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Major League Baseball features


A Gross season
After leading the AL in losses last year, Kevin Gross is hoping year two with the Texas Rangers is an improvement.

Ready to explode
The Florida Marlins are happy to have Kevin Brown and his temper on the mound this season.

Sophomore jitters?
Don't ask AL rookie of the year Marty Cordova about a sophomore jinx. He won't talk or think about it.

Rotisserie report: Day 4 -- Complex situation
Seeing Dennis Eckersley at bat is a sight to see says Rotisserie columnist Peter Kreutzer, filing from the Busch Complex.

No longer the enemy
Atlanta's Tom Glavine was in the spotlight as a union rep last year. Now he's remembered as World Series MVP.

Comeback Club
From Ryne Sandberg to Dwight Gooden to numerous stars returning from injuries, the Comeback Club has many members in 1996.

Dante's inferno
It's already been a Rocky spring training for Colorado outfielder Dante Bichette.

Backing up the backstop
Charles Johnson may have struggled at the plate last season, but the Florida Marlins wouldn't trade their catcher for anything.

Strike three for the beauty and the bat
It's all over for Halle and Dave, and Zone critic Wayne Robins mourns the end of a storybook romance.

From worst to best
The Atlanta Braves have been the class of baseball during the 1990s, but during the 1980s, they were baseball's worst.

Olbermann: Send the clown into the hall
Former A's owner Charlie Finley was a flawed character, but he was a genius when it came to baseball, says ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann.

An eager Juan
The Texas Rangers were happy to see slugger Juan Gonzalez show up early for spring training for the first time in his career. Gonzalez seems eager to make the move from left to right field, and he lost a little weight in hopes of enjoying a healthier season.

It pays to go to arbitration
In the annual cash-fest that is the arbitration season, 76 players filed, 75 received raises, and 34 will earn at least twice what they did last season.

Big Unit expects bigger things
Bad news, AL batters: Randy Johnson says he can have an even stronger season for the Seattle Mariners this season.

AL East: Still bleedin' pinstripes
Even after his exile, Buck Showalter remains loyal to the Yankees, and the Zone's Bob Klapisch says don't rule out Buck's return to the Bronx.

A's starting from scratch
As the Oakland Athletics open camp, only three players on the 40-man roster have five years of major league experience. The best team in baseball just five years ago is starting over.

Rekindling the flame
Eric Davis was once one of baseball's hottest stars with the Cincinnati Reds. He has returned to the team this spring, hoping there's still some fire in his game.

Rose returns to baseball -- for a day
Pete Rose returned to the diamond -- playing second base, his original position with the Cincinnati Reds -- in an Old Timers game.

Jayhawk ready to catch on
With the trade of Joe Girardi, the Colorado Rockies are ready to hand the catching chores over to Jayhawk Owens.

A year ago, the NBA's gem left the diamond
Last year at this time, Michael Jordan was ready for spring training. Now baseball is a distant memory for M.J.


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