Dan Connolly

Colleges Student-athletes' graduation rates at all-time high The NCAA's latest graduation numbers show nearly four out of five student-athletes earn their diplomas on time, an all-time high, and federal statistics show athletes are still more likely to graduate on time than other students.NCAA statistics show 79 percent of all freshmen entering school in 2002-03 graduated within six years, matching last year's record high. The four-class average, for students entering college between the fall of 1999 and the fall of 2002, also was 79 percent, a 1 percentage-point increase over last year's record.

Giambi should walk away Dom Amore Hartford Courant A few years ago, when the steroids controversy was raging around Jason Giambi and he was struggling to get a hit for the Yankees, he declared he was not a quitter and he would not be driven from the game he loved. Giambi showed his mettle. He admitted his mistakes, apologized, and worked his way back for a few respectable years to finish his Yankees contract. Point proven, it's time for Giambi to move on. Unable to play first base with any dexterity, and unable to land a contract as a full-time DH in the AL, where teams are looking for more versatility, he is hanging on with the Rockies as a pinch-hitter, a latter-day Rusty Staub who, by the way, hates being cited for his pinch-hitting records but wants to be remembered as an outstanding full-time player.

Single out Ichiro Phil Rogers Chicago Tribune What's the definition of "most overrated"? You could look at it just in terms of hitting ability, but in my opinion major league baseball is always about the money, so l'm going to consider it in relation to a hitter's value to a team. That makes this an easy question, as Ichiro Suzuki — who you can argue is the best pure hitter in the game — is clearly the most overrated. What do his 200-plus hits every season — heavily loaded with singles — do for the Mariners?

Setting a record Updated 5:18 p.m.: The Orioles set a new Opening Day record for Camden Yards attendance today, bringing in 48,891. That breaks last year's Opening Day record crowd of 48,607. They also may have come close to a record for people arriving after the first inning, zeroing in on the mark achieved by the Los Angeles Dodgers fans every game day from April to September. It didn't look like Camden Yards would be jammed at, say, 2:30 p.m. or even first pitch at 3:07 p.m. But by about the third, the announced sellout looked legit.

BIG FISH HAVE LANDED The first significant move of the winter meetings happened early last evening. The Detroit Tigers landed two stars, third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis, for a six-player package that includes outfielder Cameron Maybin and pitcher Andrew Miller, Detroit's top two prospects. The Tigers paid a heavy price for the future, but their present looks very bright. Their lineup is stacked, with Cabrera joining Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Ivan Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco and Carlos Guillen.

1. Red Sox (95-67 in 2008) Deepest pitching staff in baseball and a good offense, too. 2. Phillies (92-70) Defending champions will have to overcome early injuries. 3. Yankees (89-73) Can't ignore their offseason purchases, even if A-Rod is out. 4. Rays (97-65) Maybe the American League champs should be higher, but they won't surprise anyone now. 5. Dodgers (84-78) It's not just Manny Ramirez being back; great mix of youth and veterans. 6. Angels (100-62) Bobby Abreu is a good consolation prize after losing Mark Teixeira.

When he charges onto the infield grass, makes that barehanded pickup and throws a rocket to first, Manny Machado reminds Orioles fans of a superstar third baseman of yesteryear. When he breaks out of the batter's box on a liner into the gap and hits first base in full stride on his way to another double, Machado shows old-school hustle. And when he quietly strolls through clubhouse, proudly wearing his "Hakuna Machado" T-shirt while nodding to teammates, and, occasionally, breaking out an infectious smile, he flashes a necessary balance of confidence and respect.

White Sox hitters vs. Astros pitchers The Astros may have the best top three pitchers in all of baseball with Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt (and No. 4 Brandon Backe is no slouch). But, separately, the White Sox haven't been intimidated. Against the impressive trio, the current White Sox lineup has batted .304 (82-270) with six homers and 33 RBIs. Team leader Paul Konerko has never faced Oswalt, but he is 18-for-41 (.439) with three homers and 12 RBIs combined against Clemens and Pettitte.

Zion Lutheran Church in York, Pa., will hold its second annual baseball talk at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27 in the church's sanctuary, 2215 Brandywine Lane, York. This year's event features: Mel Antonen, baseball writer for SI.com and MASN and a Sirius/XM talk show host; Dan Connolly,  Orioles/national baseball writer for The Baltimore Sun; and Jim Seip, York Revolution beat writer for the York Daily Record/York Sunday News. The writers will present their thoughts on the upcoming baseball season - Orioles, Phillies, all MLB, plus the Revolution and the Atlantic League -- and will answer questions from the audience.

There's a certain stigma associated with the word "spoiler" in baseball. It means a team isn't good enough to be in playoff contention so it must derive satisfaction from beating successful clubs. Frankly, the Orioles haven't played well enough down the stretch in the last decade to warrant the spoiler tag, routinely stumbling in August and September against contenders. Under new manager Buck Showalter, however, the Orioles have already turned in their first winning August in 13 years and now, with their 8-7 victory over the American League Wild Card-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, they seem to be inching closer toward spoiler status.