When the generals talk
When Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens faced off for the fourth time Saturday, it was the second time in AL history that two pitchers with at least three Cy Young awards had matched up. The first was Jim Palmer vs. Tom Seaver in 1984. The eight total awards between Martinez and Clemens is topped only by the nine Cy-Youngs-matchup of Clemens and Greg Maddux of last season.

Incidentally, the last four times Martinez has started against the Yankees, New York has won. It's still a team game.

Child of the Wild Blue Yonder
A year ago at this time, Cardinals 3B-OF Albert Pujols and Padres SS Donaldo Mendez were playing in the Midwest League.

Bad luck streak in dancing school
On Friday, April 13, scouts from almost every organization were in Cambridge, Mass., to see a Harvard-Yale doubleheader. Why? Each team has a potential first- and/or second-round pick, Harvard's Ben Crockett-the Cape League's Most Valuable Pitcher last summer-and Yale's Ben Steitz, whose parents happen to be Yale professors. The two teams split. Yale won 7-1 in the game started by Crockett, Harvard won 10-0 in the game started by Steitz.

Yes, the schools have had No. 1 picks in the past. Harvard C-1B Pete Varney and OF Mike Stenhouse were each first-round picks out of high school who later were first-round selections at Harvard in the Supplemental Draft. Yale RHP Ron Darling was the ninth pick in the nation in the 1981 draft. Other Ivy League Nos. 1 include Dartmouth RHP Pete Broberg, Penn OF Doug Glanville and Brown SS Billy Almon, who was the first pick in the country in 1974.

Fully qualified to be your man
Two weeks into the season, five players in the American League's top 10 in OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) deserve mention:

2. Mark Quinn, K.C., 1.282

3. Paul Konerko, CWS, 1.231

7. Cristian Guzman, Minn., 1.214

9. David Ortiz, Minn., 1.1597

10. Doug Mienkiewicz, Minn., 1.158

Quinn and Konerko can just flat hit, and the Minnesota Triplets are on the rise.

Brady Anderson (.429), Melvin Mora (.412) and Delino DeShields (.407) of the Orioles are all in the bottom six in the league.

The children's song
DeShields was asked if he is going to declare for the NBA draft. "No, those guys have gotten too big," replied DeShields. Coming out of high school in Seaford, Del., where he was a McDonald's All America, the decision and leverage might have been different, since everyone who stars in high school now declares for the NBA.

Closer to free
Angels manager Mike Scoscia was asked why the Disney-owned Angels' payroll is more than $60 million less than that of the Fox-owned Dodgers.

"I guess," replied Scoscia, "their books and movies are doing better."