Baseball Players

Three years ago, a quirky right-hander little known outside the Orient flew into San Diego, pitched Japan to the World Baseball Classic title and became the biggest import from Asia since Sony. But if you think Daisuke Matsuzaka was special, wait until you see the upgrade. Yu Darvish is younger, taller, throws harder, locates better and has seven devastating pitches that would instantly make him a top-of-the-rotation major league starter.

Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui have been the greatest Japanese baseball players of their generation, excelling in the American major leagues just as they did at home. One is a ferociously disciplined singles and doubles hitter, treating at-bats almost like a martial art, acquiring an image as an aloof, machine-like athlete as he chased hitting records on both sides of the Pacific.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia strides to the plate and begins his ritual. Tap the bat twice on the ground. Circle it overhead. Adjust the gloves. Stand straight, bat upright, awaiting the pitch. A voice interrupts: "And cut!" Pedroia is in a Sony Corp. studio in San Diego, suited up in a spandex bodysuit studded with 55 white sensors.

The U.S. District Court judge who will preside over Barry Bonds' perjury trial next month said Thursday her "preliminary thoughts" were to exclude evidence that Bonds tested positive for steroids three times in the months before his record-breaking 73-homer season of 2001.

Curt Schilling says that he gives Alex Rodriguez credit for "manning up." Clearly, A-Rod has the needed testosterone level. The next big question in this new slippery slope upon which Rodriguez has placed his sport is whether baseball itself will "man up." The first hours in the aftermath of Rodriguez's appearance Monday in the confessional of Father Peter Gammons at the church of Saint ESPN brought predictable polarization. Some said, give him a nod for admitting to the steroid use.

Manny Ramirez might not be signed by the start of spring training after all. Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, on Wednesday clarified a statement he made last week about his expectation that his client would be signed by the time camp opened. "When I talk about the start of spring training, I talk about when the games begin," he said. Players will start reporting to the Dodgers' camp on Feb. 14. Their first scheduled Cactus League game isn't until Feb. 25.

Even in a sports world with statistics spilling out of its hat like Larry Fitzgerald's hair, it's been quite the week for numbers. Football is celebrating six, the record number of Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl championships. Basketball is celebrating 61, the record number of points Kobe Bryant scored at Madison Square Garden. Baseball is, well, baseball, which means it's not celebrating numbers, but mourning them. They are 18.35 million and five.

Jeff Kent had cried his last tear. He gathered his family and went on with the rest of his life, and the Dodgers went on with the rest of their business. And so it was that, after Kent announced his retirement at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Ned Colletti went back to work. As he walked along a corridor, a fan stopped him. "Hope we get Manny," the fan said. "Me too," the Dodgers' general manager said. That, Dodgers fans, is your Manny Ramirez update. There is so much interest, so little news.

The Angels and infielder Maicer Izturis split their differences, the club announcing Wednesday it had signed last season's opening-day shortstop to a one-year contract worth $1.6 million. Izturis, 28, who batted .269 in 79 games before missing the last six weeks after surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, was seeking $1.89 million. The Angels' arbitration offer was $1.4 million. Izturis, who made $1.

Derek Lowe's four-year stint with the Dodgers is about to officially come to an end. The right-hander has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Braves on a four-year, $60-million contract, according to a baseball source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical. Lowe, 35, anchored an inexperienced rotation last season and was the club's No. 1 pitcher in the playoffs. He was 14-11 with a 3.24 earned-run average. Lowe was 54-48 with a 3.