BALTIMORE — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine expressed surprise over a report that several Boston players met with team owner John Henry and team president Larry Lucchino last month to complain about the manager’s handling of the team.
Pedroia, Gonzalez
mum on rapport
with Valentine
BALTIMORE — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine expressed surprise over a report that several Boston players met with team owner John Henry and team president Larry Lucchino last month to complain about the manager’s handling of the team.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia were “the most vocal” at a July 27 meeting in New York. After Valentine’s pregame session with reporters, Pedroia and Gonzalez refused comment and said they might not talk to the media for the rest of the season.
Big East picks
CBS VP Aresco
as commissioner
NEW YORK — The Big East on Tuesday hired CBS executive vice president Mike Aresco to be commissioner of a conference now in rebuilding mode.
Aresco has been a vice president in charge of programming for CBS since 1996. He’s handled the network’s contract negotiations with the NCAA for the rights to the men’s basketball tournament, and negotiated CBS’s 15-year deal with the Southeastern Conference.
Diamondbacks place reliever Saito on DL
ST. LOUIS — The Arizona Diamondbacks placed right-handed reliever Takashi Saito on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday because of a strained left hamstring.
The 42-year-old Saito has no record with a 6.14 ERA in 10 games with Arizona. Saito was an All-Star in 2007 during a 39-save season with the Dodgers. He totaled 81 saves in his first three major league seasons and has a 2.27 ERA for his career, but has just three saves the last four seasons.
Orioles place LHP Patton on 15-day DL
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles have placed left-hander Troy Patton on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle.
Patton is part of an outstanding bullpen that has kept the Orioles in contention for a playoff berth.
He’s 1-0 with a 2.58 ERA in 50 games and has limited opposing batters to a .218 batting average.
Wyatt on top after US Amateur qualifying
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo.— Bobby Wyatt finished at the top in qualifying at the U.S. Amateur championship at Cherry Hills, and his hope is he’s just getting started.
Wyatt, a junior at the University of Alabama, shot a 2-under 68 Tuesday at CommonGround golf course for a two-day qualifying score of 9-under 132 to snag the top seed heading into match play. He also tied the 36-hole tournament record for stroke play, accomplished previously in 2011 by Gregor Main and in 1994 by Hank Kim.
Roddick has back spasms, loses in 2 sets
MASON, Ohio — Andy Roddick developed back spasms during his opening match at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday, setting up a two-set loss that left questions about his health heading into the U.S. Open.
Wild card Venus Williams survived a three-set opening match, another encouraging win coming off her Olympic gold medal in doubles with sister Serena.
Later Tuesday, Serena Williams beat Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-3, 6-4, overcoming 42 unforced errors as she struggled to get readjusted to a hard court.
By wire sources