The head of the Major League Baseball Players Association maintained Saturday the unions long-standing position regarding testing for human growth hormone. Urine testing? If it works, great.Blood testing? Well have to look into that. "If a scientifically-valid urine test is developed, it goes in place automatically," said Michael Weiner, executive director of the MLBPA. "Blood testing is much more complicated in terms of the safety issues, in terms of the interference with a players job.At this po... 

If Jose Oquendo needs a reminder that his dream of some day becoming a major league manager can still come true, all he has to do is look into the visiting dugout on Saturday when the Cardinals play the Houston Astros. A year ago at this time, Brad Mills was in much the same position as Oquendo, a baseball-lifer with a glittering resume, the last six years spent coaching under Terry Francona in Boston.At the age of 52, he was hired by the Astros as their new manager last October. What Mills needed was the same thing Joe Maddo... 

The head-to-head competition between Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes has come to an end.The next time they pitch, the top candidates for the last spot in the Yankees rotation will throw on separate days in separate cities. "Were looking for certain things regardless of what day they pitch, whether they pitch the same day or not," pitching coach Dave Eiland said."Were looking for certain things out of each one of them." Hughes will make his third spring appearance in Tampa on Tuesday, pitching against the Astros in rel... 

Every hitter looked the same and not a single one was holding a bat.Andy Pettitte was sweating.His catcher had never played above Single-A and his pitching coach refused to give him a break.The pitches were real.The results were estimations.The game was simulated. "I didnt give up a hit in three innings," Pettitte said."Unfortunately, this is what we had to do." For a second day in a row, the Yankees were rained out on Friday.Pettitte, the 37-year-old rotation veteran, was supposed to... 

The Mets already know that they will be without Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes for Opening Day 2010, and that means that once again, David Wright will be last man standing as far as core position players. Yes, Jason Bay hitting behind him should give him some protection, but is that enough reason for pitchers to not go after hitting Wright or at least backing him off the plate? Last August, when Wright was already flu-ridden and battling leg injuries, Wright was nailed by a 94 MPH fastball by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants.

The Twins and Denard Span have agreed to a five-year contract, tweets Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune.The deal buys out the rest of Spans team controlled seasons, but no free agent years. The 26-year-old Span has hit .305/.390/.422 with 41 stolen bases during his two seasons in the big leagues, a considerable improvement over his .287/.357/.358 minor league performance.UZR rates his defense as below average in centerfield, where hell presumably play for the next five years, but above average in the corners.

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While much of the Mets roster and staff were navigating their way back and forth across the state for six hours to get to a game that was rained out when they arrived, Carlos Beltran sat alone at his locker, having finished one round of his workout and preparing for the next phase. He was happy though, pleased with the progress of his surgically-repaired right knee and content to be working.Able to work, he was a step ahead of his teammate, Jose Reyes. While Beltran worked to keep himself in shape until he can play baseball a... 

In June, the Mets will host the Minnesota Twins in a three-game series at Citi Field.No one could blame them if they start planning revenge - prank calls to the hotel rooms in the middle of the night, no hot water in the visiting clubhouse, whatever it takes. The Mets quest for revenge would come not from anything on the field, but from what happened Friday. With rain flooding almost all of south Florida, Grapefruit League games were being canceled.But the Mets left on a 2 hour, 45 minute bus ride to play the Twins in ...