By Kenneth R. Timmerman
Rafsanjani would reclaim the presidency to finish a Persian bomb

The Indians' pitch to bring Nick Swisher "home" worked.
The Indians' pitch to bring Nick Swisher "home" worked.

Shin-Soo Choo didn't want to be part of the Indians' future. So they're moving on without him.
Shin-Soo Choo didn't want to be part of the Indians' future. So they're moving on without him.
The Cleveland Indians have traded outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and infielder-outfielder Jason Donald to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Drew Stubbs.
Shin-Soo Choo didn't want to be part of the Indians' future. So they're moving on without him.

Homer Bailey played catch in the sun-splashed outfield at Great American Ball Park, his usual routine the day before a start. Nothing different at all, as far as the Texan let on.

When Joey Votto had knee surgery, the Cincinnati Reds faced a turning point. An offense that had been so-so was going to have to get along without its best hitter for about a month.

Henry Rodriguez looked up at the sky and he found the source of his discontent: rain that had pounded the field at Great American Ball Park all day.

It was all working out so easily for the Washington Nationals. The balloons marking the opening of Nationals Park for 2012 hung from the center-field gate. The stands were packed Thursday afternoon with fans clad in curly 'W' apparel and the Nationals' blockbuster offseason trade acquisition was dominant on the mound. The best start in team history was in sight.
Capsules of National League teams, listed in order of finish last year:
Down to only two fully healthy outfielders for their playoff push, the Cincinnati Reds acquired utilityman Willie Bloomquist from the Kansas City Royals on Monday for either a player to be named or cash.
The NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds got Jim Edmonds from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade for Chris Dickerson on Monday, strengthening their outfield for a playoff run.

Johnny Cueto pitched six innings around a rain delay and drove home two runs Monday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in a matchup of teams that hadn't been able to score lately.
"I slept on the plane, got here, got my stuff, got breakfast (at a restaurant) and went back to bed, slept a couple of hours and made myself get up," outfielder Drew Stubbs said. "Not an ideal amount of rest, but hopefully I get to catch up on it tonight."
"He's been so instrumental in everything we do," outfielder Drew Stubbs said. "He's our leader, from putting the lineups out there to managing pitch-by-pitch."