Left on Base is MLB FanHouse's link dump.* "In 21 months, or just 324 regular-season games from now, Derek Jeter's contract expires. At that point, the Yankees have to decide what to do with Jeter and Jeter has to decide what to do with the Yankees. [...] By 2011, the Yanks could have either Jeter or just his future plaque at Monument Park play short; they will have about the same range." -- Joel Sherman, New York Post
* "Sorry Punxsutawney Phil and your six-more-weeks-of-winter prediction, but if you live in New England and are a fan of Red Sox, a sure sign of spring has arrived -- Truck Day!" -- Steve Silva, Boston Globe
* "Compared to last week, the smattering of Mets fans willing to brave the cold outside SNY studios in Manhattan for the second "Million Manny March" accurately reflected the team's likelihood of landing Manny Ramirez - rapidly dwindling. About 50 fans gathered to chant and implore Mets management to sign the free-agent slugger last week, but only 10 to 15 people appeared for the second rally." -- Katie Strang, Newsday
* Bad news for Mets top prospect Fernando Martinez.
* Michael Kay gets snubbed by Joe Torre during Torre's book tour. Don't worry, Kay will tell you why -- when he writes his own book: "Kay offered few specifics of their relationship but promised to share someday. 'There are.things he did that I'll save for my book that were very, very wrong on a personal level,' he said." -- Neil Best, Watchdog.
* Jacque Jones and Daryle Ward sign minor league deals with the Reds; Odalis Perez follows suit in Washington, Elmer Dessens with the Mets and Jason Jennings with the Rangers. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, signed Japanese pitcher Ken Takahashi.
* Mexican League baseball is coming to Dodgers Stadium.
* You know the Facebook fad where people list 25 random facts about their life? Tyler Kepner of the NY Times' Bats blog has 25 random facts about 25 random Yankees. Just like all the ones you read on Facebook, most are boring, a few are quirky and at least one or two will make you laugh.
* Meet Larry DaVito, the first groundskeeper employed by the Twins in nearly 20 years.
* "Tom Glavine threw 75 pitches on Tuesday and said everything went well, again. He sounds more and more certain that he's going to be ready to pitch in 2009, perhaps even breaking camp with the team. That is, if the Braves offer him a contract. To me, it doesn't sound like Glavine has any serious interest in pitching elsewhere, but probably because he doesn't want to unless it absolutely comes to that." -- David O'Brien, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
* We already knew that Brad Pitt has been linked to star in a film adaptation of Michael Lewis' Moneyball. Yesterday, Variety reported that Steven Soderbergh is in talks to direct it. I'm still not sure how a book about statistical analysis will translate onto the big screen, but Will Leitch has some (PG-13) ideas of where Soderbergh might take this.
