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Baseball

Yanks’ Girardi knows his place

New York Yankees Joe Girardi has no complaints with changes in the New York Yankees’ schedule made to accommodate Pope Benedict XVI’s Mass on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

New York is in the midst of playing 18 of 20 games on the road, returning only for a two-game series against Boston that started Wednesday night. The Yankees had a longer homestand on the original schedule, baseball senior vice president Katy Feeney said. Changes were made by Major League Baseball to accommodate Benedict’s Masses at Nationals Ballpark in Washington today and at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

Summed up Girardi: “You’d like to be home a little bit more, but who’s going to argue with the pope? No, not me.”

Volleyball

Kosty no longer interim at NIC

Chris Kosty was named head volleyball coach by North Idaho College, it was announced Wednesday.

Kosty was selected as the interim coach in February after Bret Taylor resigned. Kosty was the NIC assistant last season when the Cardinals finished 21-10.

Kosty has also served on the coaching staffs at Long Beach State and Golden West College in California.

NBA

Senators ask NBA to delay

Washington’s two U.S. senators are asking the NBA to delay its scheduled vote on whether the Sonics can move to Oklahoma City.

In a letter to NBA commissioner David Stern, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell say the Sonics’ Oklahoma City owners apparently weren’t acting in good faith while trying to get a deal for a new arena in Seattle.

The letter, sent Wednesday, follows a similar missive from Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire. State leaders are angry about news reports disclosing e-mails that showed team owners discussing whether they could leave Seattle, even before a good-faith deadline for pursuing a Seattle arena.