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.

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Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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– Barring unforseen circumstances, VoV.com will be holding a live MLB TradeCentre. Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that this year’s trade deadline could be quiet, as prospects are being overvalued, many teams are up against their budget and teams are still uncertain on whether they’re buyers or sellers. In addition, the market for relievers is extremely expensive this season, so many names that are rumoured to be dealt may have to wait until August.

MLB

– A source tells Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that Astros’ RHP Roy Oswalt has waived his no-trade clause to complete a trade to the Phillies in exchange for LHP J.A. Happ and two minor leaguers (possibly OF Anthony Gose and RHP Vance Worsley, not 1B Jonathan Singleton). The Phillies will also receive $11M. Oswalt’s $16M option for 2012 will not be exercised, but he will be compensated in another way. The deal isn’t official yet and will have to be approved by the commissioner’s office due to the money being exchanged. Oswalt’s contract has $5.46M left from his $15M salary this year, $16M in 2011, and a 2012 option for $16M with a $2M buyout. The Phillies have a ridiculous 1-2-3 punch in Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels.

– The Rangers have placed 2B Ian Kinsler (strained left groin) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 28. Kinsler has been limited to just 76 of the team’s 101 games this season and just hasn’t been the elite source of power and speed he was last year in large part due to his ankle injury.

– Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times speculates that the Angels may be selling OF Bobby Abreu, LHP Brian Fuentes, OF Hideki Matsui, and 2B Maicer Izturis might interest contenders. Abreu, Fuentes, and Matsui would be tough to move, and could be waiver wire trade candidates. Abreu is signed at $9M for next year and may have another $9M salary vest for 2012. The 36-year-old is hitting just .253/.347/.416. Fuentes’ strikeout rate is back up, but he’s 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.

– Contrary to rumours, the Indians are not shopping RHP Fausto Carmona. The Indians are listening, they don’t expect to receive a suitable offer. Carmona could potentially be under Tribe control through 2014.

– The Yankees are not expected to pursue a catcher, though they remain interested in Nats’ 1B Adam Dunn. The White Sox and Giants are believed to be the frontrunners.

– 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.

– The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that there is no substance to the trade rumours involving the Cardinals and 3B Miguel Tejada.

– ESPN reports that the Mets are expected to shop OF Jeff Francoeur after the non-waiver trade deadline.

– According to the NY Post, the Mets are very unlikely to acquire Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly as they do not want to take on most to all of the $4.37M left on his contract, in addition to losing a package of prospects. In addition, the Mets are “almost completely unwilling to engage in serious discussions” for Astros’ RHP Brett Myers. Joel Sherman suggets the Mets might wait until August to acquire a pitcher.

– According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox have inquired about Rafael Perez, Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Matt Capps, Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, David Aardsma, and Kyle Farnsworth, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cafardo says Jays’ LHP Scott Downs looks unlikely unless the Blue Jays back down from their top prospect requests.

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

NFL

– The Jets are expected to sign FA WR Laveranues Coles after a workout on Friday, according to ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini. The Jets need another receiver to compensate for Santonio Holmes’ suspension for the first month of the season. Coles showed last season that he has little left in the tank, but he’s familiar with Brian Schottenheimer’s offense and should be fine in the slot for four games.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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MLB

– According to Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown, the Dodgers have called about Astros’ RHP Roy Oswalt, Cubs’ LHP Ted Lilly, D’Backs’ RHP Dan Haren, as well as Indians’ LHP Jake Westbrook and RHP Fausto Carmona. They’ve also inquired about Jays’ LHP Scott Downs, RHP Kevin Gregg and RHP Jason Frasor. The Yankees are also said to be interested in a number of these pitchers, including Oswalt and the three Jays’ relievers. The Dodgers sit 6 games back in the NL West race but only 2.5 games back in the NL wild-card race. Stay tuned.

– Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the White Sox have gone hard after Nationals’ 1B Adam Dunn this summer. At the moment, however, talks have stalled. “The problem [general manager] Kenny [Williams] is finding out is that [Nationals GM Mike] Rizzo is acting like Dunn is Ryan Howard,” Cowley’s source said Monday. The 30-year-old Dunn is batting .286 with a .950 OPS and 22 home runs in 332 at-bats this year and would bring some serious pop to the middle of the White Sox’s lineup. Williams is apparently willing to deal prospects Daniel Hudson and Dayan Viciedo, but not SS Gordon Beckham or OF Carlos Quentin.

– The Rangers have reportedly expressed interest in Marlins’ 3B Jorge Cantu.

– The Padres are set to sign OF Wily Mo Pena to a minor-league deal.

NHL

– F Mike Modano doesn’t plan on making a decision regarding his future until after he skates on August 5. Modano isn’t sure if he wants to retire or return to the NHL for the 2010-11 season. If he decides to play, he’ll sign a contract with the Red Wings, Wild or Sharks.

– Blackhawks’ F Patrick Sharp has been told by GM Stan Bowman that he won’t be traded. “I told (Sharp) he can relax, he’s not going anywhere. He’s a big part of this. He means a lot to us on the ice and off the ice.” Bowman said that the Blackhawks still have cap issues, even after trading away F Dustin Byfuglien, F Ben Eager, F Colin Fraser, F Andrew Ladd, D Brent Sopel and F Kris Versteeg. Bowman said he doesn’t have a solution yet, but he doesn’t want to resort to trading away one of the key members of Chicago’s 2009-10 Stanley Cup run.

NBA

– The potential sign-and-trade deal that would send F Matt Barnes to the Raptors is now “dead,” according to a league source. “The sign and trade (scenario) is dead,” the source was quoted as saying, as neither Toronto, or the Magic have the money available to make the deal. It sounds like there was a serious “miscalculation” in the talks, and while it’s not certain that he won’t be joining the Raptors, it does sound unlikely to happen. Which is unfortunate, since Barnes already announced the deal on Twitter.

– Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey said that F Yao Ming (foot) possibly missing the first two months of the season is “totally false.” Morey was disputing an earlier report from the Racine Journal-Times. The GM says that Yao is entirely on track to be ready for the start of training camp and expects him to be in the lineup on opening night.

– The Bulls, Cavs and Clippers have expressed interest in G Flip Murray. He averaged 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game last season.

– ESPN is reporting that the company that insures Knicks players’ contracts told the team that it wouldn’t cover F Amare Stoudemire for international competition. The news was a shocker to the Knicks and the national team. While Stoudemire was with the Suns, he had what were considered successful operations on a knee and eye. But ESPN reports that the insurer had its “doubts.”

NFL

– According to the Baltimore Sun, Ravens’ FS Ed Reed (hip surgery) is likely to begin the regular season on the PUP list. Reed admits he’s doubtful for Week 1, and placement on reserve/PUP would cost him the first 6 games. Big blow to the Ravens’ D.

WWE

– WWE has announced two new hosts, both appearing on Raw this October. Actor Bobb’e J. Thompson will host Raw on October 18 in Calgary, Alberta. Thompson stars in the upcoming WWE Film’s release Knucklehead with Big Show, set for release October 22. WWE also announced that country singer Toby Keith will guest host on October 25, the night after the Bragging Rights PPV, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Keith is a huge wrestling fan who has appeared on TNA television in the past.

– Here is the updated card for SummerSlam on August 15:

WWE Championship Match
Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton

7-on-7 Tag Team Match
John Cena, Bret Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, R-Truth, The Great Khali and John Morrison vs. Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and David Otunga

VoV

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

– F LeBron James isn’t expected to announce his decision until at least Wednesday evening, when a three-day Nike camp in Akron ends. Many feel LBJ is still leaning towards re-signing with the Cavs. The Knicks also met with James’ representatives for a second time in Cleveland on Saturday, according to the NY Daily News. This may not mean much in the long view, but it’s a noteworthy event as LeBron’s decision looms just days away — possibly Wednesday evening but more likely Thursday.

– According to G Joe Johnson’s agent, Arn Tellem, JJ is set to re-sign with the Hawks for a maximum contract of about 6-years/$120M. Tellem confirmed Sunday in an entry he wrote for the Huffington Post website, in which he said Johnson “announced his intention to re-sign with the Hawks for six more years.” Tellem wrote that Johnson chose to remain in Atlanta over Chicago and New York, where he would have been reunited with Mike D’Antoni, his former coach in Phoenix. The Knicks tried to convince Johnson that if he signed with them he could make up lost salary with contract incentives and endorsements, but obviously their pitch didn’t work. JJ will rejoin a playoff-ready core in Atlanta, with a contract that won’t expire until he’s 35 years old. For the Knicks, missing out on Johnson means they’ll probably start targeting F Mike Miller.

– F Amare Stoudemire met with Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni on Sunday morning, as the two worked out whatever differences existed between them. D’Antoni also called Amare late last week to tell him how much the Knicks want him. It would be shocking if he doesn’t sign with New York at this point — he’s attending team owner James Dolan’s Fourth of July party, and has apparently been recruiting Spurs’ G Tony Parker and Nuggets’ F Carmelo Anthony.

NHL

– F Ilya Kovalchuk will reportedly not be signing with the Kings. GM Dean Lombardi said on Sunday afternoon that the highly sought after UFA would not be coming despite their best efforts to bring him on board. The Devils and Islanders are believed to be the front-runners at this time for his services. Stay tuned.

– Leafs’ GM Brian Burke is still looking to add a veteran defenseman to his roster via free agency. Although there is no word on who Burke is targeting, Andy Sutton, Willie Mitchell and Jay McKee could be on the Buds’ radar. If the Maple Leafs are successful in signing a veteran blueliner, it will certainly accelerate the Tomas Kaberle trade talks. Stay tuned.

– F Mike Modano said he will be patient in his search for a new club. “I really have been through this before, so it’s not that new. There’s a lot more texting now, but you still just try to ask questions and answer what they want. It’s a lot of waiting around, that’s the tough part.” Modano has had discussions with the Red Wings, but it may be tough for them to fit him into their salary structure.

MLB

– Twins’ C Joe Mauer, the overall vote leader, heads the group of AL All-Star selections. Justin Morneau, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, Ichiro Suzuki, Carl Crawford and Vladimir Guerrero were also voted in as starters. The AL reserves include Miguel Cabrera, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, David Ortiz, Elvis Andrus, Vernon Wells, Jose Bautista, Torii Hunter, Ty Wigginton, Alex Rodriguez, Ian Kinsler and John Buck. Kinsler and Buck were injury replacements for Pedroia and Martinez, respectively. The AL pitching staff consists of David Price, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Phil Hughes, Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona, Trevor Cahill, CC Sabathia, Neftali Feliz, Mariano Rivera, Jose Valverde, Matt Thornton and Joakim Soria. The Final Vote will come down to Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher, Kevin Youkilis, Delmon Young and Michael Young.

Cardinals’ 1B Albert Pujols was again the leading National League All-Star vote-getter. Others that were voted as starters include Chase Utley, Hanley Ramirez, David Wright, Ryan Braun, Andre Ethier, Jason Heyward and Yadier Molina. The NL reserves consist of Martin Prado, Ryan Howard, Brandon Phillips, Omar Infante, Michael Bourn, Chris Young, Brian McCann, Adrian Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, Scott Rolen, Corey Hart, Matt Holliday, Marlon Byrd and Jose Reyes. Phillips and Reyes were added as injury replacements for Utley and Tulowitzki, respectively, and Prado will start at second. Heyward might require an injury replacement, as well. Pitchers that were selected for the squad include Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Yovani Gallardo, Tim Hudson, Evan Meek, Arthur Rhodes, Matt Capps, Brian Wilson and Jonathan Broxton. For the Final Vote, it will be between Joey Votto, Ryan Zimmerman, Carlos Gonzalez, Billy Wagner and Heath Bell.

– The D’Backs have released LHP Dontrelle Willis. In six games with Arizona, five as a starter, Willis was 1-1 with a 6.85 ERA. He struck out 13 and walked 27 in 22 1-3 innings.

– The Indians have placed OF Shin-Soo Choo (sprained right thumb) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 3.

– The Astros have placed 1B Geoff Blum (loose bodies in right elbow) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 2.

– The Cardinals have placed OF Ryan Ludwick (left calf strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 26.

– The Padres have placed OF Will Venable (lower back strain) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 2.

– The Twins have placed 2B Matt Tolbert (contusion on right middle finger) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 1.

– The Red Sox have placed RHP Manny Delcarmen (strained right forearm) on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 1.

UFC

–  UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar defeated Shane Carwin on Saturday night at UFC 116 by submission in the second round of the fight. Carwin came out strong in the first round, dropping Lesnar with a vicious uppercut and almost putting the champion away with a fury of ground and pound. Lesnar survived the round and came back strong in the second round, making Carwin submit from an arm-triangle choke. After the fight, Lesnar thanked referee Josh Rosenthal for not stopping the fight when he appeared to be in trouble. Lesnar said:

“He hit me pretty good, and I don’t know, I ended up there on the ground. I just had to go into survival mode and stay busy. I really have to thank the referee for allowing that thing to go on. I wasn’t hurt. I thought if I just kept moving — I could feel Shane’s punches getting less and less — and I thought, well, if I can get out of here then I’m just going to exert a lot energy. I realized there was [not a lot of time left], so I just tried to stay busy. He’s a beast. He definitely won the first round [laughs].”

Former WWE personalities Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Steve Austin, Jim Ross and Bill Goldberg were shown in attendence. Lesnar’s longtime friend Paul Heyman was also with Lesnar throughout the weekend. At the post-show press conference, UFC President Dana White announced that Lesnar’s next title defense will be against undefeated heavyweight Cain Velasquez. No date has been announced, but the fight is expected to take place later this year.

WWE

– According to WWE Magazine’s “Best of WWE” Special Issue, which was released last Tuesday, WWE Studios’ upcoming comedy film starring Paul “Triple H” Levesque will be released in theaters next summer. Also note, the magazine refers to the film as Inside Out, but it has since been changed to The Chaperone. The film is currently being filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana.

– R-Truth revealed in an interview with WWE Magazine that he has another entrance theme in the works which would be specifically performed at pay-per-view events.

“The new song is called “Right Time. It’s hip-hop with some metal guitars in it. The lyrics will encourage crowd participation, too. The song just talks about going through life, doing the right things and keeping your head up.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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