On the same day that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were tied to that infamous 2003 MLB drug test, Oakland A's infielder Nomar Garciaparra said that several players declined to participate and asked that they be put down as testing positive.
He claims to know players who took this route because they wanted steroids testing -- including several members of the White Sox. Garciaparra admits that he doesn't know if players were forced to take the test or not.
Of all of the things you thought you'd never see, a nude photograph of baseball great Joe DiMaggio probably belongs near the top of the list. He was a very private person and besides, how do I put this, who would really want or need to see that?
A few months back, when I was less mature than I am currently, it was commonplace to have a little fun with the slugs on the AP News Wire. Indiana-Jones and Walrus-Suit were just two examples of the sometimes wildly misleading titles we are forced to sift through. Today, we have another.
BC-BBA-Angels-Outfield,0397Angels Guerrero, Hunter closer to return to action 2010 sptd/dfeinberg fasst385 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Ñ The Los Angeles Angels are getting closer to having Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter back in their lineup. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Friday that both Guerrero and Hunter are making good progress and that it is possible that both could be playing as soon as next week. ÒVlad ran the bases today and that was a huge step for him and Torii went through some agility drills and hit,Ó Scioscia said prior to his teamÕs game at Minnesota. ÒVlad has made a lot of progress in the last four, five days. HeÕs getting close.
***
"Angels in the Outfield," for those of you have forgotten, was the feel-good story of a down-on-his-luck youngster and the sudden interest angels took in the then-California Angels' pennant chances. It starred Christopher Lloyd, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt and featured brilliant work from Tony Danza, who played a pitcher in the twilight of his career.
No one is going to accuse A.J. Pierzynski and Jim Thome of being too fleet of foot. Read: these dudes are slow.
But the catcher and designated hitter used their brains and what speed they have to scratch out a crucial run for the White Sox in the seventh inning of their dramatic 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees.
Thome led off the inning with a dribbler up the first-base line that Yankees starting pitcher Andy Petitte was unable to corral, and raced up the line to get on base -- like any good leadoff hitter would do. Pierzynski followed with a sharp liner to that glanced off Alex Rodriguez's glove and into left field for a single. The duo was still on first and second respectively when Carlos Quentin hit what looked to be an inning-ending double play ball to Rodriguez.
But, if there's one thing we know about Pierzynski, it's that he loves making his presence known.
Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin would like a do-over. Or us to not print him verbatim.
He has a good reason for both these wishes.
McMackin, speaking at the Western Athletic Conference's annual
football media preview on Thursday morning, said the teams gathered the
night before the game for a banquet when Irish coach Charlie Weis
introduced the players and a ritual they do.
"I know most
of the coaches in the country are rooting for us to beat Notre Dame,"
McMackin said. "Charlie gives this talk, 'We do something special at
Notre Dame,' and (the players) get up and they do this little cheer ...
this little faggot dance."
Perhaps realizing the consequences of broadcasting that slur in front of rolling tape recorders and WAC commissioner Karl Benson, McMackin asked that reporters not report on his comments.
"Don't write that 'faggot' down. I was misquoted," he said. "Just
please ... cover for me," McMackin said. "Go ahead, say 'faggot dance.'
No. Please cover for me on that, too -- right Karl? I'll deny it.
Anything else?"
Kevin Hart had just picked up his third consecutive win for the Cubs by limiting the Houston Astros to three runs in six innings. The 12-3 victory has put the 26-year-old right-hander's team eight games above .500 and in a first-place tie with St. Louis.
About twenty minutes after the final out was recorded, a gaggle of media surrounded him in the clubhouse as he packed his bags. But, unlike the rest of the Cubs, he wasn't off to catch the team flight to Miami.
He was off to join the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player trade that will being left-handed pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to the North Side. Hart, relief pitcher Jose Ascaino and minor-league infielder Josh Harrison are headed to the Pirates organization.
So, there was Hart, explaining he had no idea anything like this was coming. Trying to wrap his mind around it.
When we in the media are feeling particularly lazy, we simply forgo all the formal trappings of complete sentences and throw lists at you. It's quick, it's easy and it makes us feel like we're doing math -- something most writers aren't so hot at.
As you might guess, Michael Vick is No. 1. Manny Ramirez, who earlier today made news for allegedly being on that 2003 steroids list, wins the not-coveted prize of second-most hated player in sports.
Here's the complete rundown:
1. Michael Vick 2. Manny Ramirez 3. Alex Rodriguez 4. Terrell Owens 5. Kobe Bryant 6. Allen Iverson 7. Isiah Thomas 8. Stephon Marbury 9. Nick Saban 10. John McEnroe
Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz teamed up to win the World Series in 2004 and 2007, but they're now tied together as part of a group no ballplayer wants to be a part of.
Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the sluggers who propelled the Boston Red Sox
to end an 86-year World Series championship drought and to capture
another title three years later, were among the roughly 100 Major
League Baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing
drugs in 2003, according to lawyers with knowledge of the results.
The list, which was supposed to remain confidential, is the same one that caused all that trouble for Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa earlier this year.
"Nobody cheated," a source close to the couple says. "This is just a case of conflicting schedules and their lives going in different directions.
The ridiculously good-looking celebrity couple began dating in April 2007 and earlier this year appeared in a GQ photo spread that generated a good deal of page views for us. Thanks for that, guys.
Nate Montana, who for some reason decided to become a quarterback, has left Notre Dame to attend Pasadena City College. The freshman had planned on walking on at the school -- a move that would make a perfect plot for a feel-good movie, coincidentally -- but is now opting to get some actual field experience.
A spokesman for the team said the move was not grade or discipline-related. Montana is expected to come back to South Bend for the spring semester.
By definition, Thursday was a perfect day for White Sox fans.
Some 48 hours later, you've probably fully digested the Mark Buehrle perfect game by clipping out copious amounts of newspaper articles, buying a No. 56 jersey and watching thousands of replays of the immortal Dewayne Wise catch. For our part, we in the media have peppered you with all of the angles, story lines and pageantry from that glorious afternoon. But, it seems one Washington Times writer wants to find a dark gray cloud in all of the silver linings.
Dick Heller, opining in an article titled "In Chicago, the dumb keep getting dumber," takes a White Sox fan to task for almost interfering with Wise as he made his spectacular catch. If I've learned one thing, it's that South Side supporters don't take too kindly to being compared to Cub fans.
If I know two things, they are these: people love baseball and people love robots. So, why then has it taken so long for mankind to bring these two together? Seems like this should have been Job No. 1.
The pitching robot, with its three-fingered hand,
can throw 90 percent of its pitches in the strike zone, won't need any
relief from the bullpen and never asks for a pay rise.
The
batting robot, which has a sensor to determine if pitches are strikes
or balls, hits balls in the strike zone almost 100 percent of the time,
doesn't swing at pitches outside the strike zone, and is guaranteed to
pass all drug tests.
Sadly, these machines do not look like humans, so it appears Albert Pujols' nickname is safe for now.
Any equally nerdy '80s baby may recall the video game that first put this idea in our young minds -- Super Baseball 2020. Now, excuse me while I make an eBay purchase...
It looked like Mark Buehrle was going to fall three outs shy of
perfection when Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Gabe Kapler blasted a ball
to deep left center to lead off the ninth inning. But, it turns out a
Wise defensive decision by manager Ozzie Guillen saved the day and
preserved just the 18th perfect game in major league history.
Dewayne
Wise, who had just taken over in center field for Scott Podsednik, made
one of the most spectacular and meaningful catches in White Sox history
-- a wall-crashing, ball-juggling masterpiece destined for endless
replay to keep the game blemish-free.
"It's probably the best catch I ever made because of the meaning of the game," Wise said.
All those who weren't sure if he was going to hang on are in good company. He wasn't so sure either.
Taylor Mattingly, the son of legendary Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, was arrested in Indiana after allegedly assaulting his mother and spitting on her.
Mattingly told investigators he was upset at an insulting text message
by his mother, Kim Mattingly, and admitted "he snapped, pushed Kim down
and spit on her," deputy Nathan Espenlaub wrote in his affidavit. Kim
Mattingly said her son was arguing about problems he encountered trying
to trade in a car and her recent decision to cancel the cable TV at the
ranch he was staying in, The Courier & Press reported. About 15
minutes after the service was cut, the affidavit said, Taylor Mattingly
arrived at his mother's home. The two began to argue, according to The
AP.
The younger Mattingly is not as gifted on the baseball diamond as his father, but did manage to play one year of Rookie ball for the Yankees organization. Don is the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and split with Kim in 2007.
To be fair to the Bucs, LaRoche is pulling in just over $7 million this season and will be a free agent after the year. They weren't expected to court him in the offseason.
The left-handed hitter was leading the Pirates with 12 home runs and 40 RBI and will join former teammate Jason Bay out in Boston.
Earlier this season, the Pirates dealt All-Star-caliber center fielder Nate McLouth and up-and-coming speedster Nyjer Morgan.
If you've ever been about three bags of Gardetto's snack mix and seven Coors Lights deep on a fall Sunday and thought, 'You know, I love football, but wouldn't it be better if we could somehow get J-Lo more involved,' then your day has come.
The
Latin pop star, who is married to actor-singer Jennifer Lopez, joins
Gloria Estefan as a minority owner of the Dolphins. Jimmy Buffett has
resisted the efforts of Ross to join the ownership team, but will play two concerts this year at the newly christened LandShark Stadium, named after his signature beer.
You and your hot garbage smells, your abbreviated neighborhood names and your willingness to tell me to hustle it up when I'm in your way at a subway station.
You're one hell of a city and one hell of a baseball town.
My four-day jaunt out to the land of Bloomberg and overpriced street hot dogs wasn't work-related, but the amount of time spent discussing sports with strangers would suggest otherwise. It seemed every other person wanted to discuss the Mets injuries or the grandeur of Mark Teixiera with me, a simple corn-fed Midwesterner.
What a world.
But for all the talking, it was a moment of awed silence that made the loudest statement.
Former Bulls great Scottie Pippen was on hand at a Gatorade event on the South Side this afternoon that commemorated Michael Jordan's upcoming induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Pippen, along with former Bulls center Bill Wennington and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee helped build an enormous piece of street art constructed with 19,000 bottles of the new Limited Edition Jordan Series of Gatorade Thirst Quencher.
The piece will light up and be part of an upcoming add for the thirst-quenching giant that got that "Be Like Mike" song stuck in our heads permanently. Passerbys and the rush-hour commuters were privy to quite a scene as one former great paid homage to another at a neighborhood basketball court.
Pippen was gracious enough to take a few minutes to speak with us about the man all of the hubbub was about.
It was a move that literally came out of left field.
There was
Cubs manager Lou Piniella, in what looked to be a very public call-out
of left fielder Alfonso Soriano, replacing the struggling veteran in
the field with pitcher Sean Marshall.
With the bases loaded and
no one out in the ninth inning-- and before Marshall could throw a
pitch to Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan -- Piniella strolled out of
the dugout and sent the left-handed hurler out to left and Soriano out
of the game. Aaron Heilman came on to relieve Marshall on the mound.
It was confusing. And uniquely exciting.
One
can't blame home plate umpire Marvin Hudson for taking a little longer
than usual to make sure of exactly what kind of double-switch the home
team was pulling. For the sake of expedience, Piniella looked to write
it down for him, taking the ump's cheat sheet and showing him he was
serious about the switcheroo.
A little while back, WGN sports anchor Pat Tomasulo was the subject of much Internet vitriol after his thunderous dunk on a toddler. Well, either the thunderous dunk or the subsequent trash talk that sent the youngster running back to his mother for comfort.
Amidst that firestorm, only one Chicago-based sports and pop culture blog run by two guys whose names start with "K" had the courage to stand up and come to Tomasulo's defense. He must have noticed, because this morning we got an e-mail from him tipping us of to this little gem that won't anger any rugrats, but may spark some trouble for cabbies.
Tomasulo. So edgy right now.
As someone who shares this pet peeve, I couldn't help but enjoy it. I think we're all at the point where we understand that you just raise your hand if you need to hail a cab. So why then all the honking?
The New York Mets' Alex Cora almost cemented himself as the least-favorite baseball player in the males aging from 12-112 demographic when a foul ball off his bat hit ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews in the chin.
Andrews, who is responsible for most of, if not all, our site traffic was rushed to the hospital. But, before you wring your hands in nervousness and light any more candles in your Andrews-themed shrine, rest assured she is OK.
Deadspin just updated with a release from the Bristol-based sports and entertainment network:
"She's totally fine. The producers on site suggested she go to the
hospital as a precaution. Doctors released her soon thereafter. She
flew home as scheduled and is looking forward to working MLB All-Star
events and the ESPYs in the coming week."
Let's all breathe a great, deep sigh of relief. We'd be lost without you, Erin. Totally.
Down by seven runs in the third inning and on the last
getaway day of the season's first half, it would have been easy for the
White Sox offense to pack it in. But, fueled by a career day from White
Sox second baseman Chris Getz, they scraped and clawed their way back
into the game before falling short in a 10-8 loss to the Cleveland
Indians.
Getz collected a career-high four hits in the game and also reached
base on a walk while driving in two runs and scoring another. Afterward, he was more than ready to talk about the competitive spark
the Sox displayed -- despite the loss.
"We were down 9-2, there's probably teams that would have just packed
it in," he said. "We kept on going at it. It just shows a lot that we
had the courage to keep on fighting."
Some people really took the news of pop superstar Michael Jackson's passing hard. Rehabbing White Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon may be one of those individuals, according to the always affable Ozzie Guillen.
Guillen joked that Colon -- known around the White Sox clubhouse for
being a huge Michael Jackson fan -- might have been consumed in
watching the memorial service for the pop star and skipped his
scheduled flight to North Carolina.
"I think Colon disappeared," Guillen said. "I think immigration is
looking for him. I worry about Colon because Colon was a big-time
Michael Jackson fan. He might see the TV and cry all day long. He maybe
is in L.A. at his funeral, because I can't find him.
"Nobody knows how big of a Michael Jackson fan Colon was. I'm serious. He might be depressed a little bit."
Jokes aside, the unknown whereabouts of Colon could become something of a non-laughing matter if the former Cy Young winner isn't at a specific place within 24 hours.
The filing, which was done on July 7, claims that Dykstra has no more than $50,000 in assets and between $10 and $50 million worth of liabilities.
I'm not a mathematician, but that doesn't sound like a good combination.
Dykstra hit .281 in a 12-year pro career, helping the New York Mets win the 1986 World Series and finished second in the 1993 National League MVP voting while with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Cubs' 81st game of the season saw them score just one run on seven
hits, an all-too accurate microcosm of a first half that has seen the
offense struggle to find its bearings.
It also saw them lose 2-1, wasting a strong outing from a starting pitcher.
It's become a familiar refrain, this out of tune Cub offense.
Coming off a 97-win season, few would have predicted the ballclub would
find itself near the bottom of the National League in the imperative
hitting statistics. And manager Lou Piniella isn't happy about it.
"We've got to hit," he said. "Fifteenth in the league in runs scored isn't going to get it done. Period."
"We can mask this any way we want to mask it, but we've got to start scoring more runs more consistently to win baseball games."
Indiana University fans won't be too happy to hear this, but now Xavier transfer play Jordan Crawford apparently took LeBron James to the hole ... hard ... during James' skills camp this week.
Crawford, who transferred out of the Kelvin Sampson mess at IU in 2007 and is eligible to play for the Musketeers this season, is serving as a counselor for LeBron's Skills Academy in hometown Akron. Apparently the Xavier 6-4 guard was manning up in a little pick-up game against the 6-8 Cleveland Cavaliers star and jammed on him - two-handed and with authority, according to witnesses.
We'll have to take the withness account for it as LeBron apparently had a little chat with Nike Senior Basketball Director Lynn Merritt right after the dunk and Merrit talked to several courtside cameramen who suddenly were unable to post any video of the play.
Slam Online has a diary running from high school baller Dwight Powell, an attendee at the camp, who tells it like this:
The final thing that we had today was the college scrimmage. While we were still playing, they showed up and started warming up to hit the floor as soon as we finished.
They were split into teams, and LeBron had his own team. In all the college player's eyes, I could see a little fire burning, with all of them itching to show what they have against arguably the best player in the world. One player in particular definitely left their mark in Jordan Crawford of Xavier. On an inbounds play, The King was a step slow, and Crawford put a two-hand dunk on him.
I was shocked, but nothing will change my opinion of King James. Jordan Crawford on the other hand has some bounce!
No word on whether King James offered a handshake after the game.
If you've ever been watching Yankees catcher Jorge Posada or Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels and wondered what their home lives are all about, E! television will satisfy your needs tonight in the form of "True Hollywood Stroy: Baseball Wives."
The New York Daily News has an interview with Posada's better half, Laura, who is a law-school graduate and up-and-coming author.
"People think that just because you're married to a baseball player,
that you're dumb, that you're a gold digger, that you're an
ex-stripper," says Laura. "That's not the way it is. I still haven't
met that one girl. Most of the girls that I know, that are baseball
wives, are super sweet girls. They're successful in their own right. I
really hope that after people see this show, they realize that there's
a lot more than just what people think baseball wives are."
I'm not 100 percent sure that everyone had that preconceived notion, but apparently this show is here to dispel this school of thought.
Figure skater Nicole Bobek, who won the 1995 U.S. figure skating title while under a two-year probation for a felony charge, was arraigned Monday in a New Jersey court for allegedly playing a vital part in a drug ring that distributed methamphetamine. She faces up to 10 years if convicted.
Bobek finished 17th at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.
The Los Angeles Times has a rundown of Bobek's run-ins with the law and her ex-coaches, painting a sad portrait of one of the most talented skaters in the sport during the last 20 years.
in the wake of this weekend's tragic news about the death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, it seems there have been more questions than answers about the horrific event. As details came in, the story gets more and more bizarre, but certainly not any less sad.
Nashville police are now saying that McNair had been dating Sahel Kazemi, the woman who was found dead next to him, for a couple of months despite the fact that he is married. Authorities have ruled McNair's death as a homicide, but are not ruling on Kazemi's death as of yet.
The Tennessean has wall-to-wall coverage on this developing story, one that seems to get more and more confusing by the moment. Police say it may be several days before they definitively determine exactly what happened.
In the meantime, we're left with impassioned statements from Kazemi's family that she was incapable of hurting anyone and a somewhat chilling quote that the 20-year-olds greatest aspiration was to be famous -- something she certainly is now.
Rasheed Wallace is on his way to the Boston Celtics, according to a report from the Boston Herald.
The three-point shot and ball-telling-the-truth enthusiast has agreed to a two-year deal, which he can't sign officially until Wednesday.
Wallace averaged 12 points a game for the Detroit Pistons in a season that saw the franchise fall short of the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in seven years.
The North Carolina product was instrumental in the 2004 NBA championship, coming over mid-season in a deal that paired him with then-dominated Ben Wallace in the front court.
Because I'm begrudgingly tapped into the Pistons fan base, I can say that Wallace was a polarizing figure. It seemed everyone had a strong opinion about him. Some saw him as an energetic, versatile team leader while others thought his on-court theatrics were a detriment to the team.
Regardless of the differing opinions, his ability to defend in the post and hit the outside jumper should give the Celtics an added dimension to play off an already strong core of battle-tested veterans.
The rosters for the 80th All-Star Game, taking place July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, will be unveiled on TBS Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, but that's really just the beginning of the fun. Every year, there are deserving players left off the teams and some questionable nods given to players who probably don't deserve the honor.
Here are the latest leaders:
American League: 1B: Kevin Youklis, Red Sox 2B: Ian Kinsler, Rangers 3B: Evan Longoria, Rays SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees C: Joe Mauer, Twins OF: Jason Bay, Red Sox; Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners; Josh Hamilton, Rangers
National League: 1B: Albert Pujols, Cardinals 2B: Chase Utley, Phillies 3B: David Wright, Mets SS: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals OF: Raul Ibanez, Phillies; Ryan Braun, Brewers; Carlos Beltran, Mets
Shooting-under-par and domination enthusiast Tiger Woods teed off against the New York Yankees and the eye-popping ticket prices at the new Yankee Stadium Friday, saying that he doesn't want golf to be accessible to only the financially fortunate.
"We don't want to have what happened at Yankee Stadium," Woods said. "Tickets are so overpriced that you can't bring the family. We want to have everyone come out and enjoy being in a family atmosphere, walk around, have a good time and not have it cost an arm and a leg."
Add: "Champion of the common fan" to his already full mantle. Tiger Woods calls foul on Yankees for cost of seats at new Stadium (NY Daily News)
As sports fans, we've become accustomed to a franchise retiring a player's number when that athlete has a profound impact on the organization and their city as a whole. Visit any stadium or arena around this country and you'll seen these tributes proudly displayed in the form of monuments, shrines or banners hanging from the rafters.
It wasn't always like this.
Lou Gehrig, the incomparable Yankees slugger who set the benchmark for durability while turning in a Hall of Fame career, was the first to have his number permanently retired by his team.
Heavily courted free agent Hedo Turkoglu has apparently backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and intends on signing with the Toronto Raptors, a source told Yahoo! Sports.
Turkoglu, who shined for the Orlando Magic during the NBA playoffs, had agreed to a five-year, $50 million deal with Portland but has broken off talks with the franchise.
A source says Turkoglu's wife wanted badly to live in Toronto, a far more European-style city, and that's where it appears the Turkish native is headed. The Raptors have embraced the Euro game under GM Bryan Colangelo, building a roster that includes Euro talents Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani.
Because we live in America --and more importantly -- because someone signed off on the whole idea, three elephants were pitted against three human beings in a bun-eating competition today at Brooklyn's Coney Island.
As you'd expect, the elephants crushed their competition, collectively eating 505 hot dog buns in six minutes compared to a palty 143 total racked up by the homo sapiens.
While this event lacks the gravitas of tomorrow's human vs. human competition, it did make for some compelling, if not slightly awkward footage on the local news.
The high-profile representative who has a long history of creative maneuvering when it comes to the MLB draft, is floating the possibility that wunderkind and top overall pick Stephen Strasburg could play professionally in Japan if he's not paid in line with what Boras thinks he's worth.
His asking price is believed to be around $50 million -- as opposed
to within the parameters of the current system, in which no player has
ever received more than $10.5 million.
Even before talks began with the Washington Nationals, who made
Strasburg the first overall pick June 9, Boras was dropping hints
privately that he is preparing to explore a new frontier in his ongoing
draft-busting crusade: Japan.
Such a ploy, were Boras to go in that direction, could involve a
variety of issues, from the complex relationship between Major League
Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, the residency
requirements of both countries and, of course, the Major League Rules.
The Washington Post article examines some of the gray areas of the rule book that are being tested by Boras and Major League Baseball's reaction to it. Definitly a worthwhile read if you're interested in baseball and law and money and international intrigue -- which I think deep down, we all are.
Competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti is talking to me about complexities surrounding the sports. He's telling me how heat and humidity can cause a hot dog frank to expand and contract. He's describing how not everyone's mandibles work in the same way and comparing the competitive eating circuit to Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."
He's telling me about how there are spots open to amateurs at any of the events sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. And I'm beginning to think that this face-stuffing jamboree is something I could do.
Then, he starts throwing otherworldly numbers out there that bringing me back to Earth.
Say what you want about the WNBA, but it's uniquely absent of high-profile cases of its athletes becoming embroiled in legal troubles.
Well, usually.
Phoenix Mercury guard and UCONN great Diana Taurasi was cited for drunk driving early this morning, just hours after her team took it to the Seattle Storm.
Phoenix police spokesman Luis Samudio says an officer stopped Taurasi
at about 2:30 Thursday morning for allegedly speeding. A police
statement says the officer smelled alcohol and gave her several field
sobriety tests.
Taurasi was then driven to a mobile DUI van where
she gave a blood sample, then was cited and released. Authorities did
not know her blood alcohol content.
Taurasi is the leading vote-getter in WNBA All-Star voting.
Phoenix police: Mercury's Taurasi cited for DUI (AP)
Sam Fuld was right in the middle of the Cubs' offensive attack on Thursday night. (AP)
Cub manager Lou Piniella's decision to give left fielder Alfonso Soriano a rest for the second straight night may have raised a few eyebrows before Thursday's game, but the man who replaced him in the order may have raised even more with his stellar play.
Sam Fuld, the 27-year-old outfielder who collected his first two major-league hits on Wednesday night, kick-started the Cubs offense on Thursday by working a nine-pitch walk off of Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Seth McClung. Ryan Theriot followed with a single and Derrek Lee and Jake Fox each connected on tape-measure home runs to the left-field bleachers, giving the hosts quick 4-0 lead in the first of four crucial games at home against NL Central leaders.
"It's pretty simple," Fuld said before the game when asked about his
role as leadoff hitter. "Get on base. I'm not trying to hit too many
home runs. I just try to set the table for the middle of the order and
[get on base] however I can."
New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace has been suspended four games by the NFL for violating the NFL Policy on Performing Enhancing Substances.
Pace is still eligible to practice with his teammates and play in pre-season games, but won't be allowed to play in a regular-season game until after Oct. 4.
The 6-foot-4, 270 pounder racked up a career-high seven sacks last season and had this to say about his current situation:
"This is a situation that resulted from an over-the-counter dietary
supplement that contained a substance that I did not know violated the
league's policy," Pace said in a statement. "I am responsible for what
I put into my body and I should have paid closer attention to the
league's guidelines. I regret that this has happened and apologize to
my teammates, the entire Jets organization as well as the fans.
Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the
Super Bowl."
NFL Suspends LB Calvin Pace for 4 Games (New York Jets)
Leyritz has been charged with domestic battery after
police responded to his Davie home early this morning after receiving
reports he had allegedly battered ex-wife Karrie, according to a police
report from the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
According to the report, Leyritz attacked Karrie after the two had a dispute over money related to child support.
Leyritz denies attacking his ex-wife, instead claiming that she intentionally injured herself to blame it on him.
The former utility man is awaiting trial on DUI manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal 2007 crash in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Ex-Yankees Slugger Allegedly Takes Swing at Ex-Wife (NBC Miami)
Donte' Stallworth, who is currently serving his 30-day sentence for DUI manslaughter, apparently also tested positive for marijuana use after the crash that killed Mario Reyes in March 14.
The wide receiver's blood-alcohol level was .126, well above the legal limit.
Stallworth's test results, which have yet to be
released, showed traces of marijuana, according to sources with
knowledge of the results.
In 2007, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Stallworth was in the NFL's substance abuse program for an unspecified reason.
Donte' Stallworth had marijuana in blood, sources say (Miami Herald)
Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Ramon C. Cortines has been incensed by a photo shoot of Cohen, in his role as
gay Austrian fashionista "Bruno," that appeared in the latest issue of GQ magazine
and on its website. It showed the scantily clad comedian in poses with
the Birmingham football team, including one on top of a player on the
ground.
"I don't believe that there is a place on any high school in
America, including Los Angeles, for photos such as these," Cortines
said in a news release issued by his office.
Cohen, perhaps best known for his portrayal of the wide-eyed Kazakhstan hero Borat, is hoping for similar success with his Bruno character. Bruno already caused a stir at the MTV Movie Awards when Cohen's bare buttocks descended on rapper Eminem in pre-planned stunt.
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On the same day that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were tied to that infamous 2003 MLB drug test, Oakland A's infielder Nomar Garciaparra said that several players declined to participate and asked that they be put down as testing positive.
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