Packers president meets with Favre and his agent

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy traveled to Mississippi to meet with quarterback Brett Favre and his agent James "Bus" Cook on Wednesday, in an apparent attempt to talk Favre out of reporting to camp later this week.

Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took no action on Favre's request for reinstatement Wednesday — giving the sides more time to work out a resolution.

"The commissioner is taking no action today," league officials said in a statement issued by NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "He wants to give both the Packers and Brett an appropriate amount of time to make decisions, including decisions impacting the team's roster and salary cap. When Brett is reinstated by the commissioner, we will announce it."

Cook told reporters outside his office in Hattiesburg, Miss., that Favre, who has been throwing to players at a nearby high school to stay in shape, could be in Green Bay on Friday.

"He would love to go back in Green Bay," Cook said, in comments broadcast by ESPNEWS. "I mean, that's why he started working out. But right now, it looks like he'll be the quarterback at Oak Grove High School."

Murphy, who took over as the team's president and CEO in January, issued a statement upon returning to Green Bay.

"I was in Hattiesburg today and had a nice visit with Brett Favre," Murphy said. "We discussed a number of topics not related to football, including Brett's long-term relationship with the Packers. I consider our conversation to be confidential and am going to be respectful of Brett and his family and keep the details private.

"Ted (Thompson, Green Bay's general manager) and Mike (McCarthy, the coach) are going to continue to work on the football side of this issue. They have my full support."

The sidelines at Packers practice Wednesday night were buzzing with a question: Did the Packers offer to pay Favre to stay retired?

WTMJ television in Milwaukee reported the team offered Favre several million dollars to stay retired, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported on its Web site that the team offered Favre "a substantial salary" to stay away. Both reports cited sources close to Favre.

Murphy was not available to reporters Wednesday night. McCarthy spoke after the night practice, but hadn't talked to Murphy.

"I don't have any information, I'm just going to be up front with you," McCarthy said. "I haven't talked to Mark Murphy. They just told me about the story that's out there. Sorry, don't have anything for you. Wish I did."

The Packers don't have a full public practice scheduled for Thursday. Players will lift weights, attend meetings and review plays. They'll also hear from a guest speaker: former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

"And he was booked a long time ago," McCarthy said, jokingly heading off any questions about the team turning to a public relations expert with damage control experience.

Still, it would be hard to blame Packers staffers if they pulled Fleischer aside for a few pointers.

"We're going to get our money's worth," McCarthy quipped.

Nearly five months after his tearful retirement news conference in March, Favre filed for reinstatement with the NFL on Tuesday. He now is awaiting approval from Goodell.

Once he is reinstated, the Packers will have 24 hours to release him or return him to their active roster. The team has ruled out releasing Favre, fearing he would immediately sign with division rival Minnesota.

The Packers also could trade Favre, although no deal appeared imminent. The Packers hold Favre's rights until his contract expires after the 2010 season.

Despite the apparent purpose of Murphy's trip, McCarthy reiterated Wednesday that Favre "absolutely" was still welcome in Packers camp. Team officials have made it clear, both publicly and to Favre, that he would no longer be the starter if he returned to the team.

"I've said it, and I'll just say it again: He was a big part of our history, and he can reinstate, come here and be part of our future," McCarthy said.

Wide receiver Donald Driver, one of Favre's few remaining close friends on a roster full of young players, seemed skeptical that Favre's position with the team would really be much different.

"He's going to have the same role he's always had," Driver said. "He's always been a leader in this locker room, so I don't think that's going to change. Like I said, you guys are worried more about the issue than we are. We know what he's going to come in and do. He's always been a leader in the locker room, he's going to continue being the leader."

McCarthy acknowledged that the ongoing saga puts Aaron Rodgers in a unique situation, but said Rodgers is handling the situation well. Rodgers has been solid in his first few days of camp, although the Packers' defense seems to be ahead of the offense in the first week of camp.

Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman, Rodgers' close friend and the quarterback's roommate in training camp, said Rodgers is a "tough guy" who will only get tougher under scrutiny.

"He's a grown man," Kampman said. "He's handling it very well. He's done tremendous. I think he continues to validate he's got some special stuff inside of him."

Kampman wasn't sure if Favre really would show up later this week, but he knew one thing for sure: It's time for the drama to end.

"I guess the question is not so much, would he be welcome, but will he come back? We don't know that yet," Kampman said. "Again, it's kind of speculative on our part. The day is Friday, so we'll see what happens when that comes. The big picture is, really, I think both parties want to move forward, both parties want a resolution. This is getting very drawn out, from both sides, and quite frankly I think everyone wants it to be over."

Big deal: Angels acquire 1B Teixeira from Braves

The Los Angeles Angels already have the best record in baseball. That didn't stop them from making a bold move two days before the trade deadline.

With their sights set firmly on the World Series, the Angels pulled off a blockbuster deal Tuesday to acquire slugger Mark Teixeira from the fading Atlanta Braves.

Los Angeles sent first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Steve Marek to the Braves, who raised the white flag on this season after a rash of key injuries.

"Our goal is to win a world championship," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. "The team is playing well at this point, but being able to add a player like Mark Teixeira just makes us that much better."

Los Angeles went into Tuesday night's game at Boston with an 11 1/2-game cushion in the AL West, by far the most commanding lead for any first-place team. But the Angels were more concerned with setting up a roster that can go all the way in October.

"Hopefully, I can just go over there and be one more piece of the puzzle," Teixeira said before leaving Turner Field.

The first baseman is making $12.5 million and will be eligible for free agency after the season. Atlanta general manager Frank Wren said the team was rebuffed in spring training when it offered Teixeira a deal that would have made him "one of the highest-paid players in the game."

There were no further contract discussions between Wren and Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras. With Atlanta fading in the NL East, Wren thought he had little choice but to get something of value before losing the 28-year-old Teixeira, especially with the way this season is going.

"We have too many players hurt right now to really compete," Wren said. "It's time to start rebuilding our club."

The Angels made the deal knowing they are unlikely to sign Teixeira to a long-term deal before everyone has a shot at him in free agency. In fact, the first baseman said he would prefer no contract talks with his new team until after the season.

That didn't stop Los Angeles from pursuing the deal, which was locked up with plenty of time to spare before Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline. Teixeira was among the top names in the rumor mill, and should boost a club that wanted to add another big bat to back its potent pitching staff.

Teixeira is batting .283 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs. The switch-hitter joins Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter in a lineup that ranks in the bottom half of the American League in average, homers and runs.

"The Angels have always been one of the best teams in the league," Teixeira said. "They've always had great pitching, great defense and find a way to win games. I want to be the one who hopefully gets them over the top."

Los Angeles is 66-40 after John Lackey came within two outs of a no-hitter in Tuesday night's 6-2 victory at Boston. The Angels won their only World Series title in 2002, and have spent millions more trying to win another title.

"I'm not making any predictions. I'm not saying we're the team to beat," Teixeira said. "But I do know we have a great team and I look forward to coming aboard."

Atlanta acquired Teixeira last July 31 at the trade deadline in a seven-player deal that sent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Texas. The Braves missed the playoffs, and this deal gives Teixeira his best chance yet to play in the postseason for the first time.

"The last couple days I knew it was coming, so I prepared for it," he said. "It's a little bittersweet. I really enjoyed my time here. I had a great year here. I love this team. I love this organization. I love this city. It's tough to leave."

A two-time Gold Glove winner, Teixeira has hit at least 26 home runs in every season since making his big league debut with Texas in 2003. He hit a career-high 43 homers and was an All-Star in 2005, and has had four straight years with at least 100 RBIs.

But the Braves went into Tuesday's game against St. Louis trailing the New York Mets by 7 1/2 games in the NL East, with little chance of bouncing back after a rash of injuries — especially to the pitching staff.

John Smoltz underwent season-ending surgery on his shoulder, and Atlanta fears that another top starter, Tim Hudson, is done for the season after an MRI found ligament damage in his pitching elbow. Peter Moylan, expected to hold down the main setup role in the bullpen, also is out for the year.

After learning of Hudson's injury and placing Chipper Jones on the 15-day disabled list Monday, Wren made it clear he was looking toward 2009. The Braves will likely miss the playoffs for the third straight year after once being a mainstay of the postseason, winning 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005.

Kotchman is hitting .287 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs for the Angels, and he homered in Monday night's win at Fenway Park. The Angels liked the 25-year-old's future — but with Teixeira available, they didn't want to look past October.

The Braves also got Marek, a 24-year-old righty. He was 2-6 with three saves and a 3.66 ERA as a reliever at Double-A Arkansas.

"I'm just excited to go to Atlanta and play for (manager) Bobby Cox," Kotchman said before leaving Fenway Park for the airport. "At the same time, my teammates here, to leave them, I'll be pulling for them."

Kotchman had been in the Angels lineup for Tuesday night's game against the Red Sox, batting second and playing first base. He was replaced at first by Robb Quinlan, who batted eighth.

Teixeira will soon be occupying first base for the Angels. He had already booked a Wednesday flight to Boston and figures to be at the ballpark in plenty of time to join the lineup. His family, meanwhile, plans to stay at Boras' guest house in California for the time being.

"It was important to get him in the fold today and get him in the lineup tomorrow," Reagins said. "That's how we pursued it."

Teixeira said there was time when he would've signed a deal with Atlanta and bypassed the possibility of free agency, but the negotiations were nothing more than "one phone call."

"This whole year I was open for it. But that's business. It just didn't work out," he said. "When my career is over I'm going to be able to tell my kids and my grandkids that I played for Bobby Cox and I played with Chipper Jones and I played with John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. Those are things I'm going to be proud of."

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AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen in Boston and AP freelance writer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Injured gymnast Paul Hamm not going to Beijing

Paul Hamm probably could have gutted through the pain in his broken hand. A bad shoulder that prevented him from doing some of his routines? With less than a week of training before the Beijing Games?

That was too tall an order, even for the reigning Olympic champion.

Hamm withdrew from the Beijing Olympics on Monday, saying he won't be healthy enough to compete. He still is feeling pain in the right hand he broke two months ago, but the bigger concern could be the strained rotator cuff in his left shoulder that made training last week "a disaster."

"For my comeback to be successful, I needed to make continuous progress and have no setbacks," an emotional Hamm said. "The time frame I was given was extremely short. ... This has been hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I have too much respect for the Olympics and my team to continue on when I know the best thing for everyone is for me to step aside."

The loss of Hamm is a huge blow for the Americans, who were fourth at last year's world championships and hoped his return — and that of twin brother Morgan — would get them back on the podium. Hamm is the only American to win the world (2003) or Olympic (2004) all-around titles.

Raj Bhavsar, who also was an alternate in 2004, will take Hamm's spot.

USA Gymnastics also is still waiting for final clearance on Morgan Hamm, who received a warning July 3 from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for getting a prescribed anti-inflammatory shot without having filed the proper paperwork.

"Paul at his best is irreplaceable," Bhavsar said. "(But) I believe in my heart the team goal is the same, and it's definitely within our potential. ... We're not ever going to give up on that dream."

Hamm's withdrawal also clears the way for China's Yang Wei in the all-around. Yang, the two-time defending world champion, is so technically superior that Hamm was co nsidered the only one who could challenge him.

"I was giving myself the chance to see how this past week went, to see if I could turn the corner at any point. That just never happened," Hamm said. "When you go into the Olympic Games, you're supposed to be in the best shape of your life. Not the worst shape."

Hamm broke the fourth metacarpal — the bone extending from his right ring finger to his wrist — May 22 at the national championships, just 11 weeks before the start of the games. It's a devastating injury for a gymnast, because every one of the six events the men do puts a heavy load of stress on the hand. Many moves require the hand to be twisted sharply or support a gymnast's entire body weight.

Hand specialist Dr. Lawrence Lubbers stabilized the fracture May 27, inserting a titanium plate and nine tiny screws. Though Hamm was allowed to do strength and conditioning work, he wasn't cleared to resume full gymnastics activity until July 3.

Hamm's recovery appeared to be on track when he proved he was physically able to compete at a July 19 intrasquad meet. He did portions of all six events that day, estimating he was about 90 percent, but said he still had pain in the right hand.

He said his shoulder began hurting the day after that intrasquad meet. When he returned home to Columbus, Ohio, it was clear just what a toll the hard training had taken.

Time and again last week, he got up on the still rings only to have to quickly drop back off. Skills he had been able to do a few days earlier were now impossible.

"There came a point in the gym where I almost threw my arms in the air and just knew, this wasn't working," the 25-year-old Hamm said. "It was a really tough decision for me to make. You could drag this out even further. But what I know with my body and what I feel, there's no point for me to do that. It's not in the best interest of everyone involved.

"I pushed for the comeback, I did everything I possibly could," he said. "There just wasn't enough time. I feel like if I had another month, I would have been able to get the job done."

But he didn't have a month. The American men go through processing Tuesday and leave for China on Wednesday. Podium training — the one opportunity gymnasts have to train on the competition floor and in front of judges before the meet begins — is Aug. 6.

The men's competition begins Aug. 9.

The Americans likely would have needed him on all six events in both qualifying and team finals. Because the scoring format in team finals is so unforgiving — three athletes compete on each event and all three scores count — Hamm didn't want to hurt the Americans if he wasn't fully ready to go.

"We were so close," Lubbers said. "Without the shoulder, we probably would have made it. But the two were just too much."

Hamm did talk with USA Gymnastics officials about going to Beijing and only doing a few events. But that isn't realistic or fair, he said, especially considering rings is one of the events the Americans would have needed him on.

"What stopped us, I think, is the shoulder," coach Miles Avery said. "It's just from working hard. It's just an overuse injury. If you rest and ice it, you'll be fine and can pick back up. We don't have the time."

Hamm's withdrawal likely ends the career of one of, if not the best gymnasts the United States has ever had. In addition to his world and Olympic titles, he led the Americans to a silver medal in Athens, their first at the Olympics in 20 years.

His comeback in Athens was one of the most spectacular ever in the sport. After a fall on vault dropped him to 12th place with only two events left, he rallied with two of the best routines of his career to win the gold.

Two days later, however, the International Gymnastics Federation said that bronze medalist Yang Tae-young of South Korea had been wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last event.

Add that extra tenth, and Yang would have scored higher than Hamm. That assumes, though, that everything in the final rotation would have played out the same, something nobody can say for sure.

The Koreans did not protest in time, and the FIG said it couldn't change results after the competition. But the Koreans took the matter all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, forcing Hamm to defend his gold medal. CAS eventually declared Hamm the rightful champion.

Despite taking 2 1/2 years off after Athens — an unprecedented layoff in the sport — Hamm had firmly established himself as a contender for another gold, winning every meet he entered this year, often by large margins. Even with his injury, he still finished the first night of nationals almost four points ahead.

"Enough cannot be said about the effort Paul has made over the last few months and the contributions he has already made," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "His decision is being made with the team's best interests in mind. It's a shame that it's happening right now, and one of the world's best gymnasts will not be able to compete at this summer's Olympic Games."

Hamm, a three-time U.S. champion, also was the cornerstone of silver medal teams at the 2001 and 2003 world championships. He has five medals from the world championships, and three from the Olympic Games.

He had said he planned to retire after Beijing, and said Monday that is still his intention. He graduated from Ohio State last year with a degree in accounting and plans to go to business school.

"It's going to be tough, but I'm going to be cheering on the team, watching Morgan," Hamm said. "I'm going to try and enjoy it from the spectator's standpoint, I guess, this time around."

Favre a no-show as Rodgers takes over for Pack

With the Brett Favre standoff still simmering, Aaron Rodgers took his place Monday as the Packers' new starting quarterback. Rodgers is trying to ignore what has become a daily soap opera involving the three-time MVP.

Favre is considering filing for reinstatement with the NFL and reporting to camp this week, a move likely intended to pressure Green Bay to grant him his release — something the Packers refuse to do — or trade him. The NFL had not received reinstatement paperwork from Favre as of Monday evening.

"I feel like this is really between Brett and the organization, and I'm just trying to stay focused on the things I can control," Rodgers said after the team's first practice at camp.

General manager Ted Thompson spoke twice with Favre on Saturday, for about 45 minutes each time. They decided it would be best for Favre to stay away from Green Bay for now.

"We still have not gotten to the point where we agree on what the best option is," Thompson said Monday. "We have sort of agreed to disagree, and at that time he suggested he would probably delay coming to training camp for at least a couple of days to see how things worked out."

The Packers aren't going to allow Favre to play for an NFC North rival and aren't going to trade him without getting value in return. And Favre might not want to play for any of the teams showing interest, a group that includes Tampa Bay and the New York Jets. Thompson acknowledged talking to other teams.

"There have been some 'kicking of tires'-type conversations," he said.

Favre wants to be released, something Thompson opposes. The Packers hold Favre's rights until his contract expires after the 2010 season.

"A release just doesn't make a lot of sense from the Packers' point of view," Thompson said. "I've not heard many people say that's a good option — even people that would like to hang me in effigy outside."

The Packers have filed tampering charges against Minnesota, suspecting Favre's latest flip-flop on his future was spurred mainly by interest from the Vikings.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is trying to help the sides reach a settlement.

"I'm glad to see that there are productive discussions and they're talking directly to one another," Goodell said from Buffalo Bills training camp Monday. "They're both important to the league going forward, and I'm hopeful they'll reach a proper resolution."

Goodell said the league was working toward a resolution of the tampering investigation.

Thompson said Favre wanted people to know he doesn't want to become a distraction.

"His reasoning behind that is he cares very much about this team, cares about these players, his former teammates, so he doesn't want to do anything to disrupt from that," Thompson said.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy downplayed that possibility.

"We talked about it as a team yesterday," he said. "I don't foresee Brett Favre coming in here as a problem. Brett Favre is a big part of the Green Bay Packers history, and he may be a part of the future as we move forward, and that's an option that he has if he reinstates."

Thompson reiterated that if Favre were to return to the Packers, it would not be as the starter. Thompson also did not make much of the idea of an open competition with Rodgers.

"We have to continue down this path," Thompson said. "Where that leads, I don't know, but I didn't want to be dishonest or disingenuous and say 'OK, we can do this and then change our mind.' I think Brett Favre deserves more than that, so we told him the way we felt."

Veteran offensive tackle Mark Tauscher lauded Rodgers for his handling of an "uncomfortable situation."

"I think he's stepped in and really taken the reins of what we're doing here," Tauscher said. "I think everybody in this locker room has a lot of confidence in what he can do."

Wide receiver Donald Driver spoke to Favre over the weekend.

"He's a legend," Driver said. "It's just like if anybody else walked in here and wanted to come back and play, you have to welcome 'em back in. You take your hat off to him. He's one of the greatest players in Packers history, as well as the NFL."

Rodgers believes he has earned his teammates' respect.

"They've seen the hard work I've put in," Rodgers said. "I think I've earned a lot of respect from the guys playing on the scout team, being here 100 percent the last three offseasons. Obviously they want to see a guy who's consistent on the field on Sundays, and obviously that's going to take a few weeks to prove that to some of the older guys, but I look forward to that challenge."

Monday's practice attracted more national coverage than usual, but it wasn't exactly a media circus.

"I was expecting elephants and different things to kind of be out there," Tauscher said. "There's a lot of media and stuff, but it wasn't a case where there were trapeze artists."

Favre's presence could change that in a hurry.

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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report from Pittsford, N.Y.

Favre or no Favre, McCarthy committed to Rodgers

Even Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn't quite sure how the Brett Favre unretirement saga will play out over the next few days. But he does know this much: Favre or no Favre, Aaron Rodgers is his starting quarterback.

In his season-opening news conference at Lambeau Field on Saturday, McCarthy strongly affirmed the team's commitment to Rodgers and reiterated that players and coaches spent the offseason planning to move forward after Favre retired in March.

"Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers," McCarthy said. "That's been stated over and over again. I hope we can finally understand that. That's where we are as an organization and as a head coach of the Green Bay Packers. I don't know how else to answer that question."

Packers players are scheduled to report to training camp Sunday and will have their first practice Monday morning. McCarthy acknowledged the possibility that Favre could be there.

"Has he thought about it? I'm sure he has," McCarthy said. "Has he confirmed anything? Nothing has been confirmed."

Favre retired in March, but asked to be released from his contract earlier this month after his latest round of flip-flopping on his football future was met with lukewarm enthusiasm from McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson.

The Packers have no plans to release Favre, whose rights belong to them until his contract expires after the 2010 season. That would leave Favre free to sign with any team, including division rival Minnesota.

Favre could always just stay retired, but his next move might be to show up for camp — or at least try to use the threat of showing up and creating a media circus to force a trade.

Tampa Bay and the New York Jets are emerging as potential trade partners for the Packers, although McCarthy didn't directly address the possibility of a trade Saturday.

McCarthy acknowledged that Favre's presence could become a distraction.

"It'll be a challenge, there's no doubt about it," McCarthy said. "But it's a new challenge and a new year. (It's) different than I personally have ever experienced, but it's something that I can promise you we'll have a plan for and will be dealt with directly."

McCarthy said he spoke with Favre at the Packers' Hall of Fame banquet at Lambeau a week ago and communicated with him via text message this week, but said he still doesn't know if Favre will really show up.

Favre first would have to file for reinstatement with the league and have his request approved by commissioner Roger Goodell. Then he'd have to pass a team physical.

And even if Favre does all that, he won't necessarily be running plays right away. McCarthy said Favre would more likely be limited to doing individual drills in practice, or working out with players who are rehabilitating injuries.

McCarthy said he wasn't concerned that Favre's presence could cause a rift in the locker room, even if some players want Favre back.

"I don't think it's a huge concern, because it will not be the first time the coach and any of the players will have a disagreement," McCarthy said. "We disagree quite often, but the most important part of disagreeing is having the ability to communicate."

Despite the mind-numbing nature of the ongoing Favre saga, McCarthy seemed fairly upbeat Saturday. At one point, he jokingly offered $50 to the first reporter who asked a question that didn't pertain to Favre.

But McCarthy did acknowledge that he was disappointed about how the situation has evolved.

"The way it's gone has been disappointing, I'll say that," McCarthy said. "So you can say that's a surprise."

That's the closest McCarthy and other Packers officials have come to publicly criticizing Favre in recent weeks, even after the quarterback lashed out at Thompson in an interview with Fox News.

"We've taken the high road through this whole process, for as difficult as it's been," McCarthy said. "And we've always operated in the best interest of the Packers and also with the utmost respect for Brett Favre."

But even given Favre's iffy commitment to football, doesn't he still give the Packers their best chance to win in 2008?

"As simple as a question as that sounds, it's obviously more complicated than that," McCarthy said.

Taking Favre back might seem like an easy answer, but doing so would undermine the message McCarthy and his assistants have been preaching to players for nearly five months.

"Moving forward as a football team is really the identity of the whole football team," McCarthy said. "Brett Favre's had an incredible career here. He's been the focal point of the Packers, the face of the Green Bay Packers."

Despite his background as a quarterbacks coach, McCarthy prefers to win with defense — a philosophy that presumably works best with steady but unspectacular play from a quarterback.

"The football team has moved forward with the emphasis on defense," McCarthy said. "Because that's what I believe in."

Even with his firm commitment to Rodgers and the defense, McCarthy couldn't completely rule out the possibility of Favre starting another game for the Packers. But McCarthy's quote — "You never say never" — seemed more like an offhanded acknowledgment of the unpredictable nature of the game than a subtle hint that Favre could win his job back.

"If he reinstates, he'll be part of our roster," McCarthy said. "That's really as far as we can go."

Yankees acquire Nady, Marte from Pirates

The New York Yankees got a win over their biggest rival, and two of the most coveted players on the trade market. Not a bad way to begin the weekend.

Stocking up for a run at the pennant in their final 60 games, the Yankees acquired outfielder Xavier Nady and left-hander Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates and beat the Boston Red Sox 1-0 Friday night for their seventh straight win.

"It's definitely a positive day for us," Johnny Damon said.

The Yankees, with Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada on the disabled list and possibly lost for the year, needed another right-handed bat for their lefty loaded lineup.

Their all-righty bullpen has a 1.67 ERA over its last 23 games, and adding Marte gives them one of the top lefty specialists in baseball.

"There's so many unexpected things (that) happen this time of year," Alex Rodriguez said, "but when you hear those names, I don't think anyone can expect to get two quality players like that in the middle of their prime to help our team."

Two people familiar with the deal confirmed the trade on condition of anonymity because physicals were still pending.

"I can't speak to something that hasn't happened yet," New York general manager Brian Cashman said after Friday's win.

The Yankees were nine games out of first place in the AL East after games of July 6. Now they trail division-leading Tampa Bay by three. The Red Sox are one game behind the Rays.

"The Yankees ownership always gives us an opportunity to win so it's really not surprising," Derek Jeter said. "It seems like every year if they feel as though we need some different pieces to help us win they go out and get them."

Nady and Marte were coveted by several teams, and New York parted with top outfield prospect Jose Tabata and three other minor leaguers to complete the deal one day after team executives met at the club's facility in Tampa, Fla.

Nady is batting .330 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs in 88 games. Marte is 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 46 2-3 innings.

"They were two special guys in our clubhouse and two special guys on the field, and obviously they will be dearly missed," Pirates manager John Russell said.

Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline is July 31.

Pittsburgh, 48-55 and in fifth place in the NL Central after a 6-5 loss to San Diego, is trying to rebuild and avoid a 16th consecutive losing season at the same time.

In addition to Tabata, the Pirates acquired right-handers Ross Ohlendorf and George Kontos, and left-hander Phil Coke.

"We felt that this was the best move for the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as being a very good move for X and Damaso," Russell said.

Ohlendorf was 1-1 with a 6.53 ERA in 25 games with the Yankees this season. He was demoted on June 27, and had a 1-1 record with a 4.03 ERA in five starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Tabata, Kontos and Coke all were with Double-A Trenton. Tabata was batting .248 with three homers and 36 RBIs entering play Friday, and Coke was 9-4 with a 2.60 ERA in 20 games, 19 starts. Kontos was 3-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 20 starts.

High-ranking Yankees officials gathered for meetings at their spring training complex Thursday. After a three-hour meeting, co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner confirmed one of the topics was indicted home run king Barry Bonds.

Steinbrenner wouldn't say if the Yankees are interested in Bonds, but it appears highly unlikely the team will pursue him after acquiring Nady.

"It helps out the team, not only now but also in the long run," Damon said of acquiring Nady. "He's one of the most underrated players around. I think he's one of the best outfielders in the game."

Marte fills a need for a lefty in an already strong bullpen.

"He's high energy," Damon said. "He's throwing legs and arms and everything at you."

Nady is in his sixth major league season. The 29-year-old played with San Diego and the New York Mets before joining Pittsburgh in the middle of the 2006 season. The 33-year-old Marte, in his ninth season, played for Seattle, Pittsburgh and the Chicago White Sox before returning to the Pirates at the start of the 2006 season.

"If those two play for us the way they've played against us," Jeter said, "they're really going to help."

___

AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker in New York and AP freelance writers Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., and Chris Adamski in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

WNBA suspends 10 players and Mahorn for skirmish

The WNBA punished so many players for their roles in this week's skirmish that the league is staggering the suspensions by alphabetical order.

"None of us can recall an incident like this," WNBA president Donna Orender said Thursday during a conference call.

The league suspended Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn and 10 players following the dustup between the Shock and the visiting Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.

Shock forward Plenette Pierson was suspended for four games, the harshest penalty, for initiating and escalating the altercation.

"In our opinion, Plenette was the aggressor," said Renee Brown, the WNBA's chief of basketball operations and player relations

Mahorn was suspended for two games, as were Shannon Bobbitt and Murriel Page of the Sparks, for the incident at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

"As a team, we're incensed that Rick Mahorn was suspended," Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Houston, where the Shock were scheduled to play the Comets. "He was trying to be a peacemaker and now he's being thrown under the bus."

Brown said Mahorn only started off as a peacemaker before he shoved Sparks star Lisa Leslie.

"Then he took it a step too far," she said. "When he pushed Lisa, it escalated the situation."

Players suspended for one game included Detroit's Kara Braxton, Tasha Humphrey, Elaine Powell and Sheri Sam, along with Los Angeles' Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones.

"I feel sorry for Bobbitt and for Murriel getting two games for coming off the bench, but that is what the league felt necessary," Parker said.

Four of the suspended Shock players and Mahorn began serving their suspensions on Thursday night, where Detroit played Houston. Sam was on the active roster, but the Shock were left with eight players for the game, including 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman, who signed a seven-day contract on Thursday.

Lieberman, the Shock's former coach and general manager, was going to play on Thursday only and Laimbeer said the Shock would sign another player to replace Ford on Friday.

Lieberman said her signing was more than just a publicity stunt aimed at directing attention away from Tuesday's fight.

"The other night was really sad and I watched it and was very disappointed," Lieberman said. "But today is a day to celebrate the history of the game, to celebrate this league and to inspire people."

Pierson was also fined $1,500 and Mahorn was docked $1,000. The rest of the players involved were fined $500 each.

"I think the fines that were handed out were just," Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. "I don't think there is anyone in this league that condones fighting. All players know what happens when you leave the floor and throw a punch. Unfortunately we're missing four of our five starters. That's something that we'll have to deal with but that's why they call it a team sport."

Laimbeer would not comment further on the suspensions of his players, but backed up Mahorn again before Thursday's game.

"It's unfortunate that players get suspended. These things happen," he said. "That's the way business works some days. I don't comment on suspensions because it's beyond my control. Except for Rick Mahorn. He was out there being a peacemaker, something happened and he was not involved and that's bad."

Pam Wheeler, director of operations for the WNBA players' union, said officials are in the process of interviewing players affected by the fines and suspensions while reviewing video of the end of the game.

"A determination of any appeals or grievances will be made shortly," Wheeler said in a statement.

The melee at The Palace in suburban Detroit — where the infamous brawl between the Pistons, Indiana Pacers and fans was in 2004 — broke out with 4.6 seconds left in a game won by the Sparks.

Parker and Pierson got tangled and fell to the court. Deanna Nolan tackled Parker, and Mahorn appeared to push Leslie to the court. Milton-Jones responded by punching Mahorn in the back.

The fracas started moments after Parker and Detroit's Cheryl Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker. After Ford tried to restrain Pierson, her right knee buckled and she left the floor in a wheelchair and will miss the rest of the season and playoffs due to a torn knee ligament.

Rare buzz was generated for the WNBA by the skirmish, but the source of the spotlight doesn't thrill the league.

"There's no doubt that there has been a tremendous amount of attention, but it's not the type of attention that we seek," Orender said.

___

AP Sports Writers Chris Duncan in Houston and Doug Feinberg in Uncasville, Conn., contributed.

WNBA suspends 10 players and Mahorn for skirmish

The WNBA punished so many players for their roles in this week's skirmish that the league is staggering the suspensions by alphabetical order.

"None of us can recall an incident like this," WNBA president Donna Orender said Thursday during a conference call.

The league suspended Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn and 10 players following the dustup between the Shock and the visiting Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.

Shock forward Plenette Pierson was suspended for four games, the harshest penalty, for initiating and escalating the altercation.

"In our opinion, Plenette was the aggressor," said Renee Brown, the WNBA's chief of basketball operations and player relations

Mahorn was suspended for two games, as were Shannon Bobbitt and Murriel Page of the Sparks, for the incident at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

"As a team, we're incensed that Rick Mahorn was suspended," Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Houston, where the Shock were scheduled to play the Comets. "He was trying to be a peacemaker and now he's being thrown under the bus."

Brown said Mahorn only started off as a peacemaker before he shoved Sparks star Lisa Leslie.

"Then he took it a step too far," she said. "When he pushed Lisa, it escalated the situation."

Players suspended for one game included Detroit's Kara Braxton, Tasha Humphrey, Elaine Powell and Sheri Sam, along with Los Angeles' Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones.

"I feel sorry for Bobbitt and for Murriel getting two games for coming off the bench, but that is what the league felt necessary," Parker said.

Four of the suspended Shock players and Mahorn began serving their suspensions on Thursday night, where Detroit played Houston. Sam was on the active roster, but the Shock were left with eight players for the game, including 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman, who signed a seven-day contract on Thursday.

Lieberman, the Shock's former coach and general manager, was going to play on Thursday only and Laimbeer said the Shock would sign another player to replace Ford on Friday.

Lieberman said her signing was more than just a publicity stunt aimed at directing attention away from Tuesday's fight.

"The other night was really sad and I watched it and was very disappointed," Lieberman said. "But today is a day to celebrate the history of the game, to celebrate this league and to inspire people."

Pierson was also fined $1,500 and Mahorn was docked $1,000. The rest of the players involved were fined $500 each.

"I think the fines that were handed out were just," Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. "I don't think there is anyone in this league that condones fighting. All players know what happens when you leave the floor and throw a punch. Unfortunately we're missing four of our five starters. That's something that we'll have to deal with but that's why they call it a team sport."

Laimbeer would not comment further on the suspensions of his players, but backed up Mahorn again before Thursday's game.

"It's unfortunate that players get suspended. These things happen," he said. "That's the way business works some days. I don't comment on suspensions because it's beyond my control. Except for Rick Mahorn. He was out there being a peacemaker, something happened and he was not involved and that's bad."

Pam Wheeler, director of operations for the WNBA players' union, said officials are in the process of interviewing players affected by the fines and suspensions while reviewing video of the end of the game.

"A determination of any appeals or grievances will be made shortly," Wheeler said in a statement.

The melee at The Palace in suburban Detroit — where the infamous brawl between the Pistons, Indiana Pacers and fans was in 2004 — broke out with 4.6 seconds left in a game won by the Sparks.

Parker and Pierson got tangled and fell to the court. Deanna Nolan tackled Parker, and Mahorn appeared to push Leslie to the court. Milton-Jones responded by punching Mahorn in the back.

The fracas started moments after Parker and Detroit's Cheryl Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker. After Ford tried to restrain Pierson, her right knee buckled and she left the floor in a wheelchair and will miss the rest of the season and playoffs due to a torn knee ligament.

Rare buzz was generated for the WNBA by the skirmish, but the source of the spotlight doesn't thrill the league.

"There's no doubt that there has been a tremendous amount of attention, but it's not the type of attention that we seek," Orender said.

___

AP Sports Writers Chris Duncan in Houston and Doug Feinberg in Uncasville, Conn., contributed.

Favre declines to address rift with Packers

Brett Favre stuck to the script, declining to address his public rift with the Green Bay Packers in an appearance at Lambeau Field on Saturday.

In town to present former teammate Frank Winters for induction into the Packers' Hall of Fame at a banquet Saturday night, Favre briefly spoke with reporters about his former center's career before abruptly stepping off the stage and ducking out a side door.

But before he left, Favre paused to praise the place where he used to play — and now is trying to make a play to get away from.

"That's the thing about Green Bay," said Favre, who spoke for about three minutes. "It's a special place. There's a lot of tradition. You think of the Packers, you think of all these great names, and to be a part of that — and I know Frank feels honored — is a special thing. I'm thankful that he asked me to be here."

With that, Favre introduced Winters and walked off the stage.

Favre also put the smoldering controversy aside when he received a team MVP award during Saturday night's event, calling himself "an old, gray-haired quarterback showing I can still do it."

Favre went out of his way to thank former teammates, something he chided himself for forgetting to do during the taping of the ESPY awards in Los Angeles earlier this week.

"It's all about the team," Favre said. "I hope I have never lost sight of that."

Favre also put the matter aside as he introduced Winters. Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy both were present for the ceremony.

The only passing mention to the latest chapter in the Favre retirement saga came from event master of ceremonies Larry McCarren, a former Packers player and current broadcaster.

"There are bigger problems in the world than the one the Packer nation is wrestling with now," McCarren said early on as he urged attendees to put the issue aside for the night.

On Saturday afternoon, Winters said he was glad Favre kept his commitment to present him to the Packers' Hall of Fame despite the fact that it might be an awkward situation, given the very public nature of Favre's rift with the team in recent weeks.

"There's a lot of people probably, around the NFL and the United States probably thinking Brett wouldn't show up today," said Winters, who had asked Favre to present him several months ago. "But I knew deep down inside he would, and he told me he would be here, and it's a great honor."

Favre retired in early March, but recently has been having second thoughts about playing in 2008. But the latest, and most intense, episode in several offseasons' worth of Favre's flip-flopping on his future in football was met with lukewarm enthusiasm by the Packers, who spent the offseason planning to move forward with Aaron Rodgers as their starter.

Favre asked to be released from his contract, a request the team has no plans to grant. The next step for Favre could be to petition NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement, a move that would force the Packers to release him or place him on their active roster. He also could be traded.

The Packers have filed tampering charges against the Minnesota Vikings, suspecting that interest from the Vikings is the main reason Favre has changed his mind about playing in 2008.

Favre's rights belong to the Packers until his current contract expires after the 2010 season.

In an interview with Fox News last week, Favre criticized Thompson for being untruthful with him. Packers officials have gone out of their way not to criticize Favre, instead laying out a specific timeline of their dealings with him in the offseason in hopes that fans will understand why the team decided to move forward without No. 4.

The most significant episode in their timeline came in late March, when Favre led the Packers to believe he was going to unretire and they were prepared to welcome him back — only to change his mind once again and stay retired.

Despite the public acrimony, Winters said Saturday night's dinner — where Favre was to present Winters and receive a team MVP award from the Hall of Fame for his performance last season — wouldn't be a problem.

"I don't think it's awkward," Winters said. "I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that would like to ask him a lot of questions. But this is a special night for a couple of guys, and we're just going to keep it to that."

Saturday night's inductees included Winters, former defensive tackle Gilbert Brown and former video director Al Treml.

Brown deflected a question about whether Favre's situation is going to overshadow the evening's event.

"I don't know," Brown said. "All I know is tonight is (about) Gilbert Brown, Frank Winters and Al Treml. That's all I care about."

Winters also ducked questions about the Favre situation.

"When it plays out, however it plays out, I'll comment at that point," Winters said. "But right now, I'm not going to comment on it and take anything away from the other guys that are getting inducted tonight."

Despite putting himself in a potentially awkward situation, Favre still managed to laugh about the good times he had while playing with Winters — including the first time they met in 1992, when Favre's conditioning was less than ideal.

"I said, 'What do you play?' He said, 'I play center,'" said Favre, who weighed 252 pounds at the time. "He says to me, 'What do you play, linebacker?' And from that point on, we were inseparable."

Winters said he didn't have any insights on Favre's next move. But he acknowledged that it's difficult for players to leave the game.

"You miss the guys," Winters said. "I'm not going to lie, you miss the paycheck. It's a great way to make a living. But sooner or later, you realize it's time to move on."

Packers prez backs GM, coach in Favre standoff

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy restated his support for general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy on Friday in the standoff with Brett Favre.

Murphy attended a meeting of the team's executive committee Friday. He was not available for comment afterward, but team spokesman Aaron Popkey said Murphy has "full confidence" in how Thompson and McCarthy are handling this matter.

Favre is having second thoughts about football after retiring in March. But the Packers have since committed to moving on without the three-time MVP, causing a public rift between the team and one of its greatest players.

Although the Packers are publicly owned, the seven-member executive committee meets in private and doesn't publicize its agenda. The meetings generally cover all aspects of the team's operation and typically include a football report. It was widely assumed, but not confirmed, that the Favre situation would be discussed Friday.

In an interview with The Associated Press this week, Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis — an emeritus member of the Packers' board of directors — said Favre was bound to come up in any meeting involving high-level team executives.

"Obviously, right now, this is going to be a heavy discussion," Davis said.

A week filled with awkward moments between Favre and the team could intensify Saturday. Favre is scheduled to present former teammate Frank Winters at the Packers' Hall of Fame induction banquet. He is expected to honor his commitment, but it is not clear if he will take questions from reporters.

Favre's future also could come up during the Packers' annual shareholders meeting at Lambeau Field on July 24.

A movement to summon fan support for Favre has fizzled so far. A rally in Green Bay drew fewer than 200 fans Sunday, and Monday's rally in the Milwaukee suburbs drew only 30 despite widespread local media attention. But shareholders supporting Favre still could call attention to the issue.

Shareholders, who elect the team's board of directors but don't directly control the team's day-to-day decision making, aren't given the chance to ask questions during the meeting. But Murphy and Thompson will be there to mingle afterward.

The controversy comes at a difficult time for Murphy, whose father, Hugh, died Thursday in Florida at 83. Murphy returned to Green Bay for Friday's meeting, and planned to rejoin his family in Florida. A memorial is scheduled for Monday.

Murphy, a former All-Pro safety for the Washington Redskins, got his law degree from Georgetown and worked as an assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association after his playing days. He took over for longtime Packers top executive Bob Harlan in January. Before joining the Packers, Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern.

Speaking on the Packers' statewide tour with fans last week, Murphy expressed support for Thompson and McCarthy regarding Favre.

Favre has flip-flopped before about his football future, but never like this. He teased the Packers earlier in the offseason and seemed set to unretire in late March, only to change his mind once again. His 11th-hour desire to unretire drew a decidedly lukewarm reception from the team this time.

So Favre's agent asked the Packers to release him from his contract last week, something Thompson has said the Packers have no plans to do. Releasing Favre would allow him to sign with any team he wants — perhaps even division rival Minnesota.

Unless he is released or traded, Favre's rights belong to the Packers until his current contract expires after the 2010 season.

The Packers have filed tampering charges against the Vikings, believing that offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, Favre's former quarterbacks coach in Green Bay, had contact with Favre that violated an NFL rule prohibiting teams from trying to "impermissibly induce a person to seek employment" while they are employed by another team.

A person familiar with the Packers' complaint told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Packers officials have expressed a belief that interest from the Vikings is the main reason Favre suddenly is considering a return to the NFL. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

On Wednesday, Favre's agent, Bus Cook, told ESPN that he and Favre have "no definite plans to ask for reinstatement" and it was up to the Packers to decide what to do next.

But Favre will remain on the Packers' reserve/retired list unless he applies to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement, a move that would force the Packers to either release him or return him to their active roster.

Mets beat Reds for 10th straight win; take first

David Wright's two-run homer in the ninth inning rallied the Mets to their 10th straight victory Thursday night, a 10-8 win over the Cincinnati Reds that moved once-languishing New York back into first place in the NL East.

Playing on the one-month anniversary of manager Willie Randolph's firing, the Mets blew three leads before coming full-circle with four runs in the ninth off closer Francisco Cordero (4-2).

They were 6 1/2 games out when they changed managers, fearful that they were playing themselves out of contention with an underachieving offense. Their 10th straight win completed the turnaround — they're tied for first with Philadelphia, back in the top spot for the first time since April 19.

That once-balky offense made it possible.

Down to their last two outs, the Mets rallied against Cordero, who blew a save for the fifth time in 24 chances. Argenis Reyes singled, and Wright — an All-Star designated hitter at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night — hit a tying homer to right field that barely eluded the glove of leaping Ken Griffey Jr.

That was the spark they needed.

Carlos Delgado had a tiebreaking single off Cordero, smacking his hands and pumping his firsts as he rounded first base. Fernando Tatis doubled home another run to complete the comeback.

Those three accounted for all of the Mets' runs. Delgado and Tatis had two-run homers off Red starter Johnny Cueto, and Wright had a two-run single.

It appeared that the streak — now matching the Twins for longest in the majors this season — was about to end when Javier Valentin hit a bases-loaded double in the seventh for an 8-6 lead. Pitching has been the foundation for the Mets' winning streak — four shutouts in the six previous games — but Johan Santana and the bullpen repeatedly failed in the one.

Until the end, that is.

Duaner Sanchez (4-1) escaped a scoring threat in the eighth. Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 29 chances, wiping away the bad taste of his latest All-Star appearance. The left-hander gave up an RBI double in the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, helping the American League rally for a win that gives it home-field advantage once again in the World Series.

Notes:@ Delgado's homer was his 449th, tying Jeff Bagwell for 33rd on the career list. ... RH Pedro Martinez will miss his scheduled start Sunday against the Reds. He got an injection Thursday to help his groin strain heal. He could start Tuesday against Philadelphia. ... RH Mike Pelfrey will start in Martinez's place on Sunday. Pelfrey hasn't allowed a run in his last 16 innings. ... The Reds put INF Jerry Hairston Jr. on the 15-day DL with a pulled hamstring and activated INF Jolbert Cabrera off the DL. Cabrera dislocated his left index finger while sliding into base on June 21. ... Encarnacion had three hits and extended his hitting streak to five games. He's 11-for-19 during the streak.

Injured Harrington questionable for British Open

If this was nearly any other week, Padraig Harrington would already be home.

Instead, he was strolling around blustery Royal Birkdale, still trying to cope with the pain in his right wrist, still trying to work out how he can possibly defend his British Open championship.

Harrington cut short another practice round Wednesday on the eve of the tournament, managing only three full swings before his wrist started throbbing again. He walked the rest of the course, limiting himself to chipping and putting, the only things he felt comfortable enough to risk.

So, will he play?

"I can't say honestly at this moment," Harrington said as he strolled down the middle of the 18th fairway, midway through a practice round that was little more than a pleasant walk.

Later, after coming off the ninth green, he was a bit more specific about his prospects. Harrington said it was 75 percent likely he would at least tee off, but put his chances of making it through the first round at only 50 percent.

The Irishman sprained his wrist last weekend while hitting into an impact bag, golf's version of the punching bag. He took a couple of days off, then hit the course Tuesday. He managed to get in nine holes before his wrist started feeling "tingly," forcing him to cut out any full swings on the back side.

Harrington returned early Wednesday, headed to the practice range and didn't have any problems.

"I thought it was fine," he said. "I was hitting all sorts of shots and felt quite confident. I was hitting drivers with no problem. I was hitting divots with no problem."

Then he headed to the course. Three swings later, he was done.

Harrington teed off at No. 10 and didn't like the way his wrist felt. He tried another swing from the fairway. More pain. He gave it one more shot at the 11th tee before pulling the plug. For the second day in a row, caddie Ronan Flood ditched the bag and simply walked with his boss carrying a few wedges and a putter.

"When I hit that first 6-iron off the fairway, it hurt," Harrington said. "When I went back and hit the driver again, that hurt."

The doctors have assured Harrington that nothing is broken or torn, so there appears little chance he could make things worse by playing — and potentially knock himself out of future events such as the PGA Championship or, even more important, the Ryder Cup.

Harrington was being treated with laser light therapy, ice and anti-inflammatory medication. Even if he plays, he knows he won't be 100 percent.

"I'll be apprehensive hitting any shot," he said. "I'll certainly be apprehensive hitting it in the rough. It might be a situation now of trying to manage the pain. If the stability in the wrist is strong, it's really dealing with the pain. The pain itself is not a problem, but the anticipation of flinching for the pain, that could be a problem. I've got to somehow manage that."

Harrington had a small wrap on his wrist, though few fans saw it because he was wearing a wind jacket on a cool, windy day along the Irish Sea. Still, most spectators were aware of the defending champion's predicament and showed their concern.

"How's the wrist, Padraig?" one man asked when Harrington lingered to sign autographs.

"It's OK," he replied, without much conviction.

Harrington walked the course with Woody Austin, watching the American hit drivers and irons, then chatting with him between shots.

"It's been a nice relaxing day for me," Harrington quipped. "I should be checking out the course, but I find myself just telling stories with Woody."

Harrington won his first major championship a year ago at Carnoustie, where he memorably hit two balls into the Barry Burn on the 72nd hole but still managed to beat Sergio Garcia in a playoff.

He was looking forward to making another run at the claret jug — even suggesting jokingly that the R&A come up with a smaller box to store it in, so the champion could carry it on to a plane. But the ailing wrist has made it highly unlikely he'll be able to contend at Royal Birkdale.

Then again, Tiger Woods did manage to win the U.S. Open on a bum knee. The world's best player underwent surgery shortly after his playoff victory over Rocco Mediate, forcing him to sit out the rest of the year.

The British Open faces the prospect of being without two of its biggest names. And rest assured, Harrington wouldn't be going through so much trouble for just any tournament.

If this wasn't the British Open?

"I," Harrington said without hesitation, "would be at home right now."

Evans leads as doping hits Tour de France again

Cadel Evans of Australia led Wednesday's 11th stage of the Tour de France, which was hit by another doping bust after Spanish cyclist Moises Duenas Nevado tested positive for the blood-booster EPO.

Evans was ahead by one second over Frank Schleck of Luxembourg heading into the 104.1-mile trek from Lannemezan to Foix that features a category 1 climb up the Col de Portel.

Earlier, police took away Duenas Nevado, who rides for Barloworld and was 19th overall in the Tour, after briefly questioning him at the team's hotel in the southwestern town of Tarbes.

Pierre Bordry, head of the French anti-doping agency, said Duenas Nevado tested positive after the fourth stage on July 8 at Cholet, the site of the race's first time trial.

A Barloworld spokesman said Duenas Nevado has pulled out of the race and was immediately suspended by the team. However, the team did not pull out and will start Wednesday's 11th stage.

The case marks the second positive EPO test at this Tour. Spanish veteran Manuel Beltran — a former teammate of seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong — was sent home for testing positive after the first stage this year.

Beltran's Liquigas team also remained in the race Wednesday.

Brett Favre: Packers should let me play elsewhere

Brett Favre finally is speaking for himself: He wants to play but doesn't feel welcome in Green Bay, so he's asking to be released. The quarterback's first substantial comments on his latest retirement decision reversal come in an interview with Fox News on "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."

"OK, you guys have a different path, fine," Favre said, recalling a June 20 conversation with Packers coach Mike McCarthy. "What does that mean for me? So that means either you give me my helmet, welcome back, or release me, or attempt to trade me. We all know that's a possibility, but way-out-there possibility.

"And he says, 'Well, playing here is not an option, but we can't envision you playing with another team, you know, either.' And I thought, so basically, I'm not playing for anyone if I choose to come back."

According to Van Susteren, who spoke to the AP by telephone Monday afternoon, Favre said he was "never fully committed" to retiring and felt pressured by the Packers to make a decision, a notion Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy tried to dispel in an interview with the AP on Saturday.

"Ted always wanted Brett back," McCarthy said. "We always wanted Brett back."

The team had no immediate reaction to Favre's interview Monday.

"We currently have nothing to add on this matter," a team spokesman said.

Favre told Fox he understands that the Packers want to move on — but if they're doing so, they should let him go.

"Them moving on does not bother me," Favre said. "It doesn't. I totally understand that. By me retiring March 3, I knew that could possibly happen. All I was saying is, you know, I'm thinking about playing again."

Favre said he has thought about the ramifications of playing for another team, moving to another city, and angering some Packers fans.

"You know, the bottom line is, I may not play anywhere," Favre said. "But we have thought of all those things. We have thought about it."

Van Susteren — who is from Appleton, Wis., is a Packers shareholder and previously had interviewed Favre and his wife, Deanna — said Favre made it clear he would not return to the Packers if he wasn't the starter. And while Favre said the Packers asked him for a list of teams to which he would accept a trade, he wants to be released to make sure he ends up on a competitive club.

Thompson said the team wasn't going to release Favre, but he could come back in a "different role than he was" because the team is committed to going forward with Aaron Rodgers.

"You're telling me playing there is not an option, but playing elsewhere, we just can't — we're trying to protect your legacy," Favre said. "Well, thank you. I appreciate that. But apparently now, they're trying to protect my legacy by bringing me back and having me be a backup. Boy, that is really good."

Thompson and McCarthy wouldn't discuss the possibility of trading Favre and said they hadn't received any trade inquiries as of Saturday.

Thompson and McCarthy gave AP a detailed description of their dealings with Favre throughout the offseason, including an episode a few weeks after Favre's retirement where the two were prepared to fly to Mississippi to seal the deal on a Favre comeback — only to have the quarterback change his mind again.

In the interview, Favre said the Packers were being dishonest, although he did not point out specific examples in the portion of the interview aired Monday. A second segment is scheduled to air Tuesday.

"If you move on, you tell me one thing, don't come back and tell the public ... just say it, 'You know, we've moved on and we'll work with Brett on whatever it is,'" Favre said. "Don't make up a lot of stuff or give half of the truth."

McCarthy and Thompson also expressed concern Saturday that Favre spent most of the offseason questioning whether he still had the commitment to play football. But Favre told Fox News it wasn't going to be an issue.

"If I'm going to play it's going to be 100 percent commitment," Favre said.

Favre's interview — which was receiving top billing over an interview with presidential candidate John McCain in promos for Van Susteren's show that aired during the day Monday — is the latest development in what is looking more and more like an irreparable schism between one of the NFL's most storied franchises and perhaps its most beloved quarterback.

Thompson called the situation "gut-wrenching" Saturday.

"I mean, it hurts," he said. "I'm not talking about physically hurting, but the sensitivity. We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I've ever gone through."

Indians sweep as Rays suffer 7th straight loss

The Tampa Bay Rays lost their seventh straight game Sunday, sending baseball's feel-good story into the All-Star break on a sour note. Jhonny Peralta drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians beat Scott Kazmir and Tampa Bay 5-2 to complete a four-game sweep.

Peralta's two-run homer off Kazmir (7-5) gave Cleveland a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning and helped knock the Rays out of first place in the AL East. They trail Boston, which beat Baltimore, by a half game after holding a five-game lead on the division last Monday morning.

The Indians entered the series having lost 10 straight, their worst streak since 1979, but outscored the Rays 31-8 to extend their home winning streak over Tampa Bay to 13. The Rays have not won in Cleveland since Sept. 29, 2005, and dropped 18 of the last 20 meetings overall.

Tom Mastny (1-2) pitched two perfect innings to earn the win and Masa Kobayashi, the Indians' fifth pitcher, worked the ninth for his fifth save.

The Rays didn't get a hit after the third inning. After Indians starter Jeremy Sowers issued a pair of one-out walks in the fourth, he struck out B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena as Cleveland pitchers retired the final 17 Tampa Bay batters.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the second despite not putting a ball in play. Sowers walked four, committed a balk, and struck out the side during a strange 41-pitch inning that included Indians manager Eric Wedge's ejection by plate umpire Kerwin Danley.

After striking out All-Star Evan Longoria, Sowers walked Jonny Gomes on a 3-2 pitch. With an 0-2 count on Shawn Riggans, Gomes broke for second as Sowers threw to first and Danley ruled the left-hander balked. Wedge yelled from the top step of the dugout in protest.

After Gomes stole third and Riggans also walked, Wedge questioned Danley's strike zone, too, and was tossed for the third time this season.

Sowers fanned Ben Zobrist, then walked both Gabe Gross and Akinori Iwamura to force in a run.

Riggans' RBI single in the third made it 2-0 but Cleveland tied it in the bottom half. Franklin Gutierrez singled off Longoria's glove at third, went to third on Jamey Carroll's one-out single, and scored on Ben Francisco's base hit to right. Peralta drove in Carroll with a sacrifice fly.

All-Star Grady Sizemore opened the Indians' fifth with a walk and scored on Peralta's two-out homer, the shortstop's 16th of the season and fourth in his last seven games.

Andy Marte made it 5-2 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

Sowers had the oddest outing of his young career. The left-hander gave up three hits and two runs over four innings, setting career highs of seven walks and eight strikeouts. In his first 196 innings in the majors, the first-round pick in the 2004 draft had only 53 walks and 77 strikeouts.

Kazmir, one of Tampa Bay's three All-Stars, gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings, dropping to 1-4 in his last seven starts since June 11 following a six-game winning streak.

Notes:@ According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Indians' home winning streak over Tampa Bay is the longest current one of its kind in the majors. The Indians defeated the Detroit Tigers 15 straight in Cleveland from 1994 to 1997. ... Marte's homer was his first in the majors since April 4, 2007. ... Sizemore has 23 homers and is the first Indians player to lead the AL in that category at the All-Star break since Jim Thome (26) in 2001. ... Rays OF Carl Crawford, in the worst hitless streak of his career (0-for-25) didn't play. ... Rays DH Willy Aybar went 0-for-3 and is in a 1-for-16 skid.

Ex-Yanks star, broadcaster Bobby Murcer dies at 62

Bobby Murcer succeeded Mickey Mantle, played in pinstripes with Don Mattingly and watched proudly from the broadcast booth when the New York Yankees returned to power.

A cherished link from former Yankees greats to the club's current stars, Murcer died Saturday due to complications from a malignant brain tumor, the team said. He was 62.

In his final moments, Murcer was surrounded by family at Mercy Hospital in his hometown of Oklahoma City, the Yankees said. A five-time All-Star outfielder, he spent nearly four decades with New York as a player, executive and announcer.

"Bobby Murcer was a born Yankee, a great guy, very well-liked and a true friend of mine," owner George Steinbrenner said. "I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Kay, their children and grandchildren. I will really miss the guy."

Murcer was diagnosed with a brain tumor on Christmas Eve 2006 after having headaches. He had surgery that week in Houston and doctors later discovered the tumor was malignant. Determined to be around his beloved Yankees, Murcer returned to the broadcast booth last year and briefly this season.

The only person to play with Mantle and Mattingly, the popular Murcer hit .277 with 252 home runs and 1,043 RBIs in 17 seasons with the Yankees, San Francisco and the Chicago Cubs. He made the All-Star team in both leagues and won a Gold Glove.

"All of Major League Baseball is saddened today by the passing of Bobby Murcer, particularly on the eve of this historic All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, a place he called home for so many years," commissioner Bud Selig said. "Bobby was a gentleman, a great ambassador for baseball, and a true leader both on and off the field. He was a man of great heart and compassion."

Always a fan favorite in New York and known for his folksy manner as a broadcaster, Murcer won three Emmy Awards for live sports coverage. His most dramatic words came during his time as a player on one of the saddest days in Yankees history.

Murcer delivered one of the eulogies in Ohio after captain Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash in August 1979. The team flew home after the funeral and, that night, Murcer hit a three-run homer and then a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to beat Baltimore 5-4.

A tearful Murcer fell into the arms of teammate Lou Piniella after the game and gave his bat to Munson's wife.

"There is no way to explain what happened," Murcer said. "We used every ounce of strength to go out and play that game. We won it for Thurman."

The Yankees learned of Murcer's death Saturday after a 9-4 victory in Toronto. Visibly upset, players such as Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte spoke softly about how much Murcer meant to them.

"He touched everybody," Rivera said.

"One of the greatest Yankees of all-time," Alex Rodriguez added. "One of the greatest human beings I ever met."

It was the second consecutive summer that the Yankees lost a former star and beloved broadcaster. Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto died in August 2007.

Now, the Yankees are mourning Murcer.

"If there's a Hall of Fame for people, he's in it," Reggie Jackson said. "He was such a good person, and he was appreciative of the people who cared so much for him."

Touted by many in New York as the next Mantle — they were both from Oklahoma, played shortstop and came with strokes fit for Yankee Stadium's short right-field porch — Murcer made his major league debut as a 19-year-old player in 1965.

After serving in the U.S. Army during the 1967-68 seasons, Murcer homered on opening day in front of President Nixon in 1969 at Washington to launch a career as a full-time player.

Murcer moved from shortstop to third base to begin that year, but soon was in center field, Mantle's old spot. Murcer also took over Mantle's locker.

"That was supposed to be the tag. You know, he was going to follow Mantle and do it with ease," said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees from 1996-2007. "He certainly understood it. It's not easy, but he wore the mantle with a lot of class and never shied away from the responsibility.

"Bobby was a great human being. He really zeroed in on the person he was with, and he was a lot of fun. A lot of class. He's going to be missed."

Murcer spent most of his career in pinstripes. He was traded to San Francisco for Bobby Bonds after the 1974 season and was with the Chicago Cubs when the Yankees won the World Series in 1977 and 1978.

He came back to the Yankees during the 1979 season. He had a pinch-hit grand slam in the 1981 opener and was a part-time player when he reached the World Series for the only time later that year, with New York losing to the Dodgers.

"Just a wonderful person, a great teammate and a heck of a baseball player," Piniella said in Chicago after managing the Cubs to a victory over San Francisco. "It's a sad day."

During his career, Murcer had a three-homer game, hit for the cycle and once homered in four straight at-bats.

Smart at the plate, he beat out Willie Mays in 1971 to lead the majors in on-base percentage. The next year, Murcer set career highs with 33 homers and 96 RBIs, and led the AL in total bases and runs. He finished with more career walks (862) than strikeouts (841).

Murcer made the All-Star team for five straight seasons, starting in 1971.

"He was a tough man," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, fighting back tears. "He was a great Yankee, but probably more importantly he was a great friend. He always put others first. He played the game the right way. He got what life was about, and that was making life better for the people around you."

Murcer retired in June 1983 and moved into the broadcast booth that season, working as a color analyst on radio. He served one year as assistant general manager of the Yankees, returned as an announcer in 1989 and stayed in the booth as New York won four World Series titles from 1996-2000.

"He always had that bright smile and that positive spin on everything," Yankees slugger Jason Giambi said. "He was the type of guy who never had a bad day."

Murcer also served as chairman of B.A.T., the Baseball Assistance Team charity that provides financial help and other support to players in need.

"I've never met a more genuine person," Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said. "What he went through the last couple of years no one should ever have to go through, but he went through it with such grace. He was an amazing, amazing guy. He was a piece of work in the best way possible."

A family service will be held within the next several days in Oklahoma City. In addition, a celebration of Murcer's life will be held at a date to be determined, the Yankees said.

Murcer is survived by his wife, his children, Tori and Todd, and his grandchildren.

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AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

Beltran tests positive as doping hits Tour again

Doping is back at the Tour de France. It did not stay away very long.

The peaceful lull that had observers feeling optimistic did not last longer than a week, and the showcase race that was plunged into depths of despair last year, sank right back down again following news Friday of Manuel Beltran's positive test for the performance-enhancer EPO.

He was immediately kicked out of the Tour and suspended by his team, Liquigas.

"When are these idiots going to learn that it's over?" said Pat McQuaid, the leader of the International Cycling Union. "They continue to think that they can beat the system. They're wrong. The system is catching up all the time."

The 37-year-old Spanish rider, who rode alongside Lance Armstrong for three years as one of U.S. Postal's cyclists, was taken away by French police within two hours of the positive test. He can ask for a "B" sample, although these rarely clear riders. If he does ask for it and he fails that test, too, he will be fired by the team, its directors said.

Beltran was targeted by the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) before the race had even started, after blood tests carried out on July 3-4 showed "abnormal parameters", the AFLD's chief Pierre Bordry told The Associated Press.

"Yes, they were of a nature to target him, that was why he was tested on Saturday" July 5, Bordry said. "The parameters were abnormal.

"There are not just traces of EPO, there is EPO," Bordry said. "Whether there is a lot or a little, EPO is forbidden."

Beltran might not be alone, either, with Bordry adding that other riders — so far unidentified — are also under the spotlight for having abnormal blood parameters.

Liquigas spokesman Paolo Barbieri said French police had taken Beltran from the team hotel to the town of Aurillac where Friday's seventh stage finished. He confirmed police were searching rooms at the team's hotel.

Before the positive test, an exciting seventh stage had seen Luis-Leon Sanchez of Spain win with a solo ride and Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg retain the yellow jersey.

Kirchen still leads Australia's Cadel Evans by six seconds, with Monday's first big mountain stage approaching fast on Bastille Day, the celebration of the French revolution that saw the aristocracy overthrown and heads roll.

Heads certainly turned Friday with the news of the Tour's first doping test, which now means four ex-Armstrong teammates have tested positive in the past four years.

In addition to Beltran, Floyd Landis, Roberto Heras of Spain and Tyler Hamilton — all former Postal riders during Armstrong's seven Tour wins from 1999-2005 — failed doping tests after quitting the Texan's team.

Though Beltran will not continue in the Tour, his team will.

Last year, Cofidis withdrew after Cristian Moreni of Italy tested positive for testosterone, and pre-race favorite Alexandre Vinokourov's Kazakh-owned Astana team was kicked out by race organizer ASO after he tested positive for blood doping.

Depending on what Beltran tells the police, Liquigas may eventually be forced out, too.

An official of the police division responsible for public health confirmed Beltran was in custody. He said police are questioning him about where he took the drug and where he got it. They can keep him for 24 hours, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Every rider was blood-tested before the start of the race on July 3 and 4 by Bordry's AFLD, which is responsible for testing along with the French cycling federation. The UCI is not involved in testing this year because of a long-standing rift with ASO.

The AFLD announced Friday that some 20 riders had abnormal blood test results before the race, but none exceeded the limits for hematocrit. High levels of hematocrit are indicators of EPO use but do not confirm it.

UCI's McQuaid acknowledged ridding cycling of "the old guard" is a slow and painful process because "you don't change a culture overnight" — the proof being the last three Tours all have been marred by doping, each successive year peeling off the tender scars before they've healed.

Last year, race leader Michael Rasmussen was kicked out just days before the end for lying about his whereabouts to avoid pre-Tour doping tests, and Spaniard Iban Mayo also tested positive for EPO. He later was cleared by his national federation, but the case is still being contested by the UCI.

In the 2006 Tour, Landis tested positive for synthetic testosterone after a spectacular comeback ride that set the stage for his Tour victory. He later was stripped of his title following a long court battle.

Despite the promises and pledges this time around from directors that their teams were clean, and that anti-doping programs were working overtime, the 2008 Tour has not even reached the hard mountains and the first positive test has arrived.

"Once more, the sport suffers," McQuaid told the AP. "Idiots like that are prepared to take the risk, and it's a huge risk."

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Associated Press Writer Jean-Luc Courthial in Paris contributed to this report.

Jaguars' Jones arrested on felony drug charge

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones faces a felony drug charge in his former college town after police say he was inside a car cutting up cocaine with a credit card.

The 25-year-old Jones and two others were arrested early Thursday. A police report said officers approached the car and an officer drew his handgun after Jones did not immediately show his hands.

Police said they searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag filled with a white substance that tested positive for cocaine and a jar with possible marijuana residue.

Jared Hicks and Benjamin Cook were also arrested on misdemeanor drug charges.

Jones was released from the Washington County jail on $2,500 bond. His arraignment on a charge of felony possession of a controlled substance was set for Aug. 11, two days after Jacksonville's preseason opener against Atlanta.

Police said 6 grams of cocaine was found. The threshold for potential charges of possession with intent to deliver is 1 gram. However, prosecutor John Threet said there is no evidence that Jones intended to deal the drug.

Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver said he was waiting to learn details of the case.

"We're trying to investigate that now," Weaver said. "We don't have all the facts. We will comment on that once we have all the facts."

Jones, a star quarterback at Arkansas and a first-round pick in 2005, failed to develop into the go-to receiver for Jacksonville.

Jones caught 77 passes for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns in his first two pro seasons, but he struggled in 2007.

Last season, coach Jack Del Rio became increasingly frustrated with Jones' demeanor and work ethic, making him inactive for three games. In the offseason, the Jaguars signed free agent Jerry Porter and traded for former first-round pick Troy Williamson.

Stewart leaving JGR, plans to purchase NASCAR team

From his seat in the bright orange No. 20, Tony Stewart spent a decade driving his way to superstardom while helping Joe Gibbs Racing become one of NASCAR's top teams.

The partnership produced 32 victories, two Cup championships and more than $68 million in winnings. It also survived a flurry of storms created by one of the most tempestuous drivers in NASCAR history.

It was the perfect union, yet it left Stewart wanting more.

More than he could ever get at Gibbs, where an ownership stake wasn't an option and Stewart was simply the driver. So Stewart secured his release from the organization Wednesday, paving the way for him to purchase his own NASCAR team.

"While this moment is bittersweet, we're parting on good terms and we know that each of us has benefited greatly from the other," team president J.D. Gibbs said in a statement.

The remarkable and often emotional 10-year run will end for Smoke, Zippy and the JGR boys at the end of the season.

Gibbs had hoped to sign Stewart to an extension that would keep the 37-year-old driver in his seat past 2009 and until he retired, but Stewart stalled during contract talks. He wanted to see what else was out there, and given the opportunity to buy majority ownership in fledgling Haas-CNC Racing, Stewart couldn't resist. He scheduled a Thursday news conference at Chicagoland Speedway to discuss his latest venture.

Stewart, who owns several sprint car teams and a trio of race tracks — including famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio — will likely model his NASCAR team after the Gibbs organization.

Joe Gibbs has supported "Smoke" unequivocally through a tumultuous 10 years that saw Stewart punch a photographer, engage in run-ins with fellow drivers, fans and the media, and often fall on NASCAR's bad side through his jaw-dropping candor and sharp wit.

He thanked the organization for sticking by him, and teaching him much of what he knows as a businessman.

"I've learned so much from them and have a tremendous amount of respect for what they've built," Stewart said in a statement. "I've modeled my USAC and World of Outlaws teams the same way they built their NASCAR team, and I made it a point to find good people to run those programs.

"If I've learned anything from my time at Joe Gibbs Racing, it's that Joe Gibbs' saying of, 'You win with people,' is incredibly true. They always surrounded me with not just good people, but great people, and the results speak for themselves."

Now Stewart will have to find the same quality people to help him revamp Haas's two-car team. Current owner Gene Haas began serving a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion in January, and the team is not exactly competitive.

Haas currently fields one car for Scott Riggs, and a second entry that's been piloted by several drivers this season. Neither team is inside the top-35 in points, and the organization was devastated by stiff NASCAR penalties in May for bringing illegal cars to Lowe's Motor Speedway.

But Stewart loves a challenge, and this newest one will also secure him a spot in NASCAR long after he quits driving. He's expected to pilot one of the cars, and fellow Indiana native Ryan Newman is in the running for the second seat. Newman has been noncommittal on his future plans, and the Daytona 500 winner is in the final year of his contract with Penske Racing.

Getting to this point, though, meant breaking up a quality partnership.

Stewart joined JGR in a developmental role in 1997 while he was still competing in the IndyCar Series. He ran five races in the Busch Series (now known as the Nationwide Series) for JGR that year, and also won the IRL championship. He expanded his Busch schedule in 1998 to 22 events in preparation of his move to full-time NASCAR in the Cup Series.

His arrival helped JGR expand to two teams, and Stewart made an immediate impact on the Cup Series. He set a rookie record with three victories in 1999 while winning rookie of the year honors. It began a 10-year run with Stewart winning at least two events a season.

Stewart finished seventh or higher in the season standings in all but one season — 2006 when he failed to make the Chase but still won three of the final 10 races used to determine the champion. He wound up 11th in the standings that season.

Now Gibbs hopes Stewart has one last championship run in him for their organization.

"While our time together is coming to an end, we know there's still a lot of racing left this season and we plan to make the most of it," Gibbs said.

But it's been a rocky season for Stewart, who is stuck in a 32-race winless streak dating back to last August at Watkins Glen. He lost the Daytona 500 on the last lap, the Coca-Cola 600 when his tire went flat while leading late, and several other races because of a bizarre streak of bad luck that has plagued him all season.

He was sick last Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, and after driving the car as high as third, had to climb out of the seat just before the halfway point for relief driver J.J. Yeley.

Yeley brought the car home in 20th, and Stewart is now 12th in the standings, clinging to the final spot in the Chase for the championship field.

Many believed Stewart surrendering the wheel was a sign that he'd reached the end of his JGR run: He got sick in his car at Watkins Glen in 2005, but still won the race.

Stewart's departure means the end of the longest active driver-crew chief relationship in the garage. Greg Zipadelli helped build the No. 20 team around Stewart at inception, and "Zippy" will likely stay behind at JGR to help groom 18-year-old protege Joey Logano into NASCAR's next superstar.

"No matter what, Tony and I will remain close friends," Zipadelli said. "I know when it comes to the No. 20 team, things will obviously be a lot different next year, but I remain as committed as ever this year to winning races with Tony and securing our spot in the Chase to contend for a third championship."

Although Gibbs officials have not said who will replace Stewart in the No. 20, Logano is expected to fill the seat. They had quietly shopped the ride to the top free agents in NASCAR, but Carl Edwards passed on the job in May and JGR officials are now confident Logano is up for the challenge.

He made his NASCAR debut in the Nationwide Series in June at Dover following his 18th birthday and finished sixth. He won the pole in Nashville the next week, and became the youngest winner in series history with a victory at Kentucky in just his third start.

Through four starts, Logano has a first, second and sixth-place finish. He's expected to grab Home Depot, which has sponsored Stewart the past 10 years, to keep much of the No. 20 team intact.

Joe Gibbs said the future of that team is bright, even without Stewart.

"The 20 car has been one of the all-time great partnerships in NASCAR for the last decade with the combination of Tony, Zippy, The Home Depot and Joe Gibbs Racing," Gibbs said. "While we are losing one piece of the puzzle, we think the No. 20 team will remain strong for many years to come."

With or without Stewart, JGR is on solid footing. Kyle Busch leads the Cup standings with a series-best six wins this season, while Denny Hamlin is seventh in the standings with one win.

"He was a great competitor, he couldn't stand not running well and he made everyone at JGR want to win just as badly as he did," Hamlin said. "He was a leader for me from the day I started at JGR and then really helped me out when I made the move up to the Cup series. He never sought me out to give me advice, but all I had to do was ask and he would give me as much time as I needed.

"He leaves some big shoes to fill, but that drive to win races and championships at JGR won't change."

AP Source: Warriors to ink Maggette to 5-year deal

The Golden State Warriors will sign high-scoring free agent Corey Maggette to a five-year contract worth around $50 million, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal can't be announced until Wednesday at the earliest, confirmed Maggette will leave the Los Angeles Clippers for a lucrative long-term deal with the fast-paced Warriors, who outbid several suitors for the former Duke star.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the deal.

Maggette, a 6-foot-6 swingman, should fit splendidly into Golden State coach Don Nelson's pell-mell style of play. He averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season for the moribund Clippers, finishing slightly off his career highs in all three categories.

The 28-year-old Maggette will trade places on the California coast with Baron Davis, who spurned the Warriors last week for his hometown Clippers. Davis, who was considered the Warriors' team leader until his abrupt decision to opt out of his contract, accepted a smaller salary than he would have made in the final year of his deal with Golden State in anticipation of teaming up with Elton Brand and perhaps Maggette.

Instead, Davis looks to be stuck on another rebuilding Clippers roster. The club is expected to lose Brand as well, amid reports he has agreed to a long-term deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Warriors also made a play for the power forward, likely driving up Brand's price.

Davis' departure cleared room under the Warriors' salary cap for Maggette, who reportedly drew attention from Boston, San Antonio, Detroit, Utah and Orlando. Golden State apparently offered more money and a longer deal than most of Maggette's suitors, who mostly couched their offers at the mid-level salary cap exception.

Maggette easily could fill the void left by underachieving Golden State swingmen Mickael Pietrus, who's expected to sign with Orlando, and Matt Barnes, who won't be back, according to Nelson.

Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington are the only veteran regulars currently under contract to the Warriors, but top basketball executive Chris Mullin has said high-scoring guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins — both restricted free agents — will be back at any price, hopefully with long-term deals.

Promising youngsters Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli also will return for their second NBA seasons, along with rookies Anthony Randolph and Richard Hendrix.

Nelson has promised to give more playing time to his young players in the upcoming season, even at the expense of a few victories. Still, with Maggette's arrival, the Warriors will have three veterans who each averaged 20 points per game last season.

Wife of Yankees Alex Rodriguez files for divorce

A tumultuous week for Alex Rodriguez, played out in tabloid headlines and carried on the whispers of a connection to Madonna, came to a head Monday when his wife filed for divorce.

The more than 5-year marriage collapsed amid reports of a new friendship between the Yankee slugger and the 49-year-old pop singer, an only-in-New York convergence of sport and entertainment celebrity.

Played out in both the sports pages and gossip magazines, the saga appeared to have taken its toll on Cynthia Rodriguez, who said in divorce papers that her husband "emotionally abandoned his wife and children."

"The marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken because of the husband's extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct," according to her petition for dissolution of marriage, filed in the family division of Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.

The New York Yankees third baseman, who earned his 12th All-Star selection Sunday, has refused to comment on any relationship with Madonna.

Rodriguez's attorney in Miami, Ira M. Elegant — who is also representing NBA star Shaquille O'Neal in his ongoing divorce — said he had not reviewed the divorce petition but added: "As you know, anyone can pay the filing fee and make allegations."

Richard Rubenstein, a spokesman for Rodriguez, declined to address to allegations of infidelity, saying that would be brought up in court.

"His priorites are to have a future with his children and be a big part of their lives," Rubenstein said.

Cynthia Rodriguez has asked for primary custody of their two children — Nathasha Alexander, 3, and 2-month-old Ella Alexander — as well as child support and alimony.

Days before the filing, stories linking Rodriguez and Madonna began to surface, including an Us Weekly report last week saying that Rodriguez made several late-night visits to Madonna's apartment in New York.

Madonna, who is married to filmmaker Guy Ritchie, denied any romantic involvement with Rodriguez in a statement Sunday.

"My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce," the statement said. "I know Alex Rodriguez through Guy Oseary, who manages both of us. I brought my kids to a Yankee game. I am not romantically involved in any way with Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez added some Hollywood glitz to his management team last year when he hired Oseary, who had previously worked with Madonna and Lenny Kravitz. Oseary is not a registered baseball agent, and Rodriguez retained Scott Boras as his representative on baseball matters.

Madonna's statement added that she has "nothing to do with the state of his marriage or what spiritual path he may choose to study," apparently in reference to reports that the singer had introduced the ballplayer to the form of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah.

Cynthia Rodriguez last week visited the Paris home of Kravitz. The rocker denied anything improper, saying she had come to France to escape the media frenzy in New York and stayed at his home as a friend.

Her lawyer, Maurice Kutner, declined to elaborate on the divorce filing, which does not mention Madonna — or any alleged paramours — by name.

"Cynthia has made it very clear to me that she wants to take the high road and protect her children and herself. There's no vindictiveness here," Kutner said. "She wants to resolve the issues between Alex and herself in an amicable fashion."

The couple, who married in November 2002, has had a prenuptial agreement in place since Oct. 3, 2002, according to the divorce papers.

Because Florida is a no-fault divorce state, extramarital affairs do not factor into how the Rodriguezes' assets might be divided, according to marriage law experts Leon Finkel and David Levy of Oak Park, Ill. That is, unless such affairs are specifically addressed in the prenuptial agreement.

They have a $12 million, six-bedroom house in the upscale Miami suburb of Coral Gables. A company run by a corporation controlled by Rodriguez bought an apartment at Trump Park Avenue in Manhattan for $7.4 million in July 2005.

The divorce petition was filed the day after Rodriguez hit his 536th homer, tying Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle for 13th.

The 32-year-old Rodriguez has found himself in the tabloids more than any other Yankee since arriving in New York in 2004. Last year, he was labeled "Stray-Rod" on the front page of the New York Post after being photographed out at night with a former Vegas stripper.

"I think for Alex, he's been through this before, he knows how to handle it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Thursday. "I'm sure there are times he wishes he could just fit in. That's the price you pay.

"Obviously, everyone likes to keep their life private. Unfortunately, in this world, that doesn't happen."

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner didn't seem too concerned when asked if his star player can keep his off-field problems from affecting his play.

"Everybody has personal problems to deal with. Just playing baseball doesn't change that anymore than it does for anybody else," Steinbrenner said at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Fla. "But I'm sure he'll be fine."

Rodriguez is in the first season of a $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees, a deal that allows him to earn up to $305 million. He made $185.45 million from 2001-7 from his contract with the Texas Rangers and Yankees.

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Jake Coyle contributed to this story from New York.

Brewers close in on deal for Indians ace Sabathia

The Brewers are extremely close to a deal to acquire Indians ace C.C. Sabathia in a trade that bolsters their rotation for a playoff push, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The person requested anonymity because the trade has not been finalized and said there were a few remaining issues to work out.

Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA to win the AL Cy Young last season and would give the Brewers another power pitcher to pair with Ben Sheets as Milwaukee tries to make the playoffs for the first time since 1982.

The big lefty is 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA for the Indians, but has also been plagued with a lack of run support. In 11 of his 18 starts, Cleveland has scored two runs or less for him.

"I'm good, excited," Sabathia wrote in a text message posted on ESPN.com. "It's weird leaving these guys."

The trade was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

To get Sabathia, Milwaukee will have to part with a package of prospects including Matt LaPorta, a power hitting left fielder selected in the first round last year who was scratched from a Double-A game in Huntsville on Sunday night.

LaPorta was hitting .288 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs in 84 games for Huntsville.

"It's kind of flattering to have your name brought up for one of the best pitchers in the game," LaPorta told the Huntsville Times. "There would be no hard feelings one way or another. This is a business, and I understand that."

The Indians, who were one win from the World Series last year, have quickly fallen out of contention, making a move likely. Milwaukee wants Sabathia now to make as many starts as possible.

Sabathia, who was slated to start for Cleveland Tuesday at Detroit, rejected a $72 million, four-year extension from the Indians during spring training and announced he wouldn't negotiate any deal until after the season.

Cleveland doesn't want to see another star leave town without getting anything in return after Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Albert Belle all left for free agency. In 2002, the Indians traded popular starter Bartolo Colon to Montreal for prospects Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillps.

Lee is 11-2 for the Indians this season with a 2.43 ERA and center fielder Sizemore leads Cleveland with 22 homers, 50 RBIs and 56 runs scored. Phillips is now the Cincinnati Reds' starting second baseman.

The Brewers starting pitching has been thin ever since Yovani Gallardo went on the disabled list on May 2 with a torn knee ligament that required surgery. His rehab was supposed to take four months, which gives him an outside chance of returning before the end of the season.

Sheets (10-2, 2.77 ERA) is off to the best start of his career, but the All-Star righty is in the final year of a $38.5 million, four-year contract and hasn't wanted to talk about his upcoming free agency.

If Sabathia is acquired and both pitchers leave via free agency, the Brewers would likely receive four first-round picks as compensation. Milwaukee had six of the top 62 picks this past season after relievers Francisco Cordero and Scott Linebrink left, and has 10 All-Stars named to the Southern League game in Double-A Huntsville alone.

Milwaukee, which hasn't been in the postseason since the days of Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, fell two games short of the division title last year. The Brewers are percentage points ahead of St. Louis for the second-best record in the NL, and both teams are chasing Chicago, 3 1/2-games ahead.

The Brewers play four games at St. Louis to cap a seven-game road trip after the All-Star break and have a four-game series against the Cubs at Miller Park at the end of July.

(This version CORRECTS SUBS graf 13 to correct Lee's record to 11-2.)

Busch nips Edwards to win under caution at Daytona

Kyle Busch fell a lap down at Talladega and came back to win. So when a steering problem dropped him to the back of the field at Daytona, he didn't panic. He simply settled in for the long drive back to the front. And back to Victory Lane.

Busch bested Carl Edwards in a door-to-door drag race Saturday night that ended under caution with Busch earning his Sprint Cup Series-best sixth victory of the season.

"That's him," crew chief Steve Addington shrugged.

Say what you want about Busch, the driver NASCAR fans love to hate. But the kid doesn't quit, not when a checkered flag is on the line.

"It's me who has to stay a little calm and get back in the rhythm of what was going on," Busch said of his knack for overcoming diversity at restrictor-plate tracks. "I just made sure I drove a smart race and finished it out, and whatever came to us would come to us."

What he got was his 12th victory of the season spanning all three of NASCAR's top series.

But he had to wait several anxious moments for this one, which wasn't decided until NASCAR reviewed the running order at the moment the final caution came out.

Busch and Edwards were drag racing with a little over a lap remaining when a multicar accident brought out the caution behind them. The field was frozen, and while Edwards was pretty sure Busch was a nose ahead, no one was 100 percent certain.

"I can't believe that we're here right now," Busch said in Victory Lane. "We didn't have the best car. Luckily we were leading there when it mattered most."

Edwards finished second and was disappointed not to have one last lap to finish his race with Busch.

"Man, I hate to lose the thing like that," Edwards said. "I wish we could have raced a little longer."

Matt Kenseth, Edwards' teammate at Roush Fenway Racing, was third. He was followed by Kurt Busch, Roush driver David Ragan and Robby Gordon. Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin rounded out the top 10.

It seemed for a bit that Jeff Gordon was headed to his first victory of the season as he led 46 laps late and was handily holding off Busch as the race wound down. But with four laps to go, Busch pulled inside of Gordon and claimed the lead mere seconds before a multicar accident brought out a caution.

It set up an overtime sprint to the finish, and Busch was slow on the restart. It stacked the traffic up behind him and Edwards ran into the back of Gordon, sending him spinning through the grass.

Edwards darted to the outside to move around the action and, with a push from Kenseth, pulled alongside Busch to set up a thrilling drag race. But they didn't get a chance to race to the checkered flag because of contact between Travis Kvapil and Sam Hornish Jr. that triggered a multicar accident that froze the field.

"I think it's ours," spotter Jeff Dickerson radioed to Busch. "We were out front. Is it ours?"

"I don't know," Addington replied. "They are looking at it. I don't know."

Busch's team frantically watched the scoring tower, then jumped over the pit road wall in celebration when Busch's No. 18 was declared the winner.

Busch celebrated with his customary sarcastic bow to the crowd. But with every victory, the fans who have loved to hate him are slowly warming up to NASCAR's newest star. He was cheered this time, just like he was two weeks ago after winning on the road course in Sonoma.

Gordon, who seemed poised to end his 22-race winless streak, wound up 30th and was disappointed with the way the final restart played out.

"Everybody was laying back and trying to get a run on the last restart," Gordon said. "They got the jump on me. I tried to block him. Maybe I came across (Edwards') nose. Hard to say. It's unfortunate. We had such a strong run."

But Gordon was more upset he allowed Busch to pass him with four to go.

"I should have stayed on the bottom. My car was so good on the bottom," he said. "I'm probably more mad at myself than anything else."

Tony Stewart, winner of this race in 2005 and 2006, fell ill before the start and had J.J. Yeley on standby in case he couldn't make it to the finish. Stewart drove his car as high as third, but gave up the seat right before the halfway point and Yeley took the car to a 20th-place finish.

So there was no redemption for Stewart, who lost the season-opening Daytona 500 when winner Ryan Newman passed him half a lap from the finish.

Instead, it went to Busch, who actually dominated the 500 by leading a race-high 86 laps before he was shuffled back to fourth in the closing laps.

But he recovered to earn his first restrictor-plate victory two months later when he won at Talladega in April. It gave him confidence to return to Daytona and give Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing the victory they were denied in the 500.

Just how close 'friends' are Madonna and A-Rod?

A-Rod and the Material Girl? That's a lot of hits. Reports that Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez and Madonna have become close just as their marriages are disintegrating have both the celebrity gossip industry and the sporting world — each a chatty bunch — buzzing with questions about the two "friends."

A third boldface name was added to the saga when Rodriguez's wife fled from New York to the Paris home of rocker Lenny Kravitz, who denied anything improper had happened with the slugger's wife.

Rodriguez remained mum. He signed a couple of autographs before Thursday night's game at Yankee Stadium against Boston, but didn't take questions from a pack of reporters.

The whole story began last week amid tabloid stories that Madonna, who is married to the British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, had consulted a high-profile London divorce attorney. On Tuesday her publicist issued a statement saying Madonna's marriage was not in jeopardy. Then Us Weekly magazine reported that Rodriguez, 32, has been making late-night visits to the Manhattan apartment of Madonna, 49.

Janice Min, editor-in-chief of Us Weekly, said the magazine was "100 percent" confident in its story, which she said was based on multiple sources.

Min said Us Weekly has been careful not to overstate what's known of the relationship, which the latest issue labels a "hot new friendship."

"The facts are that he comes to her apartment late at night, that they have a friendship, that she had never been photographed at a Yankees game until she was photographed in A-Rod's seats," Min said. "I think from those facts we put forth, a lot of people would infer that something more is going on."

Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, acknowledged the two know each other after meeting at a charity event, but denied any romance. Rodriguez has refused to even address the topic when questioned by reporters, leading some to wonder if he could indeed be involved in the biggest Yankee romance since Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe.

On Thursday, the New York Daily News reported that Rodriguez and wife Cynthia have separated, citing an anonymous source. They were married in 2002 and have two children, Natasha Alexander and Ella Alexander. Then came news that Cynthia visited Kravitz in Paris.

"Cynthia is a friend ... she came here to escape from everything happening in New York City," Kravitz said in a statement. "I opened my home to her as a friend and I find it extremely hurtful that I am now being referred to as an adulterer."

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said the reports would not faze the club.

"It's no distraction to the team," Steinbrenner said Thursday at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Fla. "Whether it is to Alex I don't know. But from what I'm hearing, no, it's not."

Coverage of the private lives of Yankees is not new, particularly in an era in which professional athletes are increasingly scrutinized off the field.

Earlier this year, it was reported that former Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens had an affair with country music singer Mindy McCready. Derek Jeter's string of girlfriends also have received considerable press, most notably a relationship with another mega-selling singer, Mariah Carey.

Rodriguez, however, has found himself in the tabloids more than any other Yankee since arriving in New York in 2004. Last year, he was labeled "Stray-Rod" on the front page of the New York Post after being photographed out at night with a former Vegas stripper.

"I think for Alex, he's been through this before, he knows how to handle it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm sure there are times he wishes he could just fit in. That's the price you pay."

"Obviously, everyone likes to keep their life private. Unfortunately, in this world, that doesn't happen."

A copy of a local tabloid with a front-cover headline of "Split!" was on a table in the middle of the Boston clubhouse.

"New York, it's like Us Weekly meets the fun bunch," Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey said.

On Thursday, sports talk radio in New York was dominated by larger concerns: mainly the dim playoff prospects for both the Yankees and Mets.

The sports blog Deadspin wondered Thursday how Rodriguez would be greeted by fans at Yankee Stadium in the team's upcoming series against the Red Sox: "Will there be any cone bras in the stands? Sean Penn masks? The theme from `Evita' being sung by a heavenly choir of visiting Red Sox fans?"

There were, as usual, a lot of fans wearing pinstripe jerseys with his No. 13 on the back for the series opener. One of them, Shawn Richards, said he and nine pals came from western Canada to cheer for Rodriguez.

"A-Rod's the man!" Richards said. "He can do whatever he wants. It's New York."

___

AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker in New York and AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.

Favre considers return to NFL or does he?

Brett Favre dismissed an ESPN report that he's considering coming out of retirement as "all rumor."

Favre responded Wednesday to the ESPN report by telling his hometown newspaper Web site, SunHerald.com in Gulfport, Miss., that "it's all rumor."

The paper reported that Favre sent a text message saying there's "no reason" for a media frenzy.

ESPN reported that an unidentified Packers source said the 38-year-old Favre told coach Mike McCarthy in the past two weeks that he has the itch to play.

"The Packers have no reaction," team spokesman Jeff Blumb told The Associated Press.

Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, didn't return a message seeking comment. Packers general manager Ted Thompson and McCarthy were on vacation.

Favre retired March 6 after a 17-year career.

Cornerback Al Harris said on ESPN's "NFL Live" that Favre made similar comments to him.

"I know he has the itch to come back and play," Harris said. "If he will or not, I don't know."

The Packers plan to use Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback for the upcoming season, and he's been leading the team through organized team activities and minicamp.

Rodgers has been groomed to take over for Favre since being selected in the first round in 2005, but has played sparingly.

"Aaron is our quarterback," Harris said. "Brett's retired. But if he wanted to come back, there would be some guys who wouldn't mind it. I would welcome him back with open arms."

Favre has two years left on his contract at an average of about $12.5 million per season. The Packers placed him on the reserve-retired list in the spring so his salary does not now count toward the cap.

Favre's commitment to retirement has been questioned since his announcement. That talk resumed in mid-June when Favre withdrew from the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe, scheduled for July 11-13.

Tournament spokesman Steve Griffith said then that Favre had to miss the event because of a scheduling conflict.

When he retired, a teary Favre said, "I've given everything I possibly could give to this organization, the game of football, and I don't think I've got anything left to give And that's it. I know I can play. But I don't think I want to."

But less than two months later, he told reporters he might be open to returning if Rodgers was injured.

Favre, a three-time MVP, leads the league with 442 touchdown passes, 61,655 yards passing and 160 career victories. He started 253 consecutive regular-season games, more than any other quarterback in history. Including the playoffs, his streak stands at 275.

Rodgers, meanwhile, has stirred up controversy himself this week. In a Sports Illustrated article, the quarterback said he didn't feel pressure to connect with fans the way Favre did.

"I don't feel I need to sell myself to the fans," he said in the article. "They need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut."

Bonds' 756th homer ball lands in Hall, finally

Now branded with an asterisk, the ball Barry Bonds launched for his record 756th home run nearly a year ago landed Tuesday night in the Hall of Fame.

The souvenir arrived in Cooperstown, N.Y., after a strange day of back-and-forth statements between its owner, fashion designer Marc Ecko, and the shrine.

"We are very happy to receive the baseball as a donation, and not as a loan," Hall spokesman Brad Horn said. "We look forward to adding this ball to our permanent collections."

A driver walked up the front steps of the Hall, handing over the ball and a letter from Ecko saying it was an unconditional donation. Horn said the ball will be displayed after the museum documents it — that process usually takes weeks, rather than months.

Bonds broke Hank Aaron's career homer record on Aug. 7. Yet not since Boston first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz caught the last out of the 2004 World Series had a Hall-bound ball caused so much commotion.

Ecko paid $752,467 for the prize in an online auction in September. Soon after, he asked fans to vote in an Internet poll on what he should do with the ball.

The winner: Brand it with an asterisk, to reflect the steroid allegations surrounding Bonds, and give it to the Hall.

The ball indeed was marked, with the five-pronged asterisk dye-cut into the cowhide, from stitch-to-stitch where "Major League Baseball" is printed.

Bonds called Ecko an "idiot" when the designer announced plans to hold the vote. The slugger later said he would boycott the Hall if it displayed the ball with an asterisk.

After months of discussions, the Hall said earlier Tuesday that talks with Ecko had "unfortunately reached an impasse."

"The owner's previous commitment to unconditionally donate the baseball has changed to a loan. As a result, the Hall of Fame will not be able to accept the baseball," the Hall said.

Ecko later responded.

"I am surprised that the Hall issued a statement that said they would no longer accept the Barry Bonds' 756th home run baseball. We had been in communication with them just this morning and the Hall did not mention that they would change their position and no longer accept the ball," he said.

"Based on the Hall of Fame's previous statements that they would both accept and display the ball, the only open issue we were talking about was the Hall's recent indication of discomfort in displaying it and addressing the controversy surrounding the record."

Nearly all of the Hall's 35,000-plus artifacts were given on a permanent basis. The Hall does make exceptions, especially when it has nothing else to illustrate a story — Willie Mays loaned the glove he used to make his famous, over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series.

Bonds donated the batting helmets he wore when he hit his 755th and 756th home runs.

Bonds finished the season with 762 home runs. The San Francisco Giants did not offer him a contract for this year, and he hasn't gotten an offer to play for another team.

(This version CORRECTS SUBS 8th graf to correct that asterisk has five prongs, sted six.)