Baseball notebook: Times report fingers Sosa
Former slugger Sammy Sosa tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003, the New York Times reported Tuesday on its Web site.
The Times, citing lawyers familiar with the case, reported Sosa is one of 104 players who tested positive in a 2003 baseball survey. The paper did not identify the drug.
Sosa is sixth on baseball’s career home run list with 609, most of them for the Chicago Cubs. He has not played in the majors since 2007 with Texas.
Sosa’s agent, Adam Katz, told the Associated Press he had no comment on the report. Commissioner’s office spokesman Rich Levin also had no comment, saying Major League Baseball didn’t have a copy of the test results.
Sosa testified before Congress in 2005 and said, “To be clear, I have never taken illegal performance- enhancing drugs.”
Youkilis leads Teixeira
Boston’s Kevin Youkilis has taken a 1,315-vote lead over the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira in a race to be elected the starting A.L. first baseman for the All-Star game.
Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria remains the overall top vote-getter.
Other leaders are Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer and outfielders Jason Bay of Boston, Josh Hamilton of Texas and Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle.
Clearing the bases
Los Angeles Angels reliever Scot Shields underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee. … New York Mets left-hander Johan Santana insists his left knee isn’t hurt and said location was the only problem he experienced while surrendering a career-high nine runs in a 15-0 loss to the Yankees on Sunday. … John Smoltz is set to make his first start for Boston on June 25. … Former major league outfielder Mel Hall was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he coached on an elite basketball team a decade ago. A Tarrant (Texas) County jury took about 90 minutes to convict Hall, 48, on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. … Atlanta Braves minor leaguer Rafael Cruz has been suspended for 50 games by MLB after testing positive for a performance- enhancing drug.