Faux Jay

With two thirds of the Big Three traded away, the onus shifts to the offense

Two new sluggers punch up the offense, but who will shut down the opposition?

Back in the rotation, John Smoltz is looking to recapture past October glory

New first baseman Carlos Delgado balances the power in an already loaded lineup

A franchise resistant to change has been overhauled, but there are still holes to fill

Contender or also-ran? Depends on the health and effectiveness of the pitchers

With a new home and euphoric fans, an evolving team will try not to disappoint

An offensive juggernaut appears to have added the missing piece: a frontline pitcher

There's plenty to worry about: pitchers' injuries, no closer and run production

Finally, a full-time closer has emerged to finish what the stellar rotation starts

Happy to be riding the bus and taking his lumps for $750 a week, minor league hockey king Kevin Kerr could be an inspiration to some sullen superstars

They might not play like a winner, but at least now they're spending like one

Carlos Lee is a cornerstone of a club that has been stuck in building mode

Two young players with star potential emerged last season--that's a start, at least

With its star knee-deep in rehab and turmoil, a contender plays the waiting game

Chess champ Bobby Fischer emerges from a Japanese prison, spewing hate

Even in the midst of an extreme makeover, the West champs are still contenders

One season at Petco Park put a premium on speed and a trade for Dave Roberts

The Big Unit's gone, but a remade rotation offers some hope for a desert revival

Even for an optimist, it can't get much worse for this up-and-down franchise

26 Consecutive NCAA Division III men's swimming and diving championships won by Kenyon College, which won its latest title on March 19.

Get your mind out of the gutter: One woman proves she can bowl with boys

Though he calls Liz Johnson bowling's Annika Sorenstam, Brad Angelo isn't sure women can hang tough with men on the lanes. "On a week in, week out basis, only a handful of women can keep up with...

OK., experiment time. What are the odds that I can spend an entire morning with the most dominant athlete in the country--in public, no disguises--without that athlete being hailed, photographed...

Former pitcher Rick Ankiel, 25, is trying to make the Cardinals as an outfielder. How's he doing? SI's Ankielometer tells all.

Behind the game's most prolific scorer, Minnesota won another NCAA title

Arrested Arizona State running back Loren Wade, who's suspected of murder after he allegedly shot former Sun Devils defensive back Brandon Falkner outside a Scottsdale hip-hop club last Saturday...

Giants punter Jeff Feagles has mastered the secondary uniform market, in which players swap numbers with covetous colleagues. In the past two years he's gotten a Florida vacation (from Eli...

The brothers directed Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon in Fever Pitch, about an obsessed Red Sox fan, opening on April 8

After writing How to Play Tennis last summer, Serena and Venus Williams (below) have tackled some off-court topics in their latest book. Venus & Serena Serving from the Hip: Ten Rules for...

Rockies pitcher Darren Oliver had to leave a spring training game because he was swarmed by bees attracted to the coconut oil in his hair gel.

CHUCK LAMAR

What to watch and watch for

In 1961, when Sal Durante caught Roger Maris's 61st-home-run ball, the 19-year-old fan graciously presented the ball that had broken Babe Ruth's record to Maris. (Maris told him to keep it, and...

Breaking news, scores, schedules and fresh, original Web-only stories and columns 24/7

Whom should SI name as the greatest college basketball player of all time?

Elena DelleDonne

The Week In Sports

Departments

With the Nets' playoff hopes fast dwindling, Jason Kidd intends to hold management's feet to the fire

On 6'6" Clippers swingman Corey Maggette, 25, who at week's end was averaging a career-high 22.1 points:

CHICAGO'S EDDY CURRY

AROUND THE RIM

NBDL'S FUTURE

With Tim Duncan sidelined for at least two more weeks with a sprained right ankle, the Spurs will need starting center Rasho Nesterovic (right) to pick up the scoring slack. Just don't expect him...

Nick Saban may have made the jump to the pros, but he'll rely on his college connections to prep for his first draft

The top three teams in the draft--the 49ers, Dolphins and Browns--are interested in trading down. Says one G.M. with no desire to move up in a draft that is weak at the top: "Throw your normal...

Annika Sorenstam nearly lapped the field at the Nabisco, fueling talk of a Grand Slam. Is she the best ever?

Though its captain made a heartening return, the U.S. bowed yet again in the 7,200-foot altitude of Mexico City

SI's Grant Wahl predicts the order of finish in MLS.

MLS PREVIEW

[This article consists of photographs]

As a frenetic NCAA tournament reaches its finale, the national champion is likely to be determined by a showdown among deadeye marksmen

END OF A GREAT RUN

The season can't start until the lineup card is filled in, and that's a lot more complicated than you would think

Memorable Moments in Batting Order History

Like big-city neighborhoods, each batting-order spot has its own flavor, and some areas are higher-rent than others. Here's a Fodor's guide to the regions of a lineup card.

Deciding on the most beneficial spot in the order to place Barry Bonds--and pleasing the most fearsome slugger in the history of the game--isn't as easy as it might appear

The job of the leadoff hitter is to get on base, and who does it better than Ichiro Suzuki? Problem is, few other players measure up

MANAGERS SOMETIMES SPEND HOURS trying to concoct the consummate batting order. Then they try again the next day. Such is the difficulty of finding the optimum lineup when no team has hitters...

Here are the 20 most contenious feuds in baseball

SI's Rankings

If a retooled rotation lives up to its billing, they will end their championship drought

After 86 years the curse is over, but do they have enough pitching to repeat?

Sammy Sosa makes a potent lineup stronger, but the rotation will be their downfall

Eric Hinske's return to rookie-year form is Step 1 of a plan to get out of the cellar

Their top picks are starting to come of age, but youth will not be served this season

A rare spending spree has a model organization well-armed for years to come

Using the blueprint of the NFL champs, this team is climbing back into contention

Unless an iffy rotation produces, small ball translates to a fall in the standings

They found a closer, but an improving club could still use some finishing touches

Some good-looking kids, but their prospects for avoiding 100 losses? Not so good

New shortstop Orlando Cabrera is a good fit in a potent lineup of free swingers

The lineup and the bullpen are solid, but there are still holes to fill in the rotation

BASEBALL PREVIEW

Troy Bergeron never played a down in college, but now he's tearing up the Arena league--and eyeing the NFL

Five Arenaballers on the NFL radar

Indian sensation Sania Mirza is breaking down barriers in her home country as she climbs in the rankings

Five stars from nontraditional tennis nations