Associated Press
The baseball notebook …
TAMPA, Fla. ó Derek Jeter watched Alex Rodriguez’s confession on television but plans to put off discussing it publicly until the entire media mob that covers the New York Yankees arrives for spring training.
“I’m not addressing Alex’s situation until everybody is here,” Jeter said Tuesday after working out at the Yankees’ minor league complex. “If you’ve got baseball questions, I’ll do that. If I talk to you guys today, then tomorrow three more people. It’s better just to get everybody together.”
‘A MONKEY OFF HIS BACK’
INDIANAPOLIS ó LeBron James says he believes Alex Rodriguez did the right thing by admitting using performance-enhancing drugs.
“I think it had to be a big monkey for him to get off his back, and I think it will be good for him in the long run,” James said Tuesday night before his Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Indiana Pacers. “It’s another big cloud over all baseball, and his accomplishments, but I think it will be good for him in the long run.”
James, a Yankees fan, said he has never heard anybody in the NBA talk about using performance-enhancing drugs.
“I look at baseball like it’s one of those team sports that’s kind of individual, and I guess baseball players think they need an edge on the next player,” James said. “It’s never mentioned in basketball and I hope it never is, or in any sport. It’s dangerous.”
ALLEGATIONS DENIED
NEW YORK ó Donald Fehr denied allegations that his No. 2 official gave players advance notice of drug tests and defended the baseball players’ union against criticism that records of the anonymous survey should have been destroyed in 2003.