AFP - Japan's Ichiro Suzuki and several major league pitchers from South Korea will try to show that Asia's elite can beat the game's biggest stars when the World Baseball Classic resumes.

AP - Dave Burba has pitched in nine postseason playoff games. He was in the same company as Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson a few seasons ago. So why was the 39-year old jazzed — well, as jazzed as the understated, habitual morning crossword puzzle worker can be — at throwing the two middle innings of an early March split-squad exhibition for the Mariners against Team Japan on Wednesday night?

AP - Ichiro Suzuki rarely spoke a critical word about the Seattle Mariners during his first five seasons until he walked into manager Mike Hargrove's office after Seattle's second consecutive 90-loss, last-place season and complained about the club's direction and teammates' preparation.

AP - Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Gil Meche has a strained oblique muscle on his left side and will miss his scheduled spring training start Monday.

AP - Doug Mirabelli hit a three-run homer and the San Diego Padres finished with 20 hits in a 17-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

AP - This is not the Ichiro Suzuki the Mariners know. Far from his reclusive self in Seattle, the 32-year-old right fielder has taken a more demonstrative role with his Japanese teammates at the World Baseball Classic. And they are eager to learn from the only position player from the major leagues representing Japan in the tournament.

AP - Japan advanced to the second round of the inaugural World Baseball Classic with a 14-3 win over Taiwan on Saturday.

AP - Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Kosuke Fukudome hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning Friday to lead Japan to an 18-2 rout of China in the World Baseball Classic.

Yvonne Lee - All Headline News Staff Reporter (AHN) - The Seattle Mariners agree to an $11 million, two-year contract extension with Raul Ibanez. Latimes.com reports the left-handed hitter has a $4.25 million salary this season and will receive $5.5 million in each of the next two seasons....

Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer Washington, D.C. (AHN) - U.S. Navy sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Gonzalez rescued six Iranian mariners after an engine malfunction left them adrift for 10 days. The Gonzalez, currently on deployment in the Arabian Gulf,...

AP - The Seattle Mariners gave veteran Raul Ibanez a two-year contract extension Wednesday through the 2008 season.

AP - Outfielder Raul Ibanez is talking with the Seattle Mariners about a contract extension.

AP - Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells returned to spring training after his strained left quadriceps was examined by doctors in Toronto.

AP - Joel Pineiro slammed the ball into the pitching mound dirt. He angrily swiped the dark blue cap off his long, dark hair and his glove off his left hand.

AP - Mention Kevin Appier's name and out pops another quirky story. The latest one? How throwing chopped wood on his 270-acre Kansas soybean farm — the one said to include camels — convinced the irreverent former All-Star and World Series-winning pitcher to come out of retirement.

AP - Jamie Moyer peered off the bullpen mound down to his catcher during the first drill of spring training for the Seattle Mariners. Moyer then feigned shock.

Reuters - All-star second baseman Alfonso Soriano lost his arbitration case to the Washington Nationals but will make a record $10 million this season, Major League Baseball said on its website on Friday.