Hank Aaron’s Atlanta home burglarized while away
Hank Aaron’s Atlanta home burglarized while away
ATLANTA — Atlanta police are investigating the burglary of baseball great Hank Aaron’s Atlanta home while he and his wife Billye were away.
A police report obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the 79-year-old Aaron missed a call from his alarm company Sunday night and asked a neighbor to check on his house Monday morning. The neighbor saw a broken window and called police, and officers arrived to find two BMWs missing from the garage and closets that had been ransacked.
Jewelry and car keys were the only other items taken.
Police have located both vehicles and said they expect to make an arrest soon.
A Mobile, Ala., native, Aaron played from 1954 to 1976 for Milwaukee and Atlanta.
As an Atlanta Brave, Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record of 714 career home runs on April 8, 1974. His home run record of 755 home runs stood for nearly three decades.
Vilanova steps down as Barca coach due to cancer
BARCELONA, Spain — Tito Vilanova is stepping down as Barcelona’s coach following a recurrence of throat cancer, just a month before Lionel Messi and his teammates begin the defense of their Spanish league title.
Club president Sandro Rosell told a hurriedly called news conference at Barcelona’s training facility on Friday that Vilanova will be unable to stay on as coach while he gets treatment.
Rosell said that a new head coach would be named next week and that Barcelona was canceling its first friendly of the preseason, scheduled to be played in Poland on Saturday against Lechia Gdansk.
In Vilanova’s single season in charge he led Barcelona to the Spanish league title with a record-tying point 100 points. In doing so, he played his part in denying Real Madrid a major trophy and the exit of counterpart Jose Mourinho, the man who originally made Vilanova famous for poking him in the eye during a scuffle between the two heated rivals.
Surgery possible for Phillies reliever Mike Adams
NEW YORK — Philadelphia Phillies right-hander reliever Mike Adams still feels discomfort in his pitching shoulder and might be headed for season-ending surgery.
Adams has been on the disabled list since June 21 with right biceps tendinitis. Phillies trainer Scott Sheridan said Adams was examined Thursday by team medical director Dr. Michael Ciccotti and plans to see Los Angeles Dodgers doctor Neal ElAttrache before deciding on his next move.
Sheridan said surgery is an option for Adams, who has been a top setup man when healthy. But he has been on the DL twice during his first season in Philadelphia, once for a strained back, after signing a $12 million, two-year contract in December.
Red Sox OF Victorino leaves game with leg injury
BOSTON — Boston Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino pulled up lame on a double-play groundout and left the game against the New York Yankees on Friday night.
Victorino hit a grounder to second base in the third inning and hobbled down the first-base line. He left the game and was replaced in right field at the top of the fourth by Daniel Nava.
Victorino was 0 for 2 in the game. He is batting .287 on the season.
49ers acquire cornerback Wright from Tampa Bay
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have acquired cornerback Eric Wright in a trade with Tampa Bay that sends a conditional selection in the 2014 draft to the Buccaneers.
The teams announced the deal Friday, one week after Wright was arrested in Los Angeles on an unspecified misdemeanor charge. He was released after posting bond.
Last season, Wright was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the performance-enhancing drug policy in his first — and only — season with the Bucs. He signed a five-year, $35.3 million contract with Tampa Bay after a strong season in Detroit, and in 10 games last year, Wright finished with 37 tackles and one interception.
Packers sign Burnett to contract extension
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers signed safety Morgan Burnett to a contract extension Friday.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Burnett, a third-round pick from Georgia Tech in 2010, has started all 36 games in which he has appeared in three seasons with the team. He has 259 tackles, 28 passes defensed, six interceptions, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three sacks.
The Packers also released wide receiver Terrell Sinkfield.
Cubs place OF Bogusevic on DL, recall Lake
DENVER — The Chicago Cubs have placed outfielder Brian Bogusevic on the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder-infielder Junior Lake from Triple-A Iowa to fill his roster spot.
Bogusevic has a left hamstring strain. He is batting .261 in 13 games since being recalled last month.
Lake was batting .295 with four home runs and 18 RBIs at Iowa, where he made a delayed season debut in June after fracturing a rib during spring training.
Hometown favorite Falla advances in Colombia
BOGOTA, Colombia — Hometown favorite Alejandro Falla upset top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Friday night to advance to the Claro Open Colombia semifinals.
Falla, a Bogota resident, is seeking his first ATP Tour title. The 29-year-old left-hander will face Canada’s Vasek Pospisil on Saturday in the hard-court tournament at Centro de Alto Rendimiento. Pospisil beat Italy’s Matteo Viola 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In the afternoon quarterfinals, second-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa beat sixth-seeded Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 6-3, and Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic topped fifth-seeded Adrian Mannarino of France 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).