Hall of Famers happy to see Bonds, Clemens denied

NEW YORK (AP) — Nobody was happier about the Hall of Fame shutout than the Hall of Famers themselves.Goose Gossage, Al Kaline, Dennis Eckersley and others are in no rush to open the door to Cooperstown for anyone linked to steroids.Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa: Keep 'em all out of our club."If they let these guys in ever — at any point — it's a big black eye for the Hall and for baseball,"...

Read More..

Baseball-MLB, players agree to expand drug testing

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand their drug program to include random in-season blood testing for human growth hormone and a new test for testosterone, they said on Thursday.The testing will start this season.MLB has been conducting random blood testing for the detection of HGH among minor league players since July 2010.Starting this season, the...

Read More..

RPT-Baseball-MLB, players agree to expand drug testing

(Repeats to widen distribution)Jan 10 (Reuters) - Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand their drug program to include random in-season blood testing for human growth hormone and a new test for testosterone, they said on Thursday.The testing will start this season.MLB has been conducting random blood testing for the detection of HGH among minor league players since July...

Read More..

NFL's Junior Seau had brain disease from blows to head

Qualcomm Stadium to participate in a "Celebration of Life" memorial, held in Seau's …more (Reuters) - Junior Seau, the 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker who killed himself last year, suffered from the same debilitating brain disease diagnosed in at least two other former NFL defensive players who also committed suicide, a study released on Thursday said.Seau, 43, died in May after shooting himself in the...

Read More..

Researchers: NFL's Seau had brain disease

When he ended his life last year by shooting himself in the chest, Junior Seau had a degenerative brain disease often linked with repeated blows to the head.Researchers from the National Institutes of Health said Thursday the former NFL star's abnormalities are consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.The hard-hitting linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and...

Read More..

NFL-Manning puts winning streaks on line against Ravens

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Peyton Manning, who has mounted a remarkable comeback with the Broncos, will be aiming to extend two big winning streaks when Denver hosts the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League playoffs on Saturday.Manning and the Broncos are gunning for their 12th win in a row this season in the divisional round against the Ravens, a team he has beaten nine consecutive times, with...

Read More..

Jets fire offensive coordinator Tony Sparano

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Tony Sparano has been fired as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator after one season in which the offense ranked among the league's worst.Sparano was hired last March to replace Brian Schottenheimer and take over an offense that struggled mightily. Instead, the former Miami Dolphins head coach wasn't able to jumpstart the running game or figure out a way to use Tim Tebow...

Read More..

CORRECTED-Institute of Medicine to study US youth sports concussions

(Corrects first and second paragraphs, headline to show that Institute of Medicine is not part of government)WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The Institute of Medicine launched on Monday a sweeping study of rising sports-related concussions among U.S. youth, amid concerns that the injuries may have contributed to the suicides of professional football players.The Institute, part of the private, non-profit...

Read More..

Institute of Medicine to study U.S. youth sports concussions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Institute of Medicine launched on Monday a sweeping study of rising sports-related concussions among U.S. youth, amid concerns that the injuries may have contributed to the suicides of professional football players.The Institute, part of the private, non-profit National Academies, will probe sports-related concussions in young people from elementary school through early...

Read More..

Questioning Albert Pujols' Age; Injury Bug Strikes NBA Players Abroad

Today in sports: Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is the American League's most value player, an arrest in the stabbing death of Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman, and a tough weekend for NBA players overseas.RELATED: The St. Louis Cardinals Are Cashing In on Their 'Rally Squirrel'Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death early Monday in his home country of the Netherlands....

Read More..

Manny Ramirez Can Even Make Errors While Retiring

The former Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez is seeking to leave Major League Baseball's retirement list, and will try to make a comeback. There is one slight hitch, as NBC Sports reports. Ramirez retired after he tested positive, for the second time, for a banned substance, meaning he would have faced a 100-game suspension. He left baseball rather than...

Read More..

Meet Yu Darvish, the Next Possibly Great Japanese Pitcher

Today in sports: The bidding process for star Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish ends tonight, Browns president Mike Holmgren thinks his training staff is doing a heckuva job, and Chinese soccer struggles to go legit.RELATED: The Republican National Convention, Ryanomics, and K-popHamilton County, Ohio, prosecutor Joseph Deters has decided not to file criminal charges against the players involved in the...

Read More..

Science at the (Baseball) Plate

A critical element in the dissemination of scientific discovery is the preparation of a paper for publication. Strong rules and traditions govern the writing of science for a journal. The tone should be sober and restrained as if emotions and literary flourish do not exist. With "I" or "we" resisted if not banned, passive voice abounds and the text becomes littered by words and phrases "thus," "furthermore,"...

Read More..

UPDATE 1-NBA-Warriors beat Hornets at home to stay hot

Top pick Davis gets 15 points, 16 rebounds* Warriors off to best start since 1991-92Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Golden State Warriors staved off a late fourth-quarter challenge to beat New Orleans Hornets 103-96 for a successful home return on Tuesday.David Lee had 26 points and nine rebounds while Klay Thompson added 19 points as the Warriors triumphed in their first game at Oracle Arena since a recent...

Read More..

Soccer-Corinthians 1 Al-Ahly 0 - Club World Cup result

TOYOTA, Japan, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Corinthians (Brazil) 1 Al-Ahly (Egypt) 0 - result of Wednesday's first semi-final at the FIFA Club World Cup at Toyota Stadium. Goal: Paolo Guerrero 30 Halftime: ...

Read More..

Chelsea are tighter under Benitez, says Cahill

YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Chelsea have become more compact defensively under interim manager Rafael Benitez as they prepare for the soccer Club World Cup in Japan, defender Gary Cahill said on Wednesday. The English Premier League side, who face Mexico's Monterrey in their semi-final in Yokohama on Thursday, took four games to register their first win under the Spaniard. However, nine goals in...

Read More..

Wenger not embarrassed by cup defeat to lowly Bradford

LONDON (Reuters) - Arsenal's quarter-final League Cup exit at the hands of minnows Bradford City left manager Arsene Wenger questioning the power of his strike force but the Frenchman refused to label the defeat as an embarrassment. Despite playing almost an hour with five attackers, Arsenal failed to break down the League Two club who went on to claim Tuesday's match 3-2 on penalties after a stubborn...

Read More..

Soccer-Scottish Cup 4th round fixtures

Dec 12 (Infostrada Sports) - Fixtures from the Scottish Cup 4th Round matches on Wednesday 4th Round Wednesday, December 12 (GMT) Dumbarton(II) v Hamilton Academical(II) (1930) Postponed 4th Round, replay Wednesday, December 12 (GMT) Arbroath(III) v Celtic (1945) 4th Round Wednesday, December 12 (GMT) Cowdenbeath(II) v St. Johnstone (1945) Postponed 4th Round, second leg Monday, December...

Read More..

UPDATE 2-Soccer-More derby fallout for blighted English game

* Barry charged by FA with abusing match official * Teen arrested over racist tweet (adds background, byline) Dec 11 (Reuters) - The fallout from Sunday's Manchester derby has continued to rumble on with City's Gareth Barry charged with verbally abusing a match official and a 15-year-old arrested for sending a racist tweet to a United player during the match. English football, long seen to have...

Read More..

Argentine tennis player Juan Ignacio Chela retires

UENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Juan Ignacio Chela says he is retiring from professional tennis, leaving with six ATP singles titles and three in doubles - all on clay. The 33-year-old Argentine has been hinting at retirement for weeks, and he announced it Monday on his Twitter account. Chela reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals - the French Open in 2004 and 2011, and the U.S. Open in 2007. Known...

Read More..