Ronald Blum

Tim Lincecum thought about the seismic shifts of baseball's offseason, the ones that saw Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder migrate to the American League.

"I think it's great," San Francisco's two-time Cy Young Award winner joked. "I won't have to pitch to them anymore."

Just 106 days after the surprising St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series, baseball returns this weekend when pitchers and catchers for the Seattle Mariners report to spring training in Peoria, Ariz.

NEW YORK -- Barry Larkin was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Monday with plenty of room to spare.

The former Cincinnati Reds shortstop was chosen on 495 of 573 ballots (86 percent) in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, well above the necessary 75 percent. Larkin was on the ballot for the third time after falling 75 votes short last year.

He will be inducted July 22 in Cooperstown along with the late Ron Santo, elected last month by the Veterans Committee.

"I am so humbled by the experience and so excited about being the newest member of the Hall of Fame," Larkin said on a conference call.

HARRISON, New Jersey -- Jurgen Klinsmann walked into the U.S. national team changing room after his first win last weekend and the first thing he did was to turn on the music.

"It was quiet," DaMarcus Beasley recalled. "And then Klinsmann went over to the iPad machine and turned on the music. That's the kind of coach he is. He's very cool. He's fun."

Bob Bradley had never done that, Beasley smiled.

PHOENIX -- A few summers ago, Erick Cruz was playing summer ball with Bryce Harper.

This weekend, both were at baseball's All-Star celebration, with Harper playing in the Futures Game for top prospects. Cruz was overjoyed just to be watching the festivities from a suite at Chase Field, one of six families treated to the trip by the Phoenix-based Make-A-Wish Foundation

NEW YORK -- Most of the 80,000 fans in Camp Nou rose to their feet, again astonished by what they had just witnessed.

The slow singsong reverberated around the steep, smoke-filled stands of Europe's largest stadium on this November night, getting louder and louder with each chorus. Many raised both arms and repeatedly took deep bows in homage.

"Messsss-iiiiii! Messsss-iiiiii!" they chanted over and over.

NEW YORK -- They stood as pillars of baseball for much of their careers. Now, they are about to stand trial.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, baseball's biggest stars implicated in steroids use, will face juries on opposite ends of the country.

"They're almost bookended," broadcaster Bob Costas said. "Seven MVPs. Seven Cy Youngs. The greatest pitcher. Certainly greatest player."

NEW YORK -- The average salary in Major League Baseball finished over $3 million for the first time.

The 912 players in the big leagues before rosters expanded in September averaged $3,014,572, the Major League Baseball Players Association said Monday. The average rose 0.6 percent from last year's $2,996,106, the smallest increase since a 2.5 percent drop in 2004.