Yankee Stadium jumper arrested

NOTES

A fan who jumped from the Yankee Stadium upper deck to the netting behind home plate was released from a hospital Wednesday and appeared in court to face criminal charges.

Eighteen-year-old Scott Harper plummeted about 40 feet onto the large screen during the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s game between New York and the Chicago White Sox. After the final out, he was carried on a stretcher from the ballpark to Lincoln Medical Center, his head immobilized in a neck brace.

•The beleaguered New York Yankees pitching staff took another hit with Carl Pavano being declared out at least six more weeks with rotator cuff tendinitis.

Ungraceful remarks

Arizona Diamondbacks television analyst Mark Grace is not likely to be disciplined by the team after he used multiple expletives Tuesday night during the broadcast of Arizona’s game against the Florida Marlins.

Team president Rich Dozer said Grace’s language was regrettable and blamed an apparent faulty “talk-back” button connecting the visiting TV booth to the television truck at Dolphins Stadium.

MLB responds to rumors

Faced with a swell that was becoming a storm, Major League Baseball and the players’ union took what they called an “unusual step” – the sides issued a joint statement on their steroid policy, with hopes it would quash the rampant speculation.

“Reports of large numbers of positive tests currently unreported are totally false. Reports of big-name players having the reporting of their test results delayed are totally false,” it said.

Thome’s season over

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Jim Thome will have season-ending surgery on his right elbow next week. The four-time All-Star was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 1, his second stint on the DL this season.