FanHouse Greg Maddux

Federal authorities have asked seven Major League Baseball players -- Greg Maddux, Bernie Williams, Johnny Damon, J.D. Drew, Andruw Jones, Carlos Pena and Jay Bell -- to return millions of dollars that they received from investor R. Allen Stanford as part of a payout in his alleged Ponzi scheme, according to a report in the Washington Times.

The players -- all clients of Scott Boras -- did not commit any wrongdoing, but, as early investors in the Stanford Financial Group, are believed to have received dividends from Stanford financed by investors that came after.

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.

We're getting close to having three full weeks of baseball in the books. Astute fans know that it's definitely not enough to reveal the outcome of the season, but it's certainly enough of a sample to start drawing preliminary conclusions. Of course, you still have the occasional instance where home crowds boo their own players for one reason or another. Wednesday, for example, CC Sabathia was booed by about half the Yankee Stadium crowd when he departed after allowing six earned runs in 6 2/3 innings, upping his ERA to 4.81 on the season.

We all know that chicks dig the long ball, but in today's day and age fantasy baseball owners want speed to go along with home run potential. It's crazy to think that you're going to find any hitters on the waiver wire with 20/20 potential for 2009. So, let's do Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine a favor and forget about the long ball and focus on five hitters who can help you rack up some stolen bases for your fantasy squad.

The Daily Jolt is a dose of baseball reality every weekday morning.

First Mike Mussina walked away. That was Nov. 21 -- almost four months ago -- and you had to love him going out on top, washing away the biggest knock on his borderline Hall of Fame career in his final season by winning 20 games. A few weeks later The Professor, Greg Maddux, hung 'em up too, officially the greatest pitcher of his generation now that Roger Clemens has been exposed as a cheat.

It took Curt Schilling a little while longer -- maybe he just wanted the stage all to himself -- but he too has now exited, taking his unrivaled October guts with him. Pedro Martinez, the most dominant pitcher any baseball fan under the age of 35 has ever seen, is sitting on a couch somewhere without a job, too proud to accept a paycut after all he has accomplished.

Next Big Thing is MLB FanHouse's look at emerging teams, trends and stars in 2009.

This winter, the Red Sox signed an over-40 pitcher coming off of a serious shoulder injury, but with an impressive track record of success in the major leagues. Sound familiar? It should. Boston did the same thing last winter. Then, it was Curt Schilling. This time around, it's Braves lifer John Smoltz.

We are entering the Seige Perilous of the offseasion, and when we emerge we will be forever changed. I've spent the last two days meticulously going over the rumors, data, and transactions of baseball's Winter Meetings and have gathered them here for you in succinct, online comic form. Every newsbit is here: How much money Francisco Rodriguez is getting to play for the Mets, where star reliver "K-Rod" will end up, and what's in store for former Angels pitcher Frank Rodriguez. It's all here!

Tonight's late night Dugout is after the jump. And if you're just joining us, don't forget to read Jon's take on the Greg Maddux retirement announcement, which is amazing.

Our MLB editor files dispatches from this year's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas in Notes From Sin City.

We heard from Greg Maddux Monday in Las Vegas, so why not another living pitching legend Tuesday? Nolan Ryan, now the president of the Texas Rangers, just spoke here at the Bellagio about a variety of things, first and foremost the new conditioning program Rangers pitchers are being put through this winter.

Ryan is stressing accountability with his pitchers and it's easy to understand why -- the Rangers have ranked 14th, 11th, eighth and 12th in the American League in ERA over the past four seasons. Ryan is new to his role with Texas, but it's clear from here on out that he won't accept any excuses for poor performance, including the bandbox the Rangers play their home games in and the oppressive heat of the Texas summer.

Ryan cited the advice he received from knuckleballer Charlie Hough when he first signed with the Rangers, saying a pitcher's mission in Texas is simply to pitch longer than the visiting starter.

Ryan also talked about the slow free-agent market in Vegas, pinning much of the cautiousness on the poor economy. "It's going to be a tough market for a certain type of free agent," he said, adding that teams might be looking more to the trade market to fill their needs rather than making a big splash on the open market.

From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.

For as much credit as he was given throughout his career, I still firmly believe Greg Maddux was underrated. How could a guy win four Cy Youngs, finish in the top five five other times, win a billion Gold Gloves, and still be underrated, you ask? Because you rarely, if ever, hear anyone argue what I'm going to argue.

Greg Maddux was the greatest pitcher to ever set foot on a major league mound. We can start discussing this seriously now that he's retiring.

Our MLB editor files dispatches from this year's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas in Notes From Sin City.

Baseball fans know what the Winter Meetings are. They know what happens every year -- trades, big signings, and plenty of gossip in the lobby of a grand hotel. What they might not have an idea about is what the atmosphere is like inside the Bellagio.

(Full disclosure: This is my first trip to the Winter Meetings, and, frankly, it was a little bit terrifying flying out here. I had absolutely no idea what to expect.)

Let's start with the city. Las Vegas seemed a bit deflated when I arrived Sunday night -- a perfectly understandable feel considering the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight was the night before. The Winter Meetings are a nice distraction, but Vegas seems to love big prizefights more than anything else.

Still, if my conversation with the cab driver who took me from the airport to my hotel is any indication, the denizens of Sin City seem virtually oblivious to the baseball invasion. He had no idea what the Winter Meetings were or that they were taking place in Las Vegas, but he had plenty to say about the National Finals Rodeo, which are taking place through the end of this week at the Thomas and Mack Center. Go figure.

Our MLB editor files dispatches from this year's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas in Notes From Sin City.

For better or worse, Las Vegas has been the center of the sports world for the last few days. From O.J. Simpson to Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao, Sin City has been a nerve center, and that will continue this week as the entire baseball world descends on the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel for Major League Baseball's annual Winter Meetings.

As always, there figures to be plenty of action on the Strip, but you won't have to go to a poker room or a roulette wheel to find it.

The Hot Stove League has moved at a glacial pace so far, only really beginning to pick up in the last half week and setting the stage for what could be one of the more fascinating Winter Meetings in recent memory. Rarely in the last decade has baseball seen a free-agent class this stocked with quality players or a more vibrant and active trade market.

With that in mind, here is a list of the 10 people to watch most intently over the next few days in Las Vegas.