MLB

– Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo said that RHP Stephen Strasburg (forearm) is likely to need Tommy John surgery to repair a significant UCL tear in his pitching elbow. The initial MRI on Strasburg’s arm didn’t show any major damage, but an MRI arthrogram revealed the tear. He’s expected to miss 12-to-18 months, so this will almost certainly wipe out the phenom’s 2011 season, though the Nationals will seek a second opinion before going the Tommy John route. Strasburg’s rookie season ends with a 5-3 record, 2.91 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 92/17 K/BB ratio over 68 innings.

– The White Sox have won the waiver claim on Dodgers’ OF Manny Ramirez, but according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, the Dodgers might wait until Tuesday, the last possible day, to deal him. The Dodgers have won three straight games and are only five games back in the NL Wild Card hunt. Adding to that, the teams they are chasing (Cardinals, Phillies, Giants) have been struggling. Ramirez is owed $4M over the rest of the season and will then be a free agent. The White Sox badly need an impact bat and could use the 38-year-old Ramirez as their DH. Manny doubled twice on Wednesday and is sporting a .920 OPS. He could play a major role in a late-season turnaround in LA, rather than on the south side of Chicago. Man-Ram would see a nice boost in fantasy value at cozy U.S. Cellular Field. He’s hitting .313/.407/.513 on the season. Stay tuned.

– FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal says that the Rays have signed OF Brad Hawpe. He picked Tampa over the Red Sox and Rangers. Hawpe was released from the Rockies this month after batting .255 with seven home runs over 259 at-bats. The Rays have been looking to add some offensive punch.

– According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Red Sox’ 2B Dustin Pedroia (foot) is likely to be shut down for the rest of the season. Pedroia attempted to come back early from a fractured foot but was unable to play through the lingering soreness. The Red Sox can still clinch the AL Wild Card this season, but they are well aware of the second baseman’s long-term value to the club. He turned in a .288/.367/.493 batting line and 12 home runs over 302 at-bats this year.

– The Dodgers have placed placed LHP Ted Lilly on trade waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Lilly, 34, is 5-0 with a 1.83 since coming over via trade from the Cubs. As with Manny, LA must decided if they believe themselves to be legitimate contenders. The Dodgers are five games out of the wild card lead. They have until Tuesday to trade the impending free agents, if they so choose.

– The Cubs began their search for a new manager on Thursday with an interview of former Indians skipper Eric Wedge. Wedge, 42, collected over 500 wins with the Indians from 2003-2009 and led the Tribe to the ALCS in in 2007. He had a face-to-face chat with Cubs GM Jim Hendry on Thursday in Cleveland and is one of many candidates that the Cubs are going to consider. Triple-A Iowa manager and former Cubs great Ryne Sandberg, for now, seems to be the favourite.

– The Reds have placed Mike Leake (shoulder fatigue) on the 15-day DL. Leake was 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA on June 5.  In 13 appearances — 11 starts — since June 10, he’s posted 6.47 ERA and .954 OPS against. His ERA and WHIP are all the way up to 4.23 and 1.50, respectively. The Reds are considering shutting him down for the season.

– The Phillies have placed RHP Danys Baez (back spasms) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 25.

– The Twins have claimed LHP Randy Flores off waivers from the Rockies.

– The Astros have claimed 2B Matt Downs off waivers from the Giants.

– The White Sox have placed RHP J.J. Putz (right knee patella tendinitis) on the 15-day DL.

– The Pirates have placed RHP Ross Ohlendorf (right shoulder strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 24.

– The Twins have transferred LHP Ron Mahay to the 60-day DL.

NBA

– Nuggets’ F Carmelo Anthony had a “dismissive disposition” during a meeting with team officials on Sunday, and maintained his desire to be traded. “It’s almost a given they’re going to move him,” said an unnamed front-office executive. Denver wants young players and draft picks for Melo, and Yahoo! lists his most likely destinations as the Clippers or Nets, followed by the Warriors, Rockets, Knicks, and possibly even the Bobcats. It sounds almost certain that he’ll be wearing a different uniform on opening night.

– Denver police have reopened an assault investigation of Nuggets’ G J.R. Smith after he allegedly choked another player (not in the NBA) during a pickup game at the Pepsi Center earlier this month. “Additional information has come forward,” Mary Dulaki of the Denver Police said. “A witness they hadn’t gotten before they’ve now interviewed and made a decision to reopen the case.” More bad news for the Nuggets. It doesn’t seem likely Melo and Smith will be with the team when the season starts, as both players are clearly on the trading block.

– Blazers’ F Greg Oden (broken patella) is rehabbing his broken knee cap in Indianapolis, working out with former NBA rebounder Buck Williams, and hoping to be healthy for the start of the season. GM Rich Cho said, “We’re pleased with his progress and I don’t know whether he’ll be ready to play opening night or not. It just depends on how it’s coming.”

– Kings’ G Tyreke Evans has been suspended for 1 game by the NBA for reckless driving. Evans will be sitting out the first game of the NBA season with this news. Additionally, the NBA suspended Pacers’ G Brandon Rush for 5 games (drug policy violation) and Heat’ G Kenny Hasbrouck for 2 games (DWI). It was Rush’s third failed test.

NHL

– Penguins’ F Jordan Staal (right foot) is scheduled to have his surgically repaired foot re-evaluated next week to determine if he will be ready at the start of training camp. Staal suffered a severed tendon in the foot during the playoffs and two surgeries followed the injury. The two-way forward has “experienced a couple (of) setbacks” in his recovery, so another look by doctors was deemed to be necessary. GM Ray Shero said, “The tendon itself is intact and strong. Nothing has changed with that. But he hasn’t had the opportunity to skate much. I don’t know (if Staal will be ready for camp). We’ll have a better indication next week. We’re not going to rush him.” Stay tuned.

WWE

– We are sad to report that former WWE performer Luna Vachon was found dead this morning at her mother’s home. She was 48 years old. Luna is survived by two sons, Joshua and Van, as well as a granddaughter, Lauren. Vachon was recently in the news after a house fire destroyed much of her old wrestling memorabilia. Mick Foley started a campaign via Twitter for fans to send memorabilia to her. She had been staying with her mother in the past few weeks. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Luna Vachon.

– Stephanie McMahon gave birth to her third child Wednesday, a baby girl. The name of the child has yet to be publicly disclosed. Linda McMahon confirmed earlier this year on her Twitter account that Stephanie was pregnant with her third child after she appeared visibly pregnant at a rally event for her Senate campaign. It was rumored at the time that Stephanie was due in August. McMahon and husband Paul Levesque (aka Triple H) already have two daughters; Aurora Rose Levesque (born July 24, 2006) and Murphy Claire (born July 28, 2008).

– Harley McNaught, father of former WWE performer Lance McNaught (aka Lance Cade), responded to Linda McMahon’s recent statements regarding his deceased son. McMahon claimed to the Connecticut Post last week that she “might have met him once” when asked if she knew the former WWE Tag Team Champion. Reiterating the details of the WWE’s Wellness Program, she then told reporters that World Wrestling Entertainment can no more be held accountable for deaths of performers “than a film studio could have prevented Heath Ledger’s death”.

“Who knows what causes people to have addictions and do what they do?” she added.

Her flippant response has left Harley and his family furious.

“I’ve been with him on two different WWE functions where she came up to him and knew him by name,” McNaught said in an interview with TheDay.com.

“She disrespected him,” McNaught said. “She disrespected my family.”

A McMahon campaign spokesman said it “certainly wasn’t Linda’s intent to diminish any additional interaction she may have had” with McNaught.

“WWE has nearly 600 employees and about 140 performers, and I think it’s understandable that Linda may not recollect every interaction she’s had, particularly given the fact that she’s personally met with thousands of voters since resigning her position at WWE in September,” said Ed Patru. “Linda’s a very kind and sympathetic person, but she is human.”

McNaught added that Lance, “would have cut his arm off for Vince McMahon, but it wasn’t there in return. [Vince] don’t care any more than the man in the moon for them, other than as dollar signs.”

– For what it’s worth, RAW Superstar Edge is being advertised as a SmackDown talent by SyFy as they promote SmackDown’s network debut on October 1st. No word yet if WWE is planning on sending Edge back to Friday nights. As noted before, there has been talk of beefing up the SmackDown roster before the SyFy debut.

– Alex Marvez of Scrippsnews.com conducted a phone interview with former WWE superstar Charlie Haas last week. Haas, who was released from WWE in February after almost a decade with the company, says despite his athletic ability, other forces held him back from being a main event performer. “When you’ve got guys on top who hate you and are burying you behind your back, you’re not going to go anywhere.” Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Working With Shelton Benjamin Again: “I’m not only excited to be back with Shelton, but also being able to have the handcuffs taken off so we can wrestle the way we want to. We’re going to work for a company that appreciates wrestling and wants you to go out and steal the show. You don’t have to play political games. This is going to be a great match.”

Drug Use In WWE: “WWE is cleaning things up. There was a group of guys who were addicted to all that stuff before the wellness program. They thought you need to do pills, drugs or whatever to live the life of a wrestler. People are being really educated now that you don’t have to do that anymore.”

Lance Cade’s Death “With each individual person it’s different. Some have addictive personalities that might be in their genetic code. A lot of times, it’s an individual decision. I get angry about a lot of it. Once you’re an addict, you don’t see how badly you’re hurting people. Eddie’s kids won’t know what it’s like to have their daddy in their life. Lance will never be there to walk his daughter down the aisle or see her graduate. It really breaks my heart.”

–  Former WWE Vice President of Talent Relations, member of the WWE Creative Team and WWE producer & manager, Bruce Prichard, was a guest on the week’s live edition (08/23/10) of Monday Night Mayhem. The highlights:

His release from the WWE & why he’s not bitter about leaving: “I was fired: plain & simple. I was let go, and we had some differences and I was let go. That was it. We just had differences, and it was time to part ways, and after 22 years, you can’t look back and listen to guys who are so bitter about their experiences after they’re gone. To be bitter about something after doing it for so long, you gotta look at yourself in the mirror and say ‘Who’s the dumbass?’ I was there for 22 years, and I had a fabulous run, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. When it was time to part ways, it was time to part ways, and we did.”

The importance of having to create on the fly in the WWE & how it was essential to be in “go-time” mode, despite the frustration behind having storyline ideas being rejected by Vince McMahon: “You haven’t done enough hours of radio in your lifetime. You haven’t lived enough hours of radio in your lifetime to be able to contain the number of ideas that had been laid out in detail to only be squashed because someone wasn’t ‘feeling it’ or someone might say ‘Someone tripped in a match last night, can’t do it, and they’re horrible, get rid of them.’ And you’re sitting there like ‘What just happened?’ There are so many, but at the end of the day, it was what we do. To me, at the same time, as aggravating as it was, it was also the most fun, because that’s when it was ‘go-time.’ You had to create on the go.”

Tensions amongst the WWE Creative Team while Bruce was with the company & why he feels Steve Austin deserves the credit for the success of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin” (and not Vince Russo): “There were times when you just had to buckle up & go; there was always tension. Once it got past that initial creative discussions, then you had to go sell it to talent, and then you had to get talent to go out & deliver your vision. I listen to guys all the time, and one of the things I always get amazed by is when different people & guys who have written or booked in this business take credit for something the talent does. There’s a guy over in TNA (Vince Russo) who has taken credit over the years for the creation of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Rock, & people like that. At the end of the day, the guy who deserves credit for ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is Steve Austin. He went out & delivered. Steve went out, and he was ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin 24/7. When Russo used to write up all these scripts, Steve would look at it, crumple it up, & throw it in the trash. Steve would go out, and he had a rapport with Vince McMahon, and he used to come to me and say ‘I wanna say this.’ I said ‘Hey man, that’s life, so if you wanna take the ass-chewing when you get back, do what you think is right.’ After a while, Steve gambled, and went out, and he did what he thought was right. He had an ear, and he knew what was working, and what they buying & weren’t buying, and at the end of the day, it may not have been the ideal creative situation that was created, but Steve made it his own, and made it bigger than anything that’s ever been done in the business. Without talent, you can have the greatest creative in the world…if they can’t deliver, it doesn’t matter.”

Why you should “never say never” about the thought of him coming into TNA’s Creative Team: “Never say never in life and especially in this business. The things that would have to take place to come in & help: they need a lot of help, they need to make some drastic changes. I don’t know if they would be willing to make those changes or not, but if they were willing to make those changes, then it may be a good fit. It has to be a good fit for them & for me. I’m willing to listen to anybody & everybody these days…life’s too short. To say I would/yes, I can’t say that. To say I would say no, can’t say that either. I would have to listen to what they had in mind and go from there. But at this point, I think the show’s a mess, and I’m not saying anything here that I wouldn’t say to them. You need help, you need some direction, some kind of stability, or some kind of direction to get the rutter in the water and moving forward. Right now, they are bailing; they are just trying to get water out of the boat.”

Why he believes EV2.0 is “a very poor business choice” on the part of TNA, why seeing Tommy Dreamer cry made him want to cry, and the mystery & “gaga” behind the Hulk Hogan/Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting/Kevin Nash storyline: “I look at TNA, and I see what they’re doing with the rehash of the ECW guys. Let’s look at facts. ECW went out of business because it didn’t have enough fans to support it and to keep it a viable company in business making money. Fact: Every one of those guys in the ring with the exception of Tommy Dreamer was calling the WWE begging for a job to get out of ECW because they hated the conditions, they hated working there, they hated everything about it, and wanted to get out, and to hear them talking that ‘It was the greatest thing’ and ‘We wanted just one more night.’ Seeing Tommy Dreamer cry makes me want to cry. You have a company that went out of business; an attempt of a resurrection through WWE (they tried to continue it). It was something you couldn’t continue in any other atmosphere other than that Bingo Hall in Philadelphia…that’s where the magic was made, and frankly, the magic was made in how Paul Heyman packaged what they did. And for TNA to take that and say ‘Hey this is going to revive us.’ Wait, didn’t those guys put another company out of business? Didn’t it fail when they tried to do it with the big company that had a lot of money? I just think it’s a very poor business choice on their part. You have Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, & Sting involved in something. There’s too much mystery, there’s too much gaga. You got Ric Flair with eight guys holding up four fingers, I don’t get it. I really don’t the TNA program at all. It’s really hard to follow and makes you go huh?”

His thoughts & opinions on the current state of the wrestling business, if he feels that the business is “dead,” & why he’s not a big fan of the PG WWE: “It’s kinda hard to say. Someone asked me the other day if I thought the business was dead and if UFC had basically taken its place. I don’t think you could ever ‘kill’ the business. I think the business has to evolve & the business has to change with the times, and I think it’s doing that. Sometimes I’m not in favor of doing some of the changes. I’m not a big fan of PG/PG-13 with the WWE, and I watched the other night when they had the Divas come out in one-piece bathing suits. I mean c’mon, it could be PG/PG-13, and they could still wear bikinis, and be hot, and show they’re bodies off. Sometimes they take a certain thing to the extreme that doesn’t necessarily have to be that extreme. The business is always going to change & grow.”

– Fans may recall Carlito mysteriously disappearing from WWE airwaves for a few months late last year shortly after his tag team partnership with his brother had ceased. The former WWE Superstar explained today on Twitter that he was removed from television last fall because he was sent to a rehabilitation facility to be evaluated for drug addiction. He says he passed the center’s various tests and it was determined that he was not a drug addict. He was then sent to a psychiatrist, which he felt was “a waste of time.” Carlito remained off television until November because management felt he was “very angry” at work.

“Ha, I was off tv in late 2009 because I was sent on a lil “sabatical,” said Carlito, responding to fan asking about his disappearance last year. “And by “sabatical” I mean I was sent to a rehab facility for a few days to be evaluated. I passed, they said I wasn’t an addict. Then I was sent to a psychiatrist…a waste of time! Then they kept me at home because they felt I was very angry at work! I was!”

In addition, Carlito’s 90-day no-compete clause with WWE expired over the weekend. He is now free to join any wrestling promotion with national television exposure.

– ROH owner Cary Silkin joined The Wheelhouse (Wheelhouseradio.com) on Thursday August 26 to promote the upcoming Glory By Honor IX IPPV live in New York City’s Manhattan Center on September the 11th on GoFightLive.tv. The following are some quotes from The Wheelhouse’s interview with Cary Silkin:

Tyler Black leaving ROH for WWE: “I’m angry on losing a talent like Tyler Black and hope that he’s is going to do well. But one good thing Bower (host of The Wheelhouse) is I’m used to this having gone through it with a number of guys. They thought Ring of Honor was finished last September…when Nigel and Bryan simultaneously left, that was a hell of a blow. We can go on and on, CM Punk, Matt Sydal, Samoa Joe, Homicide and so on and so forth. But somehow we always come out on the other side ok…I hate to see Tyler leave but he’s not done yet.”

Homicide possibly returning to ROH: “Sure there’s a possibility. He can’t participate; he has a clause where he can’t compete till sometime until the middle of September…but we would love to have Homicide back in ROH…he has rich history in Ring of Honor and I hope we can do something with him down the road.”

Was Bryan Danielson Contacted to Return to ROH? “Yes there were. I had a feeling there was something going on and no one is going to ever say for sure. But we spoke to Bryan and it just didn’t jive with the offers we made to him and his counter offers and this and that. There were some indications to me that he wasn’t going to be along very long. He’s a guy that deserves the best there is no doubt about it and I’m glad for him…Had he been available were would have certainly spoken to him but he didn’t indicate that and we wish him the best.”

– Former WWE Diva Chyna was reportedly bit by a poisonous spider this week and performed surgery on herself with a swiss army knife to treat the wound. According to TMZ.com, Chya was allegedly bitten by while changing in her bathroom. She went to her doctor, who recommended that she visit the emergency room, but because hospitalization was too expensive, she opted to perform surgery on herself.

TNA

– To update the news that Team 3D’s contracts with TNA Wrestling recently expired, Team 3D did not appear at this week’s Impact tapings and are not booked for the upcoming No Surrender pay-per-view on September 5. The general feeling within TNA is that Team 3D will sign new deals and the company has them penciled in for a match at Bound For Glory in October. Regarding a WWE return, there have been people within WWE trying to get The Dudleys to return. A “Best of” DVD package for the tag team has been discussed as one of the “bargaining chips” that could be used to lure them in, but a return to WWE is just talk at this point and nothing anyone with power has made a call on.

– Kurt Angle says he’s going to continue wrestling full-time until his TNA deal expires in a year, but after that, he’ll have to evaluate his future. In an interview with Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun, Angle said, “I believe that you’re not going to see much more of Kurt Angle.”

“Financially, I’m fine. The hard part about leaving wrestling is I’ll miss it. I have a couple of food companies now and I’m doing movies. If I do retire, I think it’ll be a retirement match, and then a part-time schedule. It’s so hard for wrestlers to leave the ring. It’s difficult and I’ve given it thought. I have one year left on my contract with TNA and then I will evaluate from there.”

Angle says his knees, lower back, and neck are “always stiff,” but he hasn’t felt this good in a decade.

“I think this is probably the best I’ve felt, and it has a lot to do with the reduced work schedule in TNA where they’re not using me at every house show. So having that lighter schedule has allowed my body to recuperate more.”

Angle needs to scale back the physicality of his in-ring style if he wants to continue wrestling, but he doesn’t know if he’s capable of that.

“Many people have told me, including Vince McMahon himself, that my work style is too intense; too aggressive. I don’t know if I can ‘work smarter,’ if you want to put it that way. I learned from wrestlers like Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, who were under-sized, to make up for that by working with much more intensity.”

Angle also talked about his movie career, which stars in TNA he thinks have what it takes to carry the company into the future and more.

NFL

– FoxSports.com’s Adam Caplan reports the Rams fear WR Donnie Avery’s season is over after he was carted off the field Thursday night with a serious right knee injury. The exact nature of the injury isn’t known, but it had the look of ACL damage as his knee bent the wrong way. His absence will hurt the Rams’ deep game.

– The Bengals are “prepared to move on” without WR Antonio Bryant, a league source tells Newsday’s Bob Glauber. The headline on Glauber’s report says that the Bengals are “ready to release” Bryant, but if the Bengals are going to cut Bryant, they’d have to eat the $7M signing bonus they gave him as a free agent in March. Bryant has participated in just one day of training camp due to his troublesome knee. No matter what happens, the Bengals made a mistake signing Bryant.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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MLB

– The Rockies have released OF Brad Hawpe. Hawpe was already going to be a free agent after the season, but the Rox cut him loose 6 weeks early. The 31-year-old was batting just .255/.343/.432 with seven homers and 37 RBI this season. He’s likely to be more valuable in the AL where he can be stashed at DH. The Rangers, Red Sox and White Sox are known to have some interest.

– Red Sox’ OF Mike Cameron (torn abdominal muscle) is out for the remainder of the season. The date of the surgery is unknown, but he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training 2011.

– The Royals have placed RHP Brian Bannister (rotator cuff tendinitis) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 8.

– The Braves have placed 1B Troy Glaus (sore left knee) on the 15-day DL.

– The Tigers have placed 2B Carlos Guillen (left knee contusion) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 17.

– The Rockies have placed RHP Taylor Buchholz (lower back stiffness) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 14.

– The Orioles have placed RHP Jason Berken (right shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 13.

– The Rays have placed OF Gabe Kapler (sprained right ankle) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 15.

– The Nationals have placed OF Josh Willingham (torn meniscus in left knee) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 16.

NFL

– After a review from commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL has decided to uphold Texans’ DB Brian Cushing’s 4-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Texans’ owner Bob McNair presented additional medical information, but Goodell wasn’t buying “overtrained athlete syndrome.” Cushing has been linked to steroids since high school, so that didn’t help either.

TNA

– According to the Wrestling Observer, regarding Paul Heyman, there was no movement this past week in the former ECW creative director joining TNA. The feeling among many in the organization is that as long as television ratings hold up, Spike officials won’t feel the need to pressure the organization in bringing him in. Heyman insists he won’t join the organization without the ability to rebuild the company, and without complete control over marketing, talent and the office, he won’t be able to. TNA president Dixie Carter doesn’t want to give up control of her company not to mention that she bears strong loyalty to certain employees, thus explaining why things remain at a standstill.

WWE

– There has been talk of beefing up the SmackDown roster before its television show debuts on Syfy on October 1. Though it may be unrelated, it’s worth noting that The Miz is advertised to appear at a SmackDown live event in October.

– Former WWE Diva/RAW ring announcer, Lilian Garcia, was the special guest on this week’s live edition (08/16/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. The highlights:

Why, in the end, she decided to leave WWE last September & what/whom she misses the most: “There’s nothing like having that one-on-one interaction with them: every time we’re out there, being able to hi-five & hug people. It’s just an amazing feeling. I miss some of the travel, I’m not crazy about all of the travel. Some of the places we went to were a lot of fun, especially when went overseas. I love Europe, and I love to experience different cultures, so I would definitely take advantage of the sightseeing. What I don’t miss is the airports & the hauling of the luggage. That kind of stuff wears on you, and when you do it ten years straight, it does wear on you. That’s why I have a lot of respect for all of the Superstars, because I didn’t have the grueling schedule that they would had of 300+ days a year, so I have respect for those who can do it and be away from their families. I really missed being away from my family, and that was one of the decision I made. When my contract was up, I was like do I sign on for a new contract, or do I really want to take the time to be with my family & my new husband, and I just made that decision that it was time.”

Her transition into the next phase of her life/career & the reason as to why she wanted to take time off: “It’s been a year since I left. It almost feels like right around the corner, and I can’t believe how time flies. So much has happened since I left. Actually, after I left on the 21st of September, I got married on the 28th of September, which was on a Monday, so it was ironic that I got married on a Monday. I went on a long amazing honeymoon and spent time with the family. I just took time off because I had been on the road for ten years straight. I did some work in Los Angeles, and a lot of doors starting opening up for me in L.A., so we made the decision to move to Los Angeles from New York, and we left in May. It’s just a fresh start & a new chapter in my life.”

Her expectation level when she started working for the WWE in 1999, how she almost chose to not show up to her WWE audition, why Tony Chimel & Howard Finkel were instrumental in her success, and if she initially thought she would have lasted as long as she did/been as successful as she was in World Wrestling Entertainment: “No, not at all. I’ll be honest with you, I had no idea what I was walking into, and I almost didn’t do the audition. I was called to New York to audition, and I looked at him and said ‘Are you kidding me…wrestling?’ He didn’t tell me what it was for, because the WWE didn’t tell him. I auditioned for a backstage interviewer for Super Astros, which was going to be on Univision, but I didn’t get it. It wasn’t until six months later that I got another call back, and they remembered me, and they needed people for SmackDown before it premiered. I auditioned again, and they called me, and they wanted to try me on for 1-3 months, and that I could leave at any time, and I was thinking I had nothing to lose…I’ll try it out. I went to my first show to find out that I was ring announcing that night, and Tony Chimel was there, and he sat with me and told me what I supposed to say. Between Chimel & Howard Finkel, I can’t thank them enough, because they could have easily sabotaged me, but they were so helpful, and I will never forget that.”

If she ever felt that the WWE Divas were not utilized properly during her time in the company & why she would like to see the Divas get more time on WWE television: “I always wished the Divas had more time on the show, because a lot of times, they get one match on the show. I see them working so hard, and they live & breathe this business just has much as the guys do. It depends on the writing, and the storylines, and ratings, and all of that. I could say that I wish they had more time, but I’m also partial to them too. I think it’s a great job they do week in & week out, and it’s not easy to write all these storylines & all these different ideas. I think the WWE does a good job on that, but of course personally, I would love to see more of the Divas going against each other.”

The bonds she formed during her time in the WWE, which WWE Diva she classified as her “best friend” (that she was sad to see go after her departure), & her reaction to the passings of Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit: “I guess every situation in different for everybody. I never felt outside the loop, or because I didn’t take bumps, I didn’t have anyone to comfort. I had a great camaraderie with all the superstars and especially all the divas. We had an amazing locker room throughout the years, and I saw a lot of people go in & out, which is sad, because I would form these really big bonds with a lot of them. Trish Stratus would be an example of one; we would travel together, and we were best friends, and when she left, I think I cried more than she did. I always felt like I had someone there, and I remember when we got the news about Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit, it was sad, and it was like a family atmosphere, and I remember hugging everybody. I had a great relationship with everyone.”

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NBA

– Chris Mannix of SI.com reports that Nuggets’ F Carmelo Anthony would “be open” to signing a long-term contract with the Rockets or Nets if one of those teams acquired him in a trade. It looks like we can add Houston and New Jersey to the list of potential destinations along with the Knicks and Magic. Stay tuned.

– Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Blazers’ G Rudy Fernandez won’t report to training camp and has “no intention” of honouring the final two years of his contract with the Blazers. According to Quick, Fernandez has no problem being suspended by the Blazers and sitting out until he can return to Spain in 2012. It’s possible that this is one last effort to leverage the Blazers into moving him, but Rudy could be done for two years. Stay tuned.

MLB

– The Braves have acquired 1B Derrek Lee from the Cubs for RHP Tyrelle Harris, RHP Robinson Lopez and LHP Jeffrey Lorick. Good move by the Braves, who are trying to fend off the Phillies for the NL East crown. Lee has lost a step defensively and is no longer a major home run threat, but he’s hitting well lately and is far better in the field than 1B Troy Glaus.

– Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that Rockies’ OF Brad Hawpe will be released after Wednesday night’s game. Hawpe will become a free agent and will be allowed to sign with any interested major league team. He’s posted a disappointing .642 OPS since the All-Star break, but he still has some power and could be useful down the stretch for a contending club. The Rangers and Red Sox make sense as landing spots, but a host of teams will be in on the negotiations.

– John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Reds have offered a contract extension to manager Dusty Baker. Baker and his Reds currently hold a 2.5-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. Baker is currently weighing the offer.

NHL

– The Hawks have signed F Fernando Pisani to a 1-year/$500K deal. The 33-year old played 40 games last season with the Oilers last season and tallied four goals and four assists.

– Forbes is reporting that owner Tom Hicks is close to selling the Dallas Stars and his 50% interest in the Stars home arena, the American Airlines Centre for nearly $300M. Hicks, who recently sold his interest in Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers also owns half of English Premier League giants Liverpool, bought the Stars for $84M in 1996. Forbes infers that the sale means that creditors of the Hicks Sports Group wil recoup at least a portion of the $200M that they are owed in addition to what they earned from the recent sale of the Rangers. Forbes also suggests that the sale bodes well for the sale of other NHL franchises in southern, non-traditional American markets such as Atlanta, Nashville and most notably the Phoenix Coyotes whose struggles with ownership have dragged out over two years.

NFL

– Updating a previous item, Vikings’ QB Brett Favre confirmed at a Wednesday press conference that he will play for the team this season. Favre explained that last season’s playoff loss to the Saints took a real toll on his mindset. “Physically, you know … I can’t complain. The surgeries I think, have made me a little better. But I’ve played in 390 straight games. I can’t complain.” Favre will reportedly receive a $3.5M raise on his 2010 salary, bringing it to $16.5M. He’ll be eligible for another $3.5M in incentives. It’s worth it for the Vikes if Favre can come anywhere near his 2009 performance.

– The Baltimore Sun confirms that the Ravens have “received some phone calls” about the availability of RB Willis McGahee.

– Chargers’ GM A.J. Smith met with unsigned RFA LT Marcus McNeill at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday. While it’s believed the visit produced “nothing tangible,” it one the of the sides could be budging. McNeill has skipped all spring and summer workouts in hopes of landing a new contract. The meeting was reportedly requested by McNeill’s side, but he still has leverage in the situation.

– Dolphins’ RB Ricky Williams’ latest plans involve signing an extension to stay with the team through the 2011 season. “Ideally, I would like to get a year extension with the Miami Dolphins, play this year and next year and then really focus on my schooling,” Williams said. Agent Drew Rosenhaus has been advising Ricky to play at least another year, but the 33-year-old had considered calling it quits after the season. The Dolphins are aware of his desire for an extension. It would be a surprise if a mutual deal wasn’t worked out.

– Multiple league sources tell ESPN New York that Jets’ QB Kellen Clemens is on the trade block. He played ahead of QB Mark Brunell in Monday night’s exhibition opener, but only because the Jets were “showcasing” him and did well, completing 7-of-10 passes for 84 yards. The Bills, Bears and Texans are worth keeping an eye on. The Vikings also figure to make QB Sage Rosenfels available, who will draw more interest.

– The 49ers have released WR Brandon Jones. 2+ years ago, the Niners guaranteed Jones $5.4M on a 5-year/$16.5M contract. What did he do? One reception for 18 yards. The move stops San Fran from paying Jones’ $2.145M 2010 salary. Injury prone throughout his career, Jones won’t draw interest until he gets healthy. He missed nearly all of camp with an injured hamstring.

– The Lions have acquired DE Lawrence Jackson from the Seahawks for a 6th-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The disappointing 2008 first-rounder adds even more talent to an improved Lions defensive front, it’s still not clear if he can actually play.

WWE

– Many people who saw the Undertaker’s return at SummerSlam noted that The Undertaker seemed to be out of shape and less muscular than the last time we saw him. We can confirm that the Undertaker received medical clearance to get back in the gym just a few weeks ago, which explains that. Taker has been nursing a broken orbital bone and a concussion (suffered in a match vs. Rey Mysterio) among other minor, nagging injuries. He was still experiencing vision problems as recently as last month but is expected to fully recover from the vision problems.

Undertaker will be feuding with Kane over the World Heavyweight Championship over the next few months, with current plans calling for matches at Night of Champions in September as well as Hell in a Cell in October. The first Undertaker vs. Kane match has been booked for WWE’s return to MSG on September 25.

– Former WWE superstar Rene Dupree, who held WWE gold as part of “La Resistance” tag team, recently spoke to Slam Wrestling about the latest chapter in his career, wrestling in Japan and Europe. Dupree had some very harsh things to say about his time in WWE and Vince McMahon in particular.

“I was miserable the last three years I was in WWE, I was miserable, I hated it, because it’s all politics. You have to kiss ass. In Japan, all you’ve got to do, is you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to look good, and that’s it. And that’s what wrestling is all about. It’s about the performance. It’s not about how big you are, or how good of a promo you can cut. It’s about if you can deliver in the ring.”

Rene Dupree has dramatically changed his look since we last saw him in WWE. He’s now sporting a goatee and is covered in tattoos on his chest, arms, shoulder and back.

“I’ve always wanted tattoos, ever since I was a little kid. Mind you, when I was 18 and I signed with WWE, and they had a strict policy, ‘Oh no, you can’t have tattoos without permission. Oh no, you can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ Basically, when you sign a contract with WWE, you sell your soul. You can’t take a sh*t without asking their permission. That’s the bottom line, that’s the truth. The hell with that shit. No. Here in Japan, I get a new tattoo, and the boys are like, ‘Oh, sugoi (which means awesome), new tattoo.’”

He also had some choice words for Vince McMahon.

“I don’t care how much money Vince McMahon has, Vince McMahon put my father out of business, for a lot of people. That was a very, very hard time in my life. That is very hard to forgive, very hard to forgive.”

– “Showtime” Percy Watson and Husky Harris were eliminated on NXT this week. Remaining are Michael McGillicutty, Alex Riley and Kaval, all of whom have been viewed as the ‘favorites’ for several weeks.

– Last week’s episode of SmackDown did a 1.6 broadcast rating and averaged 2,686,000 viewers.

– WWE has re-signed former SmackDown talent Ryan Braddock to a developmental contract. He was previously under contract to the organization from December 2005-March 2010.

– WWE has released developmental wrestler George Murdoch (aka G-Rilla, Brodus Clay). Murdoch was previously released by the organization in February 2008. He was re-signed to a developmental contract in January.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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MLB

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Rockies have placed OF Brad Hawpe on waivers. It’s possible that a team will claim him and make a serious offer, but we’ve seen this month how difficult waiver deals can be. Hawpe, 31, will most likely remain a Rockie for the rest of the season.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com suspects that Dodgers’ OF Manny Ramirez could be placed on waivers as soon as he’s activated from the DL. Manny is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week and should return to the Dodgers before the August 31 waiver trade deadline has passed. It makes sense for the Dodgers to dangle him, but they might not find many suitors. Ramirez is still owed about $3M for the rest of this season.

– According to Mark Hale the NY Post, the Mets plan to exercise SS Jose Reyes’ $11M club option for 2011 and are already considering negotiations toward a long-term extension. Reyes is having a good bounce-back season with a .279/.316/.419 batting line, eight home runs and 23 stolen bases over 102 games. He won’t be making $11M on his new contract.

– Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals “retain interest” in Tigers’ 3B Brandon Inge. The Tigers are expected to place Inge on waivers this week. If he passes by all AL teams and is not claimed by lesser clubs in the NL, the Cards will then have a chance. The vet would give St. Lou a better option at third. Inge, 33, has a .254/.330/.397 batting line and seven homers over 350 at-bats this season.

– The Padres are working on a plan that will begin limiting RHP Mat Latos’ workload down the stretch. Latos will remain an active member of the starting rotation for the foreseeable future and possibly until the end of the season.I nstead of completely shutting him down like they did last year, the first-place Padres are going to limit his throwing between starts and find extra days where they can. Latos has been outstanding in his sophomore season as the Padres make a run for the NL West crown.

– The Rangers have placed OF Nelson Cruz (left hamstring) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 15. This will be his third DL stint this season. He doesn’t have a strain, but the injury will sideline him for longer than 10 days. Cruz is batting .320 with a .968 OPS and 16 homers this season.

NHL

– G Antti Niemi admitted that he is disappointed that he is no longer a member of the Blackhawks. “I thought it would get worked out all along and never really thought it wouldn’t. And then when it happened and they signed (Marty) Turco, I was real disappointed. I still am. But it worked out for them, so …” Chicago walked away from his $2.75M salary arbitration reward earlier this month, making him a UFA. He is hopeful that he will have a contract with another club in the next couple of weeks, but the open market has not been kind to goalies this summer. As far as where he might end up, the Islanders have been mentioned as a possible destination and Niemi told a Finnish newspaper that playing for the Sharks “doesn’t sound so bad at all” either. The Lightning and Senators are also worth keeping an eye on.

– The Flames have signed F Craig Conroy to a 1-year deal. The 38-year-old posted three goals and 12 assists in 63 games for the Flames last season and will be entering his fourth straight full season with the team on his second go-around with the franchise.

– The Blackhawks have signed D Nick Boynton to a 1-year deal. The 31-year old Boynton had one goal and seven assists in 49 games split between the Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks. He was held scoreless in three playoff games during the Hawks Stanley Cup drive.

– The Leafs have signed F Jerry D’Amigo to a 3-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old D’Amigo had 10 goals and 24 assists in 35 games for the Engineers last season. The American was selected to the ECAC All-Rookie Team.

NFL

– Vikings’ WR Sidney Rice (hip) began cutting drills Monday for the first time all summer. Rice had been limited to straight-ahead running over the past week. Obviously the hip is good enough to start making cuts, so this is great news for the Vikes. There is still no timetable for his return to practice. Rice admitted to a “couple of setbacks” but said his hip has “gotten a lot better since the beginning of camp.”

– Free agent LB Aaron Schobel told the Houston Chronicle Monday morning that he’s officially retired and won’t be playing for the Texans. Schobel told the Chronicle two weeks ago that he wanted to play for the Texans because they were just an hour from his home – now he says he’s tired of dieting to get down to 240 pounds, and he wants to eat and weigh 270. “I’m done with it.” He also told Buffalobills.com that he won’t even listen if a team calls with an offer.

– The Texans have placed RB Ben Tate (ankle) on the IR, ending his season. He’ll have surgery Tuesday and should be 100% by 2011 training camp.

NBA

– Heat’ F Udonis Haslem’s lawyer is confident that his client will be cleared of charges that he possessed more than 20 grams of marijuana during a traffic stop on Sunday. “We have a situation where the passenger admits the marijuana was his and Mr. Haslem tells police nothing was in the vehicle. I think the police report speaks for itself … I am hopeful that Udonis Haslem will not be charged.” Haslem was also charged with four counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.

WWE

– WWE Diva Tiffany and Drew McIntyre were partying at the Midsummers Eve Party at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles last Saturday night before their argument at a Los Angeles hotel that led to Tiffany being arrested and later suspended by the company. Tiffany was hanging out with Playboy Playmate Roxanne Dawn. The belief is that WWE won’t bring back Tiffany as long as her legal charges are hanging over her heard. Tiffany’s attorney has told WWE officials that he will get her off.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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VoV

– Unfortunately, I’m out tonight and off to the cottage for Saturday & Sunday, so I won’t be able to do any more live coverage of the 2010 MLB trade deadline. Deal with it.

TRADES

– The White Sox have acquired RHP Edwin Jackson from the D’Backs for RHP Daniel Hudson and LHP David Holmberg. Hudson, 23, has a 6.32 ERA over three starts with the White Sox this season, but posted a 3.47 ERA over 17 starts with Triple-A Charlotte and was regarded as the top pitching prospect in the organization. Holmberg, a 19-year-old left-hander, is 1-1 with 4.46 ERA over eight starts with Chicago’s rookie league team in Great Falls this season. He was ranked as the organization’s top left-handed pitching prospect coming into the year by Baseball America. The 3-way deal that would send 1B Adam Dunn to the White Sox, RHP Edwin Jackson to the Nationals, and RHP Dan Hudson and a prospect to the Diamondbacks is still in play, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

– The Twins have acquired RHP Matt Capps from the Nationals for C Wilson Ramos. The 22-year-old catcher hit .296/.321/.407 with three doubles in seven games for the Twins back in early May but he has a .625 OPS in 278 at-bats for Rochester. Ramos is a defensive rock and posted impressive numbers in a short stint with the Twins in May while Joe Mauer was nursing an injury. He’s struggled a bit at Triple-A Rochester this season, but the 22-year-old has plenty of room to grow and should do just that in the Nationals’ system. Minnesota has had interest in Capps for some time and is now more confident about acquiring a reliever than a starter. Twins assigned a scout to follow Toronto’s relievers. He earns a base salary of $3.5M this year ($1.3M remains) and can be retained as an arbitration-eligible player for 2011, though he’s expected to get a raise. Capps will become the closer, with RHP Joe Rauch moving to setup man. Nonetheless, I give the winning nod to the Nats.

– The Padres have acquired 3B Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for RHP Wynn Pelzer and cash considerations. The 24-year-old Pelzer is a power pitcher whose fastball sits in the mid-90s. As a starter, he has a 4.20 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in AA this year, but could become a future closer. Tejada is owed $2M for the remainder of the season.

– The Blue Jays have traded INF Brett Wallace to the Astros for OF Anthony Gose. Wallace, originally a utility infielder, appears to be stuck at first base for now. Gose, 19, is a potential Gold Glove-winning outfielder with tremendous speed and defensive skills. His career potential has been compared to that of Rays’ OF Carl Crawford. Gose stole 76 bases two seasons ago.

– The Rangers have acquired 3B Jorge Cantu and $600K from the Marlins for RHP Evan Reed and RHP Omar Poveda. Cantu, 28, has 10 homeruns and is batting .259/.308/.408 this season. He becomes a free agent at seaason’s end.The 28-year-old becomes a free agent after the season and has said he would like to sign with the Marlins. At this point, the club is considering multi-year deals Reed, 24, has posted a 1.76 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 41 innings this season between Double-A and Triple-A. Poveda, 27, is currently on the DL recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Cantu will give the Rangers a solid right-handed bat for the stretch run.

– The Phillies have acquired RHP Roy Oswalt and $11M from the Astros for LHP J.A. Happ, INF Jonathan Villar and OF Anthony Gose. The Astros will pay $11M of the approximately $23M left on Oswalt’s contract through 2011. Oswalt did not demand that his 2012 mutual option for $16M be picked up by the Phillies, but he would receive extra compensation if or when the Phillies decline. The 32-year-old ace leaves Houston with a 3.24 career ERA and a 143-82 career record, just one win shy of the franchise’s all-time leader Joe Niekro. The Phillies look dangerous with a Halladay-Oswalt-Hamels 1-2-3 punch.

– The Braves acquired 2B Michael Noboa from the D’Backs for a PTBNL.

– The Tigers have acquired 3B Jhonny Peralta and cash from the Indians for minor league LHP Gionvanni Soto. The Tigers have now addressed their vacancy at third base, though Peralta has hit just .246 this season with a .698 OPS, seven home runs and 43 RBI. Soto is a 19-year-old left-handed prospect who has had some success at the Single-A level.

– The Dodgers have acquired OF Scott Podsednik from the Royals for a minor leaguer C Lucas May and RHP Elisaul Pimentel. The Dodgers beat out the division-rival Giants to land Podsednik, who has hit .310/.353/.400 with five homers, 44 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 390 at-bats for the Royals. The speedster will be highly useful to the Dodgers. The acquisition crowd the LA outfield for the long run, but for right now, with Johnson and Ramirez on the DL, it works well.

– Cubs’ 1B Derrek Lee has vetoed a trade to the Angels by invoking his 10-and-5 rights, a form of a no-trade clause given to players who have played for at least 10 years and the last five with their current team. Lee, who has a full NTC in his contract, is due just under $5M for the remainder of the season and indicated he wanted to finish the year with the Cubs. He will be a free agent at the end of the season. Lee entered Wednesday’s action hitting .248 with 11 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

RUMOURS

– Astros’ 1B Lance Berkman (NTC) (acquired Wallace to replace him). In: White Sox. According to the NY Post, the Astros have been given the go-ahead by a high-ranking executive that they can move Berkman and begin the rebuilding phase. The White Sox have expressed interest, but only as a backup plan if they fail to acquire Nats’ 1B Adam Dunn. Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse reports that there is buzz about the White Sox “going for” Lance Berkman. Berkman is batting .245/.372/.436 with 13 homers and 49 RBI in 298 at-bats this year. About $5.4M remains on Berkman’s $14.5M salary this season. The Astros hold a $15M option for next year, but they can buy it out for $2M.

– The 3-way deal that would send 1B Adam Dunn to the White Sox, RHP Edwin Jackson to the Nationals, and RHP Dan Hudson and a prospect to the Diamondbacks is still in play, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

– The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing a trade that could send LHP Ted Lilly and 2B Ryan Theriot to LA. It’s not known whether a deal is close. The Cubs would need to hand over some cash, as Lilly has $4.3M remaining and Theriot has $933K. Theriot received a $2.6M salary for 2010 after losing an arbitration case to the Cubs in February. He’s under team control through 2012; the FOX writers see him taking over at second base for the Dodgers. There aren’t a ton of great matches for Lilly at this point, as action with the Tigers, Twins, and Mets has cooled and the Phillies are out of the mix. I wonder if we’ll hear anything about the Cardinals and Padres looking at the lefty.

– Nationals’ 1B Adam Dunn. In: Rays, White Sox, Tigers. Out: Yankees, Giants. Three-way scenarios involving the Nationals, White Sox, Diamondbacks and RHP Edwin Jackson. Dunn is batting .275 this year with a .916 OPS and 23 homers. The Giants have minimal interest in Dunn at the current asking price. Believed to have asked the White Sox for either SS Gordan Beckha or both RHP Daniel Hudson and RHP Dayan Viciedo.

– Rockies’ OF Brad Hawpe. In: Padres, White Sox, Tigers. Chicago’s interest lies on Nats’ 1B Adam Dunn, while the Padres are believed to be less interested after acquiring 3B Miguel Tejada. Hawpe, 31, has about $2.8M remaining on his contract this year and will earn $10M in 2011 unless his team buys him out for $500K, as expected.

– Jon Heyman of SI.com writes that the Mets are reluctant to trade OF Jeff Francoeur for for the Royals’ OF Jose Guillen.

– Brewers: Pulled OF Corey Hart and 1B Prince Fielder off the block because they feel they are too close to contention to sell, despite being 48-55 and nine games out of first place in the NL Central.

– Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly. In: Phillies, Dodgers, Twins and Tigers. Out: Mets, Twins (no-trade list). Lilly has $4M+ remaining on his contract for the rest of the season. Lilly, 34, has posted a 3.69 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 18 starts this season.

– D’Backs’ C Chris Snyder. In: Nationals, White Sox, Red Sox. Trying to move both contracts without taking on any salary. Snyder makes $4.75M this year ($1.8M remains) plus $5.75M next year and either $6.75M or a $750K buyout in 2012. Snyder, 29, is hitting .231/.352/.426 with 10 homers this year.

– Cardinals inquire: LHP Jake Westbrook, LHP Aaron Cook. Cook’s return price is a reliever and a prospect. He’s owed $12M through the end of 2011.

– Cubs’ LHP Tom Gorzelanny. In: Mets.

– Red Sox’ SS Jed Lowrie. Out: Padres.

– Padres: searching for outfielders.

– Orioles’ 3B Ty Wigginton. In: Twins, Phillies and Giants.

– Jays’ LHP Scott Downs. In: Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Twins. Jays have asked the Yankees for either RHP Joba Chamberlain or C Jesus Montero in exchange for LHP Scott Downs. Have asked the Red Sox for prospect INF Casey Kelly or INF Jose Iglesias for Downs. Mets turned down a deal that would have sent prospect OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis plus another prospect. Downs is hitting .185 against lefties this season. Downs owed $4M this season, free agent in 2011.

– Jays’ OF Jose Bautista. In: Phillies, Tigers, Braves, White Sox, Giants.

– Astros’ RHP Brett Myers. In: White Sox. Out: Mets.

– Brewers’ OF Jim Edmonds: multiple teams.

– O’s LHP Will Ohman. In: Giants.

– Angels potentially shopping OF Bobby Abreu, LHP Brian Fuentes, OF Hideki Matsui, and 2B Maicer Izturis might interest contenders. Abreu, Fuentes, and Matsui could be moved via waiver wire in August. Abreu is signed at $9M for next year and may have another $9M salary vest for 2012 and is hitting just .253/.347/.416 with 12 homers and 56 RBI over 380 at-bats this season.. Fuentes has been homer-prone and has over $3M left on his contract. Matsui’s market is limited by his DH profile, though he has tallied 122 innings in left field this year. *UPDATE* The Angels will not be selling at the deadline, as they believe they have a shot at the playoffs despite being 8.5 games back in the AL West and 12.5 games back in the hunt for the Wild Card.

– Indians are NOT shopping RHP Fausto Carmona. He’s potentially under team control through 2014.

– Yankees NOT shopping for a catcher.

– The NY Post reports that the Rays, Twins and Phillies are the most motivated buyers, while the Cubs, D’Backs and Blue Jays are the most motivated sellers.

– Mets may shop OF Jeff Francoeur after the non-waiver trade deadline.

– Yankees inquire: Scott Downs, Ty Wigginton

– Red Sox inquire: Rafael Perez, Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Matt Capps, Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, David Aardsma, and Kyle Farnsworth. Searching league-wide for a reliever.

– Rockies inquire: 2B Ryan Theriot.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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WWE

– According to FWOnline, Multi-time champion Batista is reportedly finishing up with WWE this week. While is not definite that tonight’s match at Extreme Rules will be his last with the company, but he is considered leaving any day now. His contract is expiring and he yet to sign a new deal. At this point, company officials have no plans for him this summer. Batista has made noise about leaving dating back to January.

– Former WWE and WCW Champion Bill Goldberg got some buzz last month when he announced that he is negotiating with WWE about a merchandise deal and would be open to wrestling one more match at next year’s WrestleMania 27. In an interview with MonstersandCritics.com regarding his recent elimination from the “Celebrity Apprentice” television show. Goldberg revealed that his negotiations with WWE have not been as productive as everybody hoped.

“Well that’s if we can come to a contractual agreement. But what they’ve put forth right now is something that I will not accept. So is it something that I’m striving for? Absolutely not. Is it something that I would like to happen because I’ve got a little boy and it would wonderful for him to walk in the toy store and to be able to pick up a, you know, his – excuse me, like he says, a baby-daddy figure, you know, that would be awesome. But that is not going to cloud my business judgment by any stretch of the imagination.”

He added that demand is still high for Goldberg merchandise, but he’s not going to sign anything unless he’s satisfied with the deal.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been involved in the business. And I know there are a number of manufacturers out there that would love to get their hands on Goldberg products. And I’m not like anybody else; I’m going to stand my ground and a deal will be done if it’s to my liking and to my liking only.

– Triple H leaving on a stretcher tonight is believed to be his exit from the WWE storylines for a little while. Triple H is expected to take time off to heal some injuries and film a new WWE movie, Killing Karma.

– The hooded man that interfered in the Mysterio/Punk match at Extreme Rules was indeed Joey Mercury.

– On June 20, WWE will present the first ever Fatal Fourway PPV event  from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Commercials have already begun airing in the New York area for the event. From what we can tell, the top title matches will be 4-way elimination matches. The first PPV poster for the event has been released and it features Captain Charisma, Christian. Check it out:

NHL

– Devils’ coach Jacques Lemaire has announced his retirement from hockey. His Devils team was eliminated in the first round for the third consecutive year. The 64-year-old Lemaire says he doesn’t have the energy to coach anymore. He will stay with the Devils in a role yet to be determined. Lemaire returned to the Devils last season for a second stint as coach. He led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1995. He also held coaching jobs with the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild and was a recipient of the Jack Adams Award in 1994 and 2003. He also served as an assistant with Canada’s gold medal-winning entry at the Vancouver Olympics in February.

– Sabres’ F Thomas Vanek (ankle) will return to the Sabres lineup on Monday. Vanek missed the Sabres’ last three games due to the injury. Although coach Lindy Ruff said “all indications point to him playing,” he cautioned that Vanek’s playing time may be limited depending on his health and how the game goes. “This is the type of game that if one team is down, if you’re down halfway through the game, coaches will tend to go to three lines to lay it all on the line anyways. I would predict unless you’re tied and you’re still rolling four lines, somebody is going to put some extra ice time on their key players to try and win a hockey game.”

– Blackhawks’ F Marian Hossa avoided a suspension for his hit on Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis. Hossa hit Hamhuis from behind as the two were chasing the puck toward the end boards. This was Hossa’s first offence, so his history may have helped him out here. In all fairness, it didn’t look like much of a push, as he was still fairly far away and only got one hand on Hamhuis.

MLB

– Giants’ INF Freddy Sanchez (shoulder) is playing in extended spring training games and could be activated by mid-May. Sanchez is working his way back from late-December shoulder surgery. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said Sanchez could return to the team in two weeks. “It looks like he’s on his way now,” Bochy said. “He’s playing defense, swinging the bat … he’s doing everything. I’d put it right around two weeks.” Juan Uribe is hitting well in his absence, but the Giants would certainly welcome Sanchez back with open arms.

– The Rockies have placed OF Brad Hawpe (left quad) on the 15-day DL. Hawpe was pulled early in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader and missed the second altogether.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Vicente Padilla (right forearm soreness) on the 15-day DL.

– The Angels have placed C Bobby Wilson (concussion, strained left ankle) on the 15-day DL.

– The Pirates have placed RHP Chris Jakubaukas (head contusion, concussion) on the 15-day DL.

NFL

– Raiders’ QB JaMarcus Russell has ballooned to 300 pounds, according to the National Football Post. Russell was already overweight at 290, so he’s going in the wrong direction. It’s still likely that he’ll be released soon. The “move JaMarcus to right tackle” jokes are coming fast and furious now.

– As reported earlier, Seahawks’ RB Julius Jones was indeed on the trade block during the draft, and it’s believed that he’s still available. The Seahawks won’t get anything for him, and he’ll probably end being released. Seattle acquired RB Leon Washington and RB LenDale White on draft day, and will bring back third-down specialist RB Justin Forsett. White looks to be the favourite for carries in this backfield.

– In addition to DTs Ryan Sims and Chris Hovan, the Bucs are currently trying to move WR Michael Clayton. Clayton, a former 1st-round pick, became one of the worst re-signings in league history when GM Mark Dominik gave him a five-year/$24M contract last year. He went on to catch 16 passes in 11 starts. Clayton has scored three TDs in the past five seasons. He’ll probably end up being released.

– The Patriots have released OLB Adalius Thomas. The Patriots were unhappy with his play on the field before Thomas became a surprise disruption off of it. Thomas, 33, will attract significant interest on the open market.

VoV

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MLB

Here’s some quick info:

What: The 80th annual mid-season exhibition, the 2009 MLB All-Star Game

When: Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Where: St. Louis, Missouri (St. Louis Cardinals, first game held since 1966) at Busch Stadium

First Pitch: United States President Barack Obama (becomes the first sitting president since Gerald Ford threw out the first pitch in 1976)

What’s at stake: Winning conference gets home field advantage for the 2009 World Series (2-2-1-1-1 format)

History: This will be the seventh year in which the all-star Game determines home field advantage, with the American League being 6-1 under this format. Currently, the National League leads, 40-37-2, but has not won since 1996

How to Watch: FOX (USA), Rogers Sportsnet (Canada), ESPN America (Europe) @ 7pm EST

Voting: On April 22, 2009, All-Star balloting began on MLB.com with 8 position players (excluding pitchers and designated hitters) from each of the 30 teams being nominated for fans to vote. As with last year, only 25 email ballots could be cast and voting officially ended at 11:59 ET on July 2. Final Rosters, with the exception of the final vote, were announced on July 5. Also, fans can now vote for up to three players per league to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby. Also, for the first time, the batting practice sessions will be telecast on the self-owned MLB Network. After the rosters were revealed, a second ballot of five players per league was created for the All-Star Final Vote to determine the 33rd and final player of each roster.

– The 80th edition of the All-Star Game have their lineups announced. The American League looks like this;

AL Elected Starters

C – Joe Mauer (Twins) (3)
1B – Mark Teixeira (Yankees) (2)
2B – Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox) (2)
3B – Evan Longoria (Rays) (1)
SS – Derek Jeter (Yankees) (10)
OF – Jason Bay (Red Sox) (3)
OF – Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners) (9)
OF – Josh Hamilton (Rangers) (2)

AL Pitchers

RHP Andrew Bailey (Athletics) (1)
RHP Josh Beckett (Red Sox) (2)
LHP Mark Buerhle (White Sox) (4)
LHP Brian Fuentes (Angels) (3)
RHP Zach Greinke (Royals) (1)
RHP Roy Halladay (Jays) (6)
RHP Felix Hernandez (Mariners) (1)
RHP Edwin Jackson (Tigers) (1)
RHP Joe Nathan (Twins) (4)
RHP Jonathan Papelbon (Red Sox) (4)
RHP Mariano Rivera (Yankees) (10)
RHP Justin Verlander (Tigers) (2)
RHP Tim Wakefield (Red Sox) (1)

AL Reserves

C – Victor Martinez (Indians) (3)
1B – Justin Morneau (Twins) (3)
1B – Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox) (2)
2B – Aaron Hill (Blue Jays) (1)
3B – Michael Young (Rangers) (6)
SS – Jason Barlett (Rays) (1)
OF – Carl Crawford (Rays) (3)
OF – Curtis Granderson (Tigers) (1)
OF – Torii Hunter (Angels) (3)
OF – Adam Jones (Orioles) (1)
OF – Ben Zobrist (Rays) (1)

AL Final Roster Spot

3B – Chone Figgins (Angels) (0)
3B – Brandon Inge (Tigers) (0)
2B – Ian Kinsler (Rangers) (1)
DH – Adam Lind (Blue Jays) (0)
1B – Carlos Pena (Rays) (0)

NL Elected Starters

C – Yadier Molina (Cardinals) (1)
1B – Albert Pujols (Cardinals) (8)
2B – Chase Utley (Phillies) (4)
3B – David Wright (Mets) (4)
SS – Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) (2)
OF – Carlos Beltran (Mets) (5)
OF – Ryan Braun (Brewers) (2)
OF – Raul Ibanez (Phillies) (1)

NL Pitchers

RHP Heath Bell (Padres) (1)
RHP Chad Billingsley (Dodgers) (1)
RHP Jonathan Broxton (Dodgers) (1)
RHP Matt Cain (Giants) (1)
RHP Francisco Cordero (Reds) (3)
RHP Ryan Franklin (Cardinals) (1)
RHP Dan Haren (Diamondbacks) (3)
RHP Josh Johnson (Marlins) (1)
LHP Ted Lilly (Cubs) (2)
RHP Tim Lincecum (Giants) (2)
RHP Jason Marquis (Rockies) (1)
RHP Francisco Rodriguez (Mets) (4)
LHP Johan Santana (Mets) (3)

NL Reserves

C – Brian McCann (Braves) (4)
1B – Prince Fielder (Brewers) (2)
1B – Adrian Gonzalez (Padres) (2)
1B – Ryan Howard (Phillies) (2)
2B – Orlando Hudson (Dodgers) (2)
2B – Freddy Sanchez (Pirates) (3)
3B – Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) (1)
SS – Miguel Tejada (Astros) (6)
OF – Hunter Pence (Astros) (1)
OF – Brad Hawpe (Rockies) (1)
OF – Justin Upton (Diamondbacks) (1)

NL Final Roster Spot

SS – Christian Guzman (Nationals) (2)
OF – Matt Kemp (Dodgers) (0)
3B – Mark Reynolds (Diamondbacks) (0)
3B – Pablo Sandoval (Giants) (0)
OF – Shane Victorino (Phillies) (0)

AL Managers

Joe Maddon (Rays) (1)
Don Wakamatsu (Mariners) (1)
Trey Hillman (Royals) (1)

NL Managers

Charlie Manuel (Phillies) (2)
Tony La Russa (Cardinals) (5)
Joe Torre (Dodgers) (7)

Notes:

July 10-14: The All-Star Fan Fest, an amusement park and a quasi-museum, at America’s Center Convention Center
July 12: The All-Star Futures Game and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game at Busch Stadium
July 13: The Gatorade Workout Day and State Farm Home Run Derby (8pm EST – participants TBA) at Busch Stadium
July 14: The Chevrolet Red Carpet All-Star Parade (venue TBA) and carried on MLB Network via tape delay.

VoV Thoughts:

– Aaron Hill deserves to be a starter. Unbelieveable.
– Morneau and Teixeira should be switched.
– I can’t believe this is Wakefield’s first ASG.
– Final roster spot for AL means either Lind, Pena or Kinsler get snubbed. Absolutely criminal.
– A lot of first-timers in the NL.
– Can they IBB Pujols the whole game?
– Final roster spot for NL means either Kemp, Victorino or Reynolds are snubbed. Reynolds isn’t an all-star (poor batting average, K’s, defense) but his numbers earned him in. Kemp and Victorino should both be in, no questions asked.
– Until MLB opens their eyes and eliminates this one-player-per-team nonsense, guys like Kinsler, Lind and Kemp are going to get snubbed.
– MLB needs to do a fielding/running skills competition like the NFL, NBA and NHL. What the hell’s taking so long?