Tuesday's Sports in Brief
By The Associated Press
Aug 27, 2008 - 10:52:54 CDT
Here's a look at Tuesday's sports in brief around the world.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Thursday after Major League Baseball, guardian of America’s most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.
Commissioner Bud Selig, who described himself as “old fashioned” and an admirer of baseball’s “human element,” softened his opposition following a rash of blown calls this year.
For now, video will be used only on so-called “boundary calls,” such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence, whether potential home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs.
BOSTON (AP) — Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was released from a hospital one week after having triple bypass surgery. The former Boston Red Sox outfielder had surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital after experiencing chest pains. His discharge was announced by team spokesman John Blake.
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey inventor says he has come up with a way to take that aluminum “ping” out of youth baseball and the broken bat out of the national pastime, while making the game a little safer with every swing.
It’s the unbreakable wooden bat, at least one that is guaranteed for a year.
Ward Dill unveiled his Radial Bat, promising the revolutionary stick would prevent injuries caused by the shattering of conventional wooden bats while providing a safer alternative to metal bats used in youth leagues and through college.
TENNIS
NEW YORK (AP) — Ana Ivanovic avoided becoming the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round at the U.S. Open, rallying to beat Vera Dushevina 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Fourth-seeded Serena Williams took a more direct approach, overwhelming Kateryna Bondarenko with her serve in a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
In the men’s draw, second-seeded Roger Federer, aiming for his fifth straight U.S. Open title, eliminated Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 in the last stadium match of the night.
No. 11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, No. 13 Fernando Verdasco, No. 14 Ivo Karlovic, No. 15 Tommy Robredo, No. 23 Igor Andreev and No. 24 Paul-Henri Mathieu also advanced to the second round.
No. 12 Richard Gasquet lost in five sets against Tommy Haas, No. 22 Tomas Berdych went down in straight sets against Sam Querrey, and No. 20 Nicolas Kiefer retired trailing in the fourth set against Ivo Minar.
In other women’s matches, sixth-seeded Dinara Safina, No. 7 Venus Williams, No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 13 Agnes Szavay, No. 16 Flavia Pennetta, No. 17, Alize Cornet, No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova, No. 19 Nadia Petrova, No. 20 Nicole Vaidisova, No. 30 Ai Sugiyama and No. 32 Amelie Mauresmo also won their first-round matches. No. 11 Daniela Hantuchova was the only seeded player to lose, 6-4, 6-2 to Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
PRO FOOTBALL
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Michael Strahan is staying retired, although his agent said that the seven-time Pro Bowler seriously considered returning to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Tony Agnone said that Strahan struggled deciding whether he could give 100 percent mentally.
Giants general manager Jerry Reese has asked the 36-year-old Strahan to reconsider his retirement on Monday, just 48 hours after the Super Bowl champions lost Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora for the season to a knee injury in the preseason game.
Strahan needed just about a day to turn down an offer to return for a 16th season with what could have been an $8 million contract.
GOLF
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The LPGA will require players to speak English starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can’t pass an oral evaluation of English skills. The rule is effective immediately for new players.
The tour held a mandatory meeting with South Koreans last Wednesday at the Safeway Classic to inform them of the new policy, which was first reported by Golfweek magazine. There is no such rule on the PGA Tour.
There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea.
VERONA, N.Y. (AP) — Camilo Villegas won a chipoff against Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, and Notah Begay III to walk away with top money at the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge.
Villegas’ winning pitch on the extra hole of the skins game competition boosted his earnings for the day to $220,000. Singh won two holes to finish with $180,000, and Cink finished with one skin worth $100,000 from the total purse of $500,000.
AUTO RACING
NEW YORK (AP) — Reed Sorenson isn’t waiting for Chip Ganassi Racing to figure out the Car of Tomorrow.
The 22-year-old driver signed a multiyear contract to join Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season, where he’ll join Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler.
Sorenson said his decision to leave Ganassi, where he began his NASCAR career as a precocious 18-year-old, was difficult but necessary.
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BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting Thursday after Major League Baseball, guardian of America’s most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.
Commissioner Bud Selig, who described himself as “old fashioned” and an admirer of baseball’s “human element,” softened his opposition following a rash of blown calls this year.
For now, video will be used only on so-called “boundary calls,” such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence, whether potential home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs.
BOSTON (AP) — Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was released from a hospital one week after having triple bypass surgery. The former Boston Red Sox outfielder had surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital after experiencing chest pains. His discharge was announced by team spokesman John Blake.
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey inventor says he has come up with a way to take that aluminum “ping” out of youth baseball and the broken bat out of the national pastime, while making the game a little safer with every swing.
It’s the unbreakable wooden bat, at least one that is guaranteed for a year.
Ward Dill unveiled his Radial Bat, promising the revolutionary stick would prevent injuries caused by the shattering of conventional wooden bats while providing a safer alternative to metal bats used in youth leagues and through college.
TENNIS
NEW YORK (AP) — Ana Ivanovic avoided becoming the first top-seeded woman to lose in the first round at the U.S. Open, rallying to beat Vera Dushevina 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Fourth-seeded Serena Williams took a more direct approach, overwhelming Kateryna Bondarenko with her serve in a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
In the men’s draw, second-seeded Roger Federer, aiming for his fifth straight U.S. Open title, eliminated Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 in the last stadium match of the night.
No. 11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, No. 13 Fernando Verdasco, No. 14 Ivo Karlovic, No. 15 Tommy Robredo, No. 23 Igor Andreev and No. 24 Paul-Henri Mathieu also advanced to the second round.
No. 12 Richard Gasquet lost in five sets against Tommy Haas, No. 22 Tomas Berdych went down in straight sets against Sam Querrey, and No. 20 Nicolas Kiefer retired trailing in the fourth set against Ivo Minar.
In other women’s matches, sixth-seeded Dinara Safina, No. 7 Venus Williams, No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 13 Agnes Szavay, No. 16 Flavia Pennetta, No. 17, Alize Cornet, No. 18 Dominika Cibulkova, No. 19 Nadia Petrova, No. 20 Nicole Vaidisova, No. 30 Ai Sugiyama and No. 32 Amelie Mauresmo also won their first-round matches. No. 11 Daniela Hantuchova was the only seeded player to lose, 6-4, 6-2 to Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
PRO FOOTBALL
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Michael Strahan is staying retired, although his agent said that the seven-time Pro Bowler seriously considered returning to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Tony Agnone said that Strahan struggled deciding whether he could give 100 percent mentally.
Giants general manager Jerry Reese has asked the 36-year-old Strahan to reconsider his retirement on Monday, just 48 hours after the Super Bowl champions lost Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora for the season to a knee injury in the preseason game.
Strahan needed just about a day to turn down an offer to return for a 16th season with what could have been an $8 million contract.
GOLF
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The LPGA will require players to speak English starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can’t pass an oral evaluation of English skills. The rule is effective immediately for new players.
The tour held a mandatory meeting with South Koreans last Wednesday at the Safeway Classic to inform them of the new policy, which was first reported by Golfweek magazine. There is no such rule on the PGA Tour.
There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea.
VERONA, N.Y. (AP) — Camilo Villegas won a chipoff against Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink, and Notah Begay III to walk away with top money at the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge.
Villegas’ winning pitch on the extra hole of the skins game competition boosted his earnings for the day to $220,000. Singh won two holes to finish with $180,000, and Cink finished with one skin worth $100,000 from the total purse of $500,000.
AUTO RACING
NEW YORK (AP) — Reed Sorenson isn’t waiting for Chip Ganassi Racing to figure out the Car of Tomorrow.
The 22-year-old driver signed a multiyear contract to join Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season, where he’ll join Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler.
Sorenson said his decision to leave Ganassi, where he began his NASCAR career as a precocious 18-year-old, was difficult but necessary.