Don't look at spring statistics, Justin Verlander asks.OK, I promise not to look OH JEEZ. I looked. Verlander has allowed six earned runs, nine hits and nine walks over 9 1/3 innings for the Tigers in Grapefruit League play so far. Verlander walked four in two innings against the Yankees on Wednesda...

Joba Chamberlain got over the hump by standing a little taller on the bump.In some good spring training news for the Yankees, Chamberlain hit 96 mph on the radar gun and used two different sliders effectively against the Reds on Tuesday night. Chamberlain, who had suffered through two poor spring st...

Hey, Stewies! After a hiatus for a few days, I'm back stalking around spring training sites in sunny Florida. I ran out of postcard stamps, but K-Duck said to post anyway between Answer Man recon. Legends Steinbrenner Field in Tampa is a great place to spot the stars, of course. You could (fist) bum...

Like half of the "good" blog entries I've ever posted, this one was inspired by Vanilla Dr. Pepper (thanks, Sonic!) and a to-go order of chinese food.  Or rather, the wait for the Vanilla DP, since a certain song was on Sonic Radio while I waited.  This one's also espec...

Big League Stew contributor David Brown has been in Florida on a spring swing through the Grapefruit League. This is his last daily report but he'll still be posting throughout the spring season — both to the Stew and his Twitter feed. Hey Stewies! Just had to check back in one last time as Pe...

Standing outside the visitor's clubhouse at Fort Lauderdale Stadium, I saw a familiar face sitting on a John Deere tractor, smoking on a cigarette and talking on a cell phone this morning.I double-checked with an official from the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic delegation. "Hey, th...

UPDATE: Yahoo! Sports' Gordon Edes is among those reporting that Alex Rodriguez plans to see a specialist because a cyst was found in his right hip. A-Rod will visit Dr. Mark Phillipon in Vail, Colo. on Wednesday. A-Rod's participation in the World Baseball Classic, and perhaps more, in jeopardized....

Big League Stew contributor David Brown continues his spring swing through Florida's Grapefruit League with a stop in Fort Lauderdale, at an old-school ballpark, to check on the Orioles and Red Sox. Dave'll be posting throughout the day — both to the Stew and his Twitter feed — plus he'l...

A thought fluttered around my brain as I toured the crowded concourse at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla. Where could I find a couple of Twins fans to handicap the AL Central? Thankfully, the ballpark is full of Twins fans; it's where their team trains in the spring. Settling down on the right fi...

Big League Stew contributor David Brown continues his spring swing through Florida's Grapefruit League with another stop in Clearwater to visit the Phillies. Because they're the World (Series) champions, they get two helpings. Dave'll be posting throughout the day — both to the Stew and his Tw...