(Baseball)
...A historical night in baseball, the final All-Star Game at Yankees Stadium. The House that Ruth built, opened in 1923, has been the sight of baseball history thru the Years. The Bambino, the Sultan of Swat. Lou Gehrig's farewell speech 'the luckiest man in the world'. Mickey Mantle's mammoth blasts. Roger Maris 61st home run. Reggie Jackson's 3-home run game. Don Larsen's World Series perfect game. Billy Martin's dugout fight. George Steinbrenner's tantrums. The George Brett Pine Tar Game. The 9/11-Civic Celebration. Where the Pope celebrated Catholic Mass. Where Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmelling. Where Notre Dame's Knute Rockne gave his 'Win 1-for the Gipper! Speech. Where the Colts beat the Giants in the sudden death overtime NFL-Championship game. Yankees Stadium is in the spotlight tonite. And where 90-year old PA-announcer Bob Sheppard worked. It is a Cathedral to baseball.
...Indians lefthander Cliff Lee (12-2) starts against Milwaukee's (10-2) righthander Ben Sheets tonite. The American League is unbeaten in the last 11-games in the Mid-Summer Classic. The American League is led by Texas power hitting outfielders Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley, and Yankees stars Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. The National League lineup is paced by 25-home run hitting Phillies star Chase Utley, Cubs rookie Kos Fukudome, and sluggers Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman and .376-hitting Chipper Jones of Atlanta.
...Baseball is still talking about last nites 28-home run blasts by Josh Hamilton in the Home Run Derby contest, that included 3-that went over 500-feet including a 518-foot bomb.
...Commissioner Bud Selig says not 1-club has talked to him about Barry Bond's status, amidst feelings Bonds is being blackballed for the Balco case. Selig says he has softened his stance on instant replay and thinks it might be used next year. He says he expects a report on the Maple-Ash broken bat controversy and its dangers in the next 30-days.
...Angels relief ace Frankie Rodriguez, with 38-saves, says the club had 6-years to sign him and he will test free-agency this fall; The Halos rejected a 3-year 60-million contract demand from K-Rod.
...Controversial player agent Scott Boras says the Government of the Dominican Republic must crack down on street agents, who are stealing signing bonus money from Caribbean teenagers signing pro contracts. He says some of those agents are taking 40-percent of the players bonus money.
...The Alex Rodriguez divorce story will not go away. Lawyers for his estranged wife have now charged A-Rod hired investigators to wire tap Cynthia's phone calls and video taped her when she was going out of town. She is suing him for 250-million dollars in damages for being addicted to adultery.
...The Cincinnati Reds are the latest team to leave the Grapefruit Circuit for spring training. They are signing a 20-year lease to move from Sarasota, Florida to Goodyear, Arizona next year.
...The Dodgers will join the White Sox in a new Cactus League complex after pulling out of Vero Beach.
...Bad news for the Yankees; Hidecki Matsui had more knee pains today and cut short batting practice workouts; Johnny Damon, with a bruised shoulder, had more discomfort also.
...Dave Ricketts, a 1950s catcher with the Cardinals and Pirates, has passed away from cancer at the age of 73. He was also a basketball star at Duquesne University.
...A sad note in the newspaper business. Matt McHale, who covered the Dodgers and Angels, has passed away from diabetes and heart problems at the age of 50. He worked for the LA Daily News, but had been bed-ridden for a year in Connecticut. .
(Football)
...Brett Favre continued his attacks on Packers GM-Ted Thompson, calling him dishonest. Favre said he offered to take a paycut so Green Bay could sign Randy Moss, and could also keep free-agent offensive lineman Marco Rivera and Mark Wahle. Thompson had told the Green Bay media the team had no cap space, when Favre said he had agreed to defer a lot of money to make the deals happen.
...The Favre story would take a strange turn Saturday. The quarterback is scheduled to introduce Frank Winters at a Green Bay dinner for induction into the Packers Hall of Fame.
...The Packers have rejected a request from Agent Bus Cook, who wants to shop Favre around in a possible trade. Green Bay says it will pick the teams Favre might be traded too, including Kansas City, Baltimore and other AFC-teams.
...Favre said today he may call the Packers bluff, and report to training camp, and force his way back onto the roster.
...Peyton Manning has undergone emergency knee surgery for an infected bursa sack in his left knee and will miss 4-weeks of camp.
...The Chicago Bears have signed ex-Lions running back Kevin Jones to a free-agent deal
...Albert Haynesworth failed to sign a multi year contract today with the Tennessee Titans, and will play this year on a 1-year deal worth 7-million dollars, then become a free-agent next year.
...Raiders corner Nahmdi Asomugha did not sign a multi year deal today and will play out his option this season.
...Dallas took safety Ken Hamlin off the free-agent market, signing him to a 6-year 39-million dollar deal with a 15-million bonus.
...A Las Vegas judge refused to reduce the 1-million dollar bail on Deshawn Thomas, a 5-time convicted felon, who is charged with the pistol whipping robbery and kidnapping of Raiders receiver Javon Walker.
...The NFL suspended Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Derrion Scott, found guilty of endangering the health of his 2-year old son, by putting a plastic bag over the babies face.
...Fred Dean, an original San Diego Chargers pass rusher, who built a Hall of Fame career when he was traded to the 49ers, was named to the Chargers Hall of Fame today.
...In college football San Diego State has lost 1-offensive lineman and picked up another. XTRA Sports has confirmed that 6-2, 290-pound Hawaii offensive tackle Travis Campbell has begun filling out paperwork to transfer into the Aztecs program from Hawaii. He will have 3-years of eligibility left. SDSU apparently will not get Louisville offensive tackle CJ Millenbah, who is still at Grossmont College, and will not meet initial academic requirements to transfer in.
...Colorado's top recruit, Ventura Bonaventure running back Darrell Scott has passed his test scores and core courses, and has arrived for 2nd term summer school classes at CU.
...Notre Dame has called a press conference and will likely name Indianapolis lawyer Jack Swarbrick as its new AD, replacing Kevin White, who went to Duke.
(Basketball)
...Ron Artest, due to make 7-million this season, who refused to opt-out of his contract in June, has now asked the Sacramento Kings to trade him; he wants to go to the Lakers.
...Boston Celtics doctors say Paul Pierce has minor cartilage damage, but does not need knee surgery.
...Lakers reserve forward Luke Walton will have bone spur surgery on his ankle on Friday.
...The Orlando Magic have signed Sacramento Kings free-agent guard Anthony Johnson.
...Syracuse rookie Dontae Green, the top draft pick of the Houston Rockets, scored 40-points last nite in his lst Summer League game.
...Knicks lst round pick Dino Gallinari of Italy, was held scoreless in the lst half, but scored 14-points in l-quarter in his debut.
...Minnesota's Kevin Love picked up 4-fouls in 2-minutes but then scored 18-points and pulled down 13-rebounds in his lst game.
...Phoenix top pick Robinson Lopez had a 19-point effort in 27-minutes.
...Portland rookie Jerryd Bayless scored 28-in his lst game.
...Billy Packer, let go by CBS from its NCAA-boradcast team yesterday, retired today from the ACC-package, saying he was going to concentrate on his building business in North Carolina. He worked college games for 27-years. The outspoken Packer outraged mid-major schools by saying the likes of George Mason did not belong in the tourney. Al McGuire said there were two types of people in basketball; those who disliked Packer and those who really disliked him. Packer-Al McGuire and **** Enberg formed college basketball's first big time TV-broadcast team.
(Hockey)
...The Vancouver Canucks have offered Maple Leafs star Mats Sundin a 2-year 20-million dollar free-agent contract.
...Former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery, who signed to play in Russia, denied today he has a drug problem, that led to his ouster from the Senators.
...A Michigan bank sued Sergei Fedorov of the Washington Caps, for defaulting on a 2-million dollar loan.
...Dallas Drake, who spent 16-years in the NHL, retired from the Red Wings today.
...The Columbus Blue Jackets have dealt checking winger Joakim Lindstrom to the Ducks for a draft pick
...The New York Rangers traded tough guy winger Ryan Hollweg to Toronto for a draft pick.
...The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they will tear down the historic Spectrum, built in 1967. It housed Fred Shero's Broad Street Bullies and Dr-J and the 76ers of the NBA.
...A bitter Ted Nolan was escorted from the New York Islanders offices after a confrontation with GM-Garth Snow after being fired as coach yesterday.
(Golf)
...Practice rounds today at the British Open. Windy, parched grass-dry conditions greeted golfers. The lst round is Thursday morning.
...Paul Tracey, who lost his Indy car ride when Forsythe Racing refused to take part in the merger with the IRL, has signed a deal to drive for Vision Racing starting this weekend in Edmonton.
...Forsythe Racing has announced it will finance an Indy Light Series team next year for developmental drivers in the IRL.
...Casey Mears, just bounced from his Rick Hendrick-NASCAR ride, may sign with Team Penske, replacing Ryan Newman, who is leaving.
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...Today was an off-day in the Tour-de-France. Cadel Evans has just a 1-second lead as they head out on a 104-mile sprint race coming out of the Pyrenees tomorrow.
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