Adam Graves will join NHL Live!

It is reported that former New York Rangers star Adam Graves will appear on Friday's edition of NHL Live! from noon-2 p.m. on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek are NBC hockey analyst Ed Olczyk, a former teammate of Graves, and retired defenseman Teppo Numminen.

Also on the show will be Joseph Bowser of EveryBODY Skates New Jersey, a group of disabled athletes who will make history this weekend by visiting all 54 rinks in the State of New Jersey in just 54 hours.

Taguchi comes back to Japan

So Taguchi, who was a member of two World Series championship teams, is coming back to Japan, likely to finish up his career where it began. After eight seasons in the big leagues, Taguchi has signed with the Orix Buffaloes. Taguchi debuted with Orix in 1992 and spent 10 seasons with the club before signing as a free agent with the Cardinals in 2002, becoming the first Japanese-born player in the team history. His home run off Mets closer Billy Wagner in the ninth inning of the 2006 National League Championship Series was a great moment in St. Louis' run to the World Series.

Taguchi joined the Phillies in 2008 and earned his second World Series ring. He appeared in six games with the Cubs last year after spending most of the season in the Minor Leagues. It seems that we will not see him playing in his mlb jersey for a long time.

Walker joins Nationals with one-year deal

The Nationals has signed Tyler Walker with a free-agent reliever to a one-year, $650,000 contract. Walker is expected to be part of the relief corps, which includes Brian Bruney, Matt Capps and Eddie Guardado. He is coming off one of his better seasons, going 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 32 games in the phillies jersey. The seven-year veteran has played with the Mets, Giants and Rays.

Originally drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Walker is good at pitching on back-to-back days, having done this 69 times in his career. In order to put Walker on the 40-man roster, the Nats designated Marco Estrada for assignment. Estrada appeared in four games this past season and gave up five runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Nationals sign Miguel Batista

The Nationals have signed right-hander Miguel Batista to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Batista could be both a starter and a reliever. Last year he served as a reliever for the Mariners, going 7-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 56 games.Known as a poet and novelist, Batista has played in the big leagues for 15 seasons, going a combined 95-108 with a 4.54 ERA for eight teams.

He also has a history with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, as they worked together when they were in the Diamondbacks. Rizzo was the team's scouting director, and Batista was a starter. They were with Arizona when the team won its only World Series in 2001. Let us put on nationals jerseys and support him.

Travis Zajac will appear on NHL Live

New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac will be among the guests on Thursday's edition of NHL Live! on NHL Network and NHL.com and broadcast on XM Radio. NHL Live! is broadcast from the NHL Store Powered By Reebok in New York.

Also scheduled to appear to speak with co-hosts Deb Placey and E.J. Hradek are NHL television analyst Mike Milbury, CBC analyst and former NHL goaltender Glenn Healy, and San Jose Sharks TV broadcaster Drew Remenda. The Sharks host Chicago in a showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference. Put on your nhl jerseys and support them!

Astros' Paul feels good after Haiti earthquake

Dieudone Paul, a left-handed pitcher in the Astros' system who was born in Haiti, was in the Dominican Republic with his family and was unharmed during the earthquake. Houston assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said coordinator of player development Allen Rowin contacted Paul on Thursday and was informed his family was unharmed. Paul was signed in June and posted a 1.65 ERA for the Dominican Summer League Astros last year. "He is lucky, obviously, because his family is safe and sound," Bennett said. "It was difficult to find out because of the lack of communication. But the staff located him and he talked with his family and he was fine."

Commissioner Bud Selig announced that MLB has pledged an immediate donation of $1 million to support earthquake relief. The donations are aiding victims by providing necessary supplies to assist with recovery efforts, including clean water and sanitation, medical supplies and temporary shelter. This piece of news will comfort Paul's fans and they will see him playing in his astros jersey sooner or lanter.

Yankees donate $500K to Haiti relief

It is announced that the Yankees donated $500,000 in support of rescue and relief efforts following the tragic earthquake in Haiti.The earthquake measured a 7.0 on the Richter scale and the International Red Cross says a third of Haiti's 9 million people may need emergency help.

"The catastrophic event has devastated an entire nation and will have far-reaching effects in the worldwide Haitian community," the Yankees said in a statement. "The Yankees hope their donation will inspire people throughout the United States to do everything they can to aid the people of Haiti in their time of need."