AROUND THE HORN | Baseball notebook

Another chance: Henry Rodriguez, who hit 31 homers to help the Cubs reach the playoffs in 1998, is going to camp with Pittsburgh after not playing last season. Rodriguez impressed scouts during winter ball and then sold Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield with his play at the Caribbean World Series, where he helped the Dominican Republic win a title. "I know it's a bit of a long shot," Littlefield said. "But I was impressed with the shape he is in. He's leaner than his last few years in the major leagues and we had good reports on the way he was playing in the Dominican. It's really a no-risk gamble for us." Rodriguez, 36, had had only one hit in the majors since playing 112 games for the Cubs and Florida in 2000. He was 1-for-28 in 25 games with the Yankees and Expos during 2001-02.
Clock ticks: Like Seattle's first trip to the playoffs in 1995, the Marlins' World Series season could land the franchise the new stadium it needs. The team has until March 15 to get a stadium financing plan approved in Miami-Dade County. "We do not plan on failing," said team President David Samson, who is intent on a 2007 opening. One condition of that deal is the franchise be renamed the Miami Marlins, not a popular proposition with fans in Broward County. "I'm working on making sure the Florida Marlins stay in South Florida," Samson said. "Are we going to be the Florida Marlins, the Miami Marlins, the Broward Marlins, the Palm Beach Marlins? I just want to be in South Florida, which is the greatest place to live and have a baseball team."
Rolling away: John Burkett, who counts at least 10 victories in each of the last four seasons among 166 career victories, decided to retire rather than go to camp with a chance to win a job in the Yankees' rotation. "They offered me good money to come to camp as a non-roster player and told me I had a good chance to make the team," Burkett said. "In my heart, though, I knew I wasn't ready to go to spring training this year." Burkett, 39, admits his shoulder has been bothering him. He will concentrate on his second career, as a pro bowler, while serving as the pitching coach of his 9-year-old son's Little League team in Southlake, Texas. Ken Hill, another former big-league pitcher, will be the manager. On the road back: It's been a tough winter for longtime Cincinnati broadcaster Joe Nuxhall, who is battling leukemia. The 75-year-old former pitcher plans to work 80 games this season before retiring in 2005. "I got nothing but good news on Monday," Nuxhall said. "I feel good. After doing every game for the last 37 years, cutting my schedule in half isn't something I look forward to doing. It won't be a bed of roses not doing half the games, but I'll continue to be around the ol' ball orchard all the time." Reds baseball wouldn't seem the same without him.
-- Chicago Tribune