In brief: Yankees could name new manager by Friday
The New York Yankees could hire a new manager by the end of this week.
“It’s possible,” Hank Steinbrenner said. “We want to get it done as soon as possible.”
Hank, son of owner George Steinbrenner, spoke on his way into Legends Field at Tampa, Fla., before first-base coach Tony Pena became the third candidate to interview for the job that opened when Joe Torre quit last week. Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi interviewed Monday and bench coach Don Mattingly on Tuesday.
Teams aren’t allowed to announce moves during the World Series, but the Yankees could ask commissioner Bud Selig for permission if they’d like to name a successor on off days Friday or Tuesday.
“The Yankees signed outfielder Jason Rees and catcher Eladio Rodriguez, players from the first-year Israel Baseball League, to minor league deals.
Rees hit .362 with a league-leading 17 homers and 50 RBIs for the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox. Rodriguez led the league with a .461 batting average for the Modiin Miracle.
In the courts
Accused to enter plea
A man accused of selling a pit bull to suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s dogfighting operation and sponsoring a pit bull in dogfights was due in Richmond, Va., federal court to enter a plea.
Oscar Allen is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce to aid in illegal gambling and to sponsor a dog in animal fighting – the same charge to which Vick and his three co-defendants in the Bad Newz Kennels operation pleaded guilty. Vick is expected to be sentenced in December.
Miscellany
Nalbandian slows down
David Nalbandian lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round of tennis’ Swiss Indoors at Basel, Switzerland, three days after beating Roger Federer to win the Madrid Masters.
Wawrinka won 7-6 (5), 6-2 to extend his winning streak against Nalbandian to four matches, losing only one set in that span. Nalbandian defeated the No. 1-, 2- and 3-ranked players in the world last week.
“Seimone Augustus scored 19 points to lead the U.S. women’s select basketball team past CSKA Moscow 81-72 and into the semifinals at the FIBA World League tournament at Ekaterinburg, Russia.
“Americans Shawn Estrada, a middleweight, and Raynell Williams, a light featherweight, earned victories in the preliminary round of the World Boxing Championships at Chicago.