PHILADELPHIA — Ten years later, Chase Utley is considering the hot corner again.
Phillies’ Utley considering move
to third base
PHILADELPHIA — Ten years later, Chase Utley is considering the hot corner again.
Utley, the Phillies’ five-time All-Star second baseman, took grounders at third base several hours before Philadelphia played the New York Mets on Wednesday night.
It’s uncertain whether he’ll do it in an actual game.
While the idea is still in the early stages, it created quite a buzz around a team that’s used to preparing for the postseason at this point instead of looking ahead to next year.
Utley last played third base in 2002 at Triple-A. It didn’t go well. He made 28 errors in 123 games and moved back to second base the following season.
Bettman, Fehr
resume NHL talks
NEW YORK — Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players resumed Tuesday morning at the league offices, then took a slight break.
Limiting the personnel at the bargaining table in the hope of making progress, only Donald Fehr, the director of the NHL Players’ Association, and assistant Steve Fehr met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy Bill Daly. Traditionally, several players have joined in, but not this week as the end of the current CBA — Sept. 15 — draws near.
Not long after the meeting started, however, Donald Fehr appeared outside the building, telling reporters talks had paused just for a bit.
“I think the appropriate thing to do under the circumstances is go back (to our office). We’ve got constituents and so on,” Fehr said. “And so we’ll see you later on I’m sure.”
With a wide gap between both sides and a lockout looming, the executives thought it was best to keep the conference room attendance light. Tuesday’s sessions were billed as “economic,” as opposed to several others that required player attendance because issues of health, ice conditions, and travel were discussed.
It is not clear whether or not the league issued another proposal to Fehr in the brief session, though it is likely one will be presented at some point this week.
“I’m not,” Fehr said, “going to say anything about it.”
Bettman has said the players will be locked out when the current agreement expires, though Fehr has countered that thought often during the summer.
Orioles closer to signing P Randy Wolf
BALTIMORE—The Baltimore Orioles are close to signing free agent left-hander Randy Wolf, who was released by the Milwaukee Brewers last week.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Wolf was expected to arrive in Baltimore on Wednesday and there’s a chance he could be activated before today’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
Wolf was cut loose by the Brewers after going 3-10 with a 5.69 ERA.
Wolf won only one of his last 19 starts, but Showalter said, “Randy is a starter initially, and it’s also an option for him to pitch in relief.”
The Orioles have only one left-hander in the bullpen, converted starter Brian Matusz.
Retired RB Tomlinson enters broadcasting
NEW YORK — Recently retired running back LaDainian Tomlinson is moving quickly into his second career.
NFL Network and SiriusXM Radio announced Wednesday that the 2006 NFL MVP was joining the outlets as a broadcaster.
Tomlinson rushed for 13,684 yards, fifth on the career list, and scored 162 touchdowns, third-most ever. The former Charger and Jet announced his retirement in June.
Tomlinson will appear on NFL Network’s new Sunday morning show, “First on the Field.” He’ll also host weekly shows on NFL news and fantasy football for SiriusXM.
Worley to undergo season-ending
elbow surgery
PHILADELPHIA—Phillies right-hander Vance Worley has been placed on the disabled list and will have elbow surgery next month.
Worley was shut down on Wednesday, a day after another subpar outing. The righty was 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA this year after going 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA as a rookie last year. He had a 5.80 ERA in 11 starts since July 3.
Righty Tyler Cloyd was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start in place of the ailing Cole Hamels against the Mets on Wednesday night. Cloyd would then take Worley’s spot in the rotation.
Report: Twins put Mauer on revocable trade waivers
MINNEAPOLIS — Fox Sports is reporting that the Minnesota Twins have placed All-Star catcher Joe Mauer on trade waivers.
The network late Tuesday attributed its report to an unidentified “major league source” and said the waivers on Mauer expired Wednesday afternoon. Twins general manager Terry Ryan declined to comment, citing Major League Baseball’s policy prohibiting teams speaking publicly about the waiver wire.
Big-name, big-money guys like Mauer land on trade waivers in August all the time. Most players in the majors are run through the wire this month. It’s not a sign of a team’s desire to get rid of a star but more of a procedural move to gauge potential interest in case a legitimate trade offer were to come about.
Another legal headache at Penn State: Tile IX
Among the legal questions still swirling around Penn State, one has drawn little attention but continues to pose a threat to the university: Did the school’s handling of sex abuse allegations against assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky violate Title IX?
The 40-year-old federal law is most commonly associated with access for girls and women to sports teams. But it governs how colleges and universities must respond to reports of sexual assault.
On paper, colleges failing to comply with Title IX can be stripped of access to all federal funds.
Experts say that’s extremely unlikely to happen to Penn State. But the Department of Education has been aggressively pushing Title IX enforcement, and some experts believe it might still impose harsh penalties.
By wire sources