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David Stern and Billy Hunter continue their staring contest over the state of the NBA, with each general flanked by lieutenants, lawyers and accountants.

Commissioner Stern, who answers to the owners, said that they stand to lose $400 million this year. The union boss, Hunter, who answers to the players, said that the books are cooked. 

According to CBSSports.com, Stern also said the owners lost an average of $200 million each of the four years preceding this year. Documents obtained by CBS say that gate receipts could be down by 17 percent. 

Stern and his minions dropped a tower of paperwork on Hunter for his lawyers to dissect. The current CBA expires on June 30, 2011. Financial jousting is expected in every sport, but one thing Stern and Hunter understand is that an already sagging sport cannot afford a lockout. 

And while the verbal shelling continues, a larger question hangs over the league: Why has basketball fallen so fast in America? There are some obvious answers:

Kids are barely in school long enough to pass puberty, much less mid-term exams. Tim Duncan is the last legend to graduate college. The NCAA was the quintessential farm system for the NBA. For every Kevin Garnett there are hundreds of youngsters who crap out after a year or two of chasing hoop dreams sold to them by greedy agents grazing on their commissions. 

Name recognition. Since kids use universities as 8-month youth hostels, no one knows who the heck these players are while they rot in developmental leagues, European rosters, and on NBA benches. Just from memory, I can tell you the 1982-'83 Philadelphia 76ers had Moses Malone, Mo Cheeks, Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, Clint Richardson, Bobby Jones, Caldwell Jones, and Mark Iavaroni. Can you name two players on today's 76ers?

Style of play. When Larry and Magic rescued the NBA from the ICU, they did it with flash and a desire to pass. There was a two-decade window through which players were assessed by their ability to improve their teammates. The spirit of sharing, as it were, is gone.

ESPN doesn't help, framing greatness in ADD flashes of dunks and crotch-clutching, me-first poses and "posterizing" players. When was the last time a guard was asked about his killer bounce pass? 

You. You are tired of all the above. So you don't watch the games, nor do you attend them. You find the players are weak and the play is weaker. After a few screens and a pick-and-roll, the star player sighs and just does what he planned to do, dribble for ten seconds and then shoot. 

The NBA can blame the economy but can't explain the explosion of their sporting neighbors, MLB and the NFL. Even while Americans claw through their couches looking for a loose dime, they have plenty of time to watch football and baseball. 

The game built on urban rhythms has lost the country's soul. Selling jerseys like Happy Meals in Europe, China, or Latin America can't change that. Basketball must come home again.

Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN – March 2010 – The Minnesota Twins and Target Field food service and retail partner Delaware North Sportservice are proud to announce the opening this week of the Twins Majestic Clubhouse Store at Target Field.

“The Twins Majestic Clubhouse Store features the broadest available selection of Minnesota Twins apparel and merchandise, including many exclusive items,” said Dave St. Peter, Twins president. “This store and the other retail stores and locations at Target Field will provide Twins fans with a memorable and exciting shopping experience.”

The store is located on Target Plaza by Gate 29. It can be accessed on non-game days via 7th Street. Preliminary hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those hours might be adjusted closer to Opening Day. The store will be open on game days and evenings.

“The 4,600-square-foot store has been designed to be sleek, spacious, fun and tastefully outfitted to reflect the unique Minnesota Twins brand and thus enhance the fan experience at Target Field,” said Pete Spike, Sportservice’s general manager.

“Our experience with a number of new ballparks featuring similar large retail stores is that they become a very important destination,” Spike added. “Fans want to be able to take home something to remember their experience and to display their team’s logo and colors in many different ways.”

In addition to jerseys, coats and other apparel by Majestic, the official uniform provider of Major League Baseball, the store will feature MLB-licensed merchandise from Nike, Banner 47, New Era, TOUCH by Alyssa Milano and other well-known brands.

The store features sections for men’s, women’s and youth apparel – including jerseys, T-shirts, and both warm and cold weather outerwear and gear – plus sections for head gear and merchandise – from small novelties to commemorative items to vintage accessories for women such as handbags and jewelry.

Authentic player-worn jerseys and other game-used apparel and merchandise such as baseballs, bats, batting helmets and even bases are also featured. Fans will also be able to order personalized jerseys and other items.

Additional Target Field Retail
In addition to the Twins Majestic Clubhouse Store, Target Field will feature a number of other retail options for fans during games. Five other stores, including the New Era Cap store on the main concourse in left field, are conveniently located on different levels of Target Field. Nine portable carts offer retail items throughout the concourses of Target Field.

Twins Pro Shops
Fans can also shop at the three Twins Pro Shops located in Twins Territory in Apple Valley at Southport Centre, in Roseville at Rosedale Marketplace and in Minnetonka at Ridge Square. The Twins Pro Shops are open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Sportservice also operates the three Twins Pro Shops.

Sportservice operates retail services for 18 major pro sports franchises, including seven Major League Baseball (MLB) teams (Twins, Cardinals, Reds, Tigers, White Sox, Padres, Brewers). Parent company Delaware North  also operates retail stores at airports nationwide and several national parks.

Season tickets for the inaugural season at Target Field are now on sale. For more information on Twins season, group and individual tickets, please visit www.shuiping.com or call (612) 33-TWINS / (800) 33-TWINS.

About Delaware North Companies Sportservice
Delaware North Companies Sportservice is one of the nation’s leading food, beverage and retail management companies, providing concessions, gourmet catering and fine dining operations at more than 50 professional sporting venues, entertainment complexes and convention centers across the United States and Canada. Sportservice has served an impressive collection of sporting events and clients, including the World Series, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Games, Stanley Cup Championships and the Olympic Games.

For more than 90 years, Sportservice has demonstrated that it knows what it takes to effectively develop, operate and manage multi-faceted kitchens, restaurants, suites, fine dining and retail facilities in order to meet the changing demands of today’s fans. From introducing new healthy, organic food selections and creative cuisine for twists on the traditional fare, Sportservice continues to innovate and enhance the fan experience.

About Delaware North Companies
Delaware North Companies is one of the world’s leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States with revenues exceeding $2 billion annually and 50,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.shuipingchit.com.

Making his first start since March 13, Chicago netminder Cristobal Huet didn’t exactly enamour himself to the Blackhawks coaching staff, which is trying to figure out who’d be the team’s No. 1 goalie going into the playoffs.

Huet was lit up Thursday night in an embarrassing 8-3 loss to the Blue Jackets. The poor performance — one of many this season — likely means the starting job now belongs to Antti Niemi.

Huet wound up giving up seven goals on 27 shots — he was pulled for a brief time in the second period but came back to suffer more in the third.

“I’m not going to look for any excuses or anything,” Huet said to the Chicago Daily Herald. “It was just bad, really.

“Maybe it’s time to look back on what I’ve done in my career and focus on that and work hard, obviously.”

Bettman supports rule change

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stood by chief disciplinarian Colin Campbell in a press briefing in Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday while also saying the NHL’s new rule on blindside hits was necessary.

“I hated that hit (Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke on Boston’s Marc Savard), as I think most people did, but I think that was the hole in the rules,” Bettman said. “(The rules) had to be addressed. If any benefit came from (that hit) — I’m not suggesting there was — it showed people exactly what had to be done.

“I think Colin Campbell does a very good job. He has a very good feel and understanding of the game. No two incidents are identical, but I think he has been very consistent.”

Kovalev might play against Panthers

The uncertainty over Alex Kovalev’s health continued Friday as Ottawa Senators coach Cory Clouston said it was “possible” he could play Saturday night at Scotiabank Place against the Florida Panthers.

Clouston provided few details on what exactly has been bothering the right-winger, who skipped Friday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. On Thursday, the Senators announced that Kovalev was nursing a “lower-body injury.”

Kovalev played to the end of Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers and practised with the Senators in Ottawa on Thursday morning.

“I’m not going to say whether it has affected him as a player or not, but it has been bothering him for a while,” Clouston said Friday.

Kovalev ranks third on the team with 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists), but hasn’t produced a single point in 11 games since returning from the Olympic break.

Lalime waiting for his chance

Patrick Lalime continues to play the role of good soldier while serving as the backup to Buffalo Sabres star No. 1 netminder Ryan Miller, meaning his chances to play, and win, are limited.

Lalime, who holds Ottawa Senators records for most career starts (283), victories (146), losses (100) and shutouts (30), is stuck at 199 career victories. His last win came Dec. 29 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“That’s why you play the game, to win, and whatever comes with it, that’s great,” said Lalime, who sports a record of 3-6-2 this season with a goals-against average of 3.02 and save percentage of .900. “I’m just looking to win games when I get a chance. The rest of it is just gravy on top.”

Lalime heard boos and sarcastic cheers upon making routine saves in his last home start, a 4-3 loss to Atlanta on March 16, but has kept his chin up.

“It’s part of hockey. It happens. When you start winning, it goes the other way, so it’s all part of it,” he said.

Lidstrom enjoying yet another run

Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom joined the club in the 1991-92 season, the second what has become 18 consecutive Stanley Cup playoff appearances, the longest current streak of post-season activity by any team in the four major North American sports leagues (NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB). The Wings have been on the playoff bubble all season long and Lidstrom said it’s been an unusual experience for veterans of the team like himself.

“We’re in a different situation this year than we’ve been in the past,” said Lidstrom, whose club takes on the Minnesota Wild on Friday at Joe Louis Arena. “When you’re in the top three, you’re looking at who you might play in the playoffs, but you’re also getting geared up for the playoffs. We’re almost in the playoffs right now, where every game matters, every point matters. We have to get a lot of wins here in the home stretch to get in.

“This is a good way to get ready for it, even though you’re battling to get in the top eight. You’re just so focused for every game ahead. I enjoy the challenge. It is a different challenge than when you’re looking forward to the playoffs and kind of waiting for who you’re going to play.”

Thrashers close the door for good talk

’Tis the season for the closed-door meeting.

Not only did the Calgary Flames hold one Thursday after a debilitating loss to the Islanders, the Atlanta Thrashers followed suit with one of their own Friday morning.

The Thrashers’ playoff hopes took a whack this week with losses to Boston on Tuesday and Toronto on Thursday night.

“I’m disappointed and really dismayed,” coach John Anderson said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “After we played so hard this weekend to put forth an effort like that one, with the playoffs on the line, we have to be better. Collectively, we have to be better. And if we play like that, we’ll be out (of the playoff race) in two or three games from now.

“We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be smarter. We’ve got to play harder.”

Ice chips:

With eight games to go in the regular season, Washington’s already set a franchise mark for points in a season with 109. . . . The Rangers’ Erik Christensen is 18-for-34 for his career in shootouts. . . . The Capitals are 7-2-1 when Alex Ovechkin is out of the lineup. . . . Edmonton signed defenceman Jeff Petry to a two-year NHL entry-level contract Friday. Petry, the Oilers’ first choice, 45th overall, in the 2006 NHL draft, recently completed his third season with Michigan State University of the CCHA.

They said it:

“It wasn’t a great deja vu.” — Panthers GM Randy Sexton to the Sun Sentinel after seeing star forward David Booth helped off the ice after a hit to the jaw Thursday night against Montreal. Booth missed 45 games earlier in the season due to a concussion from a blindside hit.

“I would also like to say a special thank you to my teammate and friend, Sergei Gonchar. Sergei and his wife Ksenia welcomed me into their home and allowed me to live with their family since the extra room at Mario’s was already taken.” — Penguin Evgeni Malkin cracks them up in Pittsburgh while receiving the sportsmen of the year award given out by a local group.

“If it’s something to do with Avery, I don’t have anything to say.” — New Jersey’s David Clarkson telling reporters at NJ.com after a particularly infuriating game against the Rangers’ superpest.

Kam Mickolio made it through a bullpen session without reinjuring his groin, and he'll follow Brad Bergesen to the mound in Sunday's intrasquad game.

The game will be closed to the media. The entire complex will be closed to the media. And we're not complaining.

The Orioles' roster must be finalized and turned into the MLB office by 3 p.m. Sunday.

"I would say we're close," manager Dave Trembley said. "You never know, though. I've been in this game long enough to know things happen at the last minute.That's the way it goes. I tell guys, 'You never know until the first day.' Deals happen, things happen. That's the way the game is."

Barring a late trade, the roster appears to be set. Julio Lugo replaces Robert Andino as the utility infielder. Mickolio is expected to be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, with Jason Berken occupying the last spot in the bullpen.

Trembley envisions Lugo backing up at shortstop and second base.

"Maybe he could play someplace else," Trembley said, "but I haven't thought of that."

So you wonder why the Orioles keep wearing their home whites in Sarasota?

"We're the Baltimore Orioles. It's about pride. This is the major leagues," Trembley said.

Trembley wants fans to see the team in its normal attire, not batting practice jerseys and caps. He also thinks the regular uniform looks better on television and in photos.

Ahhh….smell that freshly cut grass on the PS3…a true sign that spring is here.

There is nothing better than watching these little digital guys with big hearts (thanks Vince Vaughn) take the field.

That means that we are testing out Sony's (SCE San Diego Studios) MLB 10 The Show, only on the PlayStation 3.

You may have seen the commercials of TV with reigning American League MVP Joe Mauer, but does this version of The Show live up to the hype and moniker of being the 'most realistic baseball game?'

On looks alone, yes, this is one the most beautiful visual sports games for the PS3, especially when playing it in wonderful HD. The players look realistic, the stadiums look like you are actually there and the cinematics are terrific. What Sony has done is tried to get the overall experience of the ballpark into your TV, and they have been very successful.

Not only do the stadiums have the real sounds of the game, but they also have the little visual details of the real life ballpark. Imagine being at bat at Progressive Field here in Cleveland; you are intimidated by the 19-foot wall in left, but as you step into the box, you see people walking around on the walkway out in centerfield. That's pretty cool, but all around the majors you can see those added features that make baseball stadiums unique. Take for instance, Petco Park in San Diego; 747s can be seen in the distance flying in low as they make their approach to San Diego International Airport.

Not only do the stadiums have terrific detail, the players and the way they move throughout the game are almost as one would expect them in real life. From the crinkles in the jerseys to the manager hanging on the top rail of the dugout, you can see that developers at SCE San Diego Studio were going all-in on perfecting this visual experience. Add in the plethora of batting stances you see throughout the game and you know that it took some time to get them down to perfection.

Much like a real life telecast, the developers put replays in from a previous at-bat. So, if you hit a dinger in the third inning, while you stride to the plate in your next at bat, they will show the replay of the homerun, which is something new and well appreciated if you are going for authenticity.

A key introduction to this year's game is the role of the relief pitcher. Extra preparation is always needed in baseball and the addition of being able to throw warm up pitches after the manager has called a new pitcher in. Usually, after the manager has made his call to the bullpen at a critical part of the game, the first pitch you threw ended up 400ft away and you blew your lead. Now, you can take eight pitches to be acquainted with your reliever's motion and now have an advantage.

The more than 17,000 mixed-martial-arts fans who packed the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for Saturday's UFC 111 event and generated a gate of approximately $4 million could have been yours.

UFC president Dana White, who's long had his eye on the potentially lucrative but currently un-regulated state of New York, announced the preliminary figures in Saturday's post-fight press conference.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board is expected to release official figures later in the week.

With New York still working on regulation that would open the door for the UFC and other major promotions to enter the state, White and Co. headed to nearby Newark. It was the second-ever event in the city, which also hosted UFC 78 in 2007 with 14,071 attendees and a $2.1 million gate.

UFC 111 provided the largest gate in the organization's past 15 events. UFC 100, the UFC's historic July 2009 show, scored a $5.1 million gate on 10,871 attendees.

Saturday's event, which aired on Spike TV (prelims) and pay-per-view (main card), featured two title fights with welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre scoring a lopsided unanimous-decision win over Dan Hardy and Shane Carwin posting a violent first-round TKO win over Frank Mir for an interim heavyweight title. The New Jersey faithful, though, also attended to see area fighters such as Jim Miller, Kurt Pellgrino, Ricardo Almeida and Greg Soto.

"It was a great crowd," White said. "The local guys got a lot of love."

For complete coverage of UFC 111, including the night's official results, check out the UFC Events section of shuipingchi.com.

Royals right-hander Gil Meche will likely come off the disabled list and make his first start of the season Sunday against the Boson Red Sox.

Meche was placed on the DL with shoulder bursitis. He threw 81 pitches in five scoreless innings Tuesday against Royals minor leaguers in Surprise, Ariz.

He joined the team Wednesday and said his shoulder felt fine.

Ortiz still in lineup after losing cool: David Ortiz remains in the Red Sox lineup after losing his cool just two hitless games into the season.

The designated hitter was in the fifth spot against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night after going 0 for 7 and leaving three runners in scoring position.

After Boston lost 6-4 Tuesday night, Ortiz he initially declined to talk with reporters. He then reacted to a question about his poor start.

In an expletive-filled tirade, the slugger said there were still 160 games left.

Before Wednesday's game, manager Terry Francona reacted calmly to his star's remarks.

"Sometimes guys get touchy after a game," he said. "That's why I don't normally pay much attention to it."

A Giant misspelling: Maybe they left his shirt in "San Fran-cic- so."

A Giant misspelling resulted in outfielder Eugenio Velez wearing a weird jersey Wednesday. A pair of letters were transposed in "Francisco."

So when Velez made his season debut in the seventh inning during a double switch, his uniform read "San Francicso." No one seemed to notice until well after the Giants' 10-4 win over the Astros.

Last April, Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals wore jerseys reading "Natinals" for three innings of a game.

Harang says baseballs weren't slick: Reds pitcher Aaron Harang says he didn't notice anything unusual about the baseballs during Cincinnati's season opener.

St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter complained about the texture of the baseballs following the Cardinals' 11-6 win on Monday. Carpenter said some of the balls felt like they hadn't been rubbed up with mud, which takes the shine off them.

Harang went five innings in the opening-day loss. He said on Wednesday that some of the balls felt "chalky," but that's not unusual when the mud dries.

Padilla to start Saturday: Dodgers opening day starter Vicente Padilla will get a second start ahead of No. 5 Charlie Haeger despite being roughed up in his first outing.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said the right-handed Padilla (0-1) will start Saturday night at Florida. Haeger, a knuckleballer with 39 strikeouts and 33 walks in 53 big league innings over parts of four seasons, will start Sunday against the Marlins.

Start at the top. The Cavaliers have a three-game lead on the Lakers for the NBA’s best record.

Scroll down a little. Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Portland are battling it out for sixth place in the West.

A little bit farther. The Houston Rockets are clinging to slim playoff hopes. The Hornets, Warriors, 76ers and Wizards have all been mathematically eliminated from the postseason as their disappointing seasons near an end.

Now keep going. Pass the gaping ravine, cut through the forest of NBA irrelevance and open the door of ineptitude.

A few miles after that and you’ll find the New Jersey Nets, proud owners of a 9-64 record on the year.

Had the Nets not won consecutive games against Sacramento and Detroit last week — something they hadn’t done all year — they could have contended for the worst record all time. The Philadelphia 76ers finished 9-73 in 1973, and the Boston Celtics edged them out for the division by 59 games.

Unfortunately, the 2010 Nets’ .123 winning percentage puts them just 48 games behind Cleveland in the Eastern Conference. They were eliminated from playoff contention almost a month ago. Not even the Pirates get knocked out that early. Come on, even the Knicks are still alive.

Washington, the team directly ahead of New Jersey in the East, is on a 15-game losing streak. The Wizards haven’t won since Feb. 28, yet they still have a 13½ game lead on the Nets. Mark your calendar: the two teams play April 4.

Of course, Washington’s 15-game losing streak pales in comparison to New Jersey’s 18-gamer to start the year. It started out as a funny sports story, but it grew increasingly embarrassing. When the Nets finally won a game — against Charlotte, 97-91 — in December, the coverage went away, but that didn’t stop the Nets from putting up two more double-digit losing streaks before January ended.

Some joked that Charlotte has to pin a scarlet “L” on its jerseys for the rest of the season.

There’s no shame in being a Nets fan, though. Every franchise has its down year. New Jersey is simply filling the role of the laughably bad sports team for now. The Chicago Cubs stepped in for a while, but then they spent money. Philadelphia in general did nicely for about 20 years, but then the Phillies ruined everything.

There’s only one problem. The Nets don’t have a curse.

Every perennial loser has a curse. The Boston Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino rule strong for 86 years. Philadelphia had the Curse of Billy Penn, which doomed the city for building a skyscraper taller than city hall. Chicago still uses an actual goat as a scapegoat.

It can’t simply be the Nets’ fault that the Nets are 9-64. Some ghost, some angry beer vendor, some hex from a disgruntled usher is to blame. What doomed the Nets?

Let’s look at the roster first. The Nets start Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Brook Lopez, Trenton Hassell and Courtney Lee.

Lopez is known for his time at Stanford with his twin brother Robin. The Nets, though, only have Brook on their roster. Could this be the Curse of the Separated Twins? Sadly, it isn’t that simple. The Phoenix Suns have been fine with only Robin.

Former coach Lawrence Frank led the Nets to an 0-16 start before he was fired, but the blame doesn’t lay on him for the Nets losing more games than some MLB teams. Most members of the media acknowledged New Jersey’s talent-lacking lineup at the time of his firing.

But you can’t fire the players, so maybe the curse is in the front office, with general manager Kiki Vandeweghe jinxing the franchise. 

The team hired him in 2007, the last time it posted a winning record. After all, Vandeweghe never won an NCAA Championship or an NBA championship as a player, and he also once drafted Nikoloz Tskitishvili fifth overall. Sounds like a curse.

Or maybe the curse goes deeper. Technology is everywhere these days — did a disgruntled television producer curse the team that airs on his network? It sounds nice, but unfortunately the Nets play on the YES Network, home to the 173-time world champion New York Yankees.

A curse on the home arena — like the Cubs’ Curse of the Billy Goat — also fails for this reason. The Devils had no problem winning three Stanley Cups playing in the Izod Center, formerly the Continental Airlines Arena. It also doesn’t explain the Nets’ 4-33 road record.

In the end, any good curse comes from the top. The Nets are owned by a business group that includes rapper Jay-Z. With no other reason why the Nets are playing so poorly, I have to look at some of his rap lyrics, which might have inadvertantly done the trick: I got 99 problems, but a struggling basketball franchise with no leadership or talent ain’t one.

 Sounds like a jinx to me.

Chipper Jones has spent his entire career compiling his Hall of Fame credentials with the Braves. The veteran third baseman experienced a World Series title during his rookie season in 1995 and celebrated division titles at the end of each of his first full 11 seasons at the Major League level.

The Braves have missed the playoffs each of the past four seasons, and as Jones and his teammates prepare for 2010, they are motivated to ensure that Bobby Cox's final season proves to be a memorable one.

Jones won his first career batting title in 2008 and then hit just .264 last year. As he aims for a rebound season, he is excited to see what Jason Heyward can bring during his first Major League season, and encouraged by his belief that this is one of the deepest clubs he has been a part of in recent memory.MLB.com recently caught up with Jones to discuss his expectations and thoughts heading into the season.MLB.com: What are your expectations entering this upcoming season?Jones: I'm hoping we are able to make a natural progression after last year and make that next step into contention in the National League East and hopefully throw our name in the mix, as far as the playoffs.MLB.com: You went to the postseason during each of your first 11 full Major League seasons. Does it feel like it's been five years since you competed in the playoffs?Jones: No, it doesn't. We could go this year and I wouldn't feel like we skipped a beat. All good things must come to an end. Our reign over one division is unprecedented. We did it, and now the names on the back of the jerseys are different. But we've made adjustments. We're getting back to the way we were, which is winning with pitching. I look for us to continue to make positive steps toward the top of the National League East.MLB.com: What do you think this team is capable of doing this year?Jones: I think we're very capable of winning 90 games. If we play extremely well, we can win more. If we get hurt and don't play well, we won't. That's the bottom line. The capabilities are there. All you ask for coming out of Spring Training is a chance, and we've got that chance.MLB.com: Does this team have the pitching staff that could carry you toward October?Jones: A lot depends on Derek Lowe bouncing back and having a healthy Tim Hudson all year. You expect [Jair] Jurrjens and [Tommy] Hanson to kind of take their natural progressions upward, and KK [Kenshin Kawakam] has pitched awfully well down here. So, there's a lot to be excited about. While I don't want to put any pressure on guys by putting a number on their success this summer, I'd say that if they go to the post every fifth day, stay healthy and keep us in the ballgame, I like our chances.MLB.com: The Braves signed Troy Glaus to satisfy your request to have a power-hitting right-handed hitter behind you. How strong will the middle of the lineup be with you, Glaus and Brian McCann?Jones: There will be some tough outs in the middle of the lineup The thing that excites me most about this club is that, 1-8, we can swing it. We don't have any givens or no bona fide outs in our lineup like we did at the beginning of last year. Pitchers are going to have to work to shut us down.MLB.com: You endured one of the toughest years of your career last year and spent the offseason working on the mechanics of your swing. How do you feel entering the season?Jones: I feel pretty good. I've gotten out of Spring Training what I wanted to get. I didn't want to come down to Spring Training and be overmatched. I haven't been up to this point, and I've gotten some good results. I've stayed healthy. So, that's about all I can ask for.

Women make up nearly half of Major League Baseball's fans. MLB is partnering with Victoria's Secret's PINK brand to take aim at young women during the 2010 season with a new fashion line featuring the logos of 11 clubs, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels.

The VS PINK brand caters to college-age women with bras, lingerie and sleepwear. The baseball-themed line of crystallized hats, jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, tanks, shorts and fleeces will roll out in more than 100 Victoria's Secret stores in 11 markets Tuesday. It will also be sold online at VictoriasSecret.com.

The youthful gear will feature sayings such as "I Only Kiss Angels Fans" and "Love Love Love Twins." Prices will range from $19.99 for caps to $58 for fleeces. Some MLB ballplayers will appear alongside Victoria's Secret models as they tout the line in the 11 markets.

Women account for more than 40% of fans at major league games, MLB executive vice president Tim Brosnan says. He's hoping fashion models will wear the gear at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show. "After we do the 11 teams, there will then be demand for all 30," he says.

Female baseball fans, Brosnan says, want apparel that's designed and cut for them. In his own house, for example, his wife and two daughters told him they were not interested in wearing men's or boy's T-shirts and jerseys that didn't fit. They wanted their own.

"This is simple: We believe there's an opportunity with our female fan base," Brosnan says.

This isn't the first time MLB has reached out to that base. In spring 2007, Hollywood star Alyssa Milano partnered with MLB and G-III Apparel Group to launch the TOUCH line. It's available at MLB.com.

Baseball also is partnering with Soft As A Grape to roll out a line of maternity T-shirts and baby onesies.