News vs. Baseball

WASHINGTON D.C.-The United States today announced the move of another 45,000 troops to the Middle East as preparations for what highly placed military sources in the Pentagon say that war against Iraq could start in less than two weeks. Twenty-one people are confirmed dead and dozens of others remain hospitalized in the wake of a stampede in a crowded Chicago night club. The deaths were the result of those inside the two-story building trying to escape after a security guard used pepper spray in an attempt to stop a fight. Authorities said only one door was open and several other exits were either locked or blocked.

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training camps yesterday as Major League Baseball teams began preparations for the upcoming season.

Gasoline prices have jumped more than 27 cents per gallon in the last 10 days, bringing the price of regular gasoline to the $2 per gallon mark. Indications are that prices will continue to rise and could reach as high as $2.35 per gallon by spring.

Dusty Baker is optimistic that his new team, the Chicago Cubs, will improve their season record over last year which many baseball experts anticipated would be one of the better in the long-suffering history of the team.

New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston and Philadelphia and dozens of other cities in the nation's Northeast came to a standstill as one of the most severe blizzard snow storms in more than 20 years struck the area.

VERO BEACH, Fla.-Kevin Brown arrived at Dodgertown in time for Tuesday's first full-squad workout saying he feels fine and hopes to be ready to pitch by the opening of the regular season.

SEOUL, South Korea- North Korea threatened today to abandon the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, accusing the United States of plotting a naval blockade as a prelude to an attack over the communist state's nuclear program. "The situation on the Korean Peninsula is getting extremely tense" because the United States is planning to send reinforcements in a standoff over the North's nuclear activities, said a spokesman for the South Korean army.

ANAHEIM, Calif.-Repeat, repeat, repeat..." Sure, it's the refrain that fans of Scott Spiezio's rock band, Sandfrog, were heard chanting during a set break in the Angels first baseman/lead singers recent Anaheim gig, but it's also the mantra for the club as the World Series champions hit Arizona for Spring Training.

BRUSSELS, Belgium-European leaders, trying to end the bitter dispute over Iraq warned Saddam Hussein on Monday he faces a "last chance" to disarm, but gave no deadline and said U.N. weapons inspectors must have more time to finish their work. The statement came at the end of a European Union emergency summit on the crisis with Baghdad. Diplomats insisted they had healed the rift over U.S. calls for military action. But significant divisions remained with some states saying the United Nations could still disarm Iraq peacefully.

NEW YORK-For the second consecutive year, the Yankees find themselves heading to Spring Training with too many starters for their five-man rotation. While some people classify having seven starters as a problem that the Bronx Bombers must solve, general manager Brian Cashman believes the situation is a positive. I'm very comfortable with the pitching staff as it is," Cashman said. We didn't accidentally get there. It's been done by design."

SPACE CENTER, Houston-- The days become weeks since Columbia's disintegration over Texas, fewer and fewer pieces of space shuttle wreckage are turning up, even though the calls keep coming in. On Monday, NASA asked farmers and ranchers out West to be on the lookout during spring plowing for anything that might have fallen from the sky on Feb. 1.

TAMPA, Fla.--Hideki Matsui finally made it to Legends Field, as position players reported to camp on Monday to take their spring physicals. Matsui, who has been working out at the Yankees minor-league complex for the last week, put on his navy blue No.55 jersey and pinstriped pants and met the media on this eve of his first official workout as a Yankee.

Well pholks, about all I can say is that the way things have been going recently, God bless Italics.

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