The Bottom Half

OFF THE WALL

Looking ahead

* It’s opening day all over again. Ten major league teams have yet to play a home game, and all 10 have home openers this week. Six of those are day games. The Red Sox, who play Seattle on Tuesday at 11 a.m. PDT, will be the last team to play their home opener.

Looking back

* On April 8, 1975, Frank Robinson became the first African American manager in major league history. He was the player-manager for Cleveland and hit a home run in his first at-bat as the Indians defeated the New York Yankees, 5-3.

It’s a fact

* Adam Dunn hit a 369-foot home run, even though the fence it cleared at Great American Ballpark is 370 feet from home plate. The ball bounced in and out of Pittsburgh outfielder Xavier Nady’s glove before clearing the fence.

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Minor League Report

SCOTT ELBERT, P

Jacksonville; Class AA

Elbert, 21, the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, retired the first nine batters in order in his opening-day start for the Suns and finished with nine strikeouts in six innings, giving up only four hits. He took the 3-1 loss, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk in the fourth inning, but the performance indicates he’s ready should injury or poor performance strike any Dodgers pitcher. He was a combined 11-9 with a 2.90 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 146 innings at two minor league stops last season, but he had command problems with 85 walks. He walked only one in his first start this season.

MITCH JONES, 1B

Las Vegas; Class AAA

The Dodgers signed Jones to a minor league contract in the spring hoping he could be a late-blooming power hitter. The power has always been there -- he has 165 home runs in seven minor league seasons and twice won minor league home run derbys -- but an inability to make contact has held him back. He strikes out a lot and has never hit better than .268. Still, his start this season is encouraging. He had five hits, including a home run and a double, in his first eight at bats. The three outs he made were strikeouts, meaning he has yet to make an out when he put the ball in play.

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ONE UP, ONE DOWN

Who’s on the rise, who’s slumping:

FIRST BASE

* Up: Mike Jacobs, Florida -- Breakout candidate starts strong in his bid to, well, break out.

* Down: Adam LaRoche, Pittsburgh -- Nine strikeouts and one hit in 15 at-bats.

SECOND BASE

* Up: Mark Ellis, Oakland -- Trying to dispel the notion that you need hits to drive in runs.

* Down: Adam Kennedy, St. Louis -- Apparently, the Angels knew what they were doing.

THIRD BASE

* Up: Miguel Cabrera, Florida -- You heard it here first: He’ll be this year’s National League MVP.

* Down: Alex Gordon, Kansas City -- Went from rookie-of-the-year candidate to the bench in one week.

SHORTSTOP

* Up: Khalil Greene, San Diego -- Appears ready to produce the long-awaited breakout season.

* Down: Orlando Cabrera, Angels -- He’s been battling flu and his bat is allergic to curveballs.

OUTFIELD

* Up: Grady Sizemore, Cleveland -- Greedy fantasy owners want to know when he’ll steal a base.

* Down: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs -- Only 40 homers and 40 steals shy of another 40-40 season.

CATCHER

* Up: Brian McCann, Atlanta -- Is there anyone that still believes last season was a fluke?

* Down: Jason Kendall, Oakland -- Two for 20 and no walks isn’t exactly ideal for a leadoff man.

PITCHER

* Up: Daisuke Matsuzaka -- Has pitched only once and already has tired of the Dice-K headlines.

* Down: Miguel Batista, Seattle -- It got so bad that the Oakland A’s were hitting him with line drives.

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THIS SEASON’S TOP SALARIES

The top 2007 salaries in major league baseball, obtained by the Associated Press from management and player sources and including salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. For some players, parts of deferred signing bonuses and salaries are discounted to reflect present-day values. Dodgers and Angels players in bold:

*--* Player, Club Salary Alex Rodriguez, NYY $27,708,525 Jason Giambi, NYY 23,428,571 Derek Jeter, NYY 21,600,000 Manny Ramirez, Bos 17,016,381 Todd Helton, Col 16,600,000 Bartolo Colon, LAA 16,000,000 Andy Pettitte, NYY 16,000,000 Jason Schmidt, LAD 15,703,946 Jim Thome, WSox 15,666,667 Bobby Abreu, NYY 15,600,000 Barry Bonds, SF 15,533,970 Richie Sexson, Sea 15,500,000 Mike Hampton, Atl 15,475,185 Lance Berkman, Hou 14,500,000 Carlos Delgado, NYM 14,500,000 Vladimir Guerrero, LAA 14,500,000 J.D. Drew, Bos 14,400,000 Pedro Martinez, NYM 14,002,234 Andruw Jones, Atl 14,000,000 Miguel Tejada, Bal 13,811,415 Rafael Furcal, LAD 13,730,196 Carlos Beltran, NYM 13,571,429 Jason Kendall, Oak 13,429,623 Pat Burrell, Phi 13,250,000 Derrek Lee, Cubs 13,250,000 David Ortiz, Bos 13,250,000 A.J. Burnett, Tor 13,200,000 Magglio Ordonez, Det 13,200,000 Johnny Damon, NYY 13,000,000 Hideki Matsui, NYY 13,000,000 Roy Oswalt, Hou 13,000,000 Johan Santana, Min 13,000,000 Curt Schilling, Bos 13,000,000 Javier Vazquez, WSox 13,000,000 Albert Pujols, StL 12,937,813 Adrian Beltre, Sea 12,900,000 Roy Halladay, Tor 12,750,000 Ichiro Suzuki, Sea 12,531,000 Carlos Zambrano, Cubs 12,400,000 Chipper Jones, Atl 12,333,333 Scott Rolen, StL 12,311,637 Torii Hunter, Min 12,000,000 Paul Konerko, WSox 12,000,000 Jorge Posada, NYY 12,000,000 Shawn Green, NYM 11,833,333 Garret Anderson, LAA 11,600,000 Troy Glaus, Tor 11,500,000 Carlos Lee, Hou 11,500,000 Ben Sheets, Mil 11,125,000 Mike Mussina, NYY 11,070,423 Mike Sweeney, KC 11,000,000 Jason Varitek, Bos 11,000,000 Gary Sheffield, Det 10,916,071 Ivan Rodriguez, Det 10,567,639 Adam Dunn, Cin 10,500,000 Mariano Rivera, NYY 10,500,000 Billy Wagner, NYM 10,500,000 Eric Milton, Cin 10,333,333 Matt Morris, SF 10,037,283 Freddy Garcia, Phi 10,000,000 Jon Garland, WSox 10,000,000 Greg Maddux, SD 10,000,000 Carl Pavano, NYY 10,000,000 Edgar Renteria, Atl 10,000,000 Alfonso Soriano, Cubs 10,000,000 Barry Zito, SF 10,000,000 Armando Benitez, SF 9,866,219 Jarrod Washburn, Sea 9,850,000 Kevin Millwood, Tex 9,836,116 Jeff Kent, LAD 9,814,117 Brian Giles, SD 9,666,667 Jim Edmonds, StL 9,562,540 Mark Buehrle, WSox 9,500,000 Eric Chavez, Oak 9,500,000 Matt Clement, Bos 9,500,000 Derek Lowe, LAD 9,500,000 Randy Johnson, Ari 9,100,546 Jose Contreras, WSox 9,000,000 Kelvim Escobar, LAA 9,000,000 Mike Lowell, Bos 9,000,000 Vicente Padilla, Tex 9,000,000 Aramis Ramirez, Cubs 9,000,000 Mark Teixeira, Tex 9,000,000 Jason Isringhausen, StL 8,750,000 C.C. Sabathia, Cle 8,750,000 N. Garciaparra, LAD 8,516,697 Orlando Cabrera, LAA 8,500,000 Chris Carpenter, StL 8,500,000 Tim Hudson, Atl 8,500,000 Mike Piazza, Oak 8,500,000 Ken Griffey Jr., Cin 8,446,647 Jeff Weaver, Sea 8,325,000 Julio Lugo, Bos 8,250,000 Mark Kotsay, Oak 8,000,000 Brad Penny, LAD 8,000,000 Kenny Rogers, Det 8,000,000 Jimmy Rollins, Phi 8,000,000 John Smoltz, Atl 8,000,000 Kris Benson, Bal 7,977,889 Jon Lieber, Phi 7,833,333 Melvin Mora, Bal 7,758,503 Odalis Perez, KC 7,750,000 Jaret Wright, Bal 7,666,667 Moises Alou, NYM 7,500,000 Tom Glavine, NYM 7,500,000 Esteban Loaiza, Oak 7,500,000 Juan Pierre, LAD 7,500,000 Jose Vidro, Sea 7,500,000 Randy Wolf, LAD 7,477,969 Miguel Cabrera, Fla 7,400,000 Gil Meche, KC 7,400,000 Geoff Jenkins, Mil 7,333,333 Adam Eaton, Phi 7,208,333 Luis Gonzalez, LAD 7,156,599 Paul Byrd, Cle 7,000,000 Mike Cameron, SD 7,000,000 Ray Durham, SF 7,000,000 Jermaine Dye, WSox 7,000,000 Tom Gordon, Phi 7,000,000 Livan Hernandez, Ari 7,000,000 Trevor Hoffman, SD 7,000,000 F. Rodriguez, LAA 7,000,000 B.J. Ryan, Tor 7,000,000 Corey Koskie, Mil 6,750,000 Josh Beckett, Bos 6,666,667 Paul Lo Duca, NYM 6,600,823 Ramon Hernandez, Bal 6,500,000 Jamie Moyer, Phi 6,500,000 Bob Wickman, Atl 6,500,000 Dontrelle Willis, Fla 6,450,000 G. Matthews Jr., LAA 6,400,000 Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bos 6,333,333 Jeff Suppan, Mil 6,250,000 Jake Westbrook, Cle 6,100,000 Miguel Batista, Sea 6,000,000 Eric Gagne, Tex 6,000,000 Shea Hillenbrand, LAA 6,000,000 Ted Lilly, Cubs 6,000,000 Kenny Lofton, Tex 6,000,000 Woody Williams, Hou 6,000,000 Kenji Johjima, Sea 5,933,333 John Lackey, LAA 5,833,333 Vernon Wells, Tor 5,770,000

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