In brief: Rogge rejects minute’s silence for slain Israelis

Olympics: IOC President Jacques Rogge won’t budge: There will be no minute’s silence for the Israeli victims of the 1972 Munich massacre at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

Rogge rejected the latest calls Saturday for a special observance to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the murder of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches by Palestinian gunmen at the Munich Games.

“We feel that the opening ceremony is an atmosphere that is not fit to remember such a tragic incident,” Rogge said.

The International Olympic Committee has come under pressure from politicians in the United States, Israel and Germany to pay tribute to the slain Israelis during Friday’s ceremony.

Rogge said the IOC will honor them at a reception in London during the games on Aug. 6. He said IOC officials will also attend a ceremony in Germany on the anniversary of the attack on Sept. 5 at the military airfield of Furstenfeldbruck where most of the Israelis died.

Rogge noted that he attended several ceremonies with the Israeli Olympic Committee and Israeli athletes in recent games.

“We feel that we are able to give a very strong homage and remembrance for the athletes within the sphere of the national Olympic committee,” he said.

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Associated Press

Postal Service honors Doby

Baseball: The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Hall of Famer Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians with a commemorative stamp.

The stamp issued Saturday honors the first black person to play in the American League. Doby began professional ball with the Indians in 1947. He was a seven-time All-Star.

The city of Cleveland has renamed a street alongside Progressive Field in Doby’s honor.

Doby, who also played for the White Sox and Tigers, died in 2003 in Montclair, N.J.

Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player in the National League.

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Associated Press