Coaches think twice about Clemens

Roger Clemens might not be welcome as a speaker at a convention of Texas high school baseball coaches.

The Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association is having second thoughts about inviting Clemens to its annual session next month following allegations in the Mitchell Report that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used steroids.

Jim Long, president of the association, said his group plans on holding an executive meeting today to decide if Clemens will remain as one of the presenters in Waco. It is the country’s largest high school baseball coaches association, Long said.

Clemens had been scheduled for the last eight months to talk about pitching and “what he did on a daily basis that kept him in shape,” Long said.

•Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd met with baseball officials in New York, to discuss his use of human growth hormone.

It’s uncertain whether Byrd will face any discipline from the commissioner’s office or when a potential punishment might be handed down.

•Mariano Rivera and the New York Yankees made it official, finalizing a $45 million, three-year contract that will keep the ace closer in pinstripes.

•Javy Lopez is trying a comeback with his former team, agreeing to a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Soccer

Kaka player of the year

In Zurich, Switzerland, Brazil midfielder Kaka completed a virtual sweep of annual awards by winning FIFA’s World Player of the Year with Argentina legend Messi second.

On the women’s side, Marta of Brazil captured the award with Birgit Prinz of Germany second.

•Argentina finished No. 1 in soccer’s world rankings in 2007, winning FIFA’s Team of the Year in the process. The United States remained at No. 19.

•Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear, who led his team to back-to-back MLS championships, received a contract extension through 2010.

Tennis

Federer, Henin on top

Roger Federer and Justine Henin are the ITF World Champions for 2007.

Federer became only the second man to win the International Tennis Federation’s award in four straight years, joining Pete Sampras.

•U.S. Fed Cup captain Zina Garrison will be joined next year by coach Mary Joe Fernandez, who will take over as captain in 2009.

Miscellany

Rodriguez to Michigan

A new era began at Michigan. The winningest program in college football ended its first coaching search since hiring Bo Schembechler nearly four decades ago by introducing Rich Rodriguez as their new coach.

He’s expected to install a spread offense, with which he had great success at West Virginia during a seven-season run. A year ago he turned down an offer to coach Alabama.

•Stanford basketball forward Brook Lopez regained his academic eligibility and can return to competition.

•In Alta Badia, Italy, Ted Ligety of the U.S. completed his first slalom of the season and came in third in a World Cup race. Ligety failed to finish his opening run in the season’s first two World Cup slaloms, then skied out in a lower-tier race last week.

He finished behind winner Jean-Baptiste Grange of France and Felix Neureuther of Germany.

•Croatian swimmer Marko Strahija was suspended by FINA for taking performance-enhancing hormones.

•Belgian senator Jean-Marie Dedecker was ordered to pay a symbolic $1.50 fine for making doping allegations against three unidentified cyclists.

•A doctor at the center of an Italian doping investigation received a lifetime sports ban. Carlo Santuccione was barred from being a member of any sports federation and participating in sports events, the Italian Olympic Committee said.