts, I can be a little over the top. I've got the whole wardrobe that I wear watching their games, and superstition comes into play."

XL: Baseball, hit-and-run. Football, play-action.

XXXIX: If baseball's showcase event adapted football's convention, the next one would be World Series CVI (106).

XXXVIII: Jarrod Parker, the Fort Wayne, Ind.-born right-hander who was the Arizona Diamondbacks' No. 1 pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, will be joined by brother Justin (also an Arizona Minor Leaguer) in front of the TV.

"It's going to be sweet to have him here [in Tucson]," said Parker. "And he'll probably go crazy just screaming at the TV all game. He's probably twice the Colts fan that I am. Man, he goes nuts. My mom doesn't even sit downstairs when the game is on, because she can't handle him yelling and going crazy. She goes up to her room and watches the game. I'm an intense fan, but I don't scream and yell and go nuts, but I do get into it."

XXXVII: Baseball, pennant race. Football, playoff drive.

XXXVI: Right-hander Tommy Hunter graduated from national football champion Alabama, loves his hometown Colts and pitches for the Rangers. Holy Trinity, anyone?

"Wouldn't that be one of the coolest things ever?" Hunter asked.

"I've been going to [Colts] games since I was four years old, and Jim Harbaugh was Captain Comeback. I like Peyton Manning. I like him a lot. He just seems to be a great person. Peyton Manning Children's Hospital of Indianapolis ... Having a children's hospital named after you shows the kind of guy he is. Maybe one day I'll look like him. He's a good guy to emulate."

XXXV: Hall of Famers born in Indiana: Mordecai Brown, Max Carey, Billy Herman, Chuck Klein, Sam Rice, Edd Roush, Amos Rusie, Sam Thompson

XXXIV: There hasn't been such a wedge driven into the Cubs' front office since they couldn't agree on whether to allow that goat through the gates.

General manager Jim Hendry, who grew up in Florida idolizing Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore-era Colts, is an Indianapolis fan.

Assistant GM Randy Bush, who met his wife, Cathy, while attending the University of New Orleans, is a Saints die-hard.

XXXIII: Hendry (in the Daily Herald): "I told [Bush] I'm still the boss. If he's obnoxious and takes it to a level I'm not comfortable with, he can reside himself in the Dominican Summer League."

XXXII: Hall of Famers born in Louisiana: Willard Brown, Bill Dickey, Ted Lyons, Mel Ott

XXXI: Winning a Super Bowl and a World Series the same year:

1969 -- New York Jets and Mets
1979 -- Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates
2004 -- New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox

XXX: Bush (again, in the Daily Herald): "If you live [in New Orleans], you can't help but pull for a team that in their first 21 of years of existence never had a winning record. I've been pulling for the Saints for 30 years. It's unbelievable."

XXIX: Baseball, seventh-inning stretch. Football, halftime.

XXVIII: Active All-Star born in Indiana: Scott Rolen

XXVII: Tommy Manzella, the Louisiana-born Astros shortstop who is so thoroughly Saints-ly, his cell phone message ends with: "Who Dat!"

"You can't go three steps without seeing someone decked out in Saints stuff," Manzella says. "Everyone. Old men are wearing old Saints hats. Everybody is talking about it. The Who Dat Nation is growing stronger. Everybody's got a lot of pride. America always likes to get behind the underdog, and that's why we're getting a lot of national support right now. I don't think you'll find too many people routing for the Colts outside of Indianapolis."

XXVI: Active All-Stars born in Louisiana: Vernon Wells, Andy Pettitte, Jonathan Papelbon, Gil Meche, Ben Sheets

XXV: Joe Crawford, who coordinates video for the Brewers -- when he isn't fantasizing about his fantasy football team: "For me it's one of those weird Super Bowls where I like both teams. I'm a Peyton Manning fan, and I like everything about the guy. [The Saints] were the "Ain'ts" and everything. So it would be awesome for New Orleans to have the Saints win. Either way it's a stress-free Super Bowl for me."

XXIV: Super Bowls in "baseball" parks:

Los Angeles Coliseum (remember the 1958-61 Dodgers?) -- 1967, 1973
Jack Murphy (and Qualcomm) Stadium (San Diego) -- 1988, 1998, 2003
Joe Robbie (et al) Stadium (Miami) -- 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007
Metrodome (Minneapolis), 1992

XXIII: Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips has no remaining allegiance other than a geographic one.

"I wanted the Vikings since I'm a big Brett Favre fan," says Phillips. "I didn't want the Saints to win. Now that they're in the Super Bowl, I really want the Indianapolis Colts to win. They're the closest to us." (Cincinnati to Indianapolis: 103 miles.)

XXII: The ultimate parlay, suiting up for a World Series and a Super Bowl.

Deion Sanders is the one and only -- the 1992 World Series with the Braves, and in the 1995-96 Super Bowls with the 49ers and Cowboys, respectively.

XXI: Baseball, horsehide. Football, pigskin.

XX: Civic project, civic pride.

"The people of New Orleans are so into this," says Randy Bush. "It's been such a unifying thing, especially between what [quarterback] Drew Brees and [head coach] Sean Payton did. They came in right after Hurricane Katrina. They joined the club and really got legitimately involved in the rebuilding of the community. For them to take this step now and take the team to the Super Bowl, it's just been a wonderful, wonderful thing for that community."

XIX: Number of the 32 NFL teams never in a Super Bowl, now that the Saints will be taken off the list: four (Detroit, Cleveland, Houston, Jacksonville).

XVIII: Number of the 30 MLB teams never in a World Series: three (Texas, Seattle, Washington/Montreal).

XVII: On gameday, Hunter will be TV-side in Phoenix, accompanied by fellow Texas pitcher Derek Holland and wearing one of his five Colts jerseys.

"They are different colors, so I can coordinate with whatever color they're wearing," he says. "But I will be somewhere watching the game."

XVI: Most home runs by players born in the Super Bowl states:

Indiana -- Gil Hodges, 370
Louisiana -- Ott, 511

XV: On gameday, Hendry will be in Sun Life Stadium.

"Honestly, I'm so glad it is [the Saints]," he says. "If it wasn't the Colts, I'd be rooting like heck for them. They've waited 40 years. It's something great for the city. Even if they lose, it's a great thing."

XIV: Most wins by pitchers born in the Super Bowl states:

Indiana -- Tommy John, 288
Louisiana -- Ted Lyons, 260

XIII Gameday for Manzella: "I tried to go to the game but squashed that after talking to a bunch of friends, because we want to be in the city for the game. We're going to want to be here for that kind of energy."

XII Gameday for Carroll: "It will be a Dallas Clark jersey [on Sunday]. That's what I've worn in the playoffs. I even had Reebok make me Colts shoes that I would wear on Sundays when we took batting practice inside."

XI: Gameday for Crawford: "Usually, I'm rooting hard against the Steelers or something like that. This time I get to sit back, enjoy the game and watch the commercials."

X: Dusty Baker has been in blue-and-white heaven and would like to see Cincinnati similarly painted red:

"My heart is with New Orleans and the city, but I'm for Indianapolis," Baker says. "I went to a game while we were at the Winter Meetings. That was the most amazing thing I had ever seen -- the amount of blue-and-white jerseys. Ninety percent of the stands had a jersey on. I'd like to get that here."

IX: "Hide the women, children and defensive coordinators," says Hawkins. "I know it's going to be a shootout. ... If they don't play defense, this might be the highest-scoring Super Bowl in history."

VIII: Parker, ditto: "I think it will be either really high scoring, or the weather will take over and no one will be scoring like expected. I feel like the Colts are going to win, 30-27."

VII: Baseball, painting the corner. Football, threading the needle.

VI: What's "New?" This will the 10th Super Bowl featuring a "New" team. Only once has a "New" team won the World Series in a corresponding year, in 1969, when the Mets followed the Jets.

V: Baseball, small ball. Football, ground game.

IV: The Super Bowl has been in New Orleans nine times, but this is the first time New Orleans is in the Super Bowl.

III: Super Bowls in Florida: 15

II: World Series in New York: 52

I: After the final whistle:

Eleven days to pitchers and catchers.

Dodgers sign Giles to Minor League deal

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers signed 39-year-old outfielder Brian Giles to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp, the club confirmed.

Giles, an All-Star in 2000 and 2001 while with Pittsburgh, went on the disabled list for the Padres with an arthritic right knee in mid-June last year and never returned. Giles had microfracture surgery on the right knee in 2007.

Limited to 61 games in 2009, Giles hit .191 with two homers and 23 RBIs. From 1999 to 2003, he averaged 37 homers and 109 RBIs, but his power numbers declined after he joined the Padres in a 2003 trade for, among others, Jason Bay. He has a .400 lifetime on-base percentage and .502 slugging percentage.

Giles nearly was general manager Ned Colletti's first acquisition after he took over the Dodgers in the winter of 2005, but the San Diego native re-signed with the Padres and Colletti turned to shortstop Rafael Furcal.

With Reed Johnson signed on as fourth outfielder, Giles could compete with Jason Repko and Xavier Paul to be a fifth outfielder, should the Dodgers carry that many, or compete with Doug Mientkiewicz for the left-handed pinch-hitter role.

According to Sports Nippon, the Dodgers have offered a Minor League contract to Japanese left-hander Hisanori Takahashi, but do not have the Major League roster spot the 35-year-old is seeking.

Jays acquire lefty Eveland from A's

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays continued to add pitching depth on Saturday, acquiring left-hander Dana Eveland from the A's in exchange for cash considerations.

Last season with Oakland, the 26-year-old Eveland appeared in 13 games, including nine starts. He spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Sacramento, where he went 8-6 with a 4.94 ERA over 21 starts.

With the A's, Eveland went 2-4 with a 7.16 ERA over 44 innings. In 2008, Eveland went 9-9 with a 4.34 ERA over 29 starts for Oakland, finishing with 118 strikeouts and 77 walks over 168 innings. Eveland has also had stints in the Majors with the Brewers (2005-06) and the D-backs (2007).

Overall, Eveland has gone 13-17 with a 5.54 ERA over 83 games, including 44 starts, in his time in the big leagues.

Eveland provides the Blue Jays with another experienced arm to throw into the mix during Spring Training. After trading ace Roy Halladay in December, Toronto was left with a relatively young and inexperienced rotation, making pitching depth an offseason priority for the ballclub.

Puerto Rico sheds 'ugly duckling' status

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela -- Puerto Rico is no longer the ugly duckling of the Caribbean Series.

On Sunday afternoon, the club from Mayaguez topped Mexico, 8-2, in its double round-robin finale at Estadio Nueva Esparta to finish with a 4-2 record. If Venezuela (1-4) defeats the Dominican Republic's Escogido squad (4-1) in the series finale on Sunday night, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will play a tie-breaker for the title on Monday at 10 a.m. ET.

A Dominican Republic victory would clinch the title for the nation.

Puerto Rico manager Max Oliveras already considers his club a winner.

"I think we were able to clean up the image of Puerto Rico at this tournament," Oliveras said. "We haven't won this tournament since 2000, and the last time we had four wins was a few years ago. We've always been the ugly ducks here."

Puerto Rico, which went 2-4 in the Caribbean Series last year, did not participate in 2008 because of problems with the league. Puerto Rico had a 4-2 record in 2007 but struggled in the three previous years, going 3-15 from 2004 to 2006.

"When we lost our first two games here, I reminded the team that we had to be on a mission," Oliveras said. "Puerto Rico has had a hard time, and it's more than wins and losses for us."

His message hit home. Toronto Minor Leaguer Angel Sanchez scored twice, and Edwards Guzman -- who spent the past three seasons in Mexico -- and Baltimore farmhand Miguel Abreu each scored a run.

Former Major Leaguer Armando Rios and Luis Figueroa, who last played in the big leagues with Toronto in 2006, chipped in with a run scored each.

"We lost two games, and everybody thought we would give up, but I knew we could do it," Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Randy Ruiz said. "It's been a roller-coaster experience for me personally, but it's been a good one. I had a couple of at-bats when I failed, but I'm not going to give up, and I'm going to Spring Training looking for a job."

Ruiz hit .364 with one home run and four RBIs in the tournament.

As for Mexico, outfielder Chris Roberson might have to get used to wearing a Mexican League jersey. The former Arizona Minor Leaguer went 2-for-5 in the loss and is still looking for a job.

Roberson said that his playing time was interrupted last season when the D-backs sent Eric Byrnes and Chris Young to Triple-A Reno and it affected his rhythm at the plate. He hoped for a late-season call to the big leagues, but Arizona went with Trent Oeltjen instead.

Roberson hit .261 with seven home runs and 59 RBIs at Reno last year but believes that he can play better. The switch-hitter stole 30 bases and was caught just eight times.

"As a whole, I liked the Diamondbacks," Roberson said. "They treated me pretty good. I know [manager] A.J. Hinch, and he was busy last year. I'm still waiting on a call, and if I don't get one, I'll try to get a job in Mexico. I still have to make some money this summer."

Wood's turn at third has finally arrived

Patience is an essential virtue, in life and at home plate. Brandon Wood could do a lecture tour on the subject.

Having paid his dues in full for seven years, growing and evolving through the process, the Angels' third baseman feels he's ready to join the club as a full-time, full-service member in good standing.

"It's something I've waited a long time for, having a chance to come in and win a job," Wood said, the path to steady work having finally cleared with Chone Figgins taking his multiple talents to Seattle as a free agent.

Manager Mike Scioscia has pulled Wood aside the past few years to let him know he was in the club's master plans.

"Sosh said, `You're going to play in the big leagues a long time -- it's just not your time yet,'" Wood, who turns 25 on March 2, said by phone from his Scottsdale, Ariz., home.

"My goal in years past was to make the team. Running out of [Minor League] options takes some of the pressure off, knowing I'll have an opportunity to play in the big leagues.

"I want to play every day. I haven't had a chance to do that. That's my goal and will continue to be my goal. To get consistent at-bats is what I've been looking for, and I want to take advantage of this opportunity."

Wood was the Angels' first-round choice, No. 23 overall, in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft out of Horizon High School in Scottsdale.

Since his mammoth breakout season in 2005 at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where the 20-year-old shortstop led the California League in homers (43), doubles (51), RBIs (115), runs (109) and slugging (.672), Wood has been a familiar name on the annual lists of blue-chip prospects.

He continued to put up impressive numbers at Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Salt Lake along the way, but his star dimmed somewhat as the road to Anaheim was blocked by more experienced athletes.

The left side of the Angels' infield the past few years has been occupied by Figgins, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis, leaving few opportunities for Wood to show what he can do.

His only stretch of consistent playing time came during the final month of the 2008 season with Aybar and Izturis both sidelined. Wood handled shortstop capably while batting .256 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 86 second-half at-bats.

Izturis is in the wings at all three infield positions, a proven safety net. But it's clear Wood will be given his shot, at last.

"He has to have the mindset to come in there and win a position, and realistically that's what has to happen," Scioscia said. "He has to come out and win a spot, and we do have some depth that we'll use if it's going to make us a better team.

"But we definitely want to give Brandon every opportunity to show his talent. He's a very, very talented young player."

With improved plate discipline and pitch recognition, Wood has shaved his strikeout ratio the past two seasons while continuing to bang away at Pacific Coast League pitching. He hit .293 with .557 slugging and .353 on-base percentages in 2009.

Reduced to occasional cameos, Wood batted only .195 with the Angels in 41 at-bats. But the Angels were 9-1 in his starts at third, shortstop and first base.

"I had a short time there where I had some success," Wood said, referring to the final month of '08. "It gave me a feel for what it's like, walking into the clubhouse knowing I was going to be in the lineup. I was going to play shortstop, and I didn't have to worry about not playing for 10 or 12 days.

"I didn't have that opportunity last year. If you look at our lineup, at the way Chone and Aybar played, there was no room for me. I'm not the kind of hitter who can play once every week or two weeks and be successful."

Figgins delivered a career year playing 158 games, while Aybar dazzled with the glove and led the club with his .312 batting average in 137 games.

"What Aybar did in his first full season was amazing -- and I think he's only going to get better," Wood said. "As for Chone, I had a chance to see how great he is. It's kind of bittersweet, getting this opportunity but not having him around as a teammate."

Figgins was several lockers down from Wood in the home clubhouse the past two springs at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Seated to Brandon's immediate left is Torii Hunter, the Angels' driving force.

"I've learned a lot in big league camp, being around these guys," Wood said. "Physically, I'm in good shape, ready to go. I've done my usual workouts at Athletes' Performance [in Tempe], where I've been for 10 years, and I've been taking ground balls and throwing at our Minor League facility with [Angels infielder] Freddy Sandoval.

"Some guys can get out of bed and hit in November. For me, it's a process, getting my swing right in the offseason, taking it into the spring and then into the season."

An adjustment Wood made in his stance early in the 2008 season, on the advice of Scioscia and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, has paid dividends.

By dropping his hands and eliminating a hitch he'd used as a timing mechanism, Wood gradually found he had a clearer path to the ball -- without losing any of his prodigious power to the alleys.

"It made it easier for me to get to the outside pitch, and I could still turn on the inside pitch," Wood said.

At Salt Lake in the second half of the '08 season, Wood put it all together, hitting .361 with 17 homers in 147 at-bats. His slugging (.755) and on-base (.448) percentages were off the charts.

Angels second baseman Howard Kendrick began his professional career alongside Wood in 2003 and is convinced his buddy will rise to the challenge.

"I've been around Brandon long enough to know he has the drive and work ethic to succeed," Kendrick said. "He's a laid-back guy, but he loves to compete and is willing to do whatever it takes.

"He's waited a long time. I mean, he spent three years at Triple-A. It was different for Aybar and myself. We got our opportunities quicker. I think Brandon's ready to prove he belongs in there this year.

"He's always hit for power, and that's what a lot of teams look for at third base. Figgy is a great third baseman and was a great leadoff man for us. Wood's the type of guy who can provide that power -- and he's definitely got the glove and arm you need."

Wood made the most of one of his four starts at third at Yankee Stadium on May 2. Facing CC Sabathia, Wood struck out to leave the bases loaded in his first at-bat, but made adjustments and singled in his next two trips. His opposite-field bullet started a decisive four-run rally leading off the seventh.

"I was fresh coming off Triple-A and really excited to be playing in Yankee Stadium, facing CC Sabathia," Wood said. "It would have been memorable if I'd gone 0-for-3 with two K's, but getting a couple of hits and helping us win ... that was huge."

This was a rare moment of reflection for Wood, who has been kept busy by his workouts and another kind of preparation.

On Dec. 4 in Scottsdale, Lindsey Stratton will join him at the altar. They've known each other since February 2006.

"We're doing all the planning now," said Wood, who attended teammate Jason Bulger's wedding this winter. "I just got back from my workout, and now I'm working on our flower arrangements."

The future Mrs. Wood hails from the San Francisco area and knows all about pressure-cookers. She has trained as a firefighter for CAL FIRE in Grass Valley, Calif.

In the months preceding their big day, Lindsey will be pulling for Brandon to start and stoke his share of fires with his bat.

Sabean likes Schierholtz in right field

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nate Schierholtz's status as the Giants' Opening Day right fielder shifted from "projected" to "likely" on Saturday.

Though nothing's certain until Spring Training ends, general manager Brian Sabean endorsed Schierholtz based on the latter's defensive prowess.

Right field scarcely concerned the Giants through most of the previous 4 1/2 seasons while Randy Winn, a skilled and underrated defender, patrolled the position. Winn's migration to the New York Yankees through free agency has left the Giants searching for an able replacement. Sabean, addressing reporters at the KNBR 680/Giants FanFest, is convinced that Schierholtz can handle the position regularly.

"You always need your best fielder in right field, and the only guy who really has a chance to do that against the standard of Randy Winn is Schierholtz," Sabean said.

Though Sabean left open the possibility that Andres Torres and Eugenio Velez could platoon in right field, he added that relying upon Schierholtz at that spot will facilitate the Giants' chances of settling on a consistent lineup.

"Schierholtz can really play right field. There's no doubt about that," Sabean said.

Schierholtz, who turns 26 on February 15, started 61 games in right field last year. The respectable .284 batting average he has compiled in 174 games with the Giants since 2007 is offset by his .316 on-base percentage and six home runs in 472 at-bats. The Giants admired Schierholtz's performance for Carolina in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he batted .324 in 19 games. His on-base and slugging percentages were .366 and .524, respectively, though he hit one home run in 74 at-bats.

The emphasis on Schierholtz as a right fielder means that John Bowker, thought to be a candidate for that position, must concentrate on left field and first base if he's to earn playing time.

Sabean acknowledged that each day's starting lineup might not be the finishing lineup, since several regulars could be subject to being removed for a pinch-runner (example: catcher Bengie Molina) or a defensive replacement (example: first baseman Aubrey Huff) in the late innings. Thus, the Giants' perceived depth is a necessity.

"Realistically, you're going to have to do some things with this ballclub," Sabean said. "... But in a lot of ways, that gets everybody more involved from day one. You get everybody into the action and they're staying ready, and if somebody falters or gets injured, they're more likely to step up."

Other subjects Sabean addressed included:

• The continuing pursuit of pitching. Sabean legitimized reports that the Giants are pursuing Todd Wellemeyer and Hisanori Takahashi, saying "we're engaged with two" free agents. "I don't know if we'll get one or both," Sabean added. Wellemeyer, 13-9 with a 3.71 ERA for St. Louis in 2008, slumped to 7-10, 5.89 last year.

• Lingering concerns over Sergio Romo's health, which might prevent the right-hander from claiming a full-time setup role. A sprained throwing elbow limited Romo to 45 appearances last year. "One of the fears with somebody like him stature-wise [Romo's listed at 5-foot-11] is that you definitely don't want to be in position to overwork him," Sabean said. "Sometimes you have to work the setup man in stretches as hard as the closer. I don't know that he's physically cut out to do that. Is he game? Yes. Is he a strike-thrower. Yes. But you have to be careful and pick your spots as to how concentrated those stretches are."

• Two Minor League prospects that particularly intrigue Sabean are outfielder Thomas Neal (.337, 22 home runs, 90 RBIs at high-Class A San Jose last year) and shortstop Ehire Adrianza (.258 in 117 games at low-Class A Augusta). The 6-1, 205-pound Neal excites the Giants with his athleticism and power potential. Adrianza possesses considerable defensive prowess but lacks strength, as his physical dimensions (6-1, 155 pounds) suggest.

The 17th annual KNBR 680/Giants FanFest drew an estimated 20,000 people who braved weather forecasts of showers. They were rewarded with mostly sunny skies during the five-hour baseball carnival at AT&T Park.

Alou enjoying role as Escogido GM

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela -- Former Major League All-Star Moises Alou says one of the most difficult parts of being general manager for the Dominican Republic's Leones del Escogido is sitting still during the games.

After almost 24 years in the game, he has the baseball side covered.

"It's crazy because I didn't know that being in the stands would be such a big adjustment," Alou, 43, said. "Sometimes you are sitting there watching a game and there's a lefty on the mound throwing weak stuff, and you want to get a bat in your hands. Sometimes, you see a guy just throwing fastballs down the middle against your team, and you just want to yell, 'Swing the bat!'"

The first-year general manager says he's come to grips with the fact that he can't control what happens on the field. He does believe he can control how his players approach the game.

"I wanted them to play the game the way I played the game, hard and responsible," he said. "In Winter League, guys show up one day and the other day, they don't. I don't put up with that stuff. I put up rules and they've followed them. You add a little discipline and it makes a difference."

The Alou approach has worked. During the regular season, the Leones finished the 2010 campaign with a record of 30-19 and topped the Gigantes del Cibao in the league finals in nine games. After a 7-2 win over Mexico on Saturday afternoon, Escogido leads the pack after five Caribbean Series games with a 4-1 record and is in the driver's seat heading into the final day of play Sunday.

A Caribbean Series title for Escogido would be the team's first since 1990, when Alou played in the outfield and his father, Felipe Alou, managed the team.

"I always felt this team was too good not to make it to the playoffs," Moises Alou said. "I wanted to help this team win and I'm fortunate I got the opportunity. Ownership has been great and everything I have asked for, they have given to me."

Overall, Escogido has won 13 national titles and two Caribbean Series championships. Felipe Alou, the first Major League manager from the Dominican Republic, managed the Leones to league championships in 1981, '82, '90 and '92. Phil Regan led Escogido to its first Caribbean title in '88.

"Moises is the right person now because he's the type of guy that takes the job very seriously, like he did when he was a player," said D-backs director of Latin American operations Junior Noboa, who also serves as Escogido's vice president of baseball operations. "It's been a great experience personally. We've been friends since we were kids, and to see how he's grown into a figure in the Dominican Republic is something we are all proud of."

As a player, Alou hit .303 with 332 home runs and 1,287 RBIs in 17 seasons with Pittsburgh, Montreal, Florida, Houston, the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco and the New York Mets starting in 1990, but he was slowed by injuries during the final years of his career. The six-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner was picked second overall by the Pirates in the 1986 First-Year Player Draft.

He won a World Series with the Marlins in 1997 and hit .276 in 34 postseason games during his career.

Alou went 0-for-2 for the Dominican Republic team in last year's World Baseball Classic, but said he originally signed on to serve as the team's assistant general manager. Felipe Alou was the country's manager during the tournament so the younger Alou viewed the Classic as an opportunity to spend some time with his dad.

"I had offers to play after, but they weren't right for me so I hung it up," he said. "Later on, Escogido asks me to be part of new ownership and I didn't want to do that. They still wanted me involved, so I told them I wanted to be the GM. They said, 'Yes,' and here we are."

In addition to his GM duties, Alou said he's also part-time hitting coach, part-time fielding coach and part-time personal advisor to his players. Aside from the nerves that come with watching the game from the stands and the occasional run-in with agents, Alou said the transition from the field has been a smooth one.

He'd like to work in the front office in the Major Leagues in the future.

"I'm not trying to be cocky, but sometimes the agents for my players forget who they are talking to," Alou said. "They ask a lot for guys that aren't very good and ask me if I'm going to take care of their players. I played this game. I know how it works in baseball. I know how to treat people. You play this game with respect and show up, you won't have any problems with me."

Francisco puts Escogido near title

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela -- The standings show that the Dominican Republic's Escogido club is closing in on the 2010 Caribbean Series title. Escogido manager Ken Oberkfell says third baseman Juan Francisco is on the verge of becoming a star.

The two events are related.

"Juan is a good young player and he's put up good numbers," Oberkfell said. "He started off slow, but he's been playing well lately and hopefully, he continues to do that. He's going to have a pretty good future in the Major Leagues."

Francisco went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBIs in Escogido's 7-2 victory against Mexico on Saturday afternoon at Estadio Nueva Esparta to put the Dominican Republic team in the driver's seat heading into the final day of regulation.

Escogido leads all clubs with a 4-1 record, followed by Puerto Rico (2-2), Mexico (2-3) and Venezuela (1-3). If Puerto Rico wins its next two games and the Dominican Republic loses Sunday, the two teams will square off in a championship tiebreaker Monday. A Venezuela victory against Puerto Rico on Saturday night will give Escogido its first Caribbean Series title since 1990.

"I like the way we are playing and the way we played," Oberkfell said. "Either way, we have to play a game Sunday."

As for Francisco, he has four hits in his last eight at-bats and is hitting .267 in the Series after hovering below the .200 mark for most of the week. Last season, he hit .429 in 14 games for the Reds and .295 with 27 home runs and 93 RBIs in 131 games combined at Double-A Carolina and Triple-A Louisville.

"I have not been in contact with the Reds, but I'm looking forward to going to Arizona," Francisco said. "I'm going there to work hard and earn a job where they want me to be."

The Series has been bittersweet for Dominican Republic first baseman Kevin Barker. On Saturday, he went 1-for-3 with a two-run home. Last season, Barker, 34, hit .281 in 29 games with the Reds, but does not have a contract in any league this year. For his career, Barker has a .249 batting average in 126 Major League games in parts of five seasons with the Brewers, Padres, Blue Jays and Reds starting in 1999.

He was selected by the Brewers in the third round of the 1996 First-Year Player Draft.

"You have to know somebody and as of right now, I don't know the right people," Barker said. "That's the way the game is. Unless you're a big-name player or a first-rounder, you are always fighting. I've put up numbers my entire career, but it's always a challenge."

Barker is hitting .250 in the Series.

"I play hard every day and I come ready to play and that's all you can do as a person and all you can do as a player," he said. "I've had a great career, made great friends and if I leave here and I never play again, I can say I did a good job and played good baseball."

Puerto Rico remains alive in Series

MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela -- The celebration at Estadio Nueva Esparta will have to wait at least one more day.

The 2010 Caribbean Series champion will be crowned Sunday, or Monday at the latest.

On Saturday night, a host of Minor League players helped Puerto Rico stay in the hunt for the title as the Mayaguez club cruised past Venezuela, 7-1, in Caribbean Series play.

With the victory, Puerto Rico improves to 3-2 with one regulation game remaining. If Puerto Rico defeats Mexico (2-3) in Sunday's matinee and the tournament-leading Dominican Republic (4-1) falls to Venezuela (1-4) in the final regulation game of the tournament, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will face each other in a tiebreaker for the title Monday.

If Mexico defeats Puerto Rico, the tournament is over and the Dominican Republic's Escogido squad will win its first title since 1990. A Dominican team has won the Caribbean Series title 17 times since 1970, while a Puerto Rican team has not won the championship since Santurce in 2000.

"We can only control what we can control," Puerto Rico manager Max Oliveras said. "I think no matter what happens, baseball in Puerto Rico can lift its head up high. We are going to do the best we can and we'll see what happens."

Twins third base prospect Danny Valencia and Mets Minor League outfielder Jesus Feliciano each hit home runs, while Blue Jays Minor League infielders Angel Sanchez and Randy Ruiz did their part, combining to scored three runs.

"We're really happy with the work that we have done so far," Feliciano said. "The road has been difficult, but we are still here."

Puerto Rico left fielder Miguel Abreu, who hit .290 with 45 RBIs in 130 games for Baltimore's Double-A club at Bowie, and Raul Casanova, who spent last season in Mexico, but the 2008 campaign in Triple-A with the Mets, also drove in a run.

Casanova, 36, played in 387 Major League games with the Tigers, Brewers, Twins, White Sox, Rays and Mets from 1996-2008.

"The truth is that I didn't prepare myself for such a long season," Nieves, 19, said. "And as result, I didn't up the numbers that I should have. This year is totally different. I've been working hard every day, running on the beach and working out all winter time. I'm going to be ready this time."

Jackson Melian, who hit .217 in Triple-A for Houston and Detroit during his most recent stint in the Minor Leagues in 2008, scored Venezuela's only run on a sacrifice fly by Dodgers Minor Leaguer Luis Maza.

"The Series continues until the Series ends," Feliciano said. "That's what we said and that's what we've done. Our manager told us that it was not over and we all believed the same thing."

Desmond may play utility role for Nats

With Cristian Guzman remaining at shortstop, it is assumed the Nationals will send shortstop Ian Desmond to Triple-A Syracuse to start the 2010 season.

Not so fast, according to Nationals manager Jim Riggleman.

Washington is thinking about making Desmond an all-purpose utility man -- playing all three outfield positions, shortstop and second base. Riggleman, however, wants to make sure that Guzman is healthy before putting Desmond in a utility role. Guzman is coming off right shoulder surgery and foot problems.

"It will be determined in Spring Training," Riggleman said Saturday. "We have to check out the health of Guzman. ... We anticipate that he will be our shortstop.

"Ian is such a good athlete. It would be fairer to him to try to get him some games in Spring Training -- mix in some games in the outfield, so it's fresher to him. If he were able to make the club and play both infield and outfield, Ian would be a nice weapon to have as a double switch. We also would give [second baseman Adam] Kennedy some days off and Guzman some days off. We would be able to use Ian as a pinch-runner."

When reached by phone, Desmond said he would do anything to help the team win. Last September, for example, he played right field against the Mets. The last time he played the outfield on a regular basis was in high school in Sarasota, Fla.

"I'm ready to go. I worked hard this offseason," Desmond said. "I put in a lot of work. Anything I can do to help the team win -- if that situation comes about -- I will be more than willing to do it."

Entering the offseason, Desmond had hoped to become the starting shortstop, while Guzman was switched to second base, but those plans were changed once the Nationals agreed to terms with Kennedy on Thursday.

Asked for his reaction after he heard about Kennedy, Desmond said, "The team is trying to win. They want to secure the defense. That's the way of doing it. We are a team. Adam is a good addition to the team.

"Hopefully, I can be there also and we can turn things around. If not, I'm going to go down [to the Minor Leagues] and work on everything I have to work out. At some point, they are going to need me. Adam is a good player and we need good players."

Truck Day portends dawn of new season

Baseball season is just down the road.

Truck Day makes it official.

This October, we'll all be chattering intensely about the 106th World Series matchup, then a final out will be recorded or a walk-off hit will decide it, then FOX will show the wild celebration dogpile on the field, and then a parade will carry elated champs through a city's thoroughfare with a gleaming trophy. But this is how it all starts.

Major League Baseball clubs are packing up their equipment at the big league ballparks and loading up the nondescript 18-wheelers that literally get the ball rolling. Cases and trunks and barrels and bags of gear and goodies make it to Florida and Arizona destinations for Spring Training, in time for the first pitchers and catchers to report starting on Feb. 18.

Some clubs handle Truck Day with ceremonial flair, some stay under the radar. This is the good stuff, all right. It's Ichiro's bats that produce 200 hits a season, it's the pitching machine that helps throw Michael Young his 200 pitches a day in the cage, it's the bubble gum that Red Sox manager Terry Francona chews and it's the uniforms and the laundry detergent and the baseballs and the helmets and facts of life that make a National Pastime go 'round.

The Rangers, Reds and Mariners were three clubs that hit the highway on Friday, getting the gradual process started. All of those trucks packed up and headed for Arizona, and in the Reds' case, it was the first time since World War II that an equipment truck headed somewhere other than Florida and the good old Grapefruit League.

The Indians announced that their equipment truck will load and leave for Goodyear, Ariz., on Monday morning at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Media there were invited to come out and show off the process to fans, a sign of the times around baseball. Indians home clubhouse and equipment manager Tony Amato and his assistant, Marty Bokovitz, will be available at 9:30 a.m. ET that day for interviews about the equipment being shipped out.

Rangers dugout coach Jackie Moore has been going to Spring Training camps for a half-century, and he said on Friday, as the Texas truck was being loaded up for its trek over to Surprise, Ariz.: "If it wasn't for that truck, we couldn't do a whole lot."

Truck Days pack up for the long haul, literally and figuratively. Camp is roughly a month and a half long, breaking for Opening Day games that start with Yankees at Red Sox the night of April 4. So as you might imagine, a truck becomes chock-full, and in some cases one truck isn't enough.

Sitting next to the Rangers' truck ready for loading were eight 100-pound barrels of laundry detergent, along with 400 neatly folded towels. There were eight cases of energy drink, to fight the Arizona heat. Batting gloves. Pine tar. Frank Francisco's chess set. Someone's guitar. Jarrod Saltalamacchia's catching gear. "That's got to get there," he said. Baked chips. Peanuts, gum, a popup machine to hit pop flies and seeds to pop out of your mouth in the dugout.

"It's like going to the space shuttle," Rangers equipment manager Richard "Hoggy" Price said. "You're moving all your stuff from Arlington to Surprise. It's time to get ready for the year."

The Reds trained in Sarasota, Fla., from 1998-2009, a 976-mile ride from Cincinnati down I-75. Now their truck is on the way to Goodyear, Ariz., which is 1,863 miles. "The truck driver will need another day of driving, I know that," Reds equipment manager Rick Stowe said on Thursday. "Instead of two days, it's three days for him to get out there."

Inside the back of the Reds' truck, the contents included black trunks full of equipment, medical staff supplies and boxes upon boxes of what could be labeled simply as stuff. That includes personal items for staff members and their families -- from suitcases to cribs and bikes. There will also be hundreds of helmets, shirts, socks, hats, jerseys and about 21,000 baseballs. There were skids of coolers and cups and cases of sunflower seeds and gum. There is a lot of work to be done at Reds camp, and manager Dusty Baker told Stowe to be sure his office has a bookshelf and a cork board for managerial kinds of things.

"We're bringing a lot of stuff that we're going to leave out there," Stowe said. "The truck is filling up a lot faster than it has in years past because there's a lot of stuff we brought home from Sarasota to bring out to Arizona."

Trucks aren't just carrying the things you see most often on TV, the tools of the trade. Often they are items that team personnel need to have at camp. Fans can relate when the Rangers' Moore says: "Whatever I can put on the truck, that will save money from not checking baggage on an airline."

Shoes, caps, underwear, socks, shorts, T-shirts, sweat shirts and pants, warmup jackets and all kinds of uniforms. Racks on which to hang the uniforms when they are clean, and laundry baskets for when they are dirty. It's everything that is essential to playing baseball, and that is a lot of stuff.

In Seattle on Friday, the Mariners clubhouse staff members were busy loading 25,000 pounds of gear into a 53-foot truck and getting ready to usher it off to the club's Spring Training home of Peoria, Ariz. The driver was ready for 1,450 miles in three 10-hour shifts down Interstate-5, over two mountain passes, east on I-210 and catching I-10 near Palm Springs, Calif., continuing through the Mojave all the way to the Valley of the Sun.

It remains to be seen whether all that prominent movement in the Mariners' offseason will help them to a World Series. But this is the movement that first makes it possible.

"Beyond all the work that has to be done to get the truck going, you can definitely sense the excitement that it represents," Mariners clubhouse manager Ted Walsh said. "And on the heels of FanFest, which was a huge success, everybody seems to be very excited about the upcoming season."