Associated Press
BASEBALL
ANAHEIM, Calif. ó Veteran reliever Brian Fuentes did not back down from the comments he made about manager Bob Gerenís lack of communication with him about his late-inning role with the Oakland Athletics following Monday nightís loss to the Angels.
The only thing the four-time All-Star left-hander regretted was venting his frustrations to the media instead of Geren himself. And before Tuesday nightís game they had a closed-door meeting in Gerenís office, where they apparently resolved their differences.
ěI meant what I said and I stand behind what I said. It was just the wrong outlet,î Fuentes said at his locker. ěI heard a lot of criticism on why there werenít discussions with the manager first before going to the media. From the outside in, it appears one way, and itís really not.
ěThere had been discussions. There had been multiple discussions, and I felt like it wasnít getting anywhere. It was more of a frustration thing. It still wasnít right what I did, but it wasnít getting through.î
Geren was satisfied with the results of the meeting, and said there would be no disciplinary fallout.
ěI gave Brian my thoughts, he gave me his thoughts, we shook hands and everythingís fine,î said Geren, who had been using Fuentes to close in place of the injured Andrew Bailey. ěWeíve lost some games and people are frustrated.
NEW YORK ó Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and catcher Ivan Rodriguez were penalized by Major League Baseball for verbally confronting umpires in a stadium tunnel after a disputed call last week.
Rodriguez was fined an undisclosed amount, MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said. Courtney confirmed Rizzo was disciplined, but provided no specifics.
In general, penalties for non-uniformed personnel involve fines.
The Nationals were upset after Jayson Werth was called out by first-base umpire Phil Cuzzi in the ninth inning of Thursdayís 1-0 loss to the New York Mets.
NCAA BASKETBALL
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.ó Coach Ed DeChellis, who led Penn State to the NCAA tournament this year, resigned to take the vacant job at Navy.
The 15-year coaching veteran said he found ěa callingî in announcing the surprise move two months after orchestrating his alma materís first NCAA bid in a decade. The Nittany Lions lost to Temple, 66-64, in the second round.
BOONE ó A Sampson and a Capel will be on the same basketball bench again. Itís just that the names and locations have changed.
Appalachian State coach Jason Capel on Monday hired Kellen Sampson to fill an opening on his staff. Sampson is the son of former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson, who was forced to resign following recruiting violations. Heís now an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks.
NCAA FOOTBALL
WEST POINT, N.Y. ó Joe Steffy, who helped pave the way for Heisman trophy winners Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis on some of Armyís best teams and won the Outland Trophy as the nationís top lineman in 1947, has died. He was 85.
Army announced that Steffy died at St. Lukeís-Cornwall Hospitalís Newburgh campus on Saturday. He had dealt heart problems in recent years.
Steffy played both offense and defense on Armyís 1945 and 1946 undefeated teams under coach Earl ěRedî Blaik. Steffy was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
Steffy served in the Korean War and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
SOCCER
CHICAGO ó Freddy Adu was selected to the U.S. roster for next monthís Gold Cup as well as a June 4 exhibition against World Cup champion Spain, the first time in two years heís been selected.
The 21-year-old midfielder has struggled to fulfill the potential he showed when he joined D.C. United at age 14, being left off the World Cup team last summer. But heís gotten regular playing time at Rizespor in Turkey.
U.S. coach Bob Bradleyís 23-man roster is heavy on veterans, including Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore and captain Carlos Bocanegra.
AUTO RACING
CHARLOTTE ó David Pearson headlined the inauguration of the five-member second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. As he did last year, when he was passed over for induction, Pearson called on the voting panel to elect NASCARís pioneers before anyone else.
Pearson, winner of three championships and 105 races, was inducted along with 84-race winner Bobby Allison, Petty Enterprises patriarch and three-time Cup champion Lee Petty, Bud Moore, a decorated World War II veteran and two-time Cup championship team owner, and two-time champion and noted broadcaster Ned Jarrett.
Lee Petty, who died in 2000, was the only deceased member of the class.
STATESVILLEó NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was clocked by a North Carolina sheriffís deputy going 128 mph in a 45 mph zone and was cited for careless and reckless driving and speeding, a law enforcement spokesman said Tuesday.
Iredell County Sheriffís Office Capt. Darren Campbell said a deputy stopped Buschís 2012 yellow Lexus sports car on a road between Troutman and Mooresville, where the 26-year-old driver lives. Itís about 30 miles north of Charlotte.
Campbell said Busch was cited and released upon a written promise to appear in court.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Busch acknowledged what happened.
ěI was test-driving a new sports car and I got carried away,î Busch said.
ěI went beyond the speed I should have been going on a public road. I apologize to the public, my fans, sponsors, and race teams for my lack of judgment.î
Busch, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, accepted responsibility and said it would never happen again.
In 2006, Busch pleaded guilty to improper driving and was fined $150 after he was ticketed in suburban Richmond, Va., on a reckless driving charge when he pulled out of a gas station and into a fast-food restaurant. Busch said at the time he ěchirpedî his tires but didnít exceed 10 mph.
Under a misdemeanor reckless driving charge he originally faced, Busch could have received up to one year in jail, a $2,500 fine and a driverís license suspension.
Last month, Busch was placed on probation through June 15 after he and Kevin Harvick confronted each other in the pits after a race at Darlington Raceway.
The Associated Press
05/24/11 20:55